Perhaps,
five hundred years back it was not very difficult to find a secluded place
where one could spend some time in perfect aloneness and contemplate over
things that one wanted to know more about. Perhaps, a hundred year back it was
not very difficult to believe what the other person spoke or wrote about. Today,
it is very difficult to contradict that we are surrounded by too many people
who express what they do not actually intend to express. However, we cannot say
with confidence that the proportion of human population that intends to serve
the humanity has, in any way, been declining.
We cannot think of making the planet earth less populated by the
human race. While we can rule out any deliberate attempts to reduce human
population, we cannot be sure of total absence of devastating wars. But, why
should we think of wars? We can say that the opportunities of solitude in the
lap of the nature will always be rare for us in modern times. The self-centered
individuals and degenerating societies do not provide an environment conducive
to the service of humanity. Those who have the courage to respond to their
inner urge to serve the humanity need strength, either by establishing a
communication with their inner self or through ‘Satsang’, that is, by
being in constant communion with selfless people with elevated qualities of
compassion and resolve to serve the people in pain.
It is obvious that the humanity in modern democratic
societies can be benefited if compassionate people, dedicated to the task of
serving the humanity, come closer to empower one another, that is, if the
system and the process of ‘Satsang’ is promoted.
But, how will it happen when the prevailing order is, not
expressing or not doing what one wants to express or do? We must not hurry to
infer that the words and deeds of modern man are becoming more and more
deceptive. No, the conditions are not that bad. In general, it is safe to say
that the modern man pretends; he does not deceive. But, pretending to serve the
humanity is as good as deceiving the beneficiary as well as the society.
Pretending, in modern times, is often viewed as a somewhat
necessary evil. Utmost honesty is considered as a weakness or foolishness by
the modern man. And, that makes coming together of compassionate people,
willing to dedicate a part of them for the humanitarian cause, becomes very
difficult, if not impossible. The precondition for a fruitful ‘Satsang’
is utmost honesty.
We cannot start working for making others more truthful in
their words and deeds. We cannot change the world. But, we can try to be honest
in our deeds and words. If we do that we will find we cannot do it without
truthful and honest thoughts. Once we become truthful in our thoughts, deeds
and words, we are able to influence the outside world. Then the possibility of
finding such people who are also eager to satisfy their inner urge to serve
others selflessly increases. One doesn’t have to go around searching for Satsang,
he can change himself to become a nucleus around which Satsang starts
assembling.
Here, we come to a very crucial juncture, which can defeat
the very purpose of Satsang. The nucleus that we have talked about in
the preceding paragraph is not something to which the Satsang owes its
existence to; it is the one that owes its existence to the Satsang. Satsang
is for multiplying the goodness that exists in this indifferent and pretentious
world. Satsang is like a contraption that replaces, to some extent, one’s
efforts to be able to communicate with his inner self. And, finally, we must remember
that the entire thing begins from being transparent in one’s deeds and words.
PROMOD KUMAR SHARMA
[The writer of this blog is also the author of “Mahatma A
Scientist of the Intuitively Obvious” and “In Search of Our Wonderful Words”.]
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