ETHICAL

TEACHINGS
ETHICAL
TEACHINGS
Sutami Siaananda
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THE DTVINE LIFE SOCIETY
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Who Is Ever Seehing Happiness,
For Happiness Is Attainable Only Through
A Life of Virtue and Goodness
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Born on the 8th September, 1887, in the illustrious
family of Sage Appayya Dikshitar and several other
renowned saints and savants, Sri Swami Sivananda had
a natural flair for a life devoted to the study and practice
of Vedanta. Added to this was an inborn eagerness to
serve all and an innate feeling of unitywith all mankind.
His passion for service drew him to the medical
career; and soon he gravitated to where he thought that
his service was most needed. Malaya claimed him. He
had earlier been editing a health
journal
and wrote
extensively on health problems. He discovered that
people needed right knowledge most of all; dissemination
of that knowledge he espoused as his own mission.
It was divine dispensation and the blessing of God
upon mankind that the doctor of body and mind
renounced his career and took to a life of renunciation to
qualify for ministering to the soul of man. He settled
down at Rishikesh in 1924,
practised intense austerities
and shone as a great Yogi, saint, sage and Jivanmukta.
In 7932 Swami Sivananda started the
Sivanandashram. In 1936 was born The Divine Life
Society. In 1948 the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy was
organised. Dissemination of spiritual knowledge and
training of people in Yoga and Vedanta were their aim
and object. In 1950 Swamiji undertook a lightning tour of
India and Ceylon. In 1953 Swamiji convened a lMorld
Parliament of Religions'. Swamiji is the author of over
300 volumes and has disciples all over the world,
belonging to all nationalities, religions and creeds. To
read Swamiji's works is to drink at the Fountain of
Wisdom Supreme. On 14th July, 1963 Swamiji entered
Mahasamadhi.
PUBLISHERS'NOTE
The reading
public is too well aware that a distinct
feature of Sri Swami Sivanandaji's forceful writings is
that he does not merely write on a subject but
primarily
writes about it directly to the reader. His interest in a
subject is mainly with regard to its practical implications
in connection with man. He is the saint and awakener
and as such he makes a study of man his foremost
concern. This work,
"Ethical
Teachingsr" more than
ever testifies to this. The reader will find that this volume
is not merely of a definitional and informative character
but treats of ethics as specially practically manifest in
the daily conduct of everyone.
Works on ethics there have been. More often than
not they dealt purely with the theoretical aspect of it,
various types of ethical theory, evolution of ethical
thought in the course of history, etc. What man today
urgently needs is to know how exactly he ought to act
and live his life if he were to conform to the basic
principles of goodness and virtue. This need, the present
volume, most eminently fulfils.
A glance at the contents will reveal how no aspect of
the subject has been left untouched. Extremely valuable
instructions are given to the students, householders,
retired men and ascetics alike. The section headed
'Domestic
Ethics'contains the most precious teachings
to ladies in particular. The Lawyer, Doctor, Trader,
Industrialist and Politician will find sagely advice from
the
pen of a saint who has known the very essence of true
Dharma. The final Chapter, bearing the name of the
book, is averitable treasure-house wherein is to be found
a wealth of the most
precious gems of teachings. And as
is invariably the case, the revered author has dealt with
all doubts and difficulties that are likely to arise in the
(7)
actual following of these precepts. We have the
greatest
pleasure in putting this invaluable work before the
public, for we feel perfectly confident that it is going to be
of utmost, and immense help in making the human
nature grow into the Divine and in ushering in a blessed
new era in the land.
THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY
(8)
CONTENTS
Publishers'Note
CHAPTER I
WHAT IS ETHICS?
1. Ethical Science. 15
2. Foundation of Ethics . 18
3. Dharma 19
4. A
Query
on Dharma 21
5. Right Conduct 22
6. Purity of Motive 22
7. Ethics: Eastern and Western . 24
8. Ethical Culture. 24
9. Self-realisation
The Ultimate Meaning of Ethics
CHAPTER II
BASIS OF ETHICS
1. Character, Conduct, Behaviour.
26
2. Basis of Conduct
Nature of Conduct
Ethical Discipline.
Samanya Dharma
Right and Wrong .
Truth.
Forms of Truth
Stick to Your Promise
Conscience
(e)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
28
29
30
31
32
34
35
37
39
39
CHAPTER III
MORALITY
1. Benelits
4I
2. Moral Obligation, Moral Sentiments 42
3. Moral, Immoral and Non-Moral Actions. 43
4. Moral Life and Moral Standard . 44
5. Dharma Sankata.
46
6. Moral Judgement.
51
7. Moral Standard and Judgment . 53
8. Crime and Punishment.
57
CHAPTER IV
CONDUCT OF RIGHT LIFE
(DIVINE
LIFE)
1.
2.
3.
4,
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
L4.
15.
Virtue and Virtuous Life
Who Is Good and Virtuous?
Charity.
Annadana Yajna
Glory of Annadana .
Penance
Friendship (Maitri)
Be Sweet
Sweet Speech.
Honesty and Faith
Moderation.
Tolerance
Fortitude.
Self-Control
Practice of Self-Control .
Nature of
CHAPTER V
ENEMIES OF ETHICS
a Vicious Man
Anger
59
63
65
68
69
74
75
76
78
79
80
83
85
87
89
1.
2.
3.
92
93
94
Covetousness.
(10)
4.
5.
6.
7.
Drinking and Drugs
Gambling.
Prostitution
97
98
100
Eradication of Vices
103
CHAPTER VI
SPECIAL ETHICS
1. Legal Ethics
106
2. Medical Ethics .
108
3. Business Ethics
111
4. Industrial Ethics .
113
5. International Ethics
lL4
6. Domestic Ethics
116
7. Spiritual Progress.
120
CHAPTER
VII
DUTIES OF MAN
1. General
Duties .
L24
2. The Duties of a Brahmachari
126
3. The Duties of a Householder
(Grihasti)
'
130
4. The Duties of a VanaPrastha . 135
5. The Duties of a Sannyasin.
136
CHAPTBR VII
ETHICAL TEACHING
1. Morality-The Basis of Spiritual
Life l4l
2. Dharma Confers Wealth and Happiness
142
3. Character
Is Power .
143
4. The Power of Ahimsa .
145
5. Truth Alone Reigns SuPreme .
145
6. When Man Becomes One with the Divine. 146
7. Importance
of Brahmacharya.
L49
8. Disastrous Consequences
of Anger . 152
9. Control of Anger
155
10. Selfishness Retards Progress
'
L57
1 1. Destroy Jealousy and Prejudice
159
(11)
12. Discipline the Tongue
13. Humility-The Path of Immortality .
14. Be Se1f-Controlled
15. How to PuriS Heart and Mind
16. Contentment Is the Real Wealth
17. Direct Enemies of Peace
18. Be Always Hopeful .
19. Develop Universal Love.
20. Advise to Sadhakas
161
r62
163
t64
166
r67
r67
168
169
(r2l
Elhical
Teacttings
Chaptet I
WHAT IS ETHICS?
1. Ethical Science
Ethics is the science of conduct. Ethics is the study
ofwhat is right or good
in conduct. Ethical science shows
the way in which human beings behave towards each
other as well as towards other creatures. It contains
systematised principles
on which a man should act.
Without ethics you
cannot have any progress
in the
spiritual path.
Ethics is the foundation of Yoga, the
corner-stone of Vedanta and the strong pillar
on which
the edifice of Bhakti Yoga rests.
Ethics is right conduct or Sadachara. The mark of
Dharma is Achara or right conduct. Achara is the mark
of good. From Achara only, Dharma is born. Dharma
enhances life. Man attains prosperity,
fame, here and
hereafter through the practice
of Dharma. Achara is the
highest Dharma. It is the root of all Tapas. It supports
the whole universe. It leads one to Eternal Happiness
and Immortality.
Ethics is morality. Morality is the gateway
to God-
realisation. It is the master-key of religion. He who leads
a moral or virtuous life, attains freedom, perfection
or
Moksha.
Ethics is a relative science. What is good for one man
may not be good
for another man. What is good
at one
time may not be good
at another time and at another
place.
Ethics is relative to the man himself and to his
surroundings.
Every religion has its own ethics. The primary
truth
of every religion is the foundation of ethics or morality or
the science of right conduct. Yama and Niyama of
(1s)
16 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
Patanjali Maharshi on the Raja Yoga Philosophy
constitute the best ethics for a Yoga practitioner. The
Manu Smriti, Yajnavalkya Smriti, Parasara Smriti, all
explain the code of right conduct. The noble Eightfold
path of Buddhism is the essence of the ethical teachings
of Lord Buddha. The Ten Commandments of Judaism,
and the Sermon on the Mount by Lord Jesus contain the
ethical teachings for the uplift of humanity.
The first thing you
learn from every religion is the
unity of all Selves. It is the only one Self which is
immanent in all creatures. All human relations exist
because of this unity of Self. The basis of the unity of Self
is the Universal Brotherhood and the Universal Love.
Yajnavalkya said to Maitreyi, his wife, "O Maitreyi! Not
indeed for the love of husband is the husband dear; for
the love of the Self is the husband dear. And so the wife,
sons, property,
friends, worlds and even the Devas
themselves are all dear because the one Self abides in
all." If you injure another man, you injure yourself. If you
help another man, you help yourself. There is one life,
one consciousness in all creatures. This is the
foundation of the ethics of each and every Religion.
Practice of ethics will help you to live in harmony
with your
neighbours, friends, your
own
family-members, fellow-beings, and all other people.
It
will confer on you lasting happiness and Moksha. Your
heart will be purified.
It will keep your
conscience ever
clean. A moral man who follows strictly the principles
of
ethics, will not deviate even a fraction of an inch from the
path
of Dharma or righteousness. He earns undying
reputation for his practice
of ethics. He becomes an
embodiment of Dharma. He only leaves the physical
body; but his name lives as long as the world lasts.
We have human morality, family morality, social
moralit5r, national morality, professional
morality. A
doctor has his own professional
ethics. He should not
divulge to others the secrets of his patients. He should be
kind and sympathetic towards his patients. He should
WHAT IS ETHICS?
not give injections of water and charge highly as for best
medicines. Although the guardian of the
patient did not
pay the fees of his last visit, he should
go voluntarily and
attend the cases. He should treat the poor cases freely.
An advocate also has his own ethics. He should not
coach up false witnesses. He should not take up the
weak cases, only for the sake of fees. He should argue
freely for the poor people. There is ethics for a
business-man also. He should not expect much profit.
He should do much charity. He should not speak
falsehood even in his business.
Do not do any act which does not bring good to
others or that act for which you will feel ashamed after
doing. Do such acts which are praiseworthy and which
bring good to others. This is the brief description of right
conduct, highest Dharma. Moral
precepts have been
made to free the creatures from all injuries.
The ethics of Western Philosophers is superficial. It
is a mere surface ethics. But the Eastern ethics is subtle,
sublime and profound. A11 religions teach the ethical
rules such as: "Do not kill; do not injure others; love your
neighbour; etc." But they have not given the reason. Only
Hindu ethics says, "There is one All-pervading Atman. It
is the inner soul of all beings. It is hidden in all creatures.
It is the common, pure consciousness. If you injure your
neighbour you actually injure yourself." This is the basic
metaphysical truth that underlies all Hindu ethical
codes.
Stick to Sadachara or right conduct and attain
Immortality. Practise ethics and reach the illimitable
dominion of eternal bliss! Grow. Evolve. Build up
your
character. Consult the Sastras and Mahatmas whenever
you are in doubt. Attain the
goal of life and rest in the
inner harmony!
t7
18 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
2. Foundation of Ethics
Ahimsa, Satyam, Brahmacharya are the very
foundation of ethics, Yoga and Vedanta. Practice of these
three virtues is a Maha Vrata or great
universal vow, for
the whole mankind. These are Samanya or Sadachara
Dharma (common duty) of men. The practice
of these
cardinal virtues purifies
the heart and steadies the mind,
and prepares the Antahkarana for the reception of the
transcendental light. Dharma is rooted in these virtues.
All enmities and hatred cease in the presence
of one who
is established in Ahimsa. Brahman or the Eternal is
Truth itself. It can be realised only by practising
Purity.
The practice
of endurance (Titiksha)
steadfastness
(Dhairya), control of senses (lndriya-Nigraha) and other
Sadachara Karmas (virtuous deeds) aim in making a
man self-sufficient, independent and free from external
bondage, physical
and social.
Ahimsa or refraining from injury is a self-evident
duty of every man. It is not simply in the negative sense
of mere cessation from harm or injury (Himsa-abhava). It
is a positive
definite resolve or internal Sankalpa or the
attitude of the will not to hurt any living creature. You
should practise
Ahimsa in thought, word and deed. No
thought of revenge or ill-will should arise in the mind.
Injuring others gives rise to hatred and enmity.
From these arise violence and revenge. Fear also comes
to reign. Where fear and violence reign, there is destroyed
peace
and society will be in chaos. This is the real
condition of modern society today. It is in a state of
dormant or suppressed chaos only. There is
just
a
semblance of order outside. Violence, disorder and
hatred of one sort is kept suppressed by force, violence
and hatred of another kind. Society is filled with crime,
open and concealed in spite of police forces visible and
secret. All this constant fear, tension and tug-of-war
between man and man would vanish if Ahimsa comes to
be practised
by one and all.
WHAT IS ETHICS?
Brahmacharya also is not the mere abstaining from
the outward act of sexual indulgence, but also implies a
definite resolve or internal Sankalpa or the attitude of the
will not to long for sexual indulgence even in thought.
You must observe Brahmacharya in thought, word and
deed.
Asteya is not mere refraining from theft. It is not
mere cessation from appropriating what belongs to
another but implies an internal Sankalpa or resolve not
to think of misappropriation of any object belonging to
others and to disapprove and scorn all acts of
misappropriation as unrighteous.
The inner motives of a man form the seed and root of
all his life's activities. If it is pure all the subsequent
consequences are
pure and
good. Else only evil and
unhappiness will accrue. A man of purity becomes a
positive elevating influence, affecting all beneficially;
whereas a man of impurity vitiates everything
he
contacts. Therefore it is a moral obligation of the
individual to society to keep
purity of character and be a
force for good in society. Else he harms them.
You must have Bhava-Suddhi or purification of the
motive. Acts done with
pure motive only will be
conducive to morality. There must be an internal
Sankalpa or resolve or attitude of the will to be free from
all impure feelings of
pride, self-esteem, etc', in the
discharge of duties. Only then
you will have
purity of
motive.
3. Dharma
Etymologically, Dharma means 'that which upholds'
this world or the
people of this world, or the whole
creation from microcosm to the macrocosm.
It is the
Eternal Divine Law of the Supreme
Lord. The whole
creation is held together by the all-powerful
Law of God.
Practice of Dharma, therefore, means to recognise these
laws and abide by them.
19
20 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
That which leads to the goal is Dharma. That which
leads to the path
of perfection and pristine glory is
Dharma. That which makes your life divine is Dharma.
That which makes you to ascend unto Godhead is
Dharma. That which helps you to have direct
communion with the Lord is Dharma. God is the centre
of Dharma. Dharma is the heart of Hindu Ethics. The
principle
of unity, righteousness and holiness is
Dharma. It is your sole companion after death. It
protects you after death, if you protect it now. If you
transgress it now, your
transgression will pursue
even
after your departure and destroy you. Therefore it is the
sole refuge of humanity.
Dharma means the Achara or the regulation of life.
Achara is the supreme Dharma. It is the basis of Tapas
and austerity. It leads to wealth, beauty, longevity and
continuity of lineage.
Dharma is given the foremost rank in the scriptures
among the four Purusharthas, the grand
objects of
human aspirations. Through Dharma, the other three,
Artha, Kama and Moksha come automatically to you,
because, through the practice
of Dharma alone one can
achieve his goal of life and crown himself with eternal
bliss and supreme peace.
The four Vedas, the Smriti-texts, the behaviour of
those who have entered into their spirit and act
according to their injunctions, the conduct of holy men
and satisfaction of one's own self-these are all the bases
of Dharma. The only authority in the matter of Dharma is
the Vedas.
That which is Dharma is verily the Truth.
Truthfulness, contentment, self-restraint, non- stealing,
purity, control of anger, discrimination between the right
and wrong, between the real and the unreal, spiritual
knowledge, control of the senses come under the general
Dharma or the universal Dharma according to Manu.
WHAT IS ETHICS?
As enumerated in Mahabharata the
performance of
Sraaddha or offering oblations to the forefathers,
religious austerity, truth, restraint of anger, loyalty to
and contentment with one's own wife, purity, learning,
absence of envy, knowledge of the Self and forbearance
are the fundamentals of Dharma.
As detailed in Padma Purana, the six characteristics
of Dharma are, the bestowing of gifts to deserving
persons, fixing one's thoughts on the Lord, adoration of
one's
parents, offering a portion of the daily meal to all
creatures and giving a morsel of food to cows.
A11 other religions also lay stress on Dharma.
Buddhism, Christianity, Jainism, Sikhism and Islam are
all remarkably alive to its value. Plato, Socrates, Aristotle
are all striking examples in the history of the West in
keeping up Dharma.
Dharma includes all external deeds as well as
thoughts and other mental practices which tend to
elevate the character of a man. Dharma comes from the
Divine and leads you also to the Divine.
Follow the Dharma with zeal and enthusiasm!
Discharge
your duties well and attain the Supreme and
enjoy the eternal bliss!
4. A
Query
on Dharma
An aspirant went to Vedavyasa and said, "O
Maharshi, Avatara of Vishnu, I am in a dilemma. I
cannot
properly comprehend the right significance of the
term 'Dharma.'Some
say that it is right conduct. Others
say, that which leads to Nisreyasa (Moksha) and
Abhyudaya (happiness) is Dharma. While some others
remark Anything, any action that takes
you to the goal is
Dharma. Anything, any action that brings you down is
Adharma.'Lord Krishna says, 'Even sages are
puzzledto
understand
perfectly what is Dharma. What is
Adharma? Gahana Karmano Gatih.'Mysterious is the
path of action. I am bewildered. O Maharshi! Kindly give
2l
22 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
me a very, very easy definition of Dharma to enable me to
follow Dharma in all my actions."
Maharshi Vyasa said, "O Aspirant, hear me. I shall
suggest an easy method. Remember the following
sayings with great care when you do any action: 'Do as
you would be done by. Do unto others, as you wish
others do unto you.'You will be saved from all troubles. If
you follow these wise maxims you
can never give
any
pain
unto others. Practise this in your daily life. Even if
you fail one hundred times, it does not matter. Your old
Samskaras, AsubhaVasanasare your real enemies. They
will come in the way as stumbling blocks. But persevere.
You will succeed in the attainment of the Goal."
5. Right Conduct
Abstinence from injury in thought, word and deed,
mercy to all creatures, charity, control of anger, freedom
from malice and pride, restraint of senses, and to follow
the teachings of Sastras and Brahmanas, constitute the
praiseworthy
behaviour.
That act or exertion which does not do good to
others, or that act for which one has to feel shame,
should never be done.
That act, on the other hand, should be done for
which one may be lauded in society. This is a brief
description of what right conduct is.
6. Rrrity of Motive
Purity of motive (Anupadhi) is a Samanya Dharma
or common duty of every man. It is the motive that
counts in the performance
of an action. If an action is
performed with a selfish motive it binds a man to the
wheel of births and deaths. If it is done with a pure
motive in a disinterested manner, it will purify the heart
and lead to the attainment of the final emancipation.
WHAT IS ETHICS?
Right and wrong are to be determined not by the
objective consequences
but by the nature of subjective
intention of the agent.
God looks to the motive of the doer. Lord Krishna
says, "He
who is free from the egoistic notion, whose
reason is unaffected, though he slays these
people, he
slayeth not, nor is bound" VIII-17. "Having abandoned
attachment to the fruit of action, always content,
nowhere seeking refuge, he is not doing anything
although doing actions" IV-20.
Before
you perform any action scrutinize
your
motive. If there is sellishness
give up that action' It takes
some time to purify the motives. Go on doing actions
incessantly and watch
your motives. Gradually the
motives will become
purer and
purer. Selfishness is
deep-rooted.
Strenuous efforts,
patience, perseverance
and vigilance are needed to root it out entirely.
Lord Rama fought with Ravana. Ravana also
engaged himself in battle. But the motives of both were
different though the action was the same. Sri Rama
fought in order to establish Dharma and
protect the
people from the trouble and havoc of wicked Ravana.
He
had no selfish interests. But Ravana had an evil motive.
A Karma Yogi works in the society intensely with
more zeal ttran a worldly man. The action is the same,
but the motives are different, in each
person. The Karma
Yogi marches forward towards the Goal or the summum
bonum but the worldly man entangles
himself through
his impure motive of self-interest.
