Keep holy company; and now...

"Keep holy company; and now and then visit God's devotees and holy men.
The mind cannot dwell on God if it is immersed day and night in worldliness, in
worldly duties and responsibilities. The companionship of the holy and the wise is
one of the main elements of spiritual progress." This is the second commandment of
Sri Ramakrishna. Man is a gregarious animal. He wants friends and companions to
share his feelings, thoughts, joys and sorrows. Even saints and people advanced in
spiritual life desire the association of similar minded people. Sri Ramakrishna
prayed for a pure soul as his companion and obtained Swami Brahmananda. For
spiritual aspirants holy association is indispensable. Sri Ramakrishna compares holy
men to physicians and says that unless aspirants keep holy company constantly their
worldliness which has become chronic cannot be cured. The wicked get transformed
into good people or even become saints by the potent influence of holy company.
Saint Tulasidas, in his Ramcharitmanas bestows high praise on the benefits of holy
company. He says: "The association of holy men can turn a crow into a cuckoo and a
heron into a swan. As iron is transformed into gold by the touch of the philosophers'
stone, so is the transformation that takes place by contact with a saint." He goes so
far as to say: "If the joys of heaven and salvation could be weighed together in a
balance, they would not equal the happiness that results from a moment of Satsanga
(holy company)". Once in the course of conversation with devotees Sri Ramakrishna
observed: "I visited the museum once. I was shown the fossils. A whole animal has
become stone! Just see what an effect has been produced by company! Likewise, by
constantly living in the company of a holy man one verily becomes holy."
There is a Sanskrit verse which says: "Even a moment's association with the
holy becomes a boat which takes one across the sea of transmigration." This is not a
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mere panegyric. Innumerable instances can be cited of the transformation of sinners
into saints by mere association. The devotees of Sri Ramakrishna may recall how a
thief became a saint by coming into contact with Pavahari baba. Kalipada Ghosh
turned over a new leaf by the blessings of Sri Ramakrishna. Amjad the robber
became a good man by the grace of Holy Mother Sarada Devi. Who knows how
many such incidents remain unknown to us! Sri Ramakrishna also used to say : "If
the aspirant thirsting after self-improvement mixes indiscriminately with all sorts of
worldly people, not only does he lose his ideal, but also his former faith, love and
zeal; they die away imperceptibly. The society of pious men is like the water in
which rice is washed. This rice-water has the potency of dissipating alcoholic
intoxication. The society of the pious relieves worldly men, drunk with the wine of
vain desires, of their intoxication." That is why he recommends the cultivation of
holy company so strongly. The Sanskrit word for holy company is Sat-sanga. The
word sanga means company, and sat means good, truth, and God. To seek the
company of the holy means to become good, to observe truthfulness, and to thirst
after truth and God. Invariably one who keeps good company, first becomes good,
pure, unselfish, and kind. Then he becomes sincere and truthful; after that he
becomes a seeker of Truth and God. He practises japa, prayer, meditation etc; he
experiences constantly the presence of God. In the end he obtains the grace of God
and realises Him as the Self of his self. The effect of Satsanga is incalculable. We live
in the midst of an adverse environment saturated with materialism and atheism.
Added to that we also bring our own past impressions which constantly are trying to
pull us down. There will also be times when we feel depressed, frustrated and likely
to lose our enthusiasm. Then there are the inevitable events of life - accidents, death,
pain and suffering. Under these circumstances the difficulty of keeping our faith in
God and higher ideals is easily imagined. In these trying times the company of the
holy and pious can help us a great deal. Sri Ramakrishna used to say: "Bondage and
liberation are of the mind alone. The mind will take the colour you dye it with. It is
like white clothes just returned from the laundry. If you dip them in red dye, they
will be red. If you dip them in blue or green, they will be blue or green. They will
take only the colour you dip them in, whatever it may be." Holy company makes one
holy. The need for holy company has been emphasised by all religions. Not only is
holy company necessary, it is impossible to progress in spiritual life without it, says
Vedanta. To emphasize this point the following story was narrated: Uma was the
Universal Mother incarnated as the daughter of Himavan. She blessed her father
with the vision of the several manifestations of the omnipotent Mother. Himavan,
highly pleased, asked his daughter to help him have the realisation of Brahman.
Uma replied, "O Father, if you wish to realize Brahman, you must live in the
company of holy men - men who have entirely given up the world." It is not easy to
get holy company. Even confirmed non-dualist that he was, Sri Sankara has affirmed
that there are three things which are hard to acquire and can be had only by God's
especial grace, and these three are : human birth, an intense yearning for liberation
and the association of a great soul. Narada in his Bhakti Sutras makes a reference to
the companionship of the holy and points out that this companionship creates a rare
opportunity; its influence is subtle and difficult to comprehend. It is obtainable only
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by the grace of God, but once obtained its effect is unfailing. Holy company is a
wonderful uplifter, for it exercises a silent and lasting influence for good on all
sincere recipients. However it is not easy to recognise a holy man, for he does not go
about advertising himself. He does not assume false glories, rather he likes to remain
incognito, to stay in the background. Sometimes he appears very ordinary and
commonplace; at other times he even behaves in a queer way to keep intruders out.
