“In the month of Maagh, let your cleansing bath be the dust of the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy” (Ang 135)
Guru Ji’s instruction for the month of Magh has made me reflect on how my understanding of saadh sangat has evolved over time. I used to think that sangat was simply the group of people sitting in the Gurdwara. I thought that sadhsangat perhaps required a certain outward appearance, a kesri chola or kirpan. I remember a few years ago a katha from mysimran.info changed my understanding of sangat to include those we surround ourselves with. It gave me a greater understanding of the power of those in my life, and I opened my eyes to the positive and negative influences around me. At that time, I had written a post about how meeting various Gurmukhs had given me a strong desire to travel my path and was transformative in my life’s journey. I found myself being more selective about the people I included on my social media as well. I removed myself from a lot of disconnection, but I still wasn’t sure who my sangat would be. It was an important time for me as I spent some time alone exploring my time with Guru Ji but I also felt a thirst for connection.
Lately, sangat has been brought into an even clearer light for me. There was a woman I met one day who resonated deeply with me in her connection to God and her path to healing. Despite our vastly different paths and life experiences, I found myself deeply connected to her and spending more time in this sangat. It made me realize that the appearances of our sangat are varied, and do not belong to any physical form just like God belongs to every form and being. Meeting her invigorated my own connection, and made it obvious to me the large amounts of energy drained when we are around those who are disconnected and the reason I was always feeling so isolated having to explain myself to people who simply don’t understand the world in the same light. The oneness of our interactions has changed my life.
It is very powerful not only to be able to have talk to others about our shared experiences on travelling this path, but moreso to learn from others and build the foundations of our path. Dr. Kala Singh gave a talk on the Harpreet Show on sangat. He explained that if we put knowledge (gyan) in our minds, then our mind is the sadh, and when we interact with others through discussion about spiritual discourse whether in person or online, this is sadhsangat. Gurbani says, “Go and sit in the Satsangat, the True congregation, where the Name of the Lord is churned.” (Ang 587). Giani Baljit Singh Ji similarly talked about how the body arriving to the Gurdwara without the mind present will not change your life. If you look around at people’s clothes, what they said, or compositions, you will not grow; but if you take home the shabad and incorporate it into your life, you will expand exponentially. They both explain how important it is for us to fully be present to engage in spiritual discourse.
Our sadhsangat can come in different appearances and can come in and out of our lives at gifts at the most unexpected times. The overflowing energy of love and that ability to connect is inspiring because it is through sangat that we meet God or alternatively are pulled backwards through maya. Waheguru blesses us with these connections so that we can further our path. A moment of sharing spiritual discourse with someone- of sharing what you learned, or learning from someone, is a jewel in our lives. Gurbani tells us “Joining the Satsangat, the True Congregation, I ask about the Path to God. In that congregation, the Lord God abides” (Ang 94).
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