In The Company Of Righteousness

[Note: This post has two layers. Reading it till the end might offer you something of interest.]

You've often heard the word Satsang in the context of Hindu spiritual traditions. However, one often doesn't come across elaborations of the significance of this word. Here's one attempt:

1. The first elaboration:

Pretty much every spiritual tradition has a component of chanting hymns in groups.

In the Hindu tradition, people come together to sing Bhajans. These are hymns and chants, often in Sanskrit but sometimes also in other languages, that are supposed to quieten and elevate the mind.

This coming together and chanting is called Satsang in the Hindu tradition.

The word Satsang is a composite of two words: Sat and Sang.

Sang stands for "In the company of".

Sat stands for "One undivided existence", and chanting Bhajans is said to elevate our minds above their usual chitter chatter and take them to a more meditative state.

So in this sense Satsang translates as a group activity that "Elevates our minds to be in the company of an undivided peaceful blissful existence".

2. The second elaboration:

Sat also stands for Righteousness : and Satsang thus for "In the company of Righteousness".

And, at least to me, that starts with righteousness in the way we live our lives.

If our intentions are not completely above water, if we are not committed to absolute fairness in our dealings with others, if we are conniving and deceptive in our minds, then you have my absolute guarantee 😊 that merely singing some songs together will not bring you any elevation of consciousness, or blessedness, or grace, or enlightenment 😊.

Spirituality doesn't come cheap 😊.

And all the Gods and Goddesses you could ever try to please through your devotion 😊 : trust me, they are all very smart and intelligent folks 😊, each and every one of them 😊. Can't con and bribe them easy 😊. To earn their grace, committing oneself to the highest standards of living and dealing with others is a *must* : there-is-no-way-around-it 😊.

And no, although some try 😊, giving the example of Krishna resorting to a bit of trickery in the Kurukshetra war isn't a valid escape route. Krishna's intentions never faltered in his whole life 😊!

May Satsang come true for you in both senses of the word. May you experience the bliss, joy and peace of an undivided mind, and may you also live a life committed to and immersed in righteousness and have the good fortune to befriend and relate with righteous people.