Cultivate
purity of motives again and again. Persist.
Watch the mind carefully. Work without expectation of
fruits, and idea of agency. Surrender all actions and their
fruits to the Lord. You will be frebd from the bonds of
Karma and attain Supreme harmony, highest
good,
undecaying felicity.
23
24
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
7. Ethics: Eastern and Western
Western ethics is superficial. It is surface ethics. It
treats a little of "good and evil,"
,,right
and wrong,,
conduct and behaviour. Eastern ethics is profound.
The
whole Sanatana Dharma is built upon ethics.
yoga
and
Vedanta
are based on ethics. No salvation is possible
without ethical perfection.
Western ethics does not sufficiently
treat of absolute
self-control
and Brahmachdryd,
cultivation
of divine
virtues
and eradication of vices. There is neither Tapas
nor asceticism nor control of the senses. Eastern ethics
gives paramount
importance
to DClma or perfect
restraint
of all the senses. Eastern ethics 1ays great
emphasis on
self-control,
virtuous divine life and righteousness.
There
is intense asceticism.
There is perfect
control of the
out-going senses.
Western
ethics does not speak a word on Atman or
Soul. It
speaks of a little social service, altruism,
humanitarianism, philanthropy.
Eastern ethics says:
there is one Immortal
Soul in all creatures. There is one
common consciousness.
If you
hurt any other creature,
you
hurt yourself.
If you
serye another man, you
serve
yourself.
By serving others you puriff your
heart and
purification
of heart leads to descent of divine light and
final emancipation
or Mukti.
Western ethics may make one a dry philosopher
but
not a sage or a Yogi. Eastern ethics makes one a dynamic
sage or a dynamic Yogi. It transforms man into Divinity.
8. Ethical Culture
Ethical culture will result in ethical perfection.
An
ethical man is more powerful
than an intellectual
man.
Ethical culture brings in various sorts of Siddhis or
occult powers.
If you
study Yoga Sutras you
will find a
clear description
of the powers
that manifest
by
obsenrance of the practices
of Ahimsa,
Satyam, Asteya,
Brahmacharya
and Aparigraha.
The nine Riddhis roll
WHAT IS ETHICS?
under the feet of an ethically developed man. They are
ready to serve him.
The philosopher need not necessarily be a moral
man or ethical man; but a spiritual man must
necessarily be moral. Morality goes hand in hand with
spirituality. Morality co-exists with spirituality. The
three kinds of Tapas, viz., physical, verbal and mental
that are prescribed in the seventeenth chapter of the
Gita, the
practice of Yama in Raja Yoga philosophy, and
the noble Eightfold path of the Buddhists, viz., right
thinking, right endeavour, right action, right living, etc.,
are all best calculated to develop the moral side of man.
Sadachara or right conduct aims at making a man moral,
so that he may be fit for the reception of Atma-Jnana or
the realisation of the Supreme Tattva.
You should always try your level best to speak the
truth at all costs. You may lose your income in the
beginning. But in the long run you are bound to be
victorious. You will realise the
truth
of the Upanishads,
" satgameua Jagate Na-anritam. " Truth alone triumphs,
but not falsehood. Even a lawyer who speaks the truth in
law courts, who does not cohch up false witnesses may
lose his
practice in the beginning but later on he will be
honoured by the
judge
as wellas the client. Thousands of
clients will flock to him only. He will have to make some
sacrifice at the outset. Lawyers
generally complain "What
can we do? Our
profession is such. We must tell lies.
Otherwise we will lose our case." These are false excuses.
There is an advocate, a mental Sannyasi who is
practising in the Uttar Pradesh, who is a friend and
benefactor of Sannyasins, who never coaches false
witnesses, who never takes up criminal cases and yet he
is the leader of the bar and is revered by the
judges,
clients, and colleagues. O, my friends, barristers and
advocates,
you are killing
your conscience in order to
have comfortable living and to please your wife. Life here
is evanescent and like a bubble. Aspire to become divine.
25
26 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
The various formulae-Ahimsa paramo
dharmah-
Non-injuring is the highest of all virtues; Satyam vada,
Dharmam chara-Speak the truth and do virtuous
actions-Do unto others in the same way as you wish
others to do unto you-Do as you would' be done
by-Love thy neighbour as thy Self-are all best
calculated to develop the moral aspects of a human
being. Morality is the basis for the realisation of Atmic
Unity or oneness of life or Advaitic feeling of sameness
ever5rwhere. Ethical culture
prepares you for Vedantic
realisation of "Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma-All indeed is
Brahman-there is no such thing as diversit5l."
A11 aspirants commit mistakes in
jumping
to
Samadhi and Dhyana all at once as soon as they leave
their houses without caring a bit for ethical perfection.
The mind remains in the sarne condition although they
have practised meditation for fifteen years. They have the
same
jealousy,
hatred, idea of superiority, pride, egoism,
etc. No meditation or Samadhi comes by itself when one
has no ethical
perfection
9. Self-realisation, The Ultimate Meaning of Ethics
A person should finally renounce everything,
without losing his vigour, finding that the whole world is
not better than a dry straw, and eager to find out the
essence behind all things. Of all Dharmas or ethics, the
knowledge of the Self is most precious, because through
that, one attains Immortality. Wishing to enter the
regions of the Eternal, the wise renounce the whole
world, without mercy.
Ethics is right living. Ethics leads to restraint of the
lower self and thereby the mind is calmed. Through the
calmness of the mind, discrimination dawns and one
knows the Self in a short time. But all ethics have as their
aim the realisation of the Self. This is the highest duty.
This is the highest ethics. This is the highest Sadachara.
This is the highest morality. This is the highest teaching.
This is the highest penance.
WHAT IS ETHICS?
One cannot attain to perfection by mere goodness
and practice of virtue. He has to intensely meditate on
the ideal with the help of purity acquired through virtue.
Virtue and morality act as auxiliaries to meditation and
final mergence of the individual in the Supreme. In Raja
Yoga, Yama and Niyama act as ethics for perfection in
Samyama. In Jnana Yoga, the Sadhana-chatushtaya
acts as ethics for perfection in Sravana, Manana and
Nididhyasana. The Veda Samhitas act as ethics for
perfection in the knowledge of the Upanishads.
Grihasthadharma acts as ethics for perfection in
Sannyasa, the wise portion of life. Ethics leads to wisdom
of the Self, where all duties, diversely practised, find a
final satisfactory explanation.
All duties, domestic, social and the like are only
relative. The ultimate and chief duty of every human
being is the attainment of Truth, God-realisation. The
discharge of all duties is in reality to qualify man to do
this highest duty.
27
CIIAPTEN IT
BASIS OF ETHICS
1. Character, Conduct, Behaviour
I
Character is the essence of man. The sum total of his
virtues or traits forms his character. Character is the
peculiar qualities
impressed by nature or habit on a
person
which distinguish him from others.
Man does an act. A Samskara or impression is
formed in the mind. Repetition of the act goes to form a
habit. A bundle of habits goes
to constitute the character
of a man. Every action affects the character of man.
You can deliberately build your character by
cultivation of virtue. Good qualities like mercy,
truthfulness, cosmic love, purity,
self-control, courage,
tolerance, honesty, generosity, yearning for
God-realisation, serenity, discrimination, are the
ingredients of good character.
II
Conduct is personal
behaviour or deportment.
Character expresses itself as conduct. Man has got
various desires. He wills to obtain the objects of his
desire. The will expresses itself in the form of an act for
attaining the object of desire. The will, which is thus
expressed is called conduct. Conduct is voluntary
activity.
Conduct reveals the character of the man. It moulds
the character also.
The guides
of right conduct are the Dharma Sastras
or the scriptures, the examples of saints, the Inner Self
or Conscience and established usage.
(28)
BASIS OF ETHICS
Conduct is the outer expression of character.
Character and conduct are inseparable from each other.
Character is expressed in conduct. They act upon each
other. Character is the inner side of conduct.
Conduct means the activities which adjust man to
the environment. Good conduct is conducive to
happiness as it brings man into harmony and concord
with his surroundings and environments. Bad conduct
generates pain.
UI
Behaviour is the conduct of a person
upon
particular occasions. It is the day-to-day conduct of man,
at wo{< at any given time, play, alone, in company, at
home, at school, office or outside. When a man is polite
and courteous, when he is kind and sweet, when he
shows respect to elders, teachers and saints, when he
observes etiquette or decorum, he is called a man of good
behaviour, in common parlance. External behaviour is
not always a sure guide in
judging
a man's character. It
is indeed difficult to assess character. God only knows
the heart or the character of a man. Man makes mistakes
in
judging
the character of a man. In
judging
a man's
conduct his inner motives should be taken into
consideration. Man is a very complex mysterious being.
Sometimes the external mode of a man's behaviour may
be misleading.
2. Basis of Conduct
It has been stated how this purposive
and voluntary
activity has at its back the spontaneous desire for
self-expression. This desire-emotion is the basis of
conduct in the fundamental sense of the term. What is at
the root of this desire? A sense of incompleteness, of
want of feeling of imperfection and dissatisfaction, which
the individual seeks to fulfil through activity. This the
Jiva feels on account of the severe limitations that
yoke
him to this finite physical existence and his own
29
30 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
forgetfulness of his essentially perfect nature. Thus this
Ajnana also forms the basis of conduct. When this
Ajnana is destroyed through Yoga all activity ceases as in
the case of the Aptakama sage. Therefore Ajnana and the
resultant feeling of imperfection and want form the basis
of conduct subjective to the individual. Besides the
external factors having a bearing upon conduct are
natural phenomena
and environment. But here the
activity is more in the nature of reaction than voluntary
self-initiated conduct in its primary
sense. Through
exercise of will man may refuse to react to these factors.
Conduct is'desire-initiated' and fuill driven.' Therefore
'desire' and fuill' form the basis of conduct.
3. Nature of Conduct '
Human and sub-human life too is a process
of
seeking and self-expression. It is a seeking after freedom
from bonds, from wants, from pain. It is a quest after
harmony,
'repose,' 'peace.' It is thirst and search for
happiness. By this very search and seeking man
expresses his inmost nature. The true Self of man is
Atman, pure
Spirit. Atman is self-sufficient, full. It is
Paripoorna. Therefore the human being gives expression
to this essential quality
of his being when he strives to be
above all want. Again supreme Peace is the inherent
nature of Self. Ayam Atma Santo'is the declaration of
the intuitive seers. Man's endeavour to eliminate worry
and restlessness is an attempt to express this aspect of
his Self. Likewise the Self being the very embodiment of
B1iss, the quest for happiness too is self-expression only.
Anandam Brahmeti vyajanat.'
Without such self-expression the nature of a thing
cannot be understood. Expression thus gives the clue to
the inner nature of things. For example the quality and
nature of a plant we find out through its expression in
the form of flowers and fruits. In the human this innate
urge, this 1ccha' or desire to self-expression becomes
manifested as 'Kriya'or activity. This is what constitutes
BASIS OF ETHICS
the nature of human conduct. Conduct is voluntary,
purposeful
activity. Conduct therefore is in the nature of
self-expression, a self-expression manifest as active
quest of happiness and freedom from want. It connotes a
desire for the achievement of a certain end, the fulfilment
of a purpose. The nature of conduct is seen to be
voluntariness and purposiveness.
4. Ethical Discipline
The very root and the core of all moral discipline is
mental purification
through refraining from all evil
actions and the active practice
of virtue. Do good at all
times. Ahimsa, Satyam and Brahmacharya symbolise
these processes
of avoiding sin, sticking to virtue and
self-purifrcation.
All harm arises out of man's egoism. Ego manifests
as ambition, desire and lust. Under their influence mErn
indulges in hatred, love, flattery, pride,
unscrupulousness, hypocrisy and delusion. You must
proceed
along the path
of virtue. Be determined never to
swerve an inch from Dharma. The mind has to be
carefully trained and the will should be developed and
strengthened. Therefore much importance has been laid
by the ancients upon Yama, Niyama, Shat-Sampat. The
mind and will must be exercised and disciplined through
deliberate . act of self-denial and self-sacrifice in
everyday-life. Ethical culture, therefore, demands moral
vigilance and right exertion. The development of sensitive
conscience and positive
admiration for the goodness and
nobility plays
a great part in finishing ethical
development.
To eradicate egoism arising out of Deha Abhimana,
think constantly on the foulness and perishability
of the
body and the pains
arising out of the senses. Reject them
as evil and mentally rise above them. Dwell upon that
which is desirable, elevating and Divine.
31
32
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
Improper action, thoughtless action without
discrimination gives rise to all misery. To get freedom
from misery, the noble path of virtue, truth and
Sadachara is the royal way. Rigidly observe truth and
purity in your thought, speech, action, in your inner
motive and other conduct. Be loving, tolerant, and
charitable in your
opinion of man and things and in your
dealings with others.
In every sphere the individual should strive to
adhere to these qualities and to manifest them. Thus this
ideal is to be practised
between parents
and children,
elders and youngsters,
teachers and pupils, Guru and
disciples, friends and friends, leader and followers, ruler
and the subjects, nation and nation.
To stick to Sadachara is difficult, no doubt mockery,
misunderstanding and persecution will have to be faced.
Therefore the cultivation of forbearance, meekness of
spirit, calm endurance and spirit of forgiveness are of
great importance. Uphold virtue at any cost, for its sake
bear any calumny. Return good for evil.
5. Samanya Dharma
Samanya Dharma is the general Dharma or the
general law for all men. This Dharma must be practised
by all men irrespective of caste, creed, Varna and
Ashrama. Goodness is the property
of everyone. It is not
the property
of any particular
caste, class or community.
Every one should practise
this general law and develop
divine qualities.
In the Raja Yoga Philosophy Yama and Niyama have
been explained as the first two Angas of Yoga-practice.
These constitute non-violence, truthfulness, celibacy,
non-stealing, non-covetousness, internal and external
purity,
contentment, austerity, etc.
As per Vishnu Samhita forgiveness, truthfulness,
control of the mind, purity, practices of charity, control of
the senses, non-violence, service of Guru, visiting the
BASIS OF ETHICS
places of pilgrimage, compassion, simplicity, absence
greed, worship of the
gods, etc., are the essentials
Samanya Dharma for all men.
Fearlessness, cleanness of life, steadfastness in the
Yoga of wisdom, alms-giving, self-restraint, sacrifice,
study of scriptures, austerit5r, straightforwardness,
harmlessness, truth, absence of anger, renunciation,
peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion to
living beings, uncovetousness, modesty, mildness,
absence of fickleness, fortitude, purity, etc., constitute
Daivi Sampat as enumerated in the Bhagavad-Gita.
The virtues enumerated in the noble eightfold-path
of Buddhism, and the ones
prescribed by Lord Jesus in
his "Sermon on the Mount" also come under the above
fundamental virtues.
Your heart is harder than flint or steel as it has been
the repository for the demoniacal
qualities such as greed,
miserliness, harshness, rudeness, anger, pride, etc. It is
your foremost duty to soften the heart. You have made
yor.'heart crooked and narrow through hypocrisy,
untruthfulness, backbiting, etc. It is your onerous du$r
to expand it now. You have rendered your heart impure
through lust. You must
purify it now. Only by the
practice of the Samanya Dharma, by the development of
the virtues you can soften
your heart, expand it and
puriS it.
Practise Ahimsa. If you injure any other creature,
you really injure yourself, because the whole world is
nothing but
your own self. This is Hindu Ethics.
Speak truth at any cost. The world is rooted in truth.
The Dharma and all the religions of the world are rooted
in truth. Practice of Ahimsa and-truth constitutes the
very basis and foundation of ethical life.
Food directly influences the mind. Take Sattvic food
to make your mind
pure. The senses are like turbulent
and wild horses. The body is like the chariot. Mind is the
rein. Intellect is the driver. The Atman is the Lord of the
33
of
of
34 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
chariot. If the senses are not kept under proper control,
they will throw this chariot into a deep abyss! You will
come to ruin. He who keeps the reins firm, and drives the
chariot intelligently, by controlling the sense-horses, will
reach the destination-the goal of life.
May you all attain eternal bliss through the
practice
of the cardinal virtues or Samanya Dharma!
6. Right and trIrong
All are confused on the terms right and wrong. Even
the most learned men are puzzled in finding out what is
right and what is wrong. Even the sages and seers find it
diflicult to define these terms precisely.
Lord Krishna says in the Gita: "What is action? What
is inaction? As to this even the wise are deluded.
Therefore I shall teach thee such action by knowing
which thou shalt be liberated from evil. It is needful to
discriminate action, to discriminate unlawful action and
to discriminate inaction. He who seeth inaction in action,
and action in inaction, is a wise man, he is a Yogi and
performer of all actions"-Gita Chap. IV-16 to 18.
That which elevates you and takes you nearer to God
is right; that which brings you down and takes you away
from God is wrong. The actions performed in accordance
with the injunctions of Sastras are right; the ones done
against the principles
of Sastras are wrong. To work in
accordance with the Divine Will is right, to work in
opposition to the Divine Will is wrong. That work which
gives
elevation,
joy
and peace
of mind is right; that which
brings depression, pain, restlessness is wrong. To give
pleasure
to others is right; to spread misery and pain to
others is wrong.
Selfishness clouds understanding. Even if a man
has got a tinge of selfishness he cannot find out what is
right and wrong. A very pure,
subtle, sharp intellect is
needed for this purpose. You must possess a well
purified
heart. You must have a balanced mind. You
BASIS OF ETHICS
must be indifferent to heat and cold,
pleasure
and
pain,
praise and censure, success and failure. You must be
well-trained in Nishkama Karma Yoga (selfless servicg). A
pure man who has done selfless service for several
years
and who is doing worship of Isvara for a long time can
readily find out what is wrong and what is right. He will
hear his Inner Divine Voice, the voice of silence, bywhich
he will be well guided in detecting the right and wrong.
Here is the gist of Sadachara or right conduct.
"Non-injuring
in thought, word and deed is the highest of
all virtues." If one is
perfectly established in Ahimsa in
thought, word and deed, he can never do any wrong
action. If one practises this very carefully he will not
commit any wrong act. This is the reason why Patanjali
Maharshi emphasises Ahimsa prominently in his Raja
Yoga Philosophy by giving it the first
place in the
practice
of Yama or self-restraint. Do not perform any action that
brings shame and fear. You will be
quite safe by following
this rule.
Right and wrong vary according to circumstances,
Varna and Ashrama. To kill an enemy for the
protection
of his subjects, is right for a Kshatriya king. To speak
untruth to save the life of a Mahatma who has been
unjustly charged by the unjust officer of a state, is right.
Untruth has become a truth in this case. To kill a dacoit
who murders the wa5rfarers daily, is Ahimsa only. Himsa
also becomes Ahimsa in certain circumstances.
Stick to one rule or principle that appeals to
your
reason and conscience and follow it with faith and
attention. You will evolve and reach the abode of eternal
bliss. Performance of one's own duties brings happiness,
quick evolution and freedom.
7. Truth
Truth constitutes the essence of the Vedas. Control
over
passions constitutes the essence of truth. And
self-denial or refraining from the worldly enjoyments
35
36 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
forms the essence of self-control. These attributes are
always
present in a virtuous man.
Truth is the one undecaying Brahman. Truth is the
one undecaying penance. Truth is the one undecaying
sacrifice. Truth is the one undecaying Veda. Truth is
awake in the Vedas. The fruits attached to truth have
been described as the highest. From truth originate
righteousness and self-control. Everything depends
upon truth.
There is no penance like truth. Truth creates all
creatures. Truth sustains the entire universe. It is with
the help of the truth that one goes to Heaven. That which
exists in the past, present and fi:ture, is truth.
Truth is the origin of creatures. Truth is their
progeny. It is by truth that the world moves. It is by truth
that the sun gives heat. It is by truth that the fire burns.
It is on truth that Heaven rests. Truth is sacrifice,
penance, Vedas, the verses of Sama, Mantra and
Saranagati.
Truth is the Vedas and their branches. Truth is
knowledge. Truth is the ordinance. Truth is the
observance of vows and fasts. Truth is the prime syllable
OM. There is truth where righteousness is. Every thing
multiplies through truth.
Truth is righteousness. Righteousness is light and
light is bliss. Ahimsa, Brahmachdtyd, purity, justice,
harmony, forgiveness, peace are forms of truth.
Once upon a time truth and all religious
observances were weighed in a scale. When both were
weighed that scale on which truth was, proved heavier.
Harischandra practised truth. He adhered to truth
at the risk of his life and attained immortality and eternal
bliss and undying fame. He still lives in our hearts.
Brahman is truth. You can attain truth only by
practising truth. Therefore be firm in truth. Realise the
truth by practising
truth.
