Let us treat the two topics of today’s discussion, guhá and satsauṋga, separately first, bringing them together in the latter part of our thoughts. The word guhá has two meanings. The first interpretation from Sanskrit into English is “cave wherein God resides”. For too long yogis in every corner of the world have taken this interpretation too literally, and, thinking it to be the only way to obtain union with Supreme Consciousness, have turned their backs on society and spent their lives hidden deep in caves. Everything being a part of Parama Puruśa must mean that this world is also a part of the same; to deny one part of Him is to deny the whole; and a person’s obtaining something that he or she has denied is a very unlikely occurrence. Therefore any attempt to obtain Him by leaving the world is indeed a very foolish endeavour.

Someone may very well present the age-old argument that in a society so materially oriented, there are too many things to distract our minds, while in solitude contemplation of the Great is a much easier endeavour. This is folly again, because any mind that is swayed from contemplating Him by social distractions will no doubt find itself admiring the different rock formations in the cave of its seclusion, a more subtle and perhaps a more dangerous veil than the one supposedly left behind.

We must always bear in mind the fact that when Parama Puruśa wants us to attain Him, then and only then will we get Him. And what determines when we are ready for Him to take us? He looks to see if we truly love only Him down to the depths of our hearts. In each and every moment of our lives He is testing us to see if we have reached this degree of devotion, or whether there is still in fact some wordly desire that diverts our thoughts from Him.

The second meaning of guhá is “I am.” Paramátman [the Supreme Soul] is lying in the cave of your own heart, your own “I”-ness. So that makes everything very simple! We only need to come to know ourselves by intense sádhaná, and know His manifestations by selfless service, and then our love for Him will surely grow to boundless proportions. Parama Puruśa, seeing the degree of our devotion, will have to take us to Himself – success is surely ours.

Yes, satsauṋga, I am coming to that now. Sat means “Truth”, that which is unchangeable, the Absolute. Only He is unchanging, so He alone is Truth. Sauṋga means “company”. So satsauṋga means “the company of Parama Puruśa”. But a second meaning is also there. This term is also used to describe the company of good people. The first is internal, the second external. As we said above, internal satsauṋga is given through our growing love for Him, and this, if the sádhaná be done faithfully, is an eternal satsauṋga. But external satsauṋga must be sought out by us, by our careful choosing of the company we need. Time spent with others who are also actively seeking His internal [satsauṋga], will give very much momentum to your own sádhaná.

Of course your own ideation is of great importance here. “When a pickpocket sees a saint, he sees only pockets.” But together with the internal longing, the external presence [of spiritual people], aided by the natural attraction He has for all of His creation, will no doubt lead us to our Self-realization. Then we will be called guhán, “one who dwells in the cave of his own heart, the cave of God”. So a good person in good company has in fact already achieved Him. He or she just has not let it be known yet.