Art of Listening to Satsang

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There is also an Art of Listening to Satsang. If you put that which you have heard (that knowledge) to use, then you will benefit immensely from Satsang. If someone learns the Art of Listening to Satsang, then he can become a great scholar ! By studying one cannot become as scholarly, as from Satsang (association with holy company, association with Truth). What is learned from Satsang, cannot be learned from study of holy books and scriptures. Through study of holy books and scriptures one can gain knowledge about one subject, but through Satsang one can gain all sorts of knowledge both spiritual and practical. One who engages in Satsang, will be familiar with various subjects bhakityog (discipline of devotion), jnanayog (discipline of knowledge), karmayog (discipline of action), Layayog (yoga of rhythmic unison) , Hathayog (austere discipline of body etc., Ashtaangayog (the eight fold path of yoga as outlined by Patanjali: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi). Not only that, but even that which has not heard in Satsang, even on those subjects his intellect works sharply. Just as, if one has not heard anything about marriage in Satsang, but even there the intellect of those who do Satsang will be effective. It is my feeling that if someone attentively listens to Satsang or if he judiciously studies the Gita, then his intellect will be able to make way into any subject. Whatever subject he chooses, his intellect will begin to work. Therefore one should listen to Satsang conscientiously and attentively.

He alone can listen to satsang attentively, who does all work conscientiously and thoughtfully by engaging the mind. When you cook, then cook conscientiously by applying your total attention and mind. When you eat, then eat being attentive to only eating. When you take a bath etc. then be alert, and fully attentive in that activity. By doing so, you will develop a nature of doing every thing attentively and thoughtfully. That nature will also be useful in spiritual path, by which your mind will remain engaged in satsang, bhajan (prayer and devotion), dhyaan(meditation) etc. Therefore, do not think that only bhajan and dhyana have to be done attentively, and other work does not have to be done attentively. All work has to be done attentively by engaging (attaching) the mind, by which the work will also be great and one’s nature will also improve.

As such there is not that much gain from improving ones work, as there is in improving one’s “swabhaav” (nature, temperament, habit). By improving one’s “swabhaav“, one will gain knowledge of doing all types of work. It is very surprising, that man is not able to do even his daily work properly, even after doing it for many years. Just like women become old raising children all their lives, yet the children do not even know how to eat ! The children are served lot of food, they eat a little bit and throw away the rest. But if they are served a little food at a time, then they will eat well. In the same way, the speaker often does not know how to speak and the listener often does not know how to listen. The reason for this is that it is not their swabhaav (nature) of doing every activity attentively and thoughtfully.

Some gentlemen keep asking the question, how to concentrate the mind ? There is an easy technique to concentrate the mind. Sit silently and repeat the name of the Lord, and in the mind also count the number of times repeated. Let there be no beads in the hand, neither count with the hands, nor speak out aloud, only count in the mind. In this manner, repeat the name of the Lord (Naam Japa) minimally one “mala” (108 beads). Do not overlook the counting. If you skip or forget, then start again from the very beginning. Try to do this and see! You will benefit immensely.

Some people only ask questions as if it is entertaining, that how to concentrate the mind, but they do not follow through with the solution that is provided. Some person asked a saint that Maharaj! How to concentrate the mind? The saint asked, have you asked this question of me only or have your asked this of others in the past? He replied, that I don’t remember. The saint said, then this will be the same situation with me! Right now by asking me for a solution, you will later disregard my answer!

Many brothers and sister, are doing mala-japa while listening to satsang or they are repeatedly writing the name of the Lord on paper. If you are promptly listening to satsang with a concentrated mind, and if japa is happening on its own due to the influence of past practices on your nature, then that will not be an obstacle. However the attention will only be on one thing, not two. He who sometimes pays attention to satsang and other times to japa, he does not know how to listen to satsang at all. He whose mind wanders to other places at the time of satsang, such as remembering the home, that person cannot ever listen to satsang properly. At Swargashram, Rishikesh, on the banks of Gangaji, a saint was conducting a discourse during the summer months. There I told the brothers and sisters, that if you concentrate and listen, then you will only be able to listen to one thing, not two. I gave an example by asking – Gangaji’s frolicking water is loud and vocal at present, isn’t it? They said, yes, it s vocal. I asked, that for all this time, have you been listening to Gangaji? They said no we were not listening. Why were you not listening? Or is it that the mind was concentrated on satsang. You have ears and the water was also vocal, but due to the mind not being focused in that direction, it could not be heard. In the same way, if the listeners mind is at another place, then he will not be able to listen to satsang.

