On a quiet Sunday morning in Bengaluru, an intimate gathering of spiritual seekers came together for special satsang with Swami Ritavan Bharati on a special visit in the city.

In the lush green courtyard at home of Namita Sinha; a long time initiate in the tradition about 25 sadhakas arrived with open hearts, ready to listen, reflect, and be inspired in the presence of Swami Ji.

The satsang began at 10:00 a.m. with Swami Ritavan Bharati, also accompanied by special guests from Singapore – Yoong Ji (mantra initiator in the tradition) and his wife Tuat Yien. Their presence added a sense of continuity and lineage to the morning’s reflections.

Swami Ritavan ji opened by illuminating the significance of the Guru–disciple relationship, drawing from the recently launched book Guru Disciple Relationship – Volume 3 of the series on this sacred bond. He spoke in the second-person approach common to Indian psychology to explain how the guru examines the disciple and, equally, how the disciple examines the guru. This mutual discernment, he emphasized, is not about judgment but about clarity, trust, and alignment on the path.

Swami Ji then spoke about doing dharma (duties) and the importance of paying off karmic debts in daily life. Whether in corporate offices or university settings, he noted, our duties become sadhana when performed with awareness and love. The spiritual path, he reminded, is not separate from our everyday responsibilities; it is woven into them.

Following Swami ji’s guidance, the satsang invited experiential wisdom from Jata Bhagat Mata ji, a long time sadhaka in the tradition and who was initiated by Gurudev Swami Rama served in his tradition for decades. She shared her experience of surrender before Gurudev—how that surrender brought her deep peace even after the loss of her husband. Her words carried the quiet authority of lived truth: that surrender is not weakness but the doorway to an unshakable inner refuge.

Yoong Ji shared his reflections about the push and pull of life; the tensions, contradictions, and turning points that shape us. He reflected on what it means to love, and how love transforms when duties are done lovingly for the guru. He recounted an anecdote from his younger days: once, while expecting Swami Rama ji’s presence, he grew short-tempered and upset. That day, he sat to meditate in that turmoil and the peace he encountered could not be substituted by anything else. Gurudev, he said, helped him realize that peace is most essential precisely in the midst of chaos.

After these heartfelt sharings, the group went into a natural silent meditation for deeper reflection and introspection. In that stillness, the morning’s teachings sank from the head to the heart.

The satsang concluded with the distribution of prasada by Namita to all the spiritual sadhakas present—a simple, loving ritual that marked the end of the gathering and the beginning of carrying the morning’s light into the week ahead.

In a city that moves quickly, this satsang offered a gentle reminder: that community, lineage, and shared sincerity can create a sanctuary anywhere even in a green courtyard in Bengaluru where the heart remembers its true home.

Editor’s Note:

Dr Kashish Pandey is an initiate within the Himalayan Tradition, and a Sports Psychologist and a Psychology professor by profession, based in Bengaluru, India.