VIII.

The Essence of Ruhani Satsang

Ruhani Satsang is neither an intellectual nor scholastic system of philosophy, nor is it merely an ethical code of rigid moral virtues, though to a certain extent it partakes of the character of both, insofar as these pave the way for spiritual progress. Spirituality is quite distinct from religion, as it is commonly and popularly known today, i.e. a social and moral code of conduct and nothing more. Ruhani Satsang deals with the Science of the Soul or contact with the Inner Self in man. It teaches how the Inner Self can be extricated from the clutches of the outer self, consisting of mind and matter and the outgoing faculties, so as to enable it to be a witness to the glory of God, to see His Light and to hear His Voice in the inner silence of the stilled mind. It is an experimental science of practical self-analysis, whereby one gains self-knowledge and God-knowledge. But this depends solely on the grace of God, for no man, however great his learning, wisdom and knowledge, has ever achieved, nor can achieve, success in this field by his own unaided and unguided efforts. Both God and the God-Way are made manifest by the Light of the Godman, who guides the seeker and helps him to rediscover God within his own self. This is the grand lesson in Spirituality, of which Ruhani Satsang is a living embodiment, and which seeks to help all aspirants after true knowledge – the Knowledge of Realized Truth, which makes all else to become known and leaves nothing unknown. It is the finale of human existence, an efflorescence into the Divine.