Just as while listening to satsang – your breathing is going on, blood is flowing through your arteries, you do not need to concentrate the mind on these, similarly if without concentrating the mind, if japa is going on, on its own, then satsang can be heard. But if while listening to satsang, if someone wishes to do japa, then it cannot be done, and writing cannot happen at all. According to me, if someone thinks that they do not get time to write Ram Ram at home, as there is a lot of work at home, and they think that during satsang they are sitting uselessly, there is no work here, therefore let us write and complete a page of the Lord’s Name! The point that is inferred from all this is that, such people cannot listen to satsang, who are filling pages with the Lord’s Name, and are regarding satsang as unimportant.

By not listening attentively to satsang, the mind begins to wander into worldly things, by which the propensities become impure, rather they become rajasic (of the mode of passion and activity). When rajasic tendencies come, then immediately thereafter tamasic tendencies follow suit, due to which the listener begins to feel sleepy. The point is, by not concentrating and attentively listening to satsang, the propensities do not go directly from sattvic to tamasic,rather they follow the order and go from sattvic, to rajasic and from rajasic to tamasic propensities arise.

During Satsang the listener should try to keep his eye on the speaker’s face. While looking at the speaker’s face, listening attentively, his message gets retained in the heart. Those whose eyes are wandering while listening to satsang, they do not know how to listen to satsang. While listening one must quickly concentrate the mind and take note, of the subject that the speaker started talking about, and in that the examples he gives, etc. In this manner, by concentrating the mind, the listener can know quickly at the beginning, what the speaker will be saying next? What subject will he / she be addressing?

When the speaker speaks about renouncing bad qualities and conduct, then the listener thinks about the bad qualities and conduct of other individuals, and when the speaker talks about adopting good qualities and good conduct, then he (listener) thinks about his own good qualities and conduct. In this manner, during satsang, the listener is actually doing Kusang. Because, by thinking of the bad qualities in others, he connects with those bad qualities, and by connecting with those bad qualities, they naturally and automatically come in him and he develops a nature of seeing faults in others, which is the root of all bad qualities. Therefore on listening to talks about bad qualities, the listener should see as to which of these bad qualities are in him, and which ones does he have to renounce? By listening about good qualities, the listener should think, that due to being divine i.e. God’s treasure house, all good qualities are God’s and it is out of God’s grace that these come and have come in him. Thinking like this, the listener must become immersed in God. By becoming immersed in God, those good qualities begin to come in him naturally and on their own.

When a wise man critically examines a particular subject, then his treatment of the topic is different, (exceptional), and he who critically examines based on the academic and scriptural view, his treatment of the subject is of a different kind. There is a great difference between the two. By critically examining from a scriptural and scholarly point of view, the subject is remembered by the listener. By this the listener can become the speaker, but his life will not change. On the other hand, through critical thinking from a realized soul, the listener’s life will transform. Listening to Gita, Ramayan, Bhagwat etc.; and listening to the divine plays of the Lord, can have a great impact. However, if these are through a realized soul, or through a loving devotee, then it is quite exceptional.

By listening and sharing the devotees life stories, the inner senses are automatically purified. Therefore, I tell brothers and sisters many times that you all read the stories of devotees and make children read them and tell it to them. If the children listen with interest to these holy texts in the form of stories, then it will make a tremendous impact on them. There is unique and extra-ordinary power in the stories of devotees, If you listen attentively then the heart overflows with emotions, the eyes will be filled with tears, the throat will tremor with an elated feeling, there will be exceptional joy !

It has come in Srimad Bhagwat that –

“He whose speech becomes inarticulate from emotions and feelings while talking about My Name, My qualities and My divine plays; He who while thinking and contemplating on My appearance, My qualities, My radiance and My divine pass-times (stories of the Lord) becomes deeply moved and melts; and who time and again keeps crying, sometimes he begins to laugh; sometimes leaving all shyness begins to sing aloud, and sometimes begins to dance, such a devotee of Mine, purifies the world.”

The subtle impressions are not removed by “vivek” (power of discrimination), unlike reading-listening to the divine pass-times of the Lord, which aids in getting rid of the subtle impressions in the inner-senses. One does not benefit as much with “vivek” discrimination, by going into the depths of the holy texts of Vedanta, as one gains from reading the life stories (divine pass-times) of the Lord and His devotees. By reading the Vedantic texts with concentration, “vivek” is developed. And by reading with concentration, the life stories and pass-times of the Lord and His devotees, the inner-senses are purified and they become sensitive, whereby devotion takes place on its own. The point is that by “vivek” the inner-senses do not melt, rather they remain hard (without feelings); but in “bhakti” devotion, the inner-senses melt, due to which new impressions and influences of devotion are instilled.