BASIS OF ETHICS
8. Forms of Truth
Truth always exists in a pure and unmixed state.
Truth is always a duty with the good.
Truth is eternal
duty. Truth is the greatest refuge of all. Hence
respectfully bow to Truth.
Truth is duty. Truth is penance. Truth is Yoga. Truth
is the Eternal Brahman. Truth is a great
sacrifice.
Everything depends upon truth.
Impartiality, self-control, forgiveness, modesty,
endurance, goodness, renunciation, meditation, dignity,
fortitude, compassion and abstention from injury are the
various forms of truth.
Truth is immutable, eternal and unchangeable. It is
won through Yoga. It is won through practices which do
not oppose any of the other virtues.
When desire, hatred, lust and anger are annihilated,
that quality by virtue of which you are able to look
impartially upon one's own self and one's enemy, upon
one's good and one's evil is called impartiality.
Self-control consists in never wishing for another
man's property, in gravity and patience
and power to
remove the fears of others regarding one's own self and
freedom from diseases. It is obtained through knowledge.
Devotion to liberality and the performance
of all
duties form goodwill. You will gain
universal goodwill by
continual devotion to Truth.
The quality by which an esteemed and good man
puts up with both what is agreeable and disagreeable is
forgiveness. You can cultivate this by the practice
of
truthfulness.
That quality by which an intelligent man contented
in mind performs many virtuous actions and is never
blamed by others, is called modesty. It is cultivated
through righteousness.
That virtue which forgives for the sake of virtue and
religious profit is called endurance. It is one of the forms
37
3B
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
of forgiveness. It is gained through
patience. Its object is
to attain knowledge of the Eternal.
The abandoning of mundane desires and earthly
possessions is renunciation. Renunciation can be
obtained only by that man who is destitute of anger and
malice.
That quality by which one does good with diligence
and care to all creatures is goodness. It has no
particular
form and consists in the giving up of all selfish
attainments.
That virtue by which one remains unchanged in
weal and woe is called fortitude. That wise man who
seeks his own well-being always practises this quality'
You should always
practise forgiveness. You should
be ever devoted to Truth. The wise man who can
renounce
joy,
fear and anger can develop fortitude.
Abstention from injury to all creatures in thought,
word and deed, kindness and charity are the
permanent
duties of the
good.
All the above virtues, though seemingly different,
have but one and the same form, namely Truth. All these
hold up Truth and strengthen it.
It is impossible to exhaust the merits of Truth. That
is the reason why the Brahmanas and the
gods speak
highly of Truth.
There is no duty which is higher than Truth and no
sin more dreadful than untruth. Indeed, Truth is the very
root of righteousness. Therefore
you should never ignore
Truth.
From Truth originate
gifts, sacrifices with presents,
the threefold Agnihotras, the Vedas and everything else
which lead to righteousness.
On one occasion a thousand horse-sacrifices and
Truth were weighed against each other in the balance.
Truth proved heavier than a thousand horse-sacrifices.
BASIS OF ETHICS
9. Stick to Your Promise
Never break
your promise. Stick to it even if it costs
your life. It is better to
give up your life in order to secure
due
performance of a sacred and solemn
promise.
"Be
slow to make a
promise, but be quick to perform
it." This is the old adage. Say "I shall try but I do not
promise you." Do not entangle
yourself by making
promises thoughtlessly. Think well before
you make a
promise.
He who breaks his promise is not trusted by others.
He who breaks his promise is censured severely by the
people, as he is a liar.
He who keeps up his
promise is respected by the
people, He who practises truth must stick to his promise.
The vast majority of
persons give all sorts of false
excuses when they break their
promise. This is very bad.
Suppose
you have given a promise to meet a certain
man at 4
p.m. on9.7 .'43 at the Town Hall;
you must meet
him at any cost. Even if it rains very heavily,
you must
not breakyour
promise. You must not
give false excuses'
You must
go in a car,
pay any amount and meet him.
He who keeps up his
promise produces a very deep
impression on others. He strengthens
his will-power. He
attains success in all his undertakings.
Sticking to promise is a great vow. It is a great virtue.
He who sticks to his promises attains
great happiness
here and hereafter.
1O. Conscience
Conscience
is a form of truth. It is the knowledge of
our own acts and feelings as right or wrong. It is a
sensitive balance to weigh actions. It is the faculty or
principle by which we distinguish right from wrong' It is
a guiding voice from within. Sense of duty is conscience.
Scrupulousness
is conscience. Conscience is like a silent
witness and a silent teacher. It is the light of the soul that
39
40 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
is burning within the chambers of your heart.
Conscience grows through experiences.
When you do a wrong action, the conscience pricks
you. You experience pin-pricks. It says to you in a clear,
small, shrill voice: "Do not do this wrong action, my
friend. It will bring misery to you." A conscientious man
at once ceases to act further and becomes wise.
In a wicked man, this faculty becomes dead. The
sensitive nature of consciences is destroyed by sin or
corruption. Hence he is not able to discriminate right
from wrong.
A man of clear conscience is ever pure, joyful
and
cheerful. A man of guilty
conscience is morose,
cheerless.
Virtuous acts, charity, benevolence, nobility,
generosity,
acts of mercy, practice
of truthfulness,
Brahmacharya and Ahimsa sharpen the conscience;
falsehood, cruel and immoral life, crookedness,
deceitfulness kill the conscience. Certain professions, in
which one has to utter deliberate falsehood daily,
annihilate the conscience.
A man of pure and clean conscience sleeps happily
and wakes up happily and moves about happily in this
world. He attains happiness in this world and in the next
world. A man of guilty
conscience is ever restless and
unhappy in this world and in the next world also.
Food plays an important role in the development of a
pure
conscience. Sattvic food helps the man to have a
clean conscience. Animal food makes the conscience
impure. It produces
a hard crust on the surface of the
conscience and blunts it totally.
A man of guilty conscience is dead even while living.
A man of pure
conscience is a veritable God on this earth.
Have always a clean conscience by adhering to Truth
and rejoice in the Eternal Soul within.
cflAvrEn rlr
MORALITY
1. Benelits
No Yoga, Samadhi or Kaivalya is possible without
ethical
perfection.
The word'morality'comes from the root moris which
means conduct.
That which is ethically
good helps man to attain
freedom,
perfection and everlasting bliss. That which is
ethically bad, brings misery, suffering and lower births to
man.
Chitta-Suddhi or purification of the mind is an
indispensable condition for the higher stages of the
moral life.
What embodies truth, is right action; that which
embodies
untruth, is wrong action.
Duties are opportunities
given to man to annihilate
his separate self and develop a broad, universal outlook
on life. The duties of Varna and Ashrama together
constitute the code of relative duties, the duties of status
in life, the duties obligatory on the individual in
consequence of social status, temperament, specific
powers and capacities. Sanatana Dharmas are the
common duties of man, the duties that are obligatory on
all men equally, irrespective of individual capacities,
social status, nationality or creed.
Every individual should subdue his senses and give
up his egoism which is the greatest evil. He should
conquer
pride through humility, anger through
forgiveness, narrow attachment to family through
universal benevolence and cosmic love. True peace and
greatness lie not in self-assertion, not in individual
(41)
42 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
efforts for one's own good,
but in offering oneself as a
contribution to the well-being of the whole world. The
practice
of ethics broadens one's heart, destroys the
selfishness, and makes him live for the entire universe. It
brings about the reformation or regeneration of man's
lower nature or the radical conversion of the inner man
and shows the way to freedom or beatitude.
Innocence or Ahimsa which is not mere negative
abstention but positive
kindness to all creatures,
charity, truth-speaking, purity
in thought, word and
deed and renunciation of all the worldly interests mark
the good man.
Practice of ethics needs self-control. Self-control will
bring happiness to yourself
and others. Control of anger
will help you to develop gentleness,
mercy, compassion.
Control of covetousness will make you generous
and
charitable. Control of lust will lead you to purity.
Control anger, the desire for material possessions,
the lusts of the flesh, malevolence and all sorts of
cravings. Only then
you
will be endowed with good
conduct. Good conduct will lead to the attainment of
highest bliss and supreme good.
May you attain Nisreyasa or the Kaivalya state of
Absolute Bliss through ethical perfection.
2. Moral Obligation, Moral Sentiments
Moral
judgment
is always accomprnied by moral
obligation and moral sentiments. When you judge
an
action to be right, you feel under moral obligation to
perform
it. You have a feeling of approval. When you
judge
an action to be wrong, you feel under moral
obligation not to perform
it. You have a feeling of
disapproval. The feelings of approval, disapproval,
remorse or repentance, etc., are called moral sentiments.
Moral obligation is the sense of duty or oughtness.
Moral obligation is not of the nature of physical
compulsion. It is of the nature of 'ought' and not of the
MORALITY
nature of 'must.'
Moral obligation is essentially
self-imposed.
The Self itself is the source of moral
obligation.
God is the source of moral obligation, Who
knows not only
all your actions, but also your inner
motives and intentions.
Moral law is the expression of the
perfection of God.
It is the voice of God in man.
Moral sense or moral faculty is the capacity of the
Self by which it apprehends
the moral
quality of an
action
or discriminates
between
rightness and
wrongness.
It is often called conscience. But it is
something more than conscience.
It is conscience
plus
Visuddha Buddhi or
Pure
intellect,
plus power of
discrimination.
Moral ideal is infinite. Therefore, it cannot be
completely
realised by the vast majority of
persons. A
thirsting aspirant can attain this ideal. A Jivanmukta or
tiberated sage is an embodiment
of morality. He has
"attained
the acme or
pinnacle of moral ideal. Moral
progress consists in the
gradual approximation
to the
moral ideal. The
greater the moral
progress, the
greater
the moral ideal and the deeper
the sense of moral
obligation.
3. Moral, Immoral
and Non'Moral Actions
Morality and immorality
are relative terms.
He who molests
his wife frequently is more immoral
than a man who occasionally visits a house of a fallen
sister. He who constantly
thinks of a woman and always
entertains
sexual thoughts is the most immoral man.
Karma is action.
Akarma is inaction. Remaining in
an idle state
is inaction. Vikarma is forbidden action
such as killing,
injuring, etc. This is immoral action.
A moral action is in accordance
with the injunctions
of the scriptures.
It is subject to the moral law. It is a
virtuous action. It is consistent
with what is right.
43
44
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
Automata and animals are neither moral nor
immoral. They are non-moral.
Amoral or non-moral
action is above moral rules or
ordinary moral standard. The actions done by
Jivanmuktas
or liberated
sages belong to this category.
They cannot be
judged
by ordinary human standards.
Reason and moral laws cannot penetrate
there. Lord
Rama's killing the Brahmana and Vali; Lord Krishna's
Rasa Lila and Sri Vyasa's Niyoga in the
procreation
of
Pandu, Dhritarashtra
and Vidura are all amoral or
non-moral actions.
A Jivanmukta is above all rules and prohibitions,
but he will never do any immoral action. He is in full
possession
of the highest knowledge of Brahman or the
Absolute. Whatever he does is strictly moral, in the
ultimate highest sense of the term.
Subtle and deep is the path
of morality. What is
moral on one occasion is immoral on another occasion. A
wise student should tread in the path
trodden by great
Mahatmas.
4. Moral Life and Moral Standard
The ethics of the Hindus is not only theoretical but
also disciplinary and practical.
It culminates in the
philosophy
of the Absolute which is the consummation of
the spiritual life. It includes not merely the analysis of
the will and its inner springs but also a part
of practical
moral Sadhana as embodied in the various practical
schemes of Chitta-Suddhi
or purification
of mind
through external and internal aids. The ethics of the
Hindus always keeps in view the practical
end of leading
the soul beyond the empirical life to that which is
non-empirical
and transcendental, which bestows
absolute freedom and perfect
autonomy of the Self
(Absolute
Atma Svarajya or Kaivalya), It is here that it
furnishes the strongest contrast to Western Ethics.
MORALITY
Ethics is the study of what is right or good in
conduct. Morality implies conscious responsibility
on the
part
of the agent for his actions. For ethics inner motives
are more important than external deeds. External
actions are only indicators.
Why should a man lead a moral tife? Why should he
not do this and not that? Because man will be no better
than an animal if he does not lead a moral life. The aim of
morality is to raise man to the level of Divinity by
transforming his brutal nature.
Rules of conduct are prescribed
by great
Rishis and
sages of yore like Manu, Yajnavalkya and
parasara
for
those baby souls who cannot think for themselves. These
rules of conduct are embodied in the Smritis.
you
will
have to lead the life according to these rules. This is
moral life that will pave
the way for the attainment
of
supreme good
or Sreyas.
A right action is in accordance with a rule or law. A
right action is good
because it leads to the attainment
of
virtue.
'Bad'must be shunned as it leads to vice or evil
and downfall. You will have to decide your
conduct
according to the standard of 'Right'and 'Good.'Right and
wrong refer to the moral standard as law. Good and bad
refer to it as end.
Why is truthfulness right? Because it is in
conformity with the law.
"Sat5lam Vada-Speak
Truth.,,
Why is stealing wrong? Because it is against the law,
"Thou shalt not steal." Thus the moral standard is of the
nature of law.
Why is it good to do acts of mercy to people
who are
suffering? Because it fills the heart with mercy, makes
the man s5rmpathetic, softens his heart, removes hatred
and refines and ennobles his character. It helps him to
develop Daivi Sampat or divine virtues
and attain
everlasting peace
and happiness. Why is it bad to murder
a man? Because the act brings him to the level of an
animal, spoils his character and makes him miserable.
45
46
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
Thus moral
judgment
is passed on an action from the
viewpoint of the end.
Moral life, according to Hinduism, is not merely the
service of man but also of God as revealing Himself in
suffering humanity. Moral life leads to life-everlasting
and immortality.
There is no
perfect or absolute moral standard in
ethics as morality and immorality are relative terms only.
5. Dharma Sankata
(Quandaies in Dharma)
I
Sometimes one is puzzled as to what to do under
certain circumstances. There is conflict of duty. One has
to choose between alternatives both of which go against
Dharma. Dharma is extremely subtle, and deep. Even
sages are perplexed.
Narada appeared before Anasuya and said,
"l
take
food only once in twelve years and that too from the
person to whom the request is made. If it is refused then
the Bhiksha is
postponed for another twelve
years. I
receive only Nirvana Bhiksha."
Now Anasuya was in a great.dilemma. She was in
Dharma Sankata. If she
gives Bhiksha naked it would
endanger chastit5r, the true ornament of the woman' But
her refusal would amount to disobeying her husband's
order and violating the injunctions of Dharma Sastras
with regard to Atithi Bhiksha. It would be a sin in either
case. Service of an Atithi is most sacred for the
householders.
But she
prayed to Lord and her husband and she
was miraculously saved. She sprinkled the water which
was used for washing the feet of her husband on the body
of Narada. Becoming naked immediately she took the
plate of food and without looking at her guest she asked
the guest to receive the Bhiksha. Narada was changed
MORALITY
into a woman by the power
of chastity of Anasuya. He ran
away. This is an instance of Dharma Sankata. In this
case her power
of chastity saved her. Anasuya acted
most wisely.
u
Sometimes you will have to choose the lesser evil
and you must be prepared
to undergo the results of that
Karma. One man's father was in a dying condition. He
had no food. He was dying of starvation. The father would
die if he was not given any food. Food could only be had
by stealing. What is the Dharma of the son at this critical
junction?
To save the life of his father is his Dharma. He
stole some food and saved the life of his father. He must
suffer for the evil act of stealing.
UI
A man was standing in a place
where three roads
met. He observed a black cow going fast and running
along one of the roads. A little later a butcher came in
pursuit
of the cow and asked,
"Did
you
see a black cow
passing
along this road?"
If the man told the butcher about the way the cow
went, the cow would be caught and killed. If he denied
having seen the cow then he would be uttering a
falsehood. If he points another road, that too will be a lie.
He should keep quiet.
IV
A
jeweller
with some
jewels
was passing
along a
road. A Brahmin knew the
jeweller
well. A dacoit came to
the Brahmin and asked him:
"Did
you
see the
jeweller?"
If he says "yes" he commits a sin. The dacoit may kill and
plunder
the
jeweller.
If he points to another road this is
also a sin. If he keeps quiet
the dacoit would give him a
good
thrashing. It is better if the Brahmin keeps quiet.
47
4B
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
He must be prepared to receive the thrashing and even to
meet death from the hands of the dacoit.
v
Ravana was doing great havoc. Although Ravana
was a Brahmin, Rama killed him, in order to save the
world from destruction. This is not Himsa. Killing a
dacoit who is murdering many people, is no Himsa. It is
Ahimsa. He who kills this dacoit, does much
good to the
public.
VI
There was once a hunter by name Valaka. He used
to kill animals in order to support his children, wife, aged
mother, father and other dependants. He never killed
animals wilfulty. He always spoke the truth. He was free
from malice.
Valaka searched in the forest one day diligently for
some animal or other, but he could not find any. At last
he found a beast of
prey which was drinking water. He
had not seen up to that time an animal of that kind. The
animal was blind but it had a very keen sense of smell.
The hunter killed the animal. The moment he killed the
beast, shower of flowers fell from the skies. A celestial car
wherein the Apsaras were singing melodiously came
down from heaven to take the hunter.
That animal had performed severe austerities in
order to acquire the power to kill all animals. Brahma
granted the boon, but made him blind. Valaka went to
heaven because he killed the beast which had the cruel
intention of killing all beings. A man by doing even a
cruel act may acquire the merit of a righteous deed as
Valaka did by killing the blind animal.
Morality is, therefore, very difficult to understand.
The killing of the animal was a good act in this
particular
instance. It was not considered as Himsa (inflicting
cruelty) because much good resulted by the killing of the
animal. Himsa and Ahimsa are relative terms only. To an
MORALITY
49
ordinary man, Ahimsa should be the aim; but he will not
fall from this principle
if, out of sheer necessity and with
no selfish aim, he has recourse to Himsa occasionally.
One should not give
leniency to the mind in this respect.
If you
are lenient, the mind will always take the best
advantage
of this and will goad you
to do acts of violence.
"Give a rogue an inch, he will take an ell.,,The mind at
once adopts this policy,
if you give
it a long rope for its
movement.
VII
There was a Brahmin named Kaushika in a village
which was situated at the confluence of two rivers. He
was very strict in the observance of his vows. One of his
vows was,
"I will ever speak the truth." Therefore he
became famous as a truthful man.
Once, the people
of the viltage were afraid of robbers.
They went into the forest. The robbers tried to find them
out even in the forest. The robbers approached Kaushika
and said,
"O truthful man! Please tell us which way these
persons
have passed
a little while ago? Tell us if you have
seen them, in the name of Truth." Kaushika told them
the truth. The robbers seized the persons
and killed
them. Kaushika who had no knowledge of the subtleties
of religion fell into a horrible hell for the grave
sin of
uttering the truth which should not have been uttered.
Even "Truth" divorced from the principle
of Ahimsa can
be a source of sin as in this case!
A foolish man who is not conversant with the
principles
and full meaning of morality, is apt to fall into
a horrible hell for not seeking the counsels of wise men to
clear his doubts. AIl that is free from any motive of injury
to any being, is surely morality, because the moral
precepts
have been made to free creatures from all
injuries. Dharma (morality) is so called because it
protects
all.
50
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
If a man takes a vow for some definite
purpose and if
he cannot redeem the same by actions, he will not obtain
the rewards of that vow.
If one's life is in danger, at marriages, or on
occasions of risk to the life of one's Guru or father or
relatives, anything spoken, which is far away from truth,
will not be considered as falsehood. When falsehood is
spoken in the cause of Ahimsa it does not amount to a
falsehood. That falsehood is permitted. One must be
well-versed in the real secrets of Dharma.
When one's tife is at stake, or when one's entire
fortunes are about to be lost or in the cause of a
Brahmin, untruth may be uttered. There is no sin in
uttering falsehood on these occasions. On these
occasions untruth is permitted as an exception to the
rule. He alone, who can distinguish between the niceties
of truth and untruth can be said to be conversant
with
Dharma.
Because it is said one may utter falsehood on such
occasions,
you should not
give leniency to the mind'
Your ideal should be to speak the truth at all costs and
not to speak falsehood even in
jest.
The above are
exceptions when higher things are at stake, viz., the
welfare of others.
vuI
What a magnanimous soul was Sibi! He was an
embodiment of Dharma. He fulfilled his promise at the
risk of his life. He had an extremely compassionate heart'
To save the life of a pigeon, he cut off pieces of flesh from
his own body. Dharma and mercy saved him, earned for
him eternal fame and helped him to attain the eternal
regions. He who sticks to Dharma and is merciful and
who fulfils his promise, is adored by the
gods. He surely
attains Immortality and Eternal Bliss.
