There is an English proverb that a man is known by the company he keeps. When two people spend time together, they start becoming like each other. This happens because in every interaction that we have — with a person, or an animal or a plant, there occurs an exchange of prana. To a clairvoyant eye, this is visible as the change in colour of the aura — the yellow interacts with the blue to become green, the same yellow can become black or brown. No wonder our ancestors emphasised upon the importance of good company or satsang — the company of evolved beings. History is full with examples of the effect of company on a person.
It was Manthra, the housemaid’s company, which polluted the thought process of the just Queen Kaikeyi, who demanded that King Dashrath exile Lord Ram. There is a story in Ayurveda where the rishis who came down from the mountains to settle in the plains, began to age owing to interactions with commoners. Likewise there are instances of evolution of beings in the company of gurus and evolved beings.
Ahilya transformed from a stone to a woman by the mere touch of Lord Ram and she achieved salvation. Arjun got the gyan of Gita in the company of Lord Krishna and he won a losing battle. Satsang basically means being in the company of sat, that is truth, because only when you are in the company of truth, do you realise the truth. A company of falsehood always leads to the destruction of the body and the soul. Satsang need not necessarily be with a person or with people.
It could also mean vedic chants, which themselves emit phenomenal positive energy, or it could also mean reading sermons of evolved beings, though it is always best to be in the company of gurus because the guru would know your frequency of energy and how to upgrade you.
Let me give you a practical tip — that can be performed in your house or office, without resorting to buying books. A simple kriya detailed in the shastras, the Sanatan Kriya. As you sit in silence and do dhyan with your guru as detailed in the kriya, you automatically come into the satsang of your guru, of saints and of subtle energies. Kusang or negative company does the opposite of what a satsang would do. If satsang is tamso ma jyotirgamaya, kusang is jyotirma tamso gamaya — instead of going from darkness to light by satsang, you are asking the Divine Mother to go from light to darkness by kusang.
A very good indication of whether you are in satsang or kusang is by observing your tendency of actions. If you find that you are doing charitable acts, spiritual acts, going deeper into meditation, avoiding alcohol and parties, then the energy you are with is definitely satsang.
And if the opposite of this is happening, if you turn your face from an injured animal, if your actions are causing harm to environment, if you are immersing yourself into higher pleasures and if your time for meditation is reducing, then it is kusang. Never let anyone else judge you, always let your experience and the course your life takes — judge you.
