EssaysEssays I
Tablet Five
SATSANG
<1>As the body becomes soiled from the external particles, also the spirit of the human becomes dirty because of the influence of the external world and the power of Maya.
<2>We have to wash our bodies to be cleansed from dirt, and if we do not clean ourselves we will be inflicted with many diseases. This is also true about our spirit. As man directs his attention toward the external world, and lets the mundane things affect him and bring him to his lower nature, so his spirit becomes dirty and he goes to his lower nature.
<3>To direct the attention from the mundane to higher self, the spirit should be cleansed. This can be done through spiritual gatherings and sharing of the spiritual truths with others. <4>This kind of gathering and talking about God and the truths behind this universe is called "Satsang."
<5>As water cleans the flesh, the Satsang cleanses the spirit. It is the shower for the spirit. <6>Our body, in normal situations, becomes soiled in a day or two. Our spirit becomes dirty even faster than that. As we should take a shower often, so we should clean our spirit even more often. Meditation, singing the kirtan, remembrance of the mantras, offering the food to the Lord, and all the techniques used in spiritual progress are for cleansing the spirit. <7>One of the most important ones is Satsang: Faith comes by hearing the words of God.
<8>In Satsang, the aspirants should not talk about themselves, but about the invisible Lord and His universe. <9>Satsang should be given by spiritually advanced people, and usually true Satsang happens spontaneously with no previous preparation. <10>Satsang should be performed as many times as possible. But formal spiritual gatherings should be done every evening.
<11>We should clearly recognize the difference between Satsang and idle talk. Idle talk will make man go more to Maya (illusion), and Satsang takes him toward the Lord (higher consciousness).
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
SPIRITUAL TEACHER
<12>Although God in Its highest is Formless, Invisible, Nameless, and Eternal (FINE), however we see many people need some kind of mediator (manifested or un-manifested) between themselves and God. <13>Such realized mediators (being One with God) can be called spiritual teachers, Gurus, or Masters, etc.
<14>The spiritual teacher is the one who is able to impart the knowledge of higher consciousness or God to others. <15>It does not matter what he wears or looks like. He will be the source of bliss and suffering for his disciples, and by this process the growth of the disciples occur. <16>The disciple might not understand the actions of his teacher but there is a link between the two that cannot be broken. This link is what helps the disciple to stay and go through this process of reaching higher consciousness.
<17>Only those who are in tune with the spiritual world will be able to take on this elaborate task of guiding others to higher consciousness. <18>They will become like lights in the path of the disciple. It is true that the disciple is in the depth of the jungle of ignorance but the spiritual teacher is standing as a light out of that jungle. The disciple is in darkness, but if he keeps his eyes fixed on the spiritual teacher, his escape from that dark jungle is assured.
<19>However, without utmost respect and love for the spiritual teacher, it is impossible to see that light. <20>When a disciple realizes that Divinity within his spiritual teacher, he should never forget that and never judge his teacher by the appearance of his actions. Only then can the disciple fix his eyes to the Divinity he has realized in his teacher and become it.
<21>The spiritual teacher and his teachings are the ideal of the disciple. Whoever betrays that ideal is one like Judas who betrayed Christ.