You should
protect that man who has taken shelter
under
you. This is your Dharma. You will earn
great
merit like Sibi.
MORALITY
IX
On one occasion king Ambarisha fasted for three
consecutive days. He bathed himself in the Yamuna and
worshipped Vishnu at Mathura. He gave plenty
of riches
and cattle to Brahmanas. He first fed the Brahmanas
and asked their permission
to break his fast. At that time
Durvasa appeared as his guest.
The king received him
duly and requested him to take his meals. The Rishi
consented and went to bathe in the river and perform
his
daily rites. The king waited long for him but he did not
return. There was only half a Muhurta now remaining of
Dvadasi. If the king did not eat anything, his Vrata would
not be observed. If he ate he would show disregard to a
Brahmana. At this
juncture
the king decided to serve
both ends by taking a little water, for the Brahmanas call
that, both eating and non-eating.
x
Mark the conduct of Parasurama. He was ordered by
his father Jamadagni Rishi to slay his mother.
Parasurama implicitly obeyed his father's command, for
he firmly believed that nothing but good
could come by
obedience to father. His Shraddha was immediately
rewarded because the mother was brought back to life by
Jamadagni. Thus if you are true to the dictates of your
conscience you can solve vexing problems
of Dharma
Sankata.
6. Moral Judgment
Moral
judgment
is the moral act of discerning and
pronouncingparticular
actions to be right orwrong, good
or bad. It compares the action with the moral standard,
and thus
judges
whether the voluntary action is in
conformigr with it or not. The moral standard is kept
before the mind and applied to the cases under
consideration. It is a
judgment
upon an action with
reference to the moral ideal. It is a
judgment
upon
51
52
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
conduct, the
judgment
that such and such conduct is
right or wrong.
There is a subject who
judges.
There is an object that
is
judged.
There is a standard according to which the
action is
judged.
There is the moral faculty of
judging
(conscience).
Moral
judgment
is passed only upon conduct. It is
not passed upon all sorts of actions. Voluntary actions
and habitual actions are objects of moral
judgment.
Non-voluntary actions are excluded.
The motive is the idea of the end chosen by the
person. It is a part of intention. Intention is wider than
motive. Intention includes the ideas of the chosen end
and ideas of the chosen means, agreeable or
disagreeable,
pleasant or unpleasant and also the
foreseen consequences of the action.
Sometimes the motive is
quite good, but the
consequences
turn out to be bad. For example, a
dexterous surgeon
performs an operation with intense
care in order to cure a patient, but the
patient dies
despite his best efforts. The motive is good in this
instance, but the consequence is bad. The action of the
surgeon cannot be considered as bad, because
his
motive is good.
Sometimes the motive is bad but the consequence
turns out to be
good. A mischievous man threw a rrpee
on the head of a beggar in order to cause injury, but the
beggar
picked the rupee and bought some rice and dhal.
Here the action is wrong, though the consequence is
good, because the motive is bad.
Sometimes the end chosen is good, but the means
employed for the attainment of the end are bad. A man
steals some money and feeds the
poor. Here his motive is
good, but the means adopted are immoral. Therefore the
action is wrong. We cannot regard his conduct as right.
An action is right if both the motive or the end and the
MORALITY
means are good.
An action is wrong if either of them is
bad.
We pass
moral
judgment
on the character
of a man
when we want
to determine
his moral worth or moral
excellence.
we do not determine
the moral quality
of an
action of a man by considering
the character
of the man,
for a man of good
character has not always a good
intention
and a man of bad character
may not have
necessarily
a bad intention
always.
you
are far from right
if you
maintain
that character
is the object
of moral
judgment
though in actual life it frequently
weighs as an
influencing
factor in such
judgment.
The moral quality
of
an action is always determined
by the intention
of the
actor.
Moral
judgment
is extremely
difficult. It demands
a
pure,
subtle, sharp intellect
or very pure
conscience.
Even a slight tinge of selfishness
or impurity
will mar the
moral faculty
that passes
the
judgment.
He who is
leading
a pure
moral and divine life will be able to pass
a
correct,
moral
judgment.
A Jivanmukta
or liberated
sage
only can pass
a correct
moral
judgment.
7. Moral Standard
and Judgment
This inevitable
relativity
of morality
has made it
difficult to have any right or definite
moral standard.
Everyone's
actions
and all occurrences
cannot
be
assessed by single fixed standard.
The
actions
of a
soldier in a battlefield
cannot
be
iudged by the same
standard of morality
applicable
to a la5rmanln
civic life.
Nor will a similar action of the self-same
soldier
be of the
same nature if repeated
at home during peacetime.
Materialists
and critics seek to take advantage
of this
seeming lack of any uniformity
of moral standard
and
level the charge that there is no reliable
moral standard
at all. This is a mistake.
This is due to mere superficial
viewwithout
insight.
Behind the variety
and diffeience
in
matters
of detail, there is a unity
of principles
53
54
ETHICAL
TEACHINGS
underlying.
There is a uniform
fundamental
universal
moral
law for all times.
This Iaw, some stated
as the
promotion of human
happiness
and welfare. Others
put it as "The
greatest
good of the
greatest number'"
Certain
Westerners
like
Eerkeley
"t
a Hume held that as moral
which
contributed
to the
pleasure of man and cancelled
pain'
But they modified
it by saying that
it was not sensuous
pleasurl that was meant. It was a rational
and a higher
iype of
pleasure. But they all went on the assumption
of
tlhe solid reality of the World. The seers of the East had
evolved
the law upon a distinctively
spiritual
basis.
In
trying
to fix a standard,
you should
bear in mind that
.tt i"i and morality
are
part of life. Therefore,
they
should
be conducive
to the attainment
of the highest
ultimate
purpose of life. It is conclusively
established
that Self-realisation,
the attainment
of the Infinite,
Eternal
State of Existence-Knowledge-Bliss
is the
Summum
Bonum of life. Thus in the absolute
sense, that
which helps to attain the summum
Bonum conforms
to
the eternal ethical
law. There is no ideal that is an ideal
by itself finally, but is subordinate
to the highest ideal,
Sllf-realisation,
the attainment
of freedom
and eternal
life.
They too said that bestowal of happiness
was the
test of morality of an action. But this happiness
was
not
worldly
happiness.
A11 worldly happiness
is evanescent.
It is ntt unalloyed.
It also causes
a reaction of misery'
True happiness
is the Eternal and Infinite'
"Yo
Vai
Bhuma
-
Tat Sukham."
But this criterion
is
transcendental.
But this vision of the ancient
seers
found a means of reconciting
this with the life of man on
the relative
plane. How? The sacrifice
of all selfish
interest
and ihe dedication
of life to others'
good, form
therefore the backbone
of ethical
life' Because
"Isaavasyam
Idam Sarvam."
The ethical
was summed
up
in "Sarwa-Bhuta-Hite
Ratah."
The Lord declared "He
is
dear to me" who "Yo Mam Pasyati SarVatra'"
MORALITY
Thus it was found that there was a happy
concordance between ethical living and the highest good.
Thus morality became necessary and desirable for it was
the pathway
to Blessedness. The rationale and the
sanctions of ethics are the indispensability of ethical
living for the realisation of the highest goal
of life and the
proved
fact of the inevitability of retribution that
descends on one who goes against the moral law. We see
how this unwritten law operates ever5rwhere in this
world. Sacrifice being the keynote, we find that ideals of
duty hold sway over ideals of rights. The parents
sacrifice
their personal
comforts and pleasure
for the welfare of
their children. The son sets aside all considerations of
personal advantage in serving his parents
and obeying
their dictates implicitly. The chaste wife dedicates her life
to unostentatious, self-effacing service of her Lord. The
ideal householder subordinates his selfish intent in
helping all creatures disinterestedly. The Sannyasin
dedicates his entire life for Visuddha Seva. The ruler
takes all the burden of protecting
his subjects and
exposes himself to a thousand perils
on that account.
This then is the ultimate moral standard-whether
directly or indirectly, any given line of conduct senres to
promote
the highest goal.
Now quite apart from the question
of moral
standard, there are certain actions which cannot be
adjudged from any moral standpoint at all. There are
actions that cannot be classified either as moral or
immoral. Even after accepting some conventional moral
standard, more or less generally applicable, these
actions stand outside the sphere of recognised moral
law. They are the reflex actions which are merely
responses to external stimuli,-actions done by children
and idiots and by those whose intellects are not fully
developed and those by the Sages who have merged their
individual wills in the Cosmic Will.
It has been explained how a moral agent is
responsible for his actions and how his individual will
55
56 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
should control and
guide the effects of his actions on the
social health and happiness. In other words the moral
worth of an action consists in the free-will and choice of
the agent and if that action contributes towards the
social health and happiness, it is called a moral action. If
the action retards ordestroys the social
good, then it is
known as immoral. In either case it is presumed that the
agent is of a fully developed intellect capable
of
comprehending the full consequences of his actions.
To these actions the standards of morality cannot be
applied and the actions adjudged by man' The
former-by children and undeveloped
or defective
intellects are due to subnormal causes in that the
Buddhi which is the instrument of moral
perception is
either not developed fully or defective from birth. Refer
Code of Manu-how the actions of children below 13
should not be
questioned in the courts ofjustice. In the
latter cases, viz., in the cases of Sages, they have
renounced the realisation of the moral self in favour of
something higher viz., tir,e realisation of the Spiritual or
Cosmic Self and when that merging of the Will takes
place, the Cosmic Will takes up the control and
guidance
of the individual organism. The Cosmic
Will has no
preference for the social good or the opposite but guides
the organism according to the residual Prarabdha
Vasanas still in deposit in the subconscious mind at the
time of merging of the individual will in the Cosmic Will'
Hence those actions cannot come under the moral
judgment
of man and they are classified as non-moral as
they do not have the backing of a fully developed
individual will in the former kind of cases and complete
absence of the individual will in the latter kind of cases.
Thus when
you are reading the biographies of realised
Sages,
you may come across several actions which do not
fit into the moral standards. Undeveloped Sadhakas
quote them as examples and act in a similar style. They
foolishly think that they are
justified
morally as they
have
got such an action of a realised Sage' They do not,
MORALITY
for a moment, consider that they still have their
individual wills planning for their future. For example
one man utilised some Government money in his charge
for the feeding of his famished family, quoting
the
example of Sri Ram Das. How foolish he is! A highly
developed moral man alone is competent and can assess
the worth or otherwise of others' actions. An ordinary
man will go wrong in many instances. A sage alone will
be impartial in his
judgment.
8. Crime and Punishment
Violation of the moral law constitutes a moral evil.
Vice is a stain of character. It is a flaw of character. It
is a blemish or fault. It issues as sins and crimes. Vice
issues in evil deeds which are called sins.
Sin is an evil deed. Sin is wilful violation of laws of
morality and religion. It is transgression of the law of
God. According to Vedanta there is no such thing as sin.
According to Vedanta sin is only a mistake or error
committed by a baby soul who is weak and ignorant.
Crime is an offence against society which is
recognised by natural law and which is liable to
punishment.
All sins are not crimes. That sin which is
punishable by the Government is called a crime. Theft is
a crime. But ingratitude is a sin. It cannot be
punished
by the Government.
The rod of chastisement should be raised by the
State in order to keep law and order.
He who does a crime lowers himself in the scale of
moral'perfection. The aim of punishment is to educate or
reform the culprit himself.
Another view is that a criminal must be punished
to
defend the supremacy and authority of the moral law.
The moral law is broken by the criminal. Justice
demands that he should be punished. If the criminal is
not punished the moral law loses its authority, majesty
57
58 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
and dignity. Crime is a breach of the moral order of the
society.
Punishment should be inflicted according to the
character of the offence under particular circumstances.
The circumstances which lessen the force of punishment
are the age of the criminal, his intention, and
provoking
circumstances.
The capital punishment of hanging appears to be a
relic of the barbarous age. This should be stopped. There
is no scope for improvement and reformation of the
culprit.
Sin is expiated by self-punishment such as fasting
Krichhra and Chandrayana Vratas, Japa, meditation,
and repentance with a contrite heart.
May this world become once more the reign of lord
Rama, or 'Rama Rajya,'where there can be neither crime
nor
punishment
and all will be virtuous.
cflAvrBn
rv
9.9NP-}'-9I
9E BIgHI HTF"
(DrvNe uFe)
1. Virtue and Virtuous Life
7, Virtue
Virtue looks very beautiful
when acquired and
added to a virtuous behaviour
like the dye on a white
garment.
Absence of malice and truthfulness
are most
beneficial
to all creatures.
Absence of malice constitutes
the chief virtue which is founded upon truth.
Truth is the supreme
virtue which is specially
adopted
by the
pious. Good behaviour
forms the
peculiar
virtue of the honest
and the wise.
Justice constitutes
virtue.
Every man frames
principles of his own according to
his inherent tendencY.
Giving away food incessantly to the best of one's
ability,
patience, firm belief in virtue, necessary
regard
for all creatures
always-these
virtues are
present only
in that
person who has wholly abandoned all worldly
pleasures.
No person is found on earth who shines with all the
excellent
qualities.
A
person who was formerly
virtuous, having
committed
sins out of ignorance,
can destroy those sins
afterwards.
The virtue of
persons shines again, if sins are
committed
out of mistakes.
(se)
60
ETHICAL
TEACHINGS
Pious behaviour
is most wonderful,
ancient,
unchangeable
and eternal.
Good behaviour forms
the
important
attribute
of the pious.
Rendering
service to the superiors,
truthfulness,
wrathlessness
and charity
are ever present
in those who
are really virtuous.
You can obtain great
merit by directing your
heart
towards virtuous
behaviour.
Truth constitutes
the essence of the Vedas.
Control
over passions
constitutes
the essence
of truth.
Self-denial
or refraining
from worldly
enjoyments
forms
the essence of self-control.
These attributes
are always
present
in a man of virtuous
conduct.
2. Virtuous
Man
He is considered
to be virtuous
who never shows
wrath, pride
or haughtiness
and malice and whose
conduct is ever marked
by simplicity
and serenigr.
-
He is said to possess
virtuous
conduct who carefully
follows
the rites laid down in the Vedas, who is holy, who
possesses
piety
and sacred character,
who serves the
superiors and who has the power
of restraining
the self.
Forgiveness,
truthfulness,
simplicity,
sacredness
are the characteristics
of virtuous
conduct.
Those who are kind to all creatures
and who are
never malignant,
who never
speak ill of anybody, who are
familiar
with the fruits of evil and good
deeds, are
regarded
to be virtuous.
Those who are
just
and well-disposed
towards all,
who are honest, who possess
sacred character,
and.
constantly
tread in the path
of virtue, who are liberal in
charity, who are unselfish,
who show favour
to the
distressed,
who possess
the wealth
of knowledge,
who
are devotees, who are kind to all creatures,
are virtuous
persons.
A virtuous
man gives
alms even at the denial of the
comforts of his wife and dependents.
CONDUCT OF RIGHT LIFE
He who is holy, possesses good conduct.
The actions and behaviour of great men are difficult
of acquisition.
The sins of those men who are made pure by means
of their own virtuous actions, die out of themselves.
The fool cannot shine in this world only by praising
himself. The learned man, even if he be dirty and
unanointed, shines gloriously in this world.
A virtuous man speaks ill of none; nor does he utter
his own praise.
Sacrifice, charity, austerity, the study of the Vedas
and truthfulness are always found in a man of virtuous
conduct.
Having control over desires, anger, haughtiness,
avarice and wickedness, those who take pleasure in
virtue because it is virtue, are really regarded to be
virtuous.
3. Benejits of a Virt:uous LW
He who is virtuous, who is kind on all occasions,
who is filled with compassion, obtains the greatest
contentment and ascends the superior path
of virtue.
Harmlessness, forgiveness, peacefulness,
contentment, agreeable speech, control of passions and
excitements, the service of virtuous people, actions done
in accordance with the injunctions of the sacred
scriptures, constitute the superior path
of the honest
and the wise.
He who constantly follows the path
of virtue and
daily worships the virtuous, can reach the eternal abode
of wisdom. Only he is freed from that greatest terror of
rebirth.
The wise men who with sanctity lead a virtuous life,
obtain eternal bliss and immortality.
Those who are charitable, secure prosperity in this
world and abode of happiness in the next.
6r
62 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
Those who are virtuous and are devoted to the
observance of the vows, to the Srutis and to self-denial,
those who have ascended the path
of virtue and are
engaged in speaking truth and observing virtues, those
who are endowed with the virtuous behaviour, who
follow the orders of their preceptor, who minutely
observe the injunctions of the scriptures obtain the
highest wisdom, eternal bliss and immortality.
4, Vice
The vicious man who cannot restrain his own self
becomes subject to these vices, viz., desire, wrath, etc.
Evil behaviour constitutes sin.
By committing a crime you become wicked and
dishonest. Those who consider that there is no virtue or
those who laugh at the pure and good are ruined in the
long run. The sinful person
who desires to commit a
crime is slain by himself.
If you
repent for your sins, you are freed from them.
If you
declare that you would not commit the sin again,
you are delivered from committing a second one.
You may be saved from sin by the performance of the
acts which are ordained by the sacred scriptures.
The gods behold one's sin, as also the Indweller or
the silent Witness.
Temptation forms the groundwork of all sins.
Ignorant men yield to temptations and commit sins.
Those deluded souls who hate virtues surely tread in
the sinful path. They fall in the abyss of decay.
5. Sadho,na
Do not offend anybody. Be charitable. Speak the
truth always.
Cross over the ocean which is replete with the
crocodiles of desires and sharks of temptations, by
means of the boat of endurance and right conduct.
CONDUCT OF RIGHT LIFE
Take shelter under wisdom and always worship
those who are virtuous.
A person being born bad may be of good character.
Again he may turn out virtuous, even if he be very
wicked, when he is in the company of the sages.
Abandon falsehood. Do good to all without being
asked. Never abandon virtue out of lust or anger or
malice.
Do not express unnatural
joy
at good fortune, or
succumb under calamities. Do not grow dispirited when
overpowered by
poverty
or abandon the virtues when so
overpowered.
If you commit a wrong on a certain occasion, you
should not commit it again. You should direct yourself to
what contributes to the happiness of others.
There should be no wrong over wrong. Deal honestly
with others.
2. Who Is Good and Virtuous?
He who has no liking for what is agreeable and no
dislike for what is disagreeable, who practises
self-restraint, who regards pleasure
and pain as sarne,
who injures no creature, destroys no life, is considered as
good and virtuous.
He who is devoted to the well-being of all, who can
give his all and sacrifice his very life for others, who is
endowed with great courage, who follows all the duties
laid down by the scriptures, who is a universal
benefactor, who is ever ready to work for the well-being of
others, who has truth for his refuge, who gives
but does
not take, who has mercy, who adores elders,
past
as well
as present, gods and guests, who fears no obligation of
returning to this world after death, who has no fear of the
next world, to whom good
conduct is always dear, is
regarded as good and virtuous.
63
64 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
Such a promoter of virtue cannot be seduced from
the path
of virtue.
He is perfectly
fearless. He is tranquil, serene. He is
mild. He always follows the right path. He is full of mercy.
He is always adored by the good.
He is free from lust and anger. He is not attached to
any worldly object. He has no pride. He observes
excellent vows. He always commands respect.
He never acquires virtue for the sake of wealth or
fame. He acquires it only because he knows it as a duty
like that of supporting the body.
Fear, anger, restlessness and sorrow do not live in
him. He carries no external garb of religion for
misleading his neighbours and fellow-men. He observes
no mystery.
He is perfectly
contented. He has no error of
judgment
originating from covetousness. He always
follows truth and sincerity. He never deviates from
righteousness.
He is never overjoyed at any acquisition or pained at
any loss. He is not attached to anything. He is free from
pride. He is ever devoted to the quality
of goodness. He
regards all impartially.
Gain and loss, happiness and misery, the agreeable
and the disagreeable, life and death are held in equal
estimation by that man of firm mind engaged in
acquiring divine knowledge and treading the path
of
tranquillity and righteousness.
O Manl Always respect such a good and virtuous
man. Serve him and seek instructions from him.
Keep your
senses under control. Do not yield to
carelessness. Adore him who bears such love for virtue.
You will attain eternal happiness.
CONDUCT OF RIGHT LIFE
3. Charity
Prof. Ramakrishna, M.A., Ph.D., gave a blanket in
charity to a poor man. He afterwards thought, "I ought
not to have given him a blanket." His heart was in a state
of agitation and agony. He wanted to get the blanket back
from the
poor man. If you do such kind of charity, you
will not derive any benefit. You will not get purity of
heart. Many worldly-minded
people perform charitable
acts of this description only. This world abounds with
such charitable persons.
