________________
Satsang can be stratified in to following categories:
• The First Kind of Satsang (Association with the Divine): What then is this element which is indestructible, has always been constant and will forever remain as such? This principle is the Supreme Being of the universe. Association with this Being, in reality, is association with Truth (satsang). But, what is it that could associate with this Supreme Being? Is it the body or the senses? The answer is that it is neither of these two. It is only apart from the body and senses that we will be able to associate with the Supreme Being. This is because it is only our soul that is an inseparable part of the Divine. It is only we (our soul) that are capable of merging with the Divine. Our individual soul is truth, and also, the Supreme Being is Truth. True satsang is the unity of the soul with the Supreme Truth. This is the highest kind of satsang. However, this highest kind of satsang, unity with the Divine, does not occur suddenly. This category of satsang requires many lifetimes of good actions samskaras (spiritual imprints and tendencies).
• The Second Kind of Satsang (Association with the Saints): Sant Tulsidas Ji emphasizes the association with the saints for the realization of the Divine:
“The association of the saints brings association with the Divine, and alliance with people who are
316