Pujya Ramsukhdasji Maharaj

[Guest guest]

The Indispensability of Satsang

 

One brother aspirant said to a person to come for spiritual discourses, at which

time the other person said - " I do not sin, therefore it is not essential for me

to go to spiritual discources. Those that are sinful are the ones that go to

these spiritual events. They go to these discourses to get rid of their sins.

Now, diseased people go to the hospital to be cured of their disease; but what

is the need for healthy people to go to the hospital? When we do not sin, then

why should we go to spiritual discourses (association with Truth)? Looking at

this on the surface, these points appear to be alright.

 

Now understand this point carefully. There is a verse in Srimad Bhagwat -

 

Nivattarshroopggeey amaanaad bhavaushdhaachrottr amano bhiraammaat |

Ka uttashlokgunaamnuva adaat pumaan virajyet vinaa pashughraat || (Srimad Bhag.

11/1/4)

 

" In whom the desire, the longing, the thirst has been extinguished once and for

all, that liberated great soul whose perfect love remains yet with longing

within and he continues to sing the glories of the Lord; that liberated souls

for whom the arrow of Ram is like the medicine that cures the disease of this

life (existence), and also for those worldly and sensual people, it gives their

ears and mind eternal exultation. Who else is there besides those with animal

instincts and those suicidal ones, that turns away from Lord Shri Krishna Who is

like the moon, so beautiful, so comforting, so filled with nectar, so glorifying

are His virtues? "

 

Men are of three kinds - one liberated soul, another is a spiritual aspirant,

and the third is an ordinary worldly man.

 

In whom there is no deep thirst, or desires, he who is perfected soul, he who

has realized his true Self and is contented in the Self " atmaram " , he who has

servered relation with the inert, he who is beyond the scriptures and the

customs and decorum that are laid down – such a liberated soul, an enlightened

great soul also engages in devotion and worship and listens to the qualities and

characteristics of God -

 

Jeevanmukta Brahmaper charit sunahin taji dhyaan. " (Manas, Utter.42)

 

" He who constantly meditates on the Lord, they too leave that meditation and

listen to the life stories of God. "

 

Lord Brahmaji had four human sons (sankadi). They remained five years of age at

all times. They were perfected beings from birth. Like that there were several

perfected " sankadiks " – who have various

weapons in ten directions, of these there is one divine sage -

 

" Aasa basan vyasan yah tinhin |

Raghupati charit hoyi tahun sunahin || (Manas, Utter, 32/3)

 

Wherever legends of Bhagwaan (God) are being relayed, there they are listening.

If there is no one else to narrate the tales, then three of them become the

listeners and one becomes the narrator of the tales. In this manner even the

liberated souls listen to God's tales. One who is at all times immersed in the

Essence of God, such liberated souls also go to listen to discourses wherever

they are taking place.

 

Those aspirants who want to raise themselves from this mundane world, they too

listen to discourses and have association with spiritual Truth, so that worldly

delusions may leave and the inner faculties are

purified, as spiritual truths are the medicine for this life.

 

Those who are ordinary men, who do not even do any spiritual disciplines, even

their mind, ears, like to listen to spiritual discourses - " shrotramano

bhiraamaat satsangse ek prakaal

 

Therefore three types of men have been described

 

1) Perfected Soul

2) Spiritual Aspirant

3) Worldly person seeped in sense enjoyments.

 

Who is detached from singing the glories and virtues of God? Those that are not

interested in listening to the divine glories of the Lord are like animals, like

great murderers (butchers).

 

" Ka uttamshlokagunaanuv aadaat pumaan virajyate "

 

Who can remain without listening to the divine tales of the Lord?

 

Great sinners or those who are enemy of knowledge – besides these two, who will

be detached from listening to Lord's divine glories from the legends?

 

Wherever there are God's sacred legends, God, His Devotees, saints-great souls,

Narad-Sankadi, Rishis-munis (great sages and contemplative ones) and liberated

great souls are all drawn towards it; because this is extremely special and

extra-ordinary.

 

God's vehicle to travel is the Eagle (Garud). It is said about Garudji, that

when he flies, the " Sama Vedas " flows out from his wings. A servant of the Lord

resides very close by. Similarly, Garudji who is at all times close to God, he

became deluded when he saw Bhagwaan Shri Ram tied in " Nagpaash " . When he saw

this sight of God, a doubt arose in his mind that what kind of God is this, that

I had to release Him from the cluthes of the " Nagpaash " ? If I did not save Him,

then what would be His state?

 

Similarly when Bhagwaan Shri Ram, was seen wandering around in the forest and

calling out in desperattion " He Sita! He Sita!, and when Sati heard this, she

had a doubt as to what kind of a God is this that is searching for His wife and

is mourning in separation from her?

 

Both Garudji and Sati's example are depicted here, because they had themselves

seen the life of Shri Ram and became deluded and on listening to the divine life

stories of God, the delusion went away. From this it is proven that it is

greater to listen to the Divine legends of the Lord, than to see His life.

Listening to his sacred legends is even greater than beholding God, because by

beholding God, the delusion was created, and on listening to the divine stories,

the delusion is wiped out.

 

God's divine tales removed the delusion of Garudji and Sati. The point is - he

who is deluded is also eligible for divine truths (satsang), and he who is

deeply seeped in worldly affairs if he wants to listen, he too is eligible. Some

are enemies of knowledge, then that is a different story. If there is no

interest in Lord's divine tales then the inner faculties are very impure. Not

just a little impure. If slightly impure then it can be cleansed, but on being

significantly dirty (impure) then spiritual discourses are not appealing.