The spirit of Guruji’s Sangat

Sadh-Sangat 

It is difficult to find a solitary sustainable relationship and a worthy kindred spirit, let alone find a virtuous and blessed Sadh-Sangat.

How do we know that the congregation that we sit with is truly sacred and righteous?

Well, sometimes we strike the mother lode.

Blessed were some of us when Guruji embraced us in his own kind of gentle atmospherics, not only with loving care but enfolded us gently in his Sangat.

How does one recognise Sat Sangat?

Saṯsangaṯ kaisī jāṇī▫ai. Jithai eko nām vakẖāṇī▫ai. 

Sat Sangat is where the Lord's name is recited.

What is Sat Sangat?

Saṯsangaṯ saṯgur cẖatsāl hai jiṯ har guṇ sikẖā. 

The Sat Sangat is the school of the soul, where the Glorious Virtues of the Lord are studied

Guruji’s Sangat in those days used to be an intensely intimate gathering with passionate interpersonal associations carrying on and on into wee hours of the night, till we were almost booted out. Though it was much smaller in number it had a pulsating vibrancy. It was a simple yet complex mix of people who gathered almost daily in the evenings, exclusively drawn by Guruji’s grace. There was a kind of personalised magnetic pull that was almost irresistible, much of it by his charismatic energy and aura.

 Guruji’s Sangat seemed to have an otherworldly harmony with a pronounced internalised feeling of magical happiness and peace. I do not use those words lightly, but it is just so true, I was so happy to be surrounded by this close to heaven like feeling.

I could not even begin to fully understand the changes that were up-and-coming in my life, nor was I prepared for dealing with what was my previous ‘normal’ life. All I felt was blessed every time after incredibly impactful yet seemingly kind of every day, Satsang evening.

However, the gift of Sangat only came with his blessing ... 
How many times have we heard him say ‘Leh dekho!  Aey let’s try walle aagaye.’

What  he did  see or did not, was his divine gift of perception and perhaps mysterious ability to fathom spectral auras, the study of the biofields of human energy, which is scientifically proven and was an inherent perception with Rishi’s and Munis of past eras, that is now almost extinct in Kalyug.

Biofield of human body

Guruji's Sangat

Gurujis Sangat meet-up, in those days, was simple, sans any sacraments or need for extravagant rituals and noise. However, the energies were far from ordinary, as it was away from any kind of euphoric cult-like flow. With his presence daily within us and with us there was a divine hand of peace and tranquillity with mellow sounds of Gurbani shabad kirtan wafting in the air.

This is just one of the many beautiful dohas of Sant Kabir. It is so appropriate.
“When one is blessed by the company of a wise enlightened Guru, one should never forget that this is the ultimate grace of Wahe guru!.

Sadh-Sangat

In ‘Gurbani’ it is mentioned many a time that we should have the company of Sadh-Sangat.

Gurbani tells us

" ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਵਡਭਾਗੀ ਪਾਈਐ ॥੨॥

 Sāḏẖsangaṯ vadbẖāgī pā▫ī▫ai.

But then what does 'Sadh-Sangat' truly mean in real…

It is evident that in trying to comprehend this expression, we very easily get the wrong end of the stick and has been over and over again misread by many including me.

A number of events set me appraising my internal monologue with self with a focussed thought process. A lot of us simplistically use the expression 'Sadh-Sangat' as a congregation at a holy place. More like the Sangat at the Gurudwara in prayer and kirtan together, or at being in presence of the wise and true.

It could partly be that, but then conceivably it is a lot more dynamic and diverse for each one of us in many ways.

Let me try and shed light on what I have been trying to discover and understand.

The difference lies not alone in the company we associate with, but more so with how this Sangat can be an inspiration to be aligned with the Truth and spiritually true values. Therefore, I can say with conviction that it is the power of my association with Guruji and his Sangat that helped me to spiritually uplift my own journey and recalibrate it in many ways.

It was the power of association of just being with Guruji and further sit in his ‘Sangat’ surrounded by his aura and energies. From here I imbibed the complexities of the mystical and simplicities of life. This was my Sadh-Sangat.

