GROUP MEDITATION (Sangat)
Helping other people on their spiritual journey is one of the most prominent qualities of an enlightened person. When you begin to see your interconnectedness with the rest of humanity, you will see the suffering in other people, and your compassion for them will naturally grow. One of the ways we can help others is by starting a meditation group (sangat).
A Meditation Group Can Transform Lives
While many of us enjoy meditating alone, meditating with others can enhance our spiritual growth significantly. In addition to helping people learn how to meditate, a meditation group can bring a tremendous amount of healing to everyone who attends. This can help someone whoโs having difficulty overcoming the wounds from the past. There are various other ways a meditation group can be of benefit to its attendees:
Spiritual support: There is a synergy that takes place when people meditate together. The healing power that is cultivated in a group meditation session is usually greater than when meditating alone. If you open your heart to others in the group, the energy of mindfulness will flow freely for everyone to enjoy.
Help you stay committed to your meditation practice: Many of us have difficulty staying committed to our meditation practice. If we have a commitment to a meditation group, we will be more likely to stay committed to our own practice.
Help us overcome our egos: Some of us have difficulty seeing the world beyond our personal concerns. This self-centeredness is the never-ending source of our suffering, because the world will never fully comply with our wishes. Getting involved with helping others will help shift our frame of reference, and help us see how others suffer just as much as we do, if not more.
Learn from each other: Teaching, experiencing and guiding others on how to meditate, has taught us more than listening to others talk about meditation. It has forced us to fully examine what We experience, and to communicate that experience in a coherent manner.
Camaraderie: Over time, You develop some wonderful friendships with other attendees of the meditation group. A unique bond is formed when we travel together on the path to inner peace, because we are all searching for freedom from our own suffering.
Avoiding Some of the Pitfalls
While starting a meditation group is easy, keeping it growing and thriving can be more of a challenge. There are a couple of pitfalls that some groups fall into. One is losing its focus, and the other is exclusivity.
Most groups start out with good intentions. But if they donโt stay focused and committed to their original mission, then they lose their effectiveness. One of the reasons this happens is, because there is no commitment to a specific form of meditation. Trying a different form of meditation each week is like trying a different musical instrument each week. Youโll never learn to play music that way, so why would you expect to learn how to meditate using that approach? We have one Gurmantra, which we have to master and make a part of our mind, body and soul.
What We generally suggest is that you commit to one form of meditation. Otherwise, attendees will meditate in their own ways, which creates less of a connection and less positive energy is created. The other thing We recommend is reading Gurbaanee (Gurus word), through the meditation to uplift the spirits of the attendees and make them feel the importance of Naam Meditation.
Exclusivity is another issue to be aware of. Sometimes a group develops a few core members who become very comfortable with each other. In fact, they become so comfortable that they donโt want strangers upsetting their cozy meeting, so they become reluctant to let in others.
Remember that the enlightened person wants to help others achieve freedom from suffering, regardless of whether they are friends or strangers. Adding to the sangat should be an ongoing activity. Otherwise, the group will diminish, because even the core will eventually move on to other things, as their personal circumstances change.
Starting a meditation group can be a rewarding experience for everyone involved. It can provide members with the spiritual nourishment vital to their development. Those who do not meditate with others regularly, in addition to meditating on their own, will find it difficult to make steady progress.
Find the correct Sangat and continue your spiritual journey, through Naam Meditation! It's the only way the soul will be discovered and liberated!
Guru Arjun Dev Ji Says, "liberation is attained in the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, and the darkness of ignorance is dispelled."
Vaheguroo!
Helping other people on their spiritual journey is one of the most prominent qualities of an enlightened person. When you begin to see your interconnectedness with the rest of humanity, you will see the suffering in other people, and your compassion for them will naturally grow. One of the ways we can help others is by starting a meditation group (sangat).
A Meditation Group Can Transform Lives
While many of us enjoy meditating alone, meditating with others can enhance our spiritual growth significantly. In addition to helping people learn how to meditate, a meditation group can bring a tremendous amount of healing to everyone who attends. This can help someone whoโs having difficulty overcoming the wounds from the past. There are various other ways a meditation group can be of benefit to its attendees:
Spiritual support: There is a synergy that takes place when people meditate together. The healing power that is cultivated in a group meditation session is usually greater than when meditating alone. If you open your heart to others in the group, the energy of mindfulness will flow freely for everyone to enjoy.
Help you stay committed to your meditation practice: Many of us have difficulty staying committed to our meditation practice. If we have a commitment to a meditation group, we will be more likely to stay committed to our own practice.
Help us overcome our egos: Some of us have difficulty seeing the world beyond our personal concerns. This self-centeredness is the never-ending source of our suffering, because the world will never fully comply with our wishes. Getting involved with helping others will help shift our frame of reference, and help us see how others suffer just as much as we do, if not more.
Learn from each other: Teaching, experiencing and guiding others on how to meditate, has taught us more than listening to others talk about meditation. It has forced us to fully examine what We experience, and to communicate that experience in a coherent manner.
Camaraderie: Over time, You develop some wonderful friendships with other attendees of the meditation group. A unique bond is formed when we travel together on the path to inner peace, because we are all searching for freedom from our own suffering.
Avoiding Some of the Pitfalls
While starting a meditation group is easy, keeping it growing and thriving can be more of a challenge. There are a couple of pitfalls that some groups fall into. One is losing its focus, and the other is exclusivity.
Most groups start out with good intentions. But if they donโt stay focused and committed to their original mission, then they lose their effectiveness. One of the reasons this happens is, because there is no commitment to a specific form of meditation. Trying a different form of meditation each week is like trying a different musical instrument each week. Youโll never learn to play music that way, so why would you expect to learn how to meditate using that approach? We have one Gurmantra, which we have to master and make a part of our mind, body and soul.
What We generally suggest is that you commit to one form of meditation. Otherwise, attendees will meditate in their own ways, which creates less of a connection and less positive energy is created. The other thing We recommend is reading Gurbaanee (Gurus word), through the meditation to uplift the spirits of the attendees and make them feel the importance of Naam Meditation.
Exclusivity is another issue to be aware of. Sometimes a group develops a few core members who become very comfortable with each other. In fact, they become so comfortable that they donโt want strangers upsetting their cozy meeting, so they become reluctant to let in others.
Remember that the enlightened person wants to help others achieve freedom from suffering, regardless of whether they are friends or strangers. Adding to the sangat should be an ongoing activity. Otherwise, the group will diminish, because even the core will eventually move on to other things, as their personal circumstances change.
Starting a meditation group can be a rewarding experience for everyone involved. It can provide members with the spiritual nourishment vital to their development. Those who do not meditate with others regularly, in addition to meditating on their own, will find it difficult to make steady progress.
Find the correct Sangat and continue your spiritual journey, through Naam Meditation! It's the only way the soul will be discovered and liberated!
Guru Arjun Dev Ji Says, "liberation is attained in the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, and the darkness of ignorance is dispelled."
Vaheguroo!