Satsang - the coming together of like-minded individuals, or the company of the wise holy men and women, for the purpose of seeking liberation, truth and union.
"Self-knowledge or knowledge of truth is not had by resorting to a guru (preceptor) nor by the study of scripture, nor by good works: it is attained only by means of inquiry inspired by the company of wise and holy men (Satsang). One's inner light alone is the means, naught else. When this inner light is kept alive, it is not affected by the darkness of inertia." -Sage Vasishtha
"As social creatures, humans benefit from turning our sociability to higher ends. The Buddha, after all, did make the sangha, the spiritual community, one of the three cornerstones of his path, just as Christ told his disciples, "When two or more are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them." As his words imply, a group practicing together creates a mystical field, a field of grace. The Sanskrit name for that phenomenon is satsang—usually translated as "truth-company," or being in the company of the wise. And satsang, according to several texts of yoga, is one of the great doorways to inner freedom. In the Tripura Rahasya (The Secret of the Three Cities), Ramana Maharshi's favorite Vedantic text, the sage Dattatreya tells his student, Lord Rama, "Listen! I will tell you the fundamental cause of salvation. Satsang, association with the wise, is the root cause for obliterating all suffering!"
By "association with the wise," Dattatreya meant keeping company with sages. Nowadays we use the word satsang as shorthand for any kind of program in which teaching and meditation take place, but when the yoga texts speak about satsang, they mean being with someone who is enlightened, someone whose very presence reminds you that a single wise and radiant Presence lurks inside every atom of the world. I've had teachers like that, and I have to say that there is no faster way to elevate your consciousness than hanging around with someone who knows who he or she is and who you are, and who won't let you get away with being anything less." - Sally Kempton
“We’ve all had the experience of being either inspired or brought down by the people around us. Some people moan and groan about every little problem in their lives and after hanging out with them you find that you are all wrapped up in your small miseries, too. Some people are so upbeat, focused and disciplined that they make you feel that anything is possible. [Until we’ve been] blessed with the vision of enlightment that we are “all one”, it is best to choose carefully the people and situations you expose yourself to [including what we watch & read]. When a sapling is planted it is necessary to put a fence around it to protect it from animals that may trample it or children who may break it. Once it has properly matured, however, that once-vulnerable sapling will be so strong that children can climb all over it without harming it and the cow can be tied to it for safety. Satsang is a safe environment for your spiritual maturation.” -Sharon Gannon & David Life
"For most of us, the hardest precept to honor is to speak the truth. I’m not talking about staying clear of bald-faced whoppers that cover up sordid affairs or some headline-grabbing misdeeds, but about our everyday exaggerations, self-aggrandizements, and self-image facelifts. In other words, what usually happens when we talk uninterrupted for more than a few minutes. Besides, even when we do speak the truth, are we able to listen to whoever is talking without an agenda or obsessing about what we’re going to say next? And how comfortable are we if there is nothing to say?
Like surfing, staying present is always a challenge, but doing it while interacting with others tends to be like managing in choppy, cross-current seas. We have not only our own thoughts and impulses to contend with but also those of our conversational partners. So if we can stay present and compassionate when, say, a coworker is kvetching, odds are we can do it anytime." - by Marshall Glickman (Thanks Doug!)
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