Miserliness is a great curse. It is an enemy of
oneness and a friend of selfishness. Miserly persons are
quite unfit for the spiritual
path. Generous-hearted
persons are very rare. Many have achieved power,
popularity, peace and happiness only through a
generous heart. Miserly persons can never dream to have
all these and
get success in life. Their very company is
very dangerous for spiritually-minded
persons. They
poison the whole atmosphere on account of their
corrupted, contracted hearts.
Charity must be spontaneous and unrestrained.
Giving must become habitual. You experience extreme
joy
in giving. You must not think, "l have done a very
charitable act. I will enjoy happiness in heaven. I will be
born as a rich man in the next birth. This charitable act
will wash away my sin. There is no charitable man like
me in my town or district. People know me that I am a
very charitable man." Bragging is mean and deplorable.
You should have a very large heart. You should
throw money like stones to the
poor people. Then only
you can develop Advaitic feeling, Samadhi and cosmic
love. The majority of householders are absolutely selfish
in these days. Money is their blood. You will find
cheerlessness and ugliness in their faces. Worry, greed,
passion,
jealousy,
hatred, depression and all other evil
qualities stick to the man who has the miserly nature in
him and they consume the very core of his heart. It is a
65
66 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
pity
that even the
judges
and Zamindars fight with
porters
on the railway platform
for the sake of an anna.
If a miserly man keeps Rs. 50,000 he will not enjoy
the money but crave for a lakh more. A millionaire will be
craving to become'a multi-millionaire. It is horrible to
find that rich persons
are so miserly and hard-hearted
that they do not like to share with their own friends some
of their rich delicacies. They will keep nice cakes in the
almirah under lock and key and eat them in the night
when others have gone to bed. Such persons
will not give
even a pie in charity. They will be eating nice food, but,
they will never have a heart to give
even a minor portion
to a
poor
man who is starving for three days. Such is the
nature of their hard heart. They will take nice, fresh
cow's milk and offer only diluted milk to their servants.
They will take fresh, rich articles of food and offer the
useless preparations
to their servants after keeping them
for three days. They will wait for three days for getting
a
good
opportunity to use the old preparations
of food and
then throw them to their servants with a painful heart.
They do not like to part with these decaying things also.
You will find such heart-rending instances in almost all
the houses of rich persons.
Some officers retire from service and live on the
banks of the Ganga, Narmada and Yamuna. They do a
little Japa and meditation and study Yoga-Vasishtha and
Upanishads and imagine that they are Jivanmuktas.
They entertain intense Moha for their children. They
remit their pension
to their sons and grandchildren.
They will not spend even a pie in charity. They are
the embodiments of miserliness. They are hopeless,
self-deluded souls! A miser cannot dream of
Self-realisation even in thousand births. Lord Jesus
says: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God."
CONDUCT OF RIGHT LIFE
Some
people do charity and are anxious to see their
names
published in the newspapers with their photos.
This is aTamasic form of charity. This is no charity at all.
Lord Jesus says: "The left hand should not know
what the right hand is giving." You should not advertise
about your charity and charitable nature. There must
not be an exaltation in your heart when people praise
your charitable nature.
If one can destroy miserly nature, a great portion of
Sadhana is over. He has achieved something substantial.
Sins can be destroyed by the charity. Lord Jesus says:
"Charity covereth a multitude of sins." In the Gita (Chap.
XMII-S) you will find: "Yajno Daanam Tapaschaiua
Paauanaani Maneeshinaam," "Yajna, charity and
austerity are the purifiers of the intelligent."
You should be thirsting to do charitable acts daily.
You should not lose any opportunity. You should create
opportunities. There is no Yoga or Yajna
greater than
Sattvic charity of spontaneous type. Karna, Raja Bhoja
did countless charitable acts. So, they still live in our
hearts.
Develop this Udaara-vritti. Then
you can become a
King of kings. If you give, the whole wealth of the world is
yours. Morrey will come to you. This is the immutable,
inexorable, unrelenting law of nature. Therefore
give.
Give. See God everywhere. Share with all. The best major
portion must be given to others. Destroy the ingrained
miserliness. Your heart will expand. You will have broad
outlook on life. You will have a new, wide vision. You can
feel the help from the Indweller of the heart. You can
experience an indescribable thrill of divine ecstasy and
spiritual bliss. This will give you tremendous
inner
strength. Your footing in the spiritual
path will be firm'
You will become a modern Buddha.
Give to the poor, the sick, the helpless and the
forlorn. Give to the orphans, the decrepit, the blind, the
helpless widows. Give to the Sadhus, Sannyasins,
67
68 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
religious and social institutions. Charity should be
bestowed with respect, humility and
joy.
You should feel
that you are highly honoured in getting
an opportunity to
be of service to another. You must feel that you
are the
receiver. Thank the man who gives you an opportunity to
serye him by doing charity. Give with right mental
attitude, and realise God through charitable acts. Glory
to those who do charity with the right spirit.
4. Annadana Yajna
Annadana or distribution of food to Brahmanas,
Sadhus, Sannyasins, guests
and the poor, is the highest
form of charity. It purifies
the heart of the aspirant, and
prepares
the aspirant for the descent of the divine light
and grace. The donors and those who organise such
laudable works and those who serve are immensely
benefited. They all experience inexpressible
joy
and bliss,
and supreme satisfaction. Even if you give enormous
wealth to a person, it will not give
satisfaction, but if you
give food, the recipient is perfectly
satisfied. Flave you not
studied the Nakulopakhyana in Mahabharata? The
mongoose rolled on the ground where the Brahmin
guest's
feet were washed. Half of the body was turned
into gold.
India is the only holy land on the surface of this
earth which is famous for its distribution of alms. Hindus
always cherish an ardent desire for distribution of food.
To give food for a guest or a poor
man or a Sadhu is Atithi
Yajna or highest sacrifice for them. They will not take
their food before giving
food to the guest.
Guest is Lord
Vishnu for them. They will search for a guest before they
take food. Not only this, they give
food first to the cows,
birds and fishes and then they take food. They distribute
rice even to the ants. Distribution of food is one of the
items of Pancha Maha Yajna, the five great
sacrifices.
The glory
of the Annadana cannot be adequately
described in words. A Hindu will even starve himself and
give what little he has to the poor and the needy. This is
CONDUCT OF RIGHT LIFE 69
his inborn nature. Lord Krishna says in the Gita: "Giving
of alms is the great purilier of the heart."-Chap. XVIII-S.
"The impious who cook food for their own sake verily eat
sin."-Chap. III-13.
5. Glory of Annadana
In ancient days there was no one in this holy land of
ours who died on account of starvation. India is the
storehouse of material and spiritual food from time
immemorial. There was never scarcity of food. Food could
be secured for the mere asking. Annadana is a great
sacrifice. It is one of the best forms of charity.
Every householder should feed at least one hungry
man who comes to his house before he takes his daily
meal. This is Atithi-Pujanam. A guest is a visible
representative of God. The Upanishads declare,
"Atithi-Devo Bhava." May the guest be your God. Our
ancient Rishis
parted with their own share of food for the
sake of guests. Kindly go through the Nakulopakhyana
in the Mahabharata. A Brahmana who lived on alms
sacrificed all the food that was prepared in the house to
satisff the
guest. His wife, son, grandchildren, all gladly
sacrificed their share of food to
please
the guest though
they were themselves starving for four days. Look at the
spirit of self-sacrifice of the whole family! These ideas
were ingrained in men from their very childhood.
Even now in many places in India Annadana is
conducted on a large scale. There are many institutions
which feed hundreds and thousands of pilgrims, Sadhus
and the
poor every day.
India is a country very famous for charity. Every
individual depends upon food for maintenance of his life.
The physical body is kept up by the food that we take. It
grows on food and dies without it. The benefits of
Annadana are beyond description. It is equal to
giving life
to a dying man.
70 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
On being questioned by Raja Yudhishthira,
Bhishma said, "O King, verily there is no charity like that
of giving food. It bestows merits both in this and the
other worlds. Devas and the Rishis have
praised
Annadana much. The life of every being is fixed on food.
Therefore one should by all means pay special attention
to giving of food.
"Every activity in this world depends upon food.
Strength of a strong man, good
conduct, contemplation,
sacrifice, virtuous acts-are all done through the power
of food. If one does not take food all these acts of virtue
will dwindle away. A man accrues strength, splendour,
fame, happiness and glory in the three worlds by giving
food. Prajapati has said that food is nectar."
The Agni Purana says: "Food is the source of
Dharma (righteousness), Artha
.
(wealth), Kama
(accomplishment of desire) and Moksha (liberation)."
Skanda Purana says: "The child in the womb, the
new-born child, a young boy, a youth,
an old man, a god,
a Rakshasa, an ascetic, all require food. In every living
being hunger is the worst disease and the medicine to
treat that disease is food. The giver of food is the giver of
life. One achieves the fruit of the charities by giving food."
Vishnudharmottara Purana says: "ln
giving food one
need not look into the rules regarding time, place
and the
person qualified
to receive the charity. A dog, a
Chandala, a worm, a bee, a cow-all should be fed. In
short, all living beings can be given food."
Brahmanda Purana says: "Blood, flesh, semen, etc.,
are formed stage by stage out of food. From the sperm
takes place the birth of beings. This world is
manifestation or expression of food. This body is food
itself. For a hungry man, gold,
jewels,
elephants, horses,
flowers, garlands, sandal-paste, etc., have no value. He
would prefer only a plate of food when he is hungry. He
will reject gold, silver, horses even though offered in
CONDUCT OF RIGHT LIFE
plenty. There is no pain, no disease greater than hunger.
Therefore food should be given freely in charity."
Nandi Purana says: "By
giving away even one morsel
of food man attains heaven." Likhita Smriti says: "As
many number of morsels of food that is given to a hungry
man, the benefits of so many Asvamedha Yajnas (horse
sacrifices) the
giver of the food acquires."
In the Bhagavad Gita
you will find, "Annad Bhauanti
Bhutani--from food come forth beings." The Taittiriya
Upanishad lays great stress on the importance of food. It
says, "All beings that exist on earth are born of food.
Then they live by food, then again to the food they
go at
the end. So verily food is the oldest of all creatures.
Therefore it is called the medicament of a11."
Food is the medicament for all which can cool the
body and allay the scorching hunger of all beings.
Food should be treated with great respect. Food
should not be looked upon with contempt. Food is God.
While taking food one should not pass remarks like,
"This is not nicely
prepared. There is much salt in the
vegetable. Brinjal is not good. Rice is useless. This food is
burnt. It is smolry" and so on. One should be happywhen
he takes food. He should avoid all unpleasant and
unholy thoughts and speech while taking food. Then only
his digestive system will work
properly and his health
will be unimpairing.
The giver of food is considered as father. The
Dharma Sastras say, "One
who causes impregnation, he
who initiates one with the sacred thread and the Gayatri
Mantra, the teacher who imparts knowledge, one who
feeds, one who gives protection from fear-all these
should be considered as fathers." From this
you can infer
the importance of giving food.
Food should be given with respect and humility. You
should not expect the fruits of your charity. Some
people
do Annadana for the sake of getting a son, wealth or
promotion. They will get all these. But this is Rajasic
71
72
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
charity. Food should be given without any consideration
of time, place and the qualifications
of the recipient free
from expectation of results. This is Sattvic charity or the
highest form of charity.
If you store food more than your actual
requirements you are a thief. You deserve punishment.
Offer food to the Lord before you
eat.
Even though there is scarcity of foodstuffs, people
who can afford to spare should distribute food to the poor
and needy. You can feed many poor people and save
them from starvation and death. Some religious work or
social work can be started byyou if you
can afford to and
those who work for it can be fed. This is also a kind of
charity.
There are some people
who are shy to beg from
others. They consider begging to be mean. So food should
be given
to people
by studying the requirements of the
poor and needy.
Two meals daily are essential for every man. Only
when man is above wants in respect of food all acts of
Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha can be pursued
by
him. Even spiritual Sadhana cannot be undertaken if
there is no food.
Follow the principle,
"Eat to live and not live to eat."
Let your
attention be turned not to storing of food and
enjoying the luxuries of life. If you are a whole-timed
spiritual student who has given
up all work and taken to
pure Japa and meditation you
can live on one meal a day.
You will be free from diseases and your mind will be calm
and serene. When you
sit for meditation in
Brahmamuhtirta you will merge in Brahman.
When king Bali, Sri Rama, Yudhishthira and others
ruled the country there was no starvation at all. No one
died for want of food. They looked to the comforts of their
subjects. They allotted to each man work in such a way
that everyone could get his daily food. Unfertile lands
were made fertile by efficient and potent
means and the
CONDUCT OF RIGHT LIFE
production of food was increased. There was plenty,
peace and
prosperity during their reign.
It is a great sin to sell food. The Sastras have
condemned this act. He is no better than the seller of
wine.
Cooked rice, vegetables, etc., are
put in a vessel and
hung on tree-branches or kept on house-tops for birds
and vultures. Food is given to dogs, monkeys, cows and
other animals. Rice,
grams, sugar, etc., are spread on the
corners of the rooms for the ants. Balls are made of
wheat flour and thrown in water for fishes. All these
come under Bhuta Yajna-or sacrifice to animals. This is
one of the five sacrilices of a householder.
In Punjab, Sindh and other
places people go for a
walk early in the morning and when they
go they take
with them bread
prepared on the
previous night. They
feed the
poor beggars, stray dogs, cows, etc., that wander
about in the streets. There are mmy choultries in South
India for feeding
pilgrims. In Northern India they are
called Annakshetras. In South India almost all temples
have choultries attached to them and the devotees who
go for Darshan and Bhajan in the temples are fed in the
choultry.
Rich
people contribute lump sums for the
maintenance of choultries and Annakshetras where
hundreds are fed daily. Thus in the past and in the
present as well, distribution of food to the hungry has
been a unique feature in our country. That is the reason
why India is known as Dharmakshetra or Dharmabhumi
(a land of charity).
Every festival of Hindus is famous for its distribution
of food. In marriages, thread ceremonies, anniversary
ceremonies, annual festivals of religious importance like
Holi, Deepavali, Janmashtami, birthdays of
great men,
Sankramana, etc., hundreds and thousands of men are
fed. Any occasion ofjoy and happiness is celebrated with
bounteous distribution of food to the Brahmins, Sadhus
73
74
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
and the poor. Every Anushthana, religious observance
and austerity is concluded
by a good
distribution of food.
Every Hindu holds distribution of food as one of the chief
items of charity. He gives
food even to his enemy when he
is hungry. Such is the glory
of Annadana.
In Melas like Haridwar Kumbha Mela, Allahabad
Kumbha Mela, food is served in abundance to those who
need it. No distinction of caste, creed or colour is made.
Everyone who is hungry gets
food.
Annadana purifies
the heart of the giver.
One who
does charity of food indiscriminately, who takes delight
in feeding others, develops cosmic love or universal
brotherhood. He feels that the Lord is seated in the
hearts of all and feeds the hungry. This pious
mental
attitude, that he is feeding the Lord, helps to purify
his
mind very quickly.
Our Rishis of yore had this mental
attitude when they served the guests.
Ambarisha, Draupadi, Lord Krishna have all taught
us this sublime philosophy
of Atithi
pujanam.
It is this mental Bhava that helps a man to purify
his
heart very quickly.
All acts done with divine Bhava
become divine activities. That is real Yoga.
G1ory to India,
the land of charity! May she continue
her divine activities for ever! May the inhabitants
of this
glorious
Aryavarta live up to the ideals of their
forefathers, the Rishis of yore!
May Annadana ever
flourish! May rains come in proper
time! May the earth
yield plenty!
May peace, prosperity,
and
joy
be to all
beings! May knowledge of the Self dawn in you
all!
6. Penance
He who eats forbidden foods such as meat, fish,
eBBS, etc., is a wilful man. He who eats the holy remnants
of sacrifices obtains children and ascends to heaven.
The practice
of humility and renunciation of fruits of
actions form the highest penance.
It is superior to all
kinds of penances.
He who performs
such penance
is
CONDUCT OF RIGHT LIFE
regarded as one who is always fasting and who is always
leading a life of Brahmacharya (celibacy). He becomes a
worshipper of gods and
guests. He is regarded as one
who always lives on sacrificial remnants.
He who eats once during the day and once during
the night at the fixed hours, without eating anything in
the interval is regarded as one who is always fasting.
He who visits his wife only in her season and never
at other times is considered as a Brahmachari.
By abstaining from sleep during the day he will
become one who is always wakeful.
He who always eats after having fed his guests and
servants becomes an eater of nectar. He who never eats
till
gods and guests are fed acquires by such abstention
heaven itself. He is said to live upon sacrificial remnants,
who eats only what remains after feeding the gods,
servants and the
guests. Such men attain numberless
blessed regions.
He who shares his food with the gods, and the Pitrus
passes his days always happily with his sons and
grandsons and in the end attains a very high state after
casting off his body.
Sleeping on the bare
ground without pillow is also
penance. It is a good self-punishment also.
Fasting destroys sins and purifies the heart. It is
also a penance.
The practice of Krichhra Vrata and Chandrayana
Vrata is a good purifier. It is an expiatory act for the
removal of sins. It is a severe form of
penance.
7. Friendship (Jlfaitrff
Have you not heard the story of Damon and
$rthias?
A friend in need is a friend indeed. A true and sincere
friend is the
greatest benefactor.
75
76 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
Friendship should never be broken. It must be kept
up through the end of life. Broken friendship cannot be
cemented by any means.
The one true immortal sincere friend is the Lord
within, thy Indweller. Bow to Him. Meditate on Him daily.
All other friends will leave you but this Immortal Friend
will be ever true to you.
It is very difficult to find a sincere friend in this
world. People are united for selfish ends. When one
cannot achieve his desired object from another, the
friendship is broken.
No person
should injure a friend. He who injures a
friend sinks into dreadful and everlasting hell. Everyone
should be grateful and everyone should try to do good
to
his friends. Everything may be got from friends. Honours
may be got from friends.
From friends one may enjoy various objects of life.
By the exertion of friends you may escape from various
sorts of danger and distress. He who is wise should
honour his friends to the best of his power.
An ungrateful, shameless and sinful wretch should
be shunned by the wise. He who injures his friends is a
man of despicable character. Such a sinful person
is the
vilest of men.
Cultivate true lasting friendship. Never break it.
Give up selfishness. Adapt. Serve. Do not expect
anything. Only then you will have lasting friendship with
all.
8. Be Sweet
Really sweet people
are rarely found in this universe.
Though sweetness is a feminine virtue, yet it is not found
in females also. Most of the females are harsh and
gall-hearted
though their speech appears to be sweet for
the time being. A businessman, a lawyer, a doctor and a
sister of ill-fame are all apparently sweet till they get
money from their clients. This is not natural, lasting,
CONDUCT OF RIGHT LIFE
beneficent, elevating sweetness. It is false, glittering. It is
commercial or mercenary.
A really sweet man is divine. He does not expect
anything from others. His very nature is sweet. He brings
joy
to others by his innate sweetness.
Sweetness is born of Sattva. It is the sweet
potent,
divine, golden residuum after Rajas and Tamas have
been squeezed out through protracted Yoga Sadhana. It
is the concentrated
quintessence of Sattva. It is the sweet
aroma of a perfected Soul, Siddha Purusha, adept or
Arhata through long and intense Tapas, discipline, Yoga
practice and communion through mind-melting in
silence.
Sweetness must be an essential attribute of a
spiritual
propagandist and
public worker. Without
possessing this virtue, no
propagandist can turn out
eflicient and solid work. He who wants to establish a
Mutt or Ashram or spiritual institution, must possess
this ennobling virtue. All public workers and Ashramites
must equip themselves with this divine quality.
The Rajasic ego should melt in the crucible of Yoga
fire. Then this
golden sweetness will shine in its
91ory.
Rajas must be churned out. Then the butter of sweetness
will float on the surface of the Sattvic mind.
Be sweet in speech. Be sweet in behaviour. Be sweet
in manners. Be sweet in singing Kirtan. Be sweet in
lecturing. Be sweet in looks. Be sweet in serving others.
Be soft,
gentle, courteous and polite too. This increases
your sweetness.
Develop this sweetness through serice,
self-restraint, Mouna,
prayer, Pranayama, meditation,
introspection, self-analysis, control of anger.
Sweetness is Radha Tattva. Sweetness is the stuff
out of which the heart of Radha is fashioned.
Truthfulness, Prem, sincerity, cosmic love, Ahimsa are
all modifications of sweetness. Sweetness is rare, divine
77
78
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
blend of all these Sattvic attributes. It is millennium
potency.
An argumentative, intolerant, impatient, proud,
irritable, faultfinding man cannot cultivate sweetness.
