Spiritual Association

Spiritual Association [Spiritual Community/Sangha/Satsang] Definition:  Association (spiritual) ▸ noun: the act of consorting with or joining with others; Spiritual: of the spirit or the soul as distinguished from the body or material matters; Association: the act of associating; a connection in the mind between ideas, sensations, memories, etc.

koinonia
Koinonia is a Greek word that occurs 20 times in the Bible. Koinonia’s primary meaning is “fellowship, sharing in common, communion.” sangha in Buddhism, a community of monks and/or nuns, one of the “Three Jewels”; also, generally, all followers of the Buddha; also written samgha

Etymology:  Hindu ‘community together’

Satsang (Sanskrit sat = true, sanga = company)
(1) the company of the “highest truth,” (2) the company of a guru, and (3) company with an assembly of persons who listen to, talk about, and assimilate the truth.
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SPIRITUAL ASSOCIATION “To frequent the company of saints, sages and seekers after Truth is incumbent on man. Association of this kind will help to awaken his interest in That which is Real. The more consistently one seeks the
fellowship of the spiritually-minded the greater will be the benefit.”
– Anandamayee Ma

“Buddhas continue to live on through their teachings as dharma bodies. Their spirits become manifest in the sangha (spiritual community) where their teachings are passed on.” (Shinjo Ito, Shinjo: Reflections P. 133)Self-knowledge or knowledge of truth is not had by resorting to a guru (preceptor) nor by the study of scripture, nor by good works: it is attained only by means of inquiry inspired by the company of wise and holy men. One’s inner light alone is the means, naught else. When this inner light is kept alive, it is not affected by the darkness of inertia. From ~The Concise Yoga VasisthaSwami VenkatesanandaIf you have come to help me you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” ~Lilla Watson [attributed]

“Why allow yourself to become agitated and excited? This is not the attitude fitting for a pilgrim on the spiritual path. On the contrary, by spending one’s life in the awareness of God, seeking the company of sages, saints and seekers after Truth, one’s hopes and aspirations will be fulfilled.”  – Anandamayee Ma

“Right from ancient times Satsang has remained the most beneficial part of our life and growth. In Satsang alone one gets an understanding of the true nature of the world, and the mind learns to derive the strength of vairagya and viveka.“In the search for Truth and the effort at inner purity and refinement, satsang with the Wise Guru is the last word. ” “Up to a point, devotion and Satsang are good.  But by these the mind must become stabilized and intelligence get illumined.  All the knowledge of every Seer has come from his own within.  When the consciousness inside interacts with anything — be that an object outside or a value or concept imagined — the interaction brings about wisdom.  The process can be deeper, greater and subtler.” Satsang by Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha”The persons whose company make us to lose balance of our mind, The company of persons that raises our ego, Let there be no such company that detach us from Lord Rama. The moment that is gone without Lord Rama is a loss. Such moments devoid of Lord Rama make us feel tired. Let us always be focused and alert.” Samartha Ramdas Swami

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