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Satsang

The incomparable value of true satsaṅg is revealed through an ancient story. A great sage performed intense spiritual practice for 60,000 years but was still troubled by anger. He offered the fruits of this immense effort to another sage. That sage offered in return only the fruit of one minute of satsaṅg. To settle whose gift was greater, they sought a divine judgment. A test was set before the being who supports the Earth. The Earth did not respond to the power of 60,000 years of practice. Yet, when offered the fruit of one minute of satsaṅg, the Earth moved and remained unsupported. The judgment was clear. One minute of genuine satsaṅg surpasses countless years of individual effort. Satsaṅg must be attended with a truthful heart, free from gossip and criticism, like an empty pot ready to receive. Only love, wisdom, and devotion reside there.

"One minute of satsaṅg is greater than 60,000 years of tapasyā and all sādhanās."

"Truth alone triumphs. With that truthful heart, you should go to satsaṅg."

Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic

I can tell you, you will not attain liberation merely through talking or by listening to satsaṅg with that kind of casual value, just so that you understand. When you truly understand, then nothing is comparable to satsaṅg. You remember I told you a story last year about Guru Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra? And about Śeṣanāga? This was the last story told by Gurujī, from Guru Pūrṇimā, about satsaṅg and how great it is. At the time of the Rāmāyaṇa, nearly 10,000 years ago, there lived two great saints. One was Guru Vasiṣṭhamuni, the family guru of Lord Rāma. At the same time lived a great saint called Viśvāmitra. Viśvāmitra was a great tapasvī, performing intense sādhanā and achieving many, many siddhis. But Viśvāmitra desired one title: Brahma Ṛṣi, a sage who is a knower of Brahman. Only Guru Vasiṣṭhamuni could bestow this title, yet he never spoke it from his mouth or greeted Viśvāmitra as a Brahma Ṛṣi. Though Viśvāmitra had performed so much sādhanā and advanced far in yoga, his anger remained. In his anger, he killed the son of Vasiṣṭha and stole the Kāmadhenu cow, the cow which yields every desired thing. Still, Muni Vasiṣṭha was not angry. One day, on a full moon day, there was a satsaṅg somewhere. They invited Vasiṣṭhamuni to come and give satsaṅg, which he did. After the satsaṅg, around midnight, he announced he would return to his hut. Viśvāmitra was hiding in a bush. As Guru Vasiṣṭha and his wife Arundhatī came near, Arundhatī spoke to Vasiṣṭhamuni: "Ṛṣi, look how beautiful the moonlight is. It is so pleasant, so harmonious, a beautiful light." Vasiṣṭhamuni replied to his wife, "Yes, dear one, this moonlight is so beautiful, so pleasant, and so divine… like the light of Brahma Ṛṣi Viśvāmitra." Viśvāmitra heard these words. He threw away his bow and came forward. When he approached, Vasiṣṭhamuni said to him, "Oh, welcome, Brahma Ṛṣi. How are you?" Viśvāmitra said, "That is all I wanted to hear from your mouth. I apologize. I killed your children, I stole your cows, and still you are so gracious to me. You are not angry. What can I give you? I have nothing to give, but the 60,000 years of my sādhanā and tapasyā I donate to you. All the fruits of my 60,000 years, I offer to you." Guru Vasiṣṭha Muni said, "I give you just the fruits of one minute of satsaṅg. For this, that you have dedicated your 60,000 years of work, therefore I am happy, and I give you the fruits of one minute of satsaṅg." Viśvāmitra again became angry. "This is injustice! I give you 60,000 years, and you give me one minute of satsaṅg?" Vasiṣṭha said yes, because 60,000 years is not equal to one minute of satsaṅg. Viśvāmitra said, "That is not right. Let us go to God." They went to Viṣṇu, who sent them to Śiva. Śiva said, "This judgment only Śeṣanāga can give. Only Śeṣanāga can tell you what is more." It is said that Nāga is a thousand-headed snake upon whose head the earth rests. If he moves, an earthquake takes place, so he must not move his neck. He is all the time in this position, holding his breath. Viśvāmitra and Vasiṣṭha both went to Śeṣanāga. With folded hands, they said, "Our adoration to you. Please, can you give us the judgment?" Śeṣanāga said, "What can I give you? I have the burden of the whole planet. The weight of the whole planet is on my head. If you take it for some time, I will give you judgment." Ṛṣi Viśvāmitra said, "I give you 60,000 years of my hard sādhanā and tapasyā. Earth, please, just remain without the support of Śeṣanāga." But the Earth did not remain without support. Then, Guru Vasiṣṭha said, "Mother Earth, I give just the fruit of one minute of satsaṅg, and let Śeṣanāga come out for a while." And the Earth raised up a little and remained without movement. Śeṣanāga was massaging his neck, doing Sarvahitā Āsana. Viśvāmitra said, "Judge us quickly before the Earth falls on us!" Śeṣanāga said, "What should I say? Your judgment is already there. What you do not see? The Earth is without any support." So Guru Vasiṣṭha was the winner, and Ṛṣi Viśvāmitra was the loser. This means one minute of satsaṅg is greater than 60,000 years of tapasyā and all sādhanās. But the satsaṅg must be from the heart. Śeṣa means that which remains. In mathematics, after minus and plus and everything, whatever remains is called śeṣa. So when we count everything in this world, finally what remains is the truth, that Satya. This Pṛthvī, this body, is supported only by Satya. When Satya disappears from this world, then Pṛthvī will again go into the water. Therefore, satyaṁ eva jayate—truth alone triumphs. With such a satya decision, satya feeling, with that satya heart, you should go to satsaṅg. Not only to drink tea and gossip, searching for friends, criticizing someone, joking, being angry or jealous, or being angry at the person giving satsaṅg, thinking, "This person doesn't know what to talk about." If you know better, then next time you should talk. But when we put you in front to talk, you will be most nervous and sweating. Satsaṅg is different. There is only love. Only wisdom. Only devotion. Only. In satsaṅg, you should go like an empty pot, so you can receive something more. If you go there like a full pot, whatever we try to put in will spill out. Therefore, an empty pot means a clear heart—without doubts, without complexes, without anger. Then your sādhanā will be fruitful. That is it. So, do your sādhanā, and do the satsaṅg. That will be the best.

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:

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