May you
all be endowed with this noble quality of
sweetness which will enable you
to root yourself
in
Brahman, the' embodiment of Rasa, divine bliss of
Sweetness of sweetnesses. Glory to Brahman, the
Sweetness of sweetnesses!
9. Sweet Speech
The one quality
which will bring for one respect,
fame and the confidence of worthy men is the sweetness
of speech. This is the one thing by practising which a
person
is esteemed by all and becomes famous. This is
the one thing which yields happiness to all. One may
always secure love of all creatures by practising
sweetness of speech.
He who does not utter a word and whose face is
always marked with frowns is hated by all. Lack of sweet
speech makes him so. He who on seeing others speaks to
him first with smile succeeds in winning over everyone.
He gains
the love of the world.
The quality
of speaking first (Purvabhashitva)
without craving for the prestige
of being spoken to first
by the other man is indeed a great quality.
Lord Rama
always spoke first. He was a Purvabhashi!
A gift unaccompanied
by sweet speech does not
please
men. It is like food without condiments. It is like
rice without curry.
A king who is desirous of even inflicting punishment
should use sweet words. Sweetness of speech secures
one's object, while at the same time it never pains
any
heart. Sweet speech pleases
more than does the gift of an
object.
CONDUCT OF RIGHT LIFE
A man of good actions and good, pleasant and sweet
speeches has no equal.
10. Honesty and Faith
Honesty and faith are the subtle bonds that serve to
hold individuals together in
.corporate
life. They go
together. If honesty did not exist one man will not believe
another. Faith or trust between man and man will die
out. Suspicion and doubt will fiIl all minds and life in
society would soon become impossible. Fear and deep
distrust will reign supreme. Each will regard all others as
his enemies.
An honest man is readily trusted by all. All feel a
sense of security in dealing with him. They know that
they can relyupon him. They come to repose faith in him.
This helps smooth dealing and harmonious relationship.
The honest man also finds it easy to do his work too. Man
fully realised the importance of this virtue and thus you
have the adage, "Honesty is the best policy." But it is
much mor'e than a mere policy. Honesty is also the best
principle to adopt in life. It must become a principle both
subjectively and objectively,'self-regardingly' as well as
'others-regardingly.'You must be honest with yourself,
i.e., true to
your inner self. You must be conscientious.
Then you must also be honest in your dealing with
others. Both are indispensable. If you regard honesty
merely as an expedient and temporary policy then it
becomes h5rpocrisy.
Honesty is not a virtue meant only for any
particular
section of mankind, as loyalty is to the subordinate,
chastity is to the married women and filial piety and
obedience is to children and students. Honesty is a
universal virtue that must be cultivated by every human
being. Masters, servants, parents, children, doctors,
lawyers, merchants, businessmen,
judges
and
administrators, all without exception should be
scrupulously honest. It is a sacred duty and moral
obligation in the interest of social solidarity.
79
80 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
An honest man is dear to the Lord. He showers His
Grace and blessings upon such a one. Honesty never
goes unrewarded in the long run. The honest man comes
to be honoured by all.
The simple people
of the countryside have retained
this quality
of guilelessness
and honesty. The people
of
modern towns and cities are fast losing it. Duping,
deception and downright swindling prevail in cities. This
is a sad anomaly. Cities are supposed to be centres of
advancement, of more enlightenment, greater refinement
and culture. They ought to exhibit these virtues to a
greater
extent than country-simpletons who lack high
education and learning. But the facts are
quite
the
contrar5r. All life is founded upon faith and mutual trust.
To keep intact this faith, honesty in dealings is quite
indispensable.
11. Moderation
Moderation is an important virtue which is to be
cultivated by a student of ethics or an aspirant.
Moderation is freedom from excess in anything.
Moderation is calmness of mind. Moderation is
equanimity. Moderation is skill in Yoga. Without
moderation no success is possible in Yoga, and in
material pursuits
also. All the luminaries of the world of
the past
observed moderation.
You should be moderate in eating, drinking,
sleeping, reading, laughing, copulation, talking,
exercise, etc. Lord Krishna says, "Verily Yoga is not for
him who eats too much, nor who abstains to excess, nor
who is too much addicted to sleep, nor even to
wakefulness. Yoga kills all pains in him who is regulated
in eating and amusement, regulated in performing
actions, regulated in sleeping and waking" Chap. VI-16,
17. lf you
eat too much you will get too much sleep.
Various diseases of stomach, intestines and liver will
develop. All the internal organs will be overtaxed. Too
much sleep will make you dull and Tamasic. Too much
CONDUCT OF RIGHT LIFE
copulation will drain
your energr and cause weakness,
low vitality and various diseases. Too much talking will
disturb the peace of mind.
Lord Buddha
plunged into extreme austerity in the
beginning of his spiritual
practices. He gave up food
entirely. He did too rigorous Tapas. He suffered very
much. His body became emaciated: He did not make
much spiritual
progress. Then he adhered to the golden
medium. He began to take food in moderation. He
regulated his spiritual
practices. Only then he attained
illumination. He always taught his disciples to stick to
the middle path only. He learnt lessons from experience.
It becomes difficult for some to control the tongue. If
the dishes are palatable they
go beyond the limits of
moderation.
They overload
the stomach. College
students who have
plenty of money with them go to the
sweetmeat shops and eat sweetmeats
for Rs. 5/- at a
time. They cannot
get up till the stomach
is completely
filled up. Complete filling of stomach is unhygienic and
unscientific.
Half the stomach only should be filled with
food, a quarter with water. One
quarter of the stomach
must be free for expansion
of gas. This is Mitahara or
moderation in diet. You can check overloading
of
stomach through complete fasting on Ekadasi days, milk
and fruit diet occasionally.
Always
get up when there is still inclination to eat.
Giving up salt for two or three days in a week will help
you to reduce the
quantity of
your food. Reduction of food
will not kill you. It will keep you quite healthy. It will help
you to attain longevitY.
Some students begin to study hard, forcing away
sleep with strong tea, burning midnight
oil
just
before
appearing for the final examination'
They lead a
happy-go-lucky
life for ten months. This is very bad. That
is the reason why they fall sick on account of undue
strain during the
period of examination.
Study must be
81
82
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
well regulated.
You must prepare your
lessons
thoroughly every day.
Some aspirants give
up their food and try to live on
neem leaves for 40 days. This is foolish Tapas. They fall
sick, become weak, and are not able to do any Sadhana.
Lord Krishna
condemns this, "The men who perform
severe austerities unenjoined
by the scriptures, wedded
to vanit5r and egoism, impelled
by the force of their
desires and passions,
unintelligent,
tormenting
the
aggregate
elements forming the body and Me who is
seated in the inner body, know these to be demoniacal in
their resolves."
Do not spoil your
health in the name of
Tapascharya.
Do not go to extremes in anything.
Sadhana also must be well-regulated.
The period
of
meditation
must be gradually
increased. The period
of
Sirshasana must be gradually
increased. The reduction
of sleep must be gradual.
When Sadhana is done by fits
and starts there will be no spiritual progress.
Some people
make friendship quickly
with others,
love them intensely
for some time and break it quickly
on
account of some trivial causes. They are extreme in their
manifestation
of emotions. They love either intensely
or
hate intensely.
The emotions
also must be
well-controlled.
Do not move too much with anybody. Be
moderate in this direction also.
you
can keep lasting
friendship
with everybody.
Be moderate in your
expenditure. Regulate your
expenses.
Some are imprudent.
They thoughtlessly
spend in one month too much and borrow in the next
month.
Be moderate
in thinking. Kill
"it
irrelevant,
non-sensical,
loose thoughts. Do not think too much.
Entertain
sublime, divine thoughts.
Be moderate
in work. Do not overwork. Overwork is
the cause for many diseases. If you
overwork you cannot
meditate.
CONDUCT OF RIGHT LIFE
He who is moderate in everything is a perfect Yogi.
He enjoys happiness here and in the next world also. He
moves about happily and is always cheerful. He keeps up
perfect health and a higher standard of vigour, vim and
vitality. He attains longevity and fame. He attains
spiritual and material success.
Therefore stick to the
golden or happy medium.
Follow always the middle
path. Give up extremes in
everything and be happy for ever.
May moderation be
your motto and ideal!
12. Tolerance
Tolerance is enduring of offensive
persons or
opinions. It is a virtue born of Sattva' Tolerance is a
virtue and its opposite, intolerance, is a vice. A
patient
man only can
practise tolerance.
Tolerance is needed in all spheres of life-social,
economic,
political and religious. Fights,
quarrels,
ruptures, frictions in society and domestic circles and
war are all due to lack of tolerance.
A11 social, religious
and
political institutions are held together by the
cohesive force of tolerance.
Tolerance is a marvellous
lubricating oil which helps the smooth revolutions of the
wheels of life.
A self-controlled man only can be endowed with
tolerance. Intolerance denotes lack of refinement
and
culture. It shows the inability to appreciate different
aspects in a thing. It is a sign of narrowness of heart and
mind. He who has a large heart, who is free from
prejudice, meanness, crookedness,
intense
hatred,
pride, malevolence, who has his emotions under control,
who is noble and magnanimous,
can become a man of
tolerance.
The vast majority of
persons force their opinions on
others. They think that their opinion only is correct. They
cannot tolerate or brook contradictions,
oppositions
and
criticisms. The least criticism or contradiction
or
83
84 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
opposition makes them intolerant. Fights and quarrels
ensue.
Great tolerance in matters of religion is necessary.
Intolerance in religious views is the cause for religious
persecutions,
bloodshed and religious quarrels.
The
essentials of all religions are the same. All religions are
one. They lead to the same goal. The different streams
having their sources in different places,
all mingle their
waters in the ocean. Even so, the different paths which
men take through different tendencies, various though
they appear, all lead to the same goal
or destinatiorr, viz.,
God-realisation
or attainment of perfection
or absolute
freedom. If every man understands this, there will not be
any religious intolerance or religious quarrel.
One man
hurts another man simply because the other man does
not believe in the religion which he is following. This sort
of intolerance must be ruthlessly annihilated if one
wants to enjoy the peace
of the Eternal.
The economical, social structures of the modern
world can be held together only by the cement of
tolerance and understanding.
Understanding goes hand
in hand with tolerance. Husbands and wives, masters
and servants, parents
and sons, the capitalists and the
labour parties,
the Government and the employees of
Government have no tolerance
and understanding
and
so splits and ruptures always result.
The cause for the last two great wars was due to lack
of tolerance and understanding.
Intolerance generates
a
hard crust in the brain and this prevents
a man from
comprehending
the views of other people.
The hard crust
acts as a barrier and prevents
the entry of the opinions of
the others, however reasonable,
into his brain. If a man
can realise that there are always as many opinions and
views as there are aspects to a subject and the
temperaments
that perceive
it, that others,views and
opinions are correct from their own viewpoint that others
also have as much a right as himself to hold a particular
opinion, much of the splits, discussions,
debates and
CONDUCT OF RIGHT LIFE
quarrels we find in the society will come to an end. There
will be more peace in the world.
A man of intolerance is a factor of discord wherever
he goes. He is a constant problem in every assembly and
gives a serious headache to all circles wherever he
moves. He holds only one attitude, that of opposition. He
opens his mouth only to oppose, contradict and
condemn. But ultimately the intolerant man is himself a
great loser. He fails to beneht by the valuable opinions of
intelligent minds. He cannot profit by the experience of
others. Thus he discards opportunities to improve
himself and progress in knowledge. Like the frog in the
well he lives within the narrow circle of his own pet
opinions and misses the precious lesson of life.
Therefore develop tolerance and an understanding
heart. Expand. Evolve. Grow. Do not oppose vehemently
other people's views. Think well. Cogitate. Reflect. Give
room in your heart for the views and opinions of all.
Develop a very large heart. Mix freely with all religionists.
Hear their views patiently, and behold the truth in them
also. The teachings of all prophets and saints are the
same.
May you all develop tolerance and understanding
and thus lead a life of peace and perfection!
13. Fortitude
Fortitude is Dhriti. Fortitude is mental power of
endurance. It is firmness in meeting danger. It is
strength, power of resistance or passive, negative aspect
of attack.
The birth of a man is due to his mixed Karmas,
mixture of good and evil. Every man will have to meet
dangers, calamities, adversities, catastrophes, want,
pain, injury at some
period
of his life. He who is endowed
with fortitude will bear them calmly with great presence
of mind and tide over them with smiling face.
86 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
Fortitude is a sweet mysterious spiritual mixture of
courage, calmness, patience, presence of mind and
endurance. It is a virtue born of Sattva. It gives great
strength of mind to Sadhakas, who tread the
path of
Truth and even to those who live in the world and tread
the path
of Pravritti.
That Sadhaka who is not endowed with fortitude
leaves his Sadhana during times of peril, privation and
sickness. He faints, croaks and loses heart. But the
fortitude of a man sustains him through all perils,
calamities, privations
and sickness. It was fortitude that
sustained Lord Rama and Sita, Nala and Damayanti,
Yudhishthira and his brothers during their life in the
forest when they were in great distress. Sri
Harischandra, Jesus Christ, Rana Pratap, Abdul Ba'ab
are examples of persons who possessed immense
fortitude.
Fortitude is a friend in need. It is a nursing mother.
It is a mental tonic and panacea. It is a shield and an
armour to protect one from hunger, thirst, heat, cold. It
is an unfailing injection to instil inner strength during
times of threatening collapse and heart-failure. It is a
potent weapon to combat against trying conditions of life
and unfavourable circumstances.
The man of fortitude stands firm like the Himalayas
during adversities. He keeps the balance of mind under
all conditions of life. He is not shaken by heavy sorrows.
Just as a rock on the seashore stands firm and is not
affected by the dashing of waves, so also he stands firm
even amidst storms and vicissitudes of this dire
Samsara.
Just as the man in the battlefield protects his nose,
eyes and other parts through special contrivance from
the disastrous effects of explosive bombs, so also the
Sadhaka and the wise man protects himself from the
explosive gases of worldly adversities through fortitude
and comes out victorious.
CONDUCT OF RIGHT LIFE
But the timid, weak man with the dastardly spirit
who lacks in fortitude, trembles in the hour of danger,
shrinks, faints and falls down in utter shame. He sinks
in despair. He is bewildered and confused. He does not
know what to do. He is like the reed that is shaken even
by the least
puff of breeze. He loses presence of mind.
Fear, faint-heartedness, impotency overpower him. He
hopelessly meets with failure and sorrow. He succumbs
and yields during times of adversity and misfortunes.
Develop fortitude gradually and stand firm like that
yonder Meru or Himavan. Cultivate this virtue again and
again
patiently.
Fortitude shows
power of character. Just as to a
man of high office his authority is his strength, to a
nobleman his pedigree is his strength, to a great leader
his status is strength and to a wealthy man his money is
his strength, even so to a man of character, fortitude is
his strength. It is what sustains him. It denotes
self-confidence and self-reliance. Where there is fortitude
there discouragement and pessimism dare not approach.
Fortitude is therefore the only real lasting strength;
for high office, birth, leadership, money, all pass away.
Character is lasting wealth; fortitude is a lasting power.
May you all attain success in worldly life and God-
realisation through fortitude!
14. Self-Control
Self-control is an indispensable requisite for the
living of a truly ethical life. Without self-restraint the
practice of ethics is quite impossible. You may possess
sublime sentiments and noble intentions. But when you
have no self-control
you will be a slave to baser passion.
You will succumb to every temptation and commit
endless wrong actions. You want to lead an ethical life
but due to weak will and lack of self-control
you fail. It is
self-control which enables
you to stick to the laws of
ethics.
87
88 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
Self-control leads to the highest merit. Self-control is
the eternal duty of man. Self-control surpasses in merit,
charity, sacrifice and study of the Vedas.
Self-control increases your
ener$/. Self-control is
highly sacred. Through self-control you will be purified of
all your sins, and gifted with energr and thereafter you
will acquire the highest blessedness.
There is no other duty equal to self-control.
Self-control is the highest virtue in this world. Through
self-control you
can enjoy the highest happiness both in
this world and in the next. Gifted with self-control you
will win great virtue.
The self-controlled man sleeps happily and awakes
happily and moves through the world happily. He is
always cheerful.
Self-control is the best of vows.
The man who is without self-control always suffers
misery. He brings upon himself many calamities, all
begotten by his own faults.
Forgiveness, patience,
abstention from injury,
impartiality, truth, sincerity, control of the senses,
cleverness, mildness, modesty, firmness, liberality,
freedom from anger, contentment, sweetness of words,
benevolence, freedom from malice-all these combined
make up self-control.
It also consists of respect for the preceptor
and
mercy for all. The man of self-control avoids both
adulation and slander. Depravity, infamy, falsehood,
lust, covetousness, pride,
arrogance, self-edification,
fear,'envy and disrespect are all shunned by the man of
self-control.
He never incurs obloquy. He is free from envy.
That eternal region of Brahman which originates
from Vedic penance
and which is concealed in a cave can
only be acquired by self-control.
CONDUCT OF RIGHT LIFE
The self-controlled
man is never fettered by the
attachments originating from earthly connections and
sentiments.
There is only one fault in self-control. No second
fault is seen in it. A man who has self-control is
considered by men as weak. By forgiveness the man of
self-control may easily acquire happy worlds.
That is a forest where the man of self-control lives.
That is ever a very sacred
place. Of what use is a forest to
a man of self-control? Of what use is the forest to him
who has no self-control?
The man of self-control acquires
great reward in the
next world. He acquires esteem in this world and attains
to a high end hereafter. He acquires the state of Brahma.
He attains liberation.
15. Practice of Self-control
The ancients who had their minds directed upon the
Srutis spoke highly of the duty of self-control for all the
castes in
general, but for Brahmanas in particular. One
who is not self-controlled
never enjoys success in
religious rites. Religious rites,
penances, truth-all
depend upon self-controt. The men of self-control
become sinless and fearless and acquire
great results.
Every sort of excitement is
quietly controlled by self-
control. One who is not self-controlled fails in his
endeavours.
The self-controlled man sees his
numberless enemies such as lust, desire, anger, etc., as
if these dwell in a separate body. Those who have no
self-control strike all creatures with fear.
In all the modes of life the
practice of self-control is
distinguished above all virtues. The fruits of self-control
are much
greater than those obtainable in all the modes
of life.
A self-controlled man should equip himself with
nbbility, calmness of nature, contentment, faith,
forgiveness, simplicity, absence of talkativeness,
90
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
humility, reverence for elders, benevolence, mercy for all
creatures, frankness,
abstention from talk upon kings
and men in authority, from all false useless topics and
applause and censure of others.
The self-controlled
man becomes desirous of
liberation. He quietly
bears present joys
and griefs
and
he is never overjoyed or depressed by prospective
ones.
He is shorn of vindictiveness
and all sorts of guile.
He is unaffected by praise
and censure. He is well
balanced. He has good
manners. He has purity,
fortitude. He is a perfect
master of his passions.
He gains
honours in the world. He goes
to heaven
after he departs from this world. He makes all creatures
gain
what they cannot acquire without his help, rejoices
and becomes happy.
He is devoted to universal benevolence. He never
feels animosit5r for anyone. He is tranquil like a calm
ocean. He is wise and ever cheerful. He is endowed with
intelligence.
He obtains universal reverence. He never
fears any creature and is feared by no creature in return.
That man who never rejoices even at large
accessions and never feels sorrow when overtaken by
misfortune is said to be endowed with wisdom and
contentment. Such a man is said to be self-controlled.
Indeed such a man is a real twice-born man.
A self-controlled
man is well-read in the scriptures.
He is gifted with purity
of soul. He performs
all those acts
that are done by the good
and enjoys their high fruits.
The wicked men never follow the path
of
benevolence, forgiveness,
tranquillity,
contentment,
sweetness of speech, truth and liberty. They follow the
path
of lust, anger, cupidity, envy of others and
boastfulness.
Overcoming lust and anger, practising
the vow of
Brahmacharya
and becoming a complete master of his
senses, the Brahmana practising patiently
the austerest
penances
and observing the most rigid restraint, should
CONDUCT OF RIGHT LIFE
live in this world calmly waiting for his time like one
seeming to have a body though fully knowing that he is
not subject to destruction.
91
CIIAPTEN V
ENEMIES
OF ETHICS
1. Nature of a Vicious Man
A vicious man is miserable
both in this world and in
the next. He commits sinful acts and feels an irresistible
inclination for doing them. He speaks ill of others and is
himself censured.
He always speaks of his own charitable acts. He
beholds others with malicious eyes. He is very mean,
deceitful and wily. He never pays
others their dues. He is
haughty. He lives in evil company. He always boasts of
himself.
He fears and suspects all with whom he mixes. He is
foolish in understanding. He is miserly. He praises
his
companions. He feels excessive aversion and hatred for
hermits, Sadhus and Sannyasins.
