The View from Here (by Roy Whenary)

I had reason to reflect on the meaning of the word ‘Satsang’ today.

It is variously described as:

“Association with the true and the wise” (“sat” meaning true, and “sang” meaning association/company)

OR: “the company of the highest truth”, and so on ….

There appear to be various interpretations of the word “sat” though … from “existence” to “reality” or “truth”.

CONCLUSION (but never any conclusion):

Reality, the highest truth is always present. It is only that the mind is usually out of tune with it – not resonating with it.

In some mystical teachings of Christianity there is a practice known as “Practising the Presence of God”. I first became aware of this via the teachings of Joel Goldsmith, known as “The Infinite Way”. Now it seems to me that this practice is pretty much what is known as “Satsang” … Being in the presence of the highest truth/reality.

The highest truth is the reality. It is present always, regardless of whether there is a teacher also present. But when the teacher is present in a group of people, a certain quality of openness to “the highest truth” is cultivated … through meditation, discussion, movement, chant, or whatever.

However, it is also important to ask why we do not live with an awareness, or sense, of the highest truth all the time, in our daily lives. Then we find ourselves looking at all the games that the mind plays, to keep us from looking deeply at the highest truth. But what, tangibly, is the “highest truth” inside of us? It is often described as “True Nature”, “Buddha Nature” or “The Christ Within”. It truly is our “True Nature” … not what we think we are, but what we truly are. Now, we have so many ideas and images about who we are, that we probably would not recognise our true nature even if it came up and hit us with a stick. We cannot even say what our true nature is other than to simply point to it as the ever present reality underlying all states that we go into and out of during our lives. This, still, doesn’t say what it is … for the simple reason that it is not an IT. We can never objectify it, so we can never explore it as we would an object in subject-object reality, with our mind.

So, of what relevance is it that there is such a ‘thing’ as True Nature? Of course, it is not a thing anyway, but of what relevance is it if we cannot define it? Well, we can BE it … we can BE our true nature, for that is what we are in essence. But we cannot BECOME it, for it is already what we are. In our BEING there is PRESENCE, and this is felt – it is sensed, and there is a quality of “Listening”. This is “Being in the company/presence of the highest reality”. It is not something outside of ourselves. So, when we sit in a group Satsang, the highest reality arises within each of us. Truly, it was never apart from us, but the sitting in the group is more or less our stated intention that we will surrender the mind that normally cuts off from the highest reality, and be open to simply BEING who and what we are.

(25 June 2008)