 Letter From India  |
Letter from India
Indian College Program Students
(forwarded to us by Sat Kartar Kaur)
Piari Sadh Sangat Ji,
We of the Indian college program have remained in India to take our final exams, and will embark on a tour of South India when they are concluded. In the course of our last minute cramming, we were inspired by a chapter in our philosophy book about the concept of “sangat.” We wanted to share this with you as an ideal that we can collectively strive for. The excerpt is as follows:
Concept:
The literal meaning of sangat is social companionship, but in Sikh Dharma it is taken as a congregation of saints. Sangat means the society consisting of good people. Every good human can be a member of this society.
Sangat lays emphasis on collective life, since a person’s moral and spiritual life and ideals are united with the lives of other people. People toil shoulder to shoulder for spiritual progress. Then along with him or her, all will do so, as the welfare of all is the essence of the spiritual ideal of a human.
Characteristics:
- Equality - It is implied in the meaning of sangat that all members are equal in status; all are equal before God.
- Selflessness - A member of sangat must rise above his/her selfish motives and head towards spiritual progress devoid of all ego. The well-being of all is the individual’s own well-being.
- Togetherness - God resides in all people equally. Religious devotion teaches that if one is to find God, one will have to find it in all people. It is ideal to recognize the spiritual essence which is implied by the concept of “sarbat” (one and all).
- Peacefulness - If selfish interests are not forsaken in the sangat, it can create an atmosphere of discord and animosity. By virtue of good qualities and good actions alone we are good.
Sikh Dharma wants to organize an ideal society of good people who hold the principle of equality and are free from ego and selfishness. These people strive for the good of others. They will create an open society of gentle, tolerant, peaceful, free, and progressive persons.
Be great, be good to you. Love life, Keep up!
The College Kids- June 1995