He takes delight in injuring others. He is perfectly
careless in marking the merits and faults of others. He is
a terrible liar. He is discontented.
He is highly covetous
and always acts cruelly.
He considers a virtuous and qualified person
as a
pest and thinks every one else to be like himself. He never
trusts anyone.
Such a person
trumpets the faults of other people,
however insignificant
those faults may be. But about
similar faults in his own self he does not refer to them
even slightly or remotely for the sake of advantage, he
reaps from them.
He regards the person
who does him good as a
simpleton whom he has imposed
upon. He repents for
having at any time made any gift
of wealth even to the
benefactor.
(e2l
ENEMIES OF ETHICS
Know him for a wicked or malevolent person who
quietly takes choice foods and drinks when persons
stand by with eager eyes.
He who dedicates the first portion to Brahmanas
and takes the rest, dividing it with friends and relatives
acquires infinite bliss in the next world and great
happiness here.
A vicious or malevolent person
should be shunned
by aspirants and wise men.
2. Anger
Control of anger is indispensable in the practice of
ethics. Anger is your dire enemy. It is the enemy of peace,
wisdom and devotion. It is born of Rajoguna. All evil
actions proceed from anger. It is one of the three gates to
hell. It is the slayer of all Tapas. Therefore, control anger
through patience and forgiveness. Indulge not thyself in
the passion
of anger.
Bear slight provocations with patience. Forgive the
faults of others. Forget not your own defects and
weaknesses. Forget the wrong done to you by others.
This is the way to control anger.
An angry man loses his understanding. Control
anger before it bursts into a big wave, when it is in the
form of a little irritability, in the form of a tiny ripple on
the surface of the subconscious mind. If it is difficult for
you to control it, try to
prevent
it. Be vigilant. Watch the
Vrittis. Avoid all occasions of falling into resentment or
indignation. Guard yourself
against them whenever they
occur. Be on the alert.
Do not argue. Do not enter into heated debates and
discussions. Speak sweetly. Speak little. Be gentle. Be
soft. Cultivate mildness, gentleness,
softness again and
again.
You may fail a thousand and one times in controlling
your anger. Never despair. March forward. If you fall
down, stand up and again tread on boldly. Do not give
93
94 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
vent to anger. Let it burn mildly within. Cool it with the
nectar of Japa of Lord's names.
Bear insult, injury. Harbour not revenge in thy
heart. Forget. Forgive. Be kind. Enquire. Reflect. Learn to
become wise.
Talk sweetly and mildly to an angry man. Do not
retort. You do not gain anything by becoming angry. On
the contrary, there is a terrible wastage of energr and
loss of health in becoming angry.
Anger is a sign of mental weakness. It always begins
in folly or weakness and ends in repentance or remorse.
If you
control anger, you will have limitless enerry in
your reserve. Anger, when controlled, will be transmuted
into a spiritual power
which can move the whole world.
Good and bad are both in man. Human being is a
mixture of both. All creatures contain forces of virtue and
evil. It is the restraint of the evil and the active exercise of
the good that raises man above other creatures. Anger
makes the evil break out into harmful action.
Self-restraint keeps the evil in check and affords scope
for the exercise of virtues. Thus when anger is controlled,
evil is controlled. Good prevails.
Anger is the outlet or
channel through which emerge harshness, cruelt5r, pain
and harm, vengeance, violence, war and destruction.
When anger is overcome your understanding becomes
clear and discrimination is active. You are enabled to
choose between right and wrong. You proceed without
confusion upon the straight, narrow path
of moral
rectitude.
3. Covetousness
I
Covetousness too is a great destroyer. Sin originates
from covetousness. Sin, impiety and great misery
proceed
from covetousness. This covetousness is also the
root of all the cunningness and hypocrisy in the world. It
is covetousness that makes men perpetrate sin.
ENEMIES OF ETHICS
From covetousness
originates anger. From
covetousness grows lust. It is covetousness which begets
loss of
judgment,
deception, pride,
haughtiness, malice,
vindictiveness,
shamelessness, loss of prosperity,
loss of
virtue, anxiety and infamy.
Covetousness also begets miserliness, cupidity,
inclination for every sort of improper action, pride
of
birth, pride of learning, pride
of beauty, pride
of wealth,
mercilessness for all creatures, malevolence towards all,
trustlessness in respect of all, insincerity towards all,
appropriation of other people's property,
ravishment
of
other people's
wives and harshness of speech.
Covetousness also causes anxiet5r, desire to speak ill
of others, strong lustful desire, gluttony,
liability to
premature
death, strong inclination to malice, strong
desire for falsehood, irrepressible desire for indulging the
passions,
insatiable desire for indulging the ear,
evil-speaking, boastfulness, arrogance, neglect of duties,
rashness and perpetration
of every kind of evil action.
Men are unable to abandon covetousness in life. It
never vanishes even with the loss of life. Like the ocean
that can never be filled by the continued flow of even
countless rivers of immeasurable
depths, covetousness
is incapable of being conquered by any number of
acquisitions. It is never satisfied by the fulfilment of
desires. The real nature of covetousness is not known to
the gods,
and all beings.
Pride, malice, slander, wiliness and incapacity
to
hear other people's good,
are vices that are to be seen in
persons
of impure soul under the influence of
covetousness.
Even highly learned men who recollect all the
scriptures and who are capable of removing the doubts of
others appear very weak in this matter and are very
miserable on account of this passion.
Covetous men are overwhelmed by malice and spite.
They are beyond the range of good
conduct. They are wily
95
96 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
in their hearts but their speeches are sweet. They are like
dark pits, whose mouths are covered with grass.
They dress themselves in the hypocritical garb of
religion. They are low-minded. They rob the world by
posing as great religious preachers. They create various
divisions in religion. They destroy the ways of
righteousness, as they are anxious to serve cupidity.
Pride, anger, arrogance, insensibility, fits ofjoy and
sorrow and self-conceit are seen in persons, who are prey
to covetousness. They, who are always under the
influence of covetousness are very wicked.
Covetousness, which is an irresistible passion
which draws the heart to the unrealities of the world
should always be conquered by a person of purified soul.
Satsanga, discrimination, dispassion, the practice
of the opposite virtues such as nobility, generosity,
charity, integrity, honesty, disinterestedness, Japa,
Kirtan, meditation, enquiry, will eradicate covetousness,
the dire enemy of wisdom, devotion and peace
u
Attachment, hate, loss of
judgment, joy,
sorrow,
vanity, lust, anger, pride, procrastination, idleness,
desire, aversion,
jealousy,
envy and all other sinful
habits pass by the common name of ignorance.
Ignorance and covetousness are the same. Both
produce the same results or fruits and same faults.
Ignorance originates from covetousness. Ignorance
grows
along with covetousness. Ignorance exists
simultaneously with covetousness. It rises with the rise
of covetousness. Manifold again is its course.
The root of covetousness is loss ofjudgment. Loss of
judgment
again, is its inseparable quality. Eternity is
ignorance's course. The time when ignorance occurs is
when the objects of covetousness are not attained.
From ignorance proceeds covetousness.
Covetousness produces
all faults. Hence abandon
ENEMIES OF ETHICS
ruthlessly covetousness by a strong determination. You
will acquire happiness both here and in the next world by
eradicating covetousness.
4. Drinking and Drugs
The sense of right and wrong, the faculty of
discrimination and the will-power to make a deliberate
choice of the good instead of the bad-these are the
components of
practical ethical life. To keep these
faculties alert and unimpaired is a moral duty of every
individual. Habits that blunt, weaken or destroy these
faculties are a menace to ethical culture. However trivial
these habits may appear outwardly, in the long run they
tend to do incalculable harm to man. He who indulges in
such habits
perpetrates a serious transgression of
ethical law.
Drinking ranks as the first of such soul-killing
habits. It completely destroys the moral faculties of man,
kills all lofty ambitions and aspirations and the higher
nobler instincts in man. Man's nature becomes coarse
and he sinks to a low level of extreme degradation. So
widespread has this
practice become that it is regarded
as a social accomplishment and a fashionable
desideratum. Whisky, champagne, brandy,
gin and
wines of various sorts have become like ordinary drink,
like water and milk. In every social gathering such
drinking has come to be accepted as a routine matter.
Ladies too have acquired this baneful habit. In some
modern families father and son, mother and daughter,
all sit and drink at the same table. Slowly the habit
grows
and makes them inveterate drunkards. Thousands of
crimes and murders are committed under the influence
of drink. Where drinking is present there vices are
rampant. It is a dangerous enemy of the ethical life of
mankind. It is an onerous responsibility and a duty of
the individual, the leaders of community,
religious
heads, and the government to strive vigorously and
banish this evil from the face of the land.
97
98
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
An equally widespread evil, a counterpart to drink,
is the vicious habit of taking drugs like opium, Bhang,
Charas, hemp, Ganja. Like toddy shops, these too are
sold at licensed shops to drug addicts. This evil is
widespread in Northern India. It kills all initiative. The
finer emotions and sentiments in man perish through
the slow poisoning
by these drugs. It fuddles the brain,
destroys clarity of thought and
judgment
and makes
man a prey
to vague fancies and hallucinations. The
addict becomes subject to neurosis and lapses into a
world of phantasy,
incapable of facing the realities of life.
These intoxicants produce
abnormal excitation,
perversion
and moral corruption. Even persons of good
family, culture and refinemdnt, with great talent and
abilities become maniacs and total wrecks when caught
by drug addiction. To some extent, habitual smoking also
deadens one's moral faculties. But their harm is not fully
realised because their working is slow, cumulative and
insidious. So entirely devoid of shame the drug-addict
becomes that when the craving overwhelms him he even
falls at the feet of the supplier and cringes. He even sells
the ornaments from his wife's person
to procure
the
drug. He loses all sense of honour.
When the spectre of such vices stalk the fair land of
Bharatavarsha, how can there be ethical advancement?
How can ethical life and culture prosper at all? A moral
army to combat these enemies is the only hope of
overcoming these deep-rooted vices. May all people,
young
and old, be inspired to form a band to fight these
evils which are destroyers of ethical life!
5. Gambling
Gambling is a great
curse in modern society. No one
gains
anything and yet people gamble.
Gambling is more
intoxicating than wine and women. Gambling is Maya's
greatest
tempting bait to entrap the poor, deluded,
ignorant, passionate
souls.
ENEMIES OF ETHICS
Pushkara challenged King Nala for dice
game and
Nala agreed. Nala lost everything. The more he lost, the
more infatuated did he become. With nothing more than
the cloth he wore, he left his house in a destitute
condition.
Damayanti, attired in a single
piece of cloth
followed the departing king behind. What a sad state! It
was all the result of gambling.
Yudhishthira
also gambled with Duryodhana
and
lost his kingdom. He had to enter the forest with
Draupadi.
Gambling
gives false hopes always. It tempts the
player. Gambling is a weapon of Maya. The
gambler
thinks always that he will win in the next
play. But he
goes on losing only.
Gambling spoils entirely the character of a man. It
makes him irreligious and unrighteous'
It makes him
excited and to lose sound
judgment and sense of
decorum. It makes him an atheist' It brings him in the
company of evil-minded
persons and dregs of the society.
Drinking, adultery, meat-eating are the constant
companions
of gambling. The chief abode of Kali
Purusha is the
gambling
Place.
A11 gamblers are totally ruined. They have become
street beggars. Gamblers
lose their understanding.
Gambling turns men into cheats. Gamblers
become
dishonest, crooked,
full of deception and falsehood.
They
contract debts which they know they cannot
pay' 'Beg,
borrow or steal'becomes
their
principle and motto. They
are treated with contempt.
They become victims to all
sorts of vices. Their lot is miserable and lamentable!
Do not go near the
place of
gambling. Do not
associate even for a second with a gambler. Do not look
at him. Do not talk to him.
During Deepavali,
people gamble in Northern
India
for several days and nights. Even a
poor man saves two
hundred rupees for
gambling during Deepavali.
People
are allowed to
gamble freely during these days. The
99
100 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
Government licenses such vice. Contractors make much
money. Proprietors get their due share. So widespread is
the betting habit that even little schoolboys and ladies
too are inveterate gamblers.
In every field of life betting is
present. Even business people
bet.
This should be entirely stopped. Gamblers should be
prosecuted
and put in
jail.
Contractors and proprietors
should be punished
severely. Even if they escape here,
the All-knowing Lord will punish
them. As they
encourage this vice they are sent to regions of darkness.
They also suffer from chronic incurable diseases in the
next birth. They are born as beggars.
Horse-racing, playing
cards, other forms of betting
and games
of chance during carnival show are all forms
of gambling.
All return from the race-course weeping
with a broken heart after losing much money and yet
they cannot leave their betting. Mysterious is this
temptation of gambling.
Poor victims die with an afflicted
heart after losing everything.
Abandon the gambling
habit at once. Live in the
company of the wise and lead the divine life. Satsanga is
an impregnable fortress where there is no scope for the
entry of Maya and her companions.
Do not waste your precious
time in playing cards, in
writing solutions for crossword puzzles, gambling
and
race-courses. Money earned through crossword puzzles
will not stick to you
even for a day. Life is meant for
higher, spiritual purpose.
Wake up. O ignorant man!
Struggle hard and obtain the Supreme, inexhaustible
spiritual wealth and be happy for ever.
6. Prostitution
Man, who is essentially divine, forgot all about his
divine nature on account of ignorance and is whirling in
the whirlpool
of little, vulgar pleasure.
Mysterious is
Avidya or ignorance. Mysterious is Moha or infatuation.
ENEMIES OF ETHICS 101
Prostitution is a great social evil. It must be entirelSr
stopped through proper
understanding and education. It
spoils the whole fabric of the society and undermines the
integrity of the nation at large. It is the cause for the
widespread havoc of the two important venereal
diseases, viz., gonorrhoea and syphilis, which destroy
the health of men and women and make them wrecks
with dilapidated frame, and ill-health throughout their
lives.
Gonorrhoea and syphilis are God-sent curses on
men who violate the laws of health and lead a despicable
life of loose morals.
Even men who have got their wives lead a life of
dissipation. What a great shame! They have taken a
pledge before the sacred fire (God Agni) that they would
be true to their wives and yet they lead a life of
immoralit5r. These deluded souls of little understanding
deserve capital punishment.
The Divine Law of cause
and effect is inexorable and unrelenting. It will not spare
them at all.
People who contract venereal diseases suffer in
silence. They feel ashamed to consult the doctor in time
and they allow the disease to strike deep root in their
system. Various complications arise and the blood is
surcharged with the venereal poison or germs, gonococci
and spirocchaetae pallida. Bones and internal organs are
affected.
Then they take recourse to a course of injection
"606" and "914" Salvarsen and neo-Salvarsen. They
spend lots of money testing their blood. A11 injections
prove
futile.
As they have no self-restraint they become victims of
passion and communicate the disease to their innocent
wives. They also suffer in silence. They get abortions and
still-births. Their children also get congenital syphilis.
O ignorant man! Have you realised now at least your
folly? Will you promise me that you will lead a good
r02 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
virtuous life from this moment at least? O
young man!
Have you understood now the disastrous effects of an
immoral life? Will you take a vow now that you will lead a
pure lit'e and be true to your wife (Ekapatni Vrata)?
O college boys! Do not waste your father's money in
towns, in restaurants, hotels and cinemas. Beware, do
not become victims of
gonorrhoea and syphilis. Your
whole life will be spoiled. Learn the ways of self-control
from Sadhus and Sannyasins. Be regular in Japa,
Kirtan, meditation and study of holy scriptures. You are
the future citizens of the world. You are the hope and
glory of India. Be pure. Be chaste. Be virtuous. Be
righteous. You will reach the peak of perfection and
divine glory. Do not spoil this precious life in gratification
of the flesh. Soar high in the realms of spirituality.
Learn to soothe the itching of nerves through
sublime thinking and divine contemplation. Become a
true superman. See Goddess Durga in all women.
Change your angle of vision. Draw inspiration from
Bhishma, Lakshmana, Hanuman, and do deeds that will
make your lives glorious, sublime and remarkable. Earn
undying reputation through virtue, Tapas and
meditation.
Once a man gets caught in the grip of
prostitution he
becomes a beast. He is turned into an Asuric being. He
completely loses his moral sense and becomes
shameless. He stops at nothing. He takes to drinking,
gambling, stealing, and even commits murder. He has no
real honourable position in society. Therefore never
approach within its baneful influence. Be always alert
and save yourself from this terrible fire.
Prostitution is encouraged by making it a
recognised, licensed profession. Instead of striving to
eradicate the evil they have gone to accept it as
something inevitable. Such is the moral bankruptcy of
mankind. Adharma destroys the strength and heroism of
ENEMIES OF ETHICS 103
man. Dharma alone can
give man the courage and the
power to'frght and triumph over such deep-rooted evils.
Clandestine
prostitution is another evil. Some hotels
and shops are really brothel houses. Secret
prostitution
is going on there. They are centres of
great sin. Are there
not other decent ways of earning
your livelihood? Why do
you adopt this base ignoble, condemnable way of living?
Stop this at once. Become a true man. Do not become a
slayer of soul. Give up this disgraceful way of living. You
are not crawling now. You are a man. You are walking
now.
O fallen sisters! Do not sell your body. Rise high.
Walk in the footsteps of Sita, Damayanti, Anasuya, Mira.
You are all daughters of Mother Durga. You are
worshipful divine Mothers. Know your real essential
nature and lead a virtuous life and become divine
Mothers.
May this world be free from prostitution of any kind!
May you all lead a life of purity and righteousness and'
thus attain freedom,
perfection and sweet harmony.
7. Eradication of Vices
Vices are the destroyers of ethical life. They are the
poisonous weeds that rapidly
grow and choke up the
fragrant flowers of virtue that blossom in the fair garden
of ethical life. Unless vices are eradicated through
resolute effort and self-purification
your moral
well-being is not safe. It is in constant danger.
Anger, lust, sorrow, loss of
judgment,
inclination to
injure others,
jealousy,
malice,
pride, eilW, slander,
incapacity to see the
good of others, unkindness and fear
are very powerful enemies of all creatures. These
approach men and tempt them from all sides. They goad
and afflict a careless or a foolish man. They attack him
powerfully like a tiger
jumping
upon its prey. From these
originate all sorts of grief and sin.
104 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
Anger takes its origin from covetousness. It is
strengthened by the shortcomings of otherS. It lies
dormant through forgiveness. It disappears through
forgiveness.
Lust takes its origin from impure resolution.
Indulgence strengthens it. When you resolutely turn
away from it, it vanishes and dies.
Enrry of others takes its origin from anger and
covetousness. It disappears through mercy and
knowledge of Self and disregard for all worldly objects. It
also originates from seeing the weakness of other people.
But in intelligent men it quickly vanishes through true
knowledge.
Loss of
judgment
springs from ignorance and
sinfulness of habit. When the victim whom this fault
attacks begins to remain in the company of wise men, it
immediately vanishes.
Men find divergent scriptures. Therefrom springs
the desire for various kinds of action. When true
knowledge has been acquired, that desire is satisfied.
The sorrow of man springs from separation from
beloved persons. When one learns that the dead do not
come back, it vanishes.
Incapacity to bear other peoples'prosperity
or good,
originates from anger and covetousness. It dies through
mercy for every creature and indifference to all worldly
objects.
Malice originates from the abandoning of truth and
indulgence in wickedness. This vice vanishes when one
serves the wise and good.
Pride takes its origin from birth, learning and
prosperit5z. When these three are truly known, this vice
at once vanishes.
Jealousy springs from lust and greed in low and
mean people. It is destroyed by knowledge.
ENEMIES OF ETHICS
105
Slander takes its origin from errors of men's daily
conduct and through disagreeable speeches expressing
aversion. It disappears when the whole world is seen.
When the person who injures is powerful
and the
one injured is unable to avenge the injury, hate
manifests. It vanishes through kindness.
Covetousness takes its origin from ignorance. It
vanishes when you
see the instability of all objects of
enjoyment.
The tranquillity of the soul can alone conquer all the
above faults.
cHAvrEn vr
SPECIAL ETHICS
Besides psychological ethics and Varnashrama
ethics there is professional ethics also.
1. Legal Ethics
There is observance of ethics for an advocate or
Vakil, pleader or solicitor or barrister-at-law in the
professional matters. He must not take up a doubtful
case simply for the sake of fees, even when he feels sure
that he cannot succeed.
He must not coach up false witnesses. Coaching up
of false witnesses is itself a crime. It is a heinous sin. An
advocate who coaches up false witness kills his
conscience and soul also. In addition, he corrupts others
also. He cannot have any progress in the spiritual path.
He cannot argue forcibly, because falsehood has no
strength, He cannot stand up with a majestic attitude as
his moral backbone is fragile. He cannot be sure of
success though he may twist and distort in diverse ways.
