We will progress in holy company

Devotees would often visit Sri Ramakrishna to be in his holy company. During their stay there, they would feel that their minds are being uplifted and they would also enjoy spiritual joy. But after returning to their households they would find that their minds were going down and getting immersed in worldly pursuits. Hence, they would ask Sri Ramakrishna the reasons for this and would also want to know about the power of the company of the holy. Sri Ramakrishna would encourage them and explain to them the power of the company of the holy or satsang by using a beautiful analogy. It is not enough if one is just interested in spiritual life. One has to work hard under a proper guide.

Once there was a young man who was deeply interested in medicine. He saw doctors examining the pulse of the patients and wanted to learn how to do it. He tried to check the pulses of various sick people but was unable to make any progress. He was quite baffled and finally sought the help and advice of a qualified doctor who was his friend. This gentleman took him along with him whenever he would visit a patient. After examining the pulse of a patient, he would instruct the learner how to do it and watch carefully how the student was performing. After going around with the qualified doctor for several weeks and examining a number of patients in his presence, the student finally acquired the ability to check patients’ pulses. Not only that, he could do it fast and also accurately. Thus Sri Ramakrishna would say that it is not enough if one just wants to progress in spiritual life. One has to adopt the right means. It is important to approach a qualified teacher or guru and stay in his company for long and practise spiritual disciplines intensely. After several years of sadhana and being constantly guided by the guru, one is bound to progress in spiritual life.