Vivek comprises of the primary substance – “vichir prthugbhaave” It means that there are two divisions in “vivek“; such as; real and unreal; eternal and temporary; pure and impure; duty and non-duty; perceptible and imperceptible etc. In the discrimination between the real and the unreal, the aspirant renounces the unreal (perishable). Even on renouncing the unreal, a subtle existence of the unreal remains. However on becoming immersed and promptly reading the Lord’s pass-times and stories, only the existence of that One God remains, no other existence remains. Therefore on reading-listening to the pass-times and stories of the Lord and His devotees, the subtle impressions within are easily destroyed.

Prem bhagati jal binu raghuraayi |

Abhianter mal kabahun na jaayi ||

(Manas, Utter. 49/3)

The extent to which food does good, when hungry, to that extent the food does not do good when one is not hungry; because without hunger the food does not become essential nutrient, and without that one does not get energy. Therefore what use is even the best of all meals without hunger? In the same way, if the listener is hungry to know and the speaker has experiential knowledge, then the speaker’s talks penetrate the inner-senses of the listener. If the listener has an intense and strong yearning, a quest and he does not favor any one particular opinion, then simply by listening he can attain enlightenment.

It has come in the Gita –

Manushyaanaam sahasstrshu kaschidhyatati sidhyaye

Yatataamapi siddhaanaam kaschinmaam vetti tattvatah (Gita 7/3)

Among thousands of men, hardly one strives for perfection and of those who do, scarcely one knows Me in Essence. (Gita 7/3)

It does not mean that enlightenment is difficult. It means that the listener does not pay attention. Out of thousands of men, a single individual listens properly, and does spiritual practices for attaining enlightenment. Those who have reached an advanced state after doing much spiritual practice, out of such accomplished persons, one person knows the Essence. In this way, in this verse man’s general state and case has been described. The description is not of the difficulty in attaining enlightenment. After describing the super-natural state of enlightenment, God says –

Aascharyavatpashyati kashrichden
Maashcharyavadveti tathaiva chaanyah
Aashcharyachainmanyah shrunoti |
Shrutvaapyenam veda na chaiva kashchit ||
(Gita 2/29)

“One beholds the in-dweller in the body as astonishing, another speaks of It as marvelous; another hears of It as a phenomenon, yet another having heard, knows It not.”

Experience, description of that Essence etc. all happens in a remarkable way, not like worldly talks. The reason for saying “anya” is that of the many who have realized the Essence, there is only one who can describe it. All who have realized cannot describe it. Even on hearing, no one knows; because he does not listen with concentration and with a genuine quest to know.

“Out of those perfected souls that were endeavoring, only one knows Me in Essence” – the meaning of this is that by endeavoring, in other words, it is only on having an intense longing that one can know enlightenment, and “on hearing this too no one knows” , by saying this it means, that simply by listening, i.e. through practice no one can know the Essence. In practice the predominance is of the mind-intellect, whereas through longing automatically on it own the Eternal Essence that is present manifests itself.

If this is heard through an experienced person (man of realization), then there is a certain power that enters. But all men cannot grasp his talks. Because the experience that the speaker has he cannot convey that through his speech. Whatever is his experience, that much cannot come into his intellect. And whatever comes into his intellect, that much does not come into his mind. The amount that enters the mind, that much does not come into his speech. Whatever comes in his speech, that much does not reach the listener’s ears. Whatever reaches the ears, that much the mind cannot contemplate. The extent of talks that the mind contemplates on, that much the intellect cannot make decisions on. The decision that are firmed up in the intellect, that much does not come into the listener’s experience. In this manner if you look from the perspective of the entire sequence of events, there is vast gap in experience of the speaker and that of the listener. But if the listener has a deep quest and if he listens attentively with concentration, then very quickly he can experience the same.

Satguru bhoothaa inda sam, kami na rakhe koi |
Waisa hi phal nipajai, jaisi bhoomika hoi ||

Just as the rain equally showers at all places. Even though there may be no difference in the rain, land, soil, sunshine, air, and water, there is a difference in the taste of a watermelon and a cantaloupe. The difference is due to the seed of each one being different. As is the seed, so is the fruit. However the talks about a man is even more exceptional than this ! Man’s seed, i.e. his “bhaav” – sentiments and feelings can also be transformed and he can become from a sinner to a saint, he can become from a bad person to a great divine soul (Gita 9/30-9/31); because in essence he is a part (ansh) of Paramatma. However there should be two points in that – There is no pretense and deceit and man does what he has been instructed to do. “amaayayaanuvruttyaa” (Srimad Bhagwat 11/3/22).

Therefore a listener should not be deceitful and pretentious, it means there should not be any insistence of any sort within himself. There should be no holding on to any thought, idea, thing etc. If there is an insistence on one’s own point of view, then he will not be able to listen to others, and if he hears then too he will not be able to grasp. The reason is that on having his own insistence, the listener’s heart throws away the speaker’s talks, he does not absorb them. With that, even the good points made by the speaker, do not get assimilated in his heart. Therefore having an insistence on your own opinion, principles, sectarian views is a great obstacle in realization of the essential Truths (Enlightenment).

