Heartbeat XIII: Sang-ath

ਆਵਹੁ ਭੈਣੇ ਗਲਿ ਮਿਲਹ ਅੰਕਿ ਸਹੇਲੜੀਆਹ ॥
Aavah[u] BhaiNae Gal[i] Milah A[n]k[i] Sahaelarreeaah
Come soul-sisters, let us embrace each other... my closest friends!
ਮਿਲਿ ਕੈ ਕਰਹ ਕਹਾਣੀਆ ਸੰਮ੍ਰਥ ਕੰਤ ਕੀਆਹ ॥
Mil[i] Kai Karah KahaaNeeaa Sa[n]mrathh Ka[n]th Keeaah
Let us meet and tell the stories of the All-Powerful Husband
(Dhan Dhan Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Ji Maharaj in Sree Raag, Ang 17)
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The same warmth that kindles the flame of my heart I see in the blushing cheeks of my soul-sisters. We smile together in Remembering The Beloved. We cry together in Separation from The Beloved. Those who have not tasted This Love, their faces are pale. When a seeker goes into the state of Vismaadh, we get goosebumps together. When a premi sheds tears, we sigh together. When a warrior becomes Shaheed, we become courageous together. Sangat becomes undervalued when it is simply referred to as ‘congregation’.
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If we take the word Sangath and split it into two sections then it shows us a deeper meaning (Sang + Ath). Sang means closeness. If someone is a Sangi then it means the person who has spent time close to a particular person ie a friend or a loved one. Ath means the limit. For example, if we say someone has reached Ath it means the limits. So Sang-Ath means those who have reached the limits of closeness.
Sangat is the closest of the closest. Family shares blood & Friends share interests. Sangat is where we realize that we share Aatma. In the Sangat, we become knowers of our True Self. That which is beyond the body and beyond the mind. The Beloved’s Lovers Loving The Beloved in the Immersive Love-World where Love is permeating All. What a complicated statement but to sum it up: there is nothing but Love. Tap into that Loving Nature always and know there is nothing without The Beloved’s Presence. Those who have this desire to attain this are Sangat.
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What about those who have not tasted this? What is Sangat for them?
Bhagat Ravidaas Ji humbly speak about the troubles of this world's company:
ਮੇਰੀ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਪੋਚ ਸੋਚ ਦਿਨੁ ਰਾਤੀ ॥
Maeree Sa[n]gath[i] Poch Soch Dhin[u] Raathee
My Sangat is lowly, they have me anxious day and night
ਮੇਰਾ ਕਰਮੁ ਕੁਟਿਲਤਾ ਜਨਮੁ ਕੁਭਾਂਤੀ ॥੧॥
Maeraa Karam[u] Kutilthaa Janam[u] Kubhaa[n]thee
My Karma/Actions are crooked and my life has been horrible
(Raag Gourree, Ang 345)

If we gave our heart and time to the wrong people then we end up with mental anguish. Let us reflect on who we spend our time with. Do they bring us closer to the Beloved or do they cause us to stay in the cycle of suffering?
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