Occasionally it used to so happen that only a few were left sitting after most of the Sangat had long left. To leave or not to leave was at the gracious call from Guruji. Truth be told no one left without a formal missive to be on our way.

Some of the real poignant moments we had were mostly rarities, and they happened just like that mostly in the wee hours of a new day...what we could call the 'amritvela'. 

Once it so happened that a small number of of us were left sitting alone in the quiet hall at Empire Estate’ and Guruji got up went away to his private chamber without a word. We sat in the stillness of the night and there was not a whisper to be heard, it must have been perhaps just around ten to fifteen minutes but they seemed like hours.

Silently, he had left and silently he was back with us, but he had changed into his casuals and joined us on the carpet…

A kind of hush still prevailed but vims changed. The talks were a mix of frivolity and spiritual densities that were interwoven with life as we live. Some of these were simple communion to comprehend and some words said by him seemed incongruous and took years to understand the depth.  While some are work in progress till date as the comprehension is yet to dawn.

This was my Sadh-Sangat.  

The Sadh-Sangat

                                        

Once the change starts, they make way for many little-little happenings and chance meetings  perhaps with strangers that become catalytic in further changing the slant of thoughts and deeds, that compels us to move on, even if it is a step by step.  

Sometimes it is ordinary persons, the aam aadmi, who just happens to be the Sadh Sangat.

Sometimes animals and plants also become ‘The Sadh-Sangat. There is so much our pets teach us as well, a path of purity, emotive reliance and trust.

These simple actions   made me aware of God, his will and Gurmat wisdom.

For me, this was the sway of 'Sadh Sangat' on me and my personal life. 

Perhaps you can pause and look around you to see who exactly has been your path-changer.

 Your Sadh-Sangat in changing your way.....

Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Sangat

Guru Gobind Singh ji  in his Sangat

Sangat and Sewa are the principles of Sikhism as founded by the Ten Gurus, starting from Guru Nanak Dev Ji to Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

In Guruji’s Sangat, that was very unobtrusively brought to fore, the values of brotherhood, equality and sewa,  side-lining all the considerations of caste, religion, gender or social status.

Langar has been Guru Sewa for centuries.

In the Langar- A Tradition of the Sikhs, we witness this great equaliser of social norms. What is even more interesting is that this tradition has managed to survive over the centuries. Said to have been started by Guru Nanak Dev, the first guru of Sikhs, the tradition was imbibed and honoured by all his successors.

Langar sewa is a blessing of Sikhism in our nation of diversity, and this is a fact that no one can contest. Hence this is exactly why, despite its fractures and fissures of the cultural matrix of India, Gurudwaras throw open the doors of langar to all of any status or community. The relevance of Langar is all the more brought to the fore today in times today of Communal riots in February 2020 and now with Corona pandemic and lockdowns.

The hungry homeless and migrants are being fed by Gurudwaras  everywhere in the country.

Langar with Guruji was no exception to this long-standing tradition. All the same, there was an exception that was of  the atmospherics, once the langar mats came out, the mood from quiet sombreness shifted  to the vivacious lively  heritage of a Punjabi  village with Surinder Kaur, Hansraj Hans and others with songs and tappas while langar was served.

Here the tradition went a step further and had four of us share a thalli …. Gender, caste, religion and social class no bar. Some days we were lucky and Guruji himself made his famous fiery green chilli chutney for his Sangat…And it had some punch which had our ears burn and eyes water.

Then, on another hand, to pacify the fire he gave us a huge…. By huge, I seriously mean a huge helping of ‘Prashad’. It was a pleasure to see him dig his relatively smaller delicate hand in the velvety divine container of Prashad and with his one hand, scoop out a  handful and dollop it our hands. Our two hands could not manage it with any semblance of grace….And it was always a sight to see adults with childlike glee totally focused prasad management and on dripping oil through the fingers.

These memories. as I write come tumbling out creating nostalgia with a paradoxical mix of sorrow and joy.

All the same, the big take away is that those of us there and those of who have stayed honest to the spirit of who Guruji was and what he wanted us to be can still feel his blessings as he is always the third who walks beside us. 

He was our Bridge...
He is our Bridge.