If a listener has no insistence of his own, then the sentiments and feelings of a realized great soul will penetrate within him very quickly.

Paaras keraa gun kisaa, palatyaa nahin lohaa |
kai toh nij paaras nahin, kai bich rahaa bichohaa ||

By the touch of the philosopher’s stone if iron does not turn to gold, then either that philosopher’s stone is not genuine, or the iron is not genuine, or there was some obstruction in between.

In the same way, if the speaker has experiential knowledge, and the listener has a keen longing to know and he has no insistence of his own, then the speaker becomes a “paaras” (philosopher’s stone). Not only that, even the “paaras” becomes exceptional –

Paaras mein aru sant mein, bahut antarou jaan |
Wah loha kanchan kare, wah karai aapu samaan ||

The gold that came about with the touch of a Paaras stone, cannot convert other metals to gold. Because Paaras converts iron to gold, Paaras does not make anything like itself. But a realized great soul makes a sincere, honest listener, who walks the path according to his instructions, also like himself, let us say as if a Paaras‘ mint has been opened.

If the listener does not have the exclusive aim of God Realization, and he is listening to satsang simply for learning and after learning to give lectures, then, he is making the satsang a subject of the intellect. And he assumes that learnt knowledge to be experiential knowledge. Such people, who are doing satsang with the aim of only learning, such listeners do not find anything new in satsang and they say that we already know these things, what is the benefit of listening to these same things time and again? With the learnt knowledge a listener can become a speaker, a scholar, a writer, but he cannot become a enlightened soul, a liberated soul, a loving devotee of God. He can respond to others questions, he can teach them on subjects pertaining to the knowledge, he can write books, but he cannot have experiential knowledge of the Essence (tattva). The reason is that by having bookish knowledge, he develops a pride of knowing. Just as Kaliyug resides in the shade of “bahede” tree, similarly under the shade of pride lies predominantly all the sins and their causes. But he who longs for God Realization with a true and sincere heart, he is listening only for the purpose of realization, not for learning book knowledge. He does not make satsang simply a subject of the intellect, rather alongside he becomes absorbed in it.

On reading spiritual books and by listening to spiritual audio one can benefit, but listening from a realized soul, one can benefit immensely. A newcomer will not be as much impacted, as one who has previously heard and listened to a discourses. As the entire scene will come in front of the mind of the one who has previously listened to satsang, by which it will have an unusual influence. Likewise, reading a book does not have as much impact as does listening to satsang. Because while listening to satsang the expressions and the feelings and sentiments in the speakers eyes, hands etc., his appearance have an extra-ordinary impact on the listener. In listening the predominance is of the speakers intellect, but in reading a book or listening to cassette, the predominance is of the listener’s intellect. If the listener listens to the discourse of the speaker attentively then his intellect merges with the intellect of the speaker. A listener cannot understand as much with his own intellect, as he can with the intellect of the speaker. If the speaker’s sight becomes filled with grace, then it will lead to immense benefits. Just as a calf becomes healthy and nourished on drinking the milk from the mother cow’s udder. If the mother cow dies, and he is made to drink the milk of another cow, then he will not become that healthy and strong. The reason is while drinking milk, the mother cow licks the calf lovingly. When she calls out to the baby, by which the calf becomes even more nourished, unlike simply drinking milk out of a bowl. Similarly if saints and great souls speak in a special way by showering their grace, and if the listener turns towards, faces the speaker and listens with great enthusiasm then immediately he can attain enlightenment.

There is future involved, in every work, but in God Realization, there is no future required. God Realization does not happen slowly and gradually, a little bit at a time, rather it happens instantly. If a realized speaker is present, and a listener (an aspirant), with a keen and eager quest to know is present, and the conscious element is always present, then what is the need of the future? There is no reason for delay! The Supreme Conscious element is eternal and always present. The speaker pointed in that direction and the listener grasped it – in this what is the delay? Many brothers and sisters are of the opinion that as we continue to keep listening, as we continue to engage in spiritual practices, slowly but surely we will realize God. But in reality, only worldly work will happen at some time in the future, but spiritual work will not happen at some time in the future, it will happen “NOW” only.

That which is to be created, its realization is in the future. but that which is not created, that which is always and constantly present, that conscious element, how can its attainment be sometime in the future? There is no hunger for listening, there is no intense and piercing quest at all, there is no yearning, no torment at all. For realizing this, you experience no uneasiness, no restlessness at all. Therefore there is a delay!

Narayan ! Narayan !! Narayan !!!

From “Jit Dekhu Tit Tu” in Hindi by Shradhey Swamiji Sri Ramsukhdasji Maharaj.

www.swamiramsukhdasji.net