It is therefore not an easy thing to recognise a great soul. It is only as a result of the
cumulative effect of merit earned in many births that one comes across a holy man.
But there is no need to despair. There is a law which sees to it that the earnest seeker
does come by his guide. As Swami Vivekananda says when the field is ready the
seed must come. What are the benefits of holy company? It gives inspiration, and
guidance. Holy company makes one aware of one's faults and one will make the
necessary correction. The biography of Sri Ramakrishna narrates many incidents of
how he used to correct Swami Yogananda, Swami Niranjanananda and other
disciples and devotees and put them on the right road. We can find similar incidents
in the lives of every saint. The life of every saint acts like a powerful search-light
illuminating the path to God. In the company of holy men one understands
scriptures in the right way, for as Sri Ramakrishna used to say, scriptures contain
both sand and sugar i.e., essentials and non-essentials. One needs right guidance to
understand and apply them correctly. Then one is able to understand the nature of
the world, life, its meaning, the goal of life and the best way of reaching it. In the
company of a holy man one is inundated with peace and an indefinable bliss, for
holy men radiate peace and bliss. Swami Turiyananda used to say that one visit to
Sri Ramakrishna used to inebriate him with bliss for days and days. Many people
used to visit Ramana Maharshi with their minds full of doubts and questions, but
once in his presence all their doubts disappeared and all questions ceased. Holy men
are free of egotism and their hearts are filled with loving compassion. Hence their
company helps one reduce the ego, the root cause of all bondage. Holy company
spontaneously brings the thought of God into one's mind. Sri Chaitanya states:
"Know him to be a holy man whose mere sight produces in the beholder a
spontaneous devotion to the Lord." What can be achieved only with great difficulty
and by hard practice for a long time can easily be obtained in the company of holy
men. The company of the holy gives strength in times of depression and low
periods. In the presence of a holy man lust, envy, anger etc. cannot raise their heads.
Once a disciple of Swami Brahmananda wanted to test his Guru. In his presence this
disciple deliberately tried to think worldly thoughts but failed. Then he realised how
powerful and uplifting was the presence of these great disciples of Sri Ramakrishna.
Above all a saint by his grace can even grant the vision of God, for as Narada states
there is no difference between God and His devotees. As Vedanta also asserts, a
knower of Brahman becomes Brahman. An illumined person's will is merged in the
universal will; he becomes a perfect instrument of God. Hence whatever he does is
really an act of God. We can now see why Sri Ramakrishna instructs us to cultivate
holy company. But there may be a difficulty. It is rare to obtain the constant
company of a holy man. And then even if we are fortunate in coming into contact
with a holy man it may be for a short time only. What then should we do? Holy
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company means not only the companionship of saints. Anything that inspires and
propels one toward a nobler goal, towards God, is holy company. It could be a book,
or a place or an object. Every religion insists on the study of scriptures and
pilgrimage. A devout study of scriptures and the lives and teachings of saints and
sages is a wonderful way of having their holy company. These have the power of
truth and truth always uplifts and inspires every one. The study of these holy books
instantly transports us into the presence of these great souls. For example when we
read the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna we can palpably feel his presence immediately.
Regular study of the scriptures slowly brings about an inner transformation. The
places and objects associated with holy men can also act as powerful uplifters.
Visiting holy places definitely raises our minds. Clothes, rosaries, or sandals and
other objects associated with saints also remind us of their life and help us. This is
why relics (not merely for their apparent miraculous powers) are cherished so
devoutly by devotees all over the world. Even certain events can help us turn
towards a higher goal. Many aspirants are advised to visit now and then
crematoriums, hospitals and lunatic asylums. These visits can bring to our minds
vividly the evanescence of life, check our mad rush after fleeting sense pleasures,
and produce dispassion and discrimination. We also learn to count our blessings and
appreciate the grace of God in having a healthy body and mind; we are reminded of
the preciousness of time and opportunity given us. But the best holy company is the
practice of the presence of God in our hearts. Constant prayer, japa, and
remembrance unveils the Lord who is present at all times and at all places. To feel
the presence of God this is the true meaning of Satsanga. All the other means
discussed earlier are only helps toward reaching this goal. Until we achieve this we
are advised to take recourse to all the other means mentioned earlier. Thus we can
see how the cultivation of holy company confers so many blessings and is so very
necessary in spiritual life. We can ignore it only at our peril.