Chapter IX
Swami says,
Seek company of the good; avoid company of the bad
But you have to pray to the Lord with one-pointed concentration. This type of single-mindedness comes only out of the pure quality (sattva-guna), and that again is the product of meditation. Therefore, you must cultivate good qualities, and in order to develop these, you should desire the company of the good (satsang).
Your real companions, from whom you derive the maximum good, are those who talk and discourse about the Lord, about truth, about the service (seva) of others, and about love that considers all as equal. Association with such people is certainly association with virtuous people, for these are the real virtuous people.
Those who never speak of the Lord, or those who are not even aware of Him; who are busy multiplying and strengthening the bonds of worldly existence (samsara); who preach and practise falsehood, injustice, and oppression, and who advise you to stray from the path of dharma —treat those not as your friends but as people to be avoided at all costs. Theirs is the company of wicked people.
Associating with such leads to committing wrongs against your will, uttering words that should not be uttered, doing deeds that should not be done, and, consequently, treading the downward road to ruin.
People who fear neither sin nor God are capable of venturing into any wickedness; this is no cause for surprise. So, seek the company of those possessed of these two fears; this is the true good company.
The company of people who have not even an iota of these two is evil and should be dreaded. The aspirant must always yearn for good company (sath-sang). In that company, there is no chance for the growth of greed or for will power (icchasakthi) to attain anything.
Whether easily available or not, seek and join only good company. Seek and realise permanent satisfaction and contentment. Do not distract yourself by pursuing temporary satisfaction.
It is profitless for a true aspirant to associate with men who spend their time in worldly affairs. If you don’t secure friends of the type I mentioned, be solitary, without associates; you do not lose anything thereby.
Never even think of the company of the wicked. Do not get entangled in their wiles. If possible, when you get the chance, advise them about the right, but do not yield to their words.
In fact, do not even entertain the desire to be in the place where they are present. If you cultivate these characteristics, then both repetition of the divine name and meditation will become easy for you and will yield quick results.”
Introspection
Swami often says, “Tell me your company and I shall tell you where you are, where you stand (in your spiritual path)
If we are blessed with a steady and clear mind, with clarity of our spiritual goal and can be master of our mind, then, we may not seek any company at all. We can enjoy the bliss of “alone -ness of SELF”.
But in most cases, it is possible to be like this. Each one is born with a typical sanskara which manifests into vasanas which give rise to certain type of thoughts- Vritti and with those thoughts, we end up doing some or the other action and keep piling up fresh karma.
Importance of seeking (even if it is durlabham, even if it is difficult) good company, company of Wise, company of Men of wisdom, company of Spiritual masters who can help us focus our mind on the only goal of our human birth, cannot be over emphasized as it largely shapes up our spiritual evolvement.
Men who mislead us, take us to evil/ undesirable path are too many. But men of wisdom are few. 50% of success in our spiritual journey is achieved the moment we are able to seek and attain the company of men of wisdom who can impart us all the spiritual teachings not only as text/ bookish knowledge but also from their own experience, from their own evolvement from Dhanava to Manava and then to Madhava.
Swami Sivananda writes on Satsang, thus:
“ Sage Narada says in his Bhakti Sutras, "The company of the great is very difficult, even inaccessible, but it is infallible." Association with saints is infallible in its operation.
Lord Krishna declares in the Bhagavad Gita, "The same am I to all beings; to Me there is none hateful or dear; but those who worship Me with devotion are in Me and I am also in them."
Though the rays of the sun fall equally on one and all, it is the face of the diamond that dazzles more than anything else. Although God is equal for one and all, He manifests more vividly in the heart of a sage, which is made transparent by purity.
Steps to satsang
The first step of satsang is keeping company with righteous and good people and serving them. From there, knowledge of the essential nature of our own Self, the divine or supreme Self dawns.
Then comes vairagya, dispassion, towards the things of this world, and a yearning for God, bhakti. When bhakti becomes strong, then we become the beloved of the Lord. We are dear to Him and chosen by Him. Finally, the direct vision of the Lord will follow.
Good and bad company
A spiritual aspirant should avoid every kind of negative company. The effects of bad company are disastrous. The mind becomes filled with negative ideas by contact with bad companions.
Just as a nursery is well-fenced in the beginning to protect the plants, so you should protect yourself carefully from unwanted influences. You should avoid at all costs people who lie, steal, gossip and who seek out sensory pleasures.
The human mind is a very receptive instrument. If you place it in negative company, it will acquire negative tendencies. If you place it in holy company, it will acquire divine traits. When thinking of saints, the mind becomes molded into the shape of the qualities of which it thinks, and thereby it becomes pure.
Anything that brings impure thoughts to the mind is bad company. Even a sober person begins to drink in the company of a drunkard. Negative company leads to passion, anger, delusion, loss of memory and discrimination.
Real satsang
There are few people in this world who can think correctly for themselves and who depend on their own intelligence in the pursuit of truth. These people are their own teachers and do not require any other guide. Their satsang consists of meditation on the highest intelligence or consciousness.
People who cannot think correctly and who are swayed by passion and delusion constitute the large majority. They require a good and wise guru in order to lead a disciplined life.
Their satsang consists of the company of the guru, service to him and direct instructions from him. It is only the sincere and earnest sadhaka who knows the real value of satsang.
Real satsang gives the aspirant inner spiritual strength to face the struggles of life, overcome temptations, manage inner cravings and fill the mind with positive divine thoughts. The company of a saint can transform anyone.
Faith in God, in the scriptures, attachment and devotion to God, slowly develop in those who have regular satsang. Satsang is the greatest of all the purifiers. Without satsang, the mind filled with impurities cannot be turned towards God.
From satsang one receives practical lessons in control of the mind, concentration and meditation. Satsang is, therefore, vital for householders who have to engage in worldly duties. It awakens their spirituality.
Satsang inspires the spiritual aspirants who are treading the path of renunciation. There is nothing so inspiring, elevating, indispensable and delightful as satsang.”
Love.
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