Truth alone will triumph in the end.
When he takes up a case he must sincerely work for
it even though there is some delay in
getting his fees from
his client.
He must take up the cases from
poor people freely.
He must work for the public good also without fees. This
will be his Karma Yoga. This will purify his heart. Mark
how sincerely and intensely Bhulabhai Desai worked for
the cause of the public even during his last days. He has
earned undying reputation through this noble work.
Prakriti has given you legal knowledge and you should
(106)
SPECIAL ETHICS r07
utilise the knowledge in protecting her poor, heipless
children.
Once Pundit Motilal Nehru wanted to take fees even
from the Congress
people. Jawaharlal Nehru said,
"Venerable
father! For whose sake are you accumulating
money?" Motilal Ji said, "lt is for you. You are my beloved
son." Jawaharlal Nehru said, "Beloved father! I do not
want even a single pie from your earnings, I will maintain
myself independently. Kindly take up the case without
fees. This is public Seva." This opened the eyes of Motilal
Ji. He said, "Jawaharlal
call those people. I sent them
away with an unsympathetic heart. I will work in this
case without fees." The words of Jawaharlal changed the
life of his father. He abandoned his legal profession and
became a sincere fiery Congress-worker.
Lawyers say, "We cannot pull on in this profession
without telling direct lies or modified lies. We cannot get
success
without coaching up false witnesses." This is a
mistake. Lawyers who deliberately falsify truth and twist
falsehood to make it appear as fact are the minions of
Kali-purusha himself. They have allied themselves to the
undivine forces of darkness and become the tools of
Satan. There are some conscientious Vakils who do not
take up weak cases and who do not coach up false
witnesses. They are lions in the bar. They have roaring
practice. They are known everywhere as honest and
sincere advocates. Clients flock to them in great
numbers. Truthful
persons only will shine and
get
success. Study the book "Experiments with Truth," by
Mahatma Gandhi and you will know how truthful was
Gandhiji in his profession.
By your clever advocacy you have sent many
innocent
persons to the
jail
and to the gallows. What a
great crime! What a horrible unpardonable deed! You will
reap the consequences of this sinful act. You will have no
good merit in your store a good future birth. You will take
inferior births. You will suffer from incurable diseases in
the next birth.
108
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
Have you not heard of the great sensational
Tirupathi case? Lord Venkatesa Himself came as a
witness. The
judge
gave
up his
job
and became an
ascetic.
Money is not the goal. It cannot give you eternal
happiness. Lead a virtuous life. Be honest and truthful.
Do not coach up false witnesses. Plead for the poor freely.
Do Japa, Kirtan and meditation. You too can attain the
final emancipation or the abode of immortal bliss.
So established in untruth, deception and
crookedness is man that he is not fully aware how great
and grave
an injury he is doing to society. The existence
of law is to uphold truth and dispense
justice.
But
immorality in the profession
strikes at the root of
justice
and righteousness
itself and where truth is to be
established there falsehood is glorified.
2. Medical Ethics
A doctor should not divulge the secrets of his
patients
to others.
When he has taken up a case under his treatment he
should not refuse to attend on the patient in his house,
simply because he has not paid the visiting charges of
the previous
day. He is morally responsible to treat the
patient
till he is cured. The patient
may pay his visiting
fees after a couple of days.
Under the name of so-called professional
etiquette a
doctor should never refuse to see a patient
who has sent
urgent summons. You must not refuse to see a patient
because he has consulted another doctor.
A surgeon receives Rs. 5OO/- for the operation of
Hernia. The patient
is on the table. His abdomen has
been opened. The surgeon finds some other
complication, not anticipated. He has to do some other
operation. If he tells the father of the patient,
"You will
have to pay
another five hundred rupees. This
complication means a more difficult operation. It is extra
SPECIAL ETHICS
109
work. Otherwise
I will not do this operation,,,
he goes
against the principles
of medical ethics. To bargain when
another's life is at stake is inhuman.
He must do the
operation
successfully. Later on, he may request the
client politely
to pay
some more money if he is in a
position
to pay
the amount.
The primary
duty of the doctor is the relief
of
suffering. He must treat and cure his patients
in as short
a time as possible.
To keep postponing
a complete cure in
order to be receiving fees for some time longer is a
heinous crime. Never prolong
the disease of the patient.
It is criminal to "maintain
cases.,,
Do not experiment
upon poor patients
and destitute
cases. Life is sacred. Consider how you will feel if some
callous medical man tries experiments
on you
or your
own dear relation when in a grave
condition.
When there is an epidemic
of any disease, he must
try his level best to stop the epidemic. He must suggest
various methods and easy measures to the people
to
check it.
He must disseminate
the knowledge
of hygiene
and
public
health, child-welfare,
ante-natal
and post-natal
care of mothers, through magic lantern demonstrations,
public
lectures
and study-classes.
If a poor patient
approaches him for treatment he
must give
him medicine free. He must evince great
interest and
joy
in serving the poor.
He should not give
an injection of mere water to the
patient
and get
a large sum of money by telling him that
it is the most costly medicine. This is high moral
corruption.
He must charge moderate fees. His goal
must not be
to become a millionaire,
but to become a kind and
sympathetic
doctor. Here is a great
field for him to puriSr
the heart quickly
and to attain God-realisation
through
sincere service alone, with Atmic Bhava.
110
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
He should not give wrong suggestion to the
patients
and frighten them.
"This is an incurable disease.
This is
an advanced case of T.8." He must know the
power of
suggestion.
Wrong suggestions
will kill the
patient soon'
He should always speak sweet, encouraging
words to the
patient, "Be not afraid, brother.
I will cure it in a few
days. You will be all right soon." Such a doctor alone can
do real
good to the suffering
humanity.
A doctor's heart should melt at the suffering
of the
patients. He should move from door to door and treat the
poor freely. He should spend one-tenth
of his income
in
giving medicine to the
poor.
The doctor should always bear in mind that the
knowledge of healing he has acquired
is not solely
for
mercenary
gain but to enable him to
play aworthy
part in
society. Therefore apart from his "practice"
the doctor
should ever watch and see where there is suffering and
where his aid is needed. His duty does not merely consist
in sitting at his table and waiting for the telephone
bell to
ring and call him to a case. This is a moral duty of
doctors.
A
great service that doctors can render to the nation
is to make all the children "hygiene-conscious."
The
health of the nation is to be safeguarded
and built up
right from the start. Parents fail to instruct children
in
elementary matters of health and hygiene' The doctors
should make it their duty to impart the rudiments
of
personal hygiene to every child.
The doctor who is intent only upon extracting
money
from his
patients, who has become callous to the
sufferings of others, who is unsympathetic
and harsh to
sufferers,
who imposes upon the credulity
and ignorance
of the
patients and exploits their helpless condition
is no
better than a beast in human form. Grave retribution
will
overtake such a transgressor.
Severe
punishment is in
store for him. The pain and the suffering that he
SPECIAL ETHICS
heartlessly causes to the patients will react and descend
upon him multiplied a hundredfold.
He should feel that all are manifestations of the Lord
and that he is serving the Lord. Such a doctor is veritable
God on this earth. Glory to this Doctor!
3. Business Ethics
There is business ethics also. A businessman also
should practise
ethics. Only then he will not be affected
by sin. Only then he will prosper.
People say that one will have to tell lies in business if
he wants to prosper.
This is a serious mistake. Those
who are strictly honest and truthful will flourish in
business. People will go to them only as they are truthful
in their dealings.
Falsehood first entered a cloth-merchant's shop. If
you enter a cloth-merchant's shop, he says first, that one
yard
costs <8/-, then bargaining or haggling goes on for
one or two hours. At last he comes to
(1.50
peryard. This
sort of business goes
on in most of the business-houses.
Cheating and falsehood are the basic traits of a
businessman. His conscience has been blunted by
covetousness and dishonesty. He is miserable in this
world despite his wealth and possessions
and, will be
unhappy in the next world also, because he is not leading
a moral life. He does not knowwhat he is exactly doing as
his understanding is clouded.
Immorality does not mean sexual depravity and
illegal adultery only. He who tells lies and cheats others
is also leading an immoral life. He is also an immoral
man in the broad sense of the term.
A manufacturer puts a spurious preparation on the
market. One man mixes sand in the wheat. One
businessman adulterates ghee, flour and other
foodstuffs. The carpenter uses inferior wood and charges
as for the best wood. A contractor uses third-class bricks
111
t12
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
and charges for first-class bricks etc. These are all
instances of cheating.
What is this glittering prosperity in the business
after all? To eat a little delicious food, to move in a car, to
become a Municipal Councillor cannot
glve you
everlasting happiness. This is not the
goal of life. This is a
foolish man's idea of happiness.
Quite
puerile indeed!
These are all toys of ignorant children. Wise people will
laugh at these things.
Earn your bread by honest means. Dishonesty and
cheating will bring on you incurable diseases like cancer,
tuberculosis, ulcer in the stomach, fistula, deafness,
dumbness, blindness, burning in the heart and feet and
deformity of limbs in your next birth. Action and reaction
are equal and opposite. You will have to suffer in your
next birth for every wrong deed you commit in this birth.
Be careful in your thought, speech and action. Be good
and do good. Understand the law of cause and effect.
Spend one-tenth of your income in charity. Charity
.
covers.multitude of sins. Do regular charit5r. Merely
giving a few rupees in charity occasionally when you are
in distress, is not
praiseworthy.
Take a moderate and reasonable
profit. Be truthful
and honest in your dealings. Do not smother and kill
your conscience. Keep your conscience ever clean and
pure. Do abundant charity. You can
prosper in your
business. You will not be tainted and corrupted by
business. Goddess Lakshmi will ever dwell with you.
Do Satyanarayana Katha every full-moon day. Help
social and religious institutions. Open Sanskrit schools
and Ayurvedic dispensaries, hospitals, girls' schools, free
primary schools. Dig wells in the villages. Construct
Sankirtan Bhavans. Let your profit be well utilised in
charitable
purposes. You will earn
great merit. You will
be happy here and in the next world.
If you are ever conscious that the Lord or the
Indweller is witnessing your thoughts and actions, if you
SPECIAL ETHICS
113
really have understood the law of cause and effect, you
will not dare to do any wrong deed, you will try to avoid
evil action and gradually
minimise your wrong deeds.
If you
have really understood the Vedantic truth of
oneness you
will not try to deceive others. In deceiving
others you
deceive yourself.
In hetping others you
help
yourself.
There is only one Self in all beings. That is the
only Reality.
4. Industrial Ethics
Times have changed vastly. Society is not what it
was hundreds of years before. Humanity has developed
newer fields that were absent in the ancient social order.
There is industrialisation
of whole nations. Large-scale
industries and factory systems are ever5rwhere. These
factors give rise therefore for ethical rules peculiarly
suited to the conditions and situations prevailing
under
these special circumstances.
An industrialist becomes too machine-minded. He
comes to regard the army of workers he employs to be so
many automatons. He has no sympathy towards the
labourers. This is wrong. It is his moral duty to look to
their welfare inasmuch as their labours go
to build up his
prosperity.
Usually labour in vast large-scale industries is
recruited from the domain of poverty.
They are obliged to
work for their very existence. The industrialist should
not take advantage of this and extract sweated labour.
He must pay
fair and adequate wages, afford them
facilities instead of driving them to undertake strikes,
demonstrations, etc. Heartless exploitation of labour is a
grave
transgression of moral law.
Industrial relationship is based upon contract.
However purely
secular the sphere of industry is, yet
a
contract between man and man is always a sacred
matter. This contract too should be viewed as such. Then
alone Dharma will prevail. The worker is equally
tt4 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
responsible for respecting this mutual contract and
should
give his sincere best in the interest of his
employer. This relationship is not merely centred upon
giving and receiving money.
The existence of
jealousy,
malicious rivalry and
cut-throat competitiqn is the bane of modern industry.
This is Asuric and unethical. Big industrialists combine
not for cooperation but to crush and destroy smaller
concerns. To corner the market by superior buying
power and ruin small-scale industries is unethical.
Creating artificial demand through wanton destruction
of valuable raw materials when the latter is sorely needed
by
people, is deliberate flouting of ethical law. This is why
grave retribution overtakes civilisation based upon such
pillars of Adharma.
Greed and cupidity are the causes of industrial
immorality. Insatiable craving for profit drives you to a
total disregard of all Dharma. It makes you quite
unscrupulous. Therefore give up
greed. Lust not after
wealth. Know that God has given you industrial acumen,
genius for organisation and money-power to promote the
welfare of the human community. You are custodians of
special talent and wealth for utilising them for common
weal first, and then increase your prosperity.
May the present-day industrialists realise their
precarious drift towards Adharma and become helpers to
the
progress and welfare of the human race! May they
stick to the laws of ethics and thus derive true happiness
and peace in addition to the mere material profit!
5. International Ethics
Just as there is social ethics for the society, there is
international ethics for the nations of the world for
maintaining peace. Nations can prosper only if they stick
to the
principles of international morality. Had the
nations adhered to the international moral principles
there would not have been any war at all.
SPECIAL ETHICS
i15
Lust for power, dominion and self-aggrandisement
overpowers the nations and makes them lose the power
of understanding and the faculty of morality. Hence they
break the ethical principles.
The ethical laws which govern the relations of
individuals to one another in society should also govern
the relations of nations to one another. There is absolute
necessity for the international morality. This dire need is
keenly felt by the heads of nations after the Great War. A
World-Federation should be established. Then alone the
international morality can be put into practice. A
well-organised World-Federation can prevent war among
nations and ensure peace in the world.
But such an organisation will function successfully
only when its members are noble men with pure
and lofty
ideals. They should be imbued with the spirit of
tolerance, cooperation and brotherhood. They must set
aside narrow racial spirit and have wide universal vision.
If not the organisation will fail like the League of Nations
after the Great War and the U.N.O. today.
The advance of science has removed time and space.
Within a few hours you
can reach London and New York.
Now railways, ships, aeroplanes, radio, television have
made the world one. The whole world is a closely knit
unity now. The countries and nations are now
interdependent. Economic prosperity or depression of
one country reacts on all other countries. If one nation
suffers it brings sufferings on the other nations also,
just
as a diseased rheumatic knee-joint reacts on the mind
and the other parts
of the body also. A country or a
nation cannot rise much in culture and civilisation
unless other countries or nations also are raised.
Though the whole world is brought into a sort of
unity, yet there is no international ethical advancement.
There is not much
justice,
love and fair treatment among
the nations. The brotherhood of man is forgotten. The
law of the "survival of the fittest" which applies to the
116 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
animals in the forests rules the international relations.
"Might is right." Those who possess more atomic bombs
are the rulers of the world. They can get more privileges
in trade or commerce. They can be in possession of vast
dominions. They exploit the weak, hold them in
subjection. This is the cause for war and moral
degeneration.
Equal
privileges should be given to all nations. Every
nation should have equal rights. Nothing should be the
monopoly of a particular nation. No nation should have
absolute sway or supremacy in anything. Sea, land, and
air also must be the common
property of all nations,
just
as the sunlight, breeze and water are the common
property of all. All are children of God. Hence all are
brothers.
Misunderstood and mispractised nationalism,
imperialism and militarism stand in the way of the
growth of international morality. Imperialism and
militarism should die. Humanism, humanitarianism and
Vedantism should take their places. Then alone there
will be perpetual peace in the world. The presidents and
dictators should come to India, study Vedanta and live in
the spirit of Vedanta.
Vedanta and Vedantic ethics should become
compulsory for all students in all schools and colleges of
the world. It must be properly understood and
put into
practice by all. This alone will contribute to
peace,
universal love, unity,
proper understanding,
world-harmony and brotherhood to mankind. This alone
will put an end to the manufacture of atomic bombs and
machine-guns.
6. Domestic Ethics
(1) Yoga at Home
Sometimes the house becomes a hell when there is
no religious unity between husband and wife. If the
husband is religious the irreligious wife does not allow
SPECIAL
ETHICS
tt7
him to study religious
books, to sit in meditation,
to visit
holy places
of pilgrimage,
to practise
Brahmachar5ra
and
to have satsanga
with great
souls.
she is afraid that he
will become
a sannyasi
even though
he gives
a soremn
pledge
that he will not do so. There
are always quarrels
in
the house
between
husband
and wife. The huiband
has
no peace
of mind
even though he earns a decent
sum and
has got
all the earthly
comforts.
The wife threatens
the
husband,
"l will burn all your
religious
books as study
of
these books only has produced
a change in you
and you
are neglecting
me and do not take any interesi
in
household
affairs. I will throw
stones at the head of the
man who has written
these books
and has inspired you
to take recourse
to
yogic
practices.
Fools tnly wilt
practise
Yoga." How can men live happily
with such
ignorant
and irreligious
women?
It is better
to dwell in
the midst of Asuric women tike Tataka in the forest than
to remain
in the company
of such horrible
women who
disturb the peace
of the house. If your
wife stand.s
in your
way of doing spiritual practice
mildly
suggest
to herihat
you
will take to Sannyasa.
Then
she will come to her
senses.
It is the duty of the husband
to train his wife also in
the religious line.
She must do some Japa,
and Kirtan.
She must study religious
books such as the Ramayana,
the Bhagavata
and the Mahabharata.
She musi take
recourse
to occasional
fasting.
He must
take her to
places
of pilgrimage
and attend discourses
and
Kathas
conducted
by Mahatmas.
The wife must
help the
husband in his religious
and
yogic
practices.
Then only
the house will be a blessed place.
Some have taken Sannyasa
on account
of the bad
behaviour
of their wives and their hindrance
to
yogic
practices
at home. If they had allowed
their husbands
to
continue their practices
and helped
them, they would
have remained in the Grihastha
Ashram.
It is thi duty of
intelligent girls
to cooperate
with
their husbanas
in
leading
a religious
life at home. Then only both can lead a
118
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
life of
peace and happiness
at home.
The scriptures
declare, "Without
religion a house
is a burial
ground
though
it is a
palace."
The husband
also should
not interfere
with the
religious
practices of his wife. He should
help her in all
po"-"ibl. ways in her spiritual
evolution
and
purity of life.
May there be temperamental,
psychological
and
spiritual
unity between
the husband
and wife! May the
husband
help the wife and
vice versa in religious
and
Yogic
practices! May God-realisation
be
your
walch-wbrd!
May
purity be
your maxim!
May Dharma
be-
your guide!
(2) To Husbands
and Wiues
Quarrels
arise daily in the house between
the
husband
and the wife on account
of misunderstanding
and difference
of opinion.
The wife thinks that
the
husband
should, obey and
please her in all respects.
The
husband
thinks that the
wife should obey and
please
him in all respects.
Is this
possible? No' And so they
quarrel every hour. It may not come into regular fists and
blo*" at ail times, but they will not speak for some hours
in the day. Sometimes
there will be boxing
and
cane-beating
also if the husband is short-tempered
and
lacks self-control.
At other times the husband breaks the
vessels when he loses his temper.
If the wife is like Mrs.
Socrates
or Jijibai
(Mrs. Tukaram),
the table will be
turned. There will be thunder
and rain on the husband's
head. Sometimes
the wife, when she becomes
angry,
refuses to cook the food and lies down in the bed drawing
a blanket
over her body and head under the
pretext of
severe stomachache.
The
poor husband
runs to the hotel
to take his meals in order to catch the
pilot train to
go to
his office. Sometimes
the wife
goes to her mother's
house
without informing
the husband'
The
poor shameless
weak-willed
husband
runs to his mother-in-1aw's
house
to bring
her back
with fresh
glowing,
golden
promises
and entreaties.
SPECIAL ETHICS 119
The wife must be ever ready to receive a volley of
abuses when the dishes are not prepared to the
fastidious taste of her husband. These are only minor,
unimportant causes for daily
quarrels. The major causes
are too numerous to be mentioned here. You already
know them in full and in details also.
But still, if you ask a householder, "Which is better,
a householder's life or a life of a Brahmachari?" surely he
will say "Householder's life is thousand times better than
the life of a celibate." He will vehemently fight with all his
clumsy arguments to support his view. Do you remember
the story of the king who took birth of a
pig
and was
rejoicing with his piglings. His case is similar to this king.
People have neither discrimination nor dispassion
nor subtle sharp intellect. Hence they are not able to
know things in their true light. Their intellects are
clouded, perverted, turbid, intoxicated and veiled by
passion, delusion, infatuation and ignorance. Hence
they do not know what they are exactly doing.
When they are swayed with passion, husbands and
wives forget all about their quarrels which occurred in
the morning. They think that their life is a blessed one.
They utter
pleasantly some flowery speech for the time
being, though there is no real union and love in the core
of their heart.
Try to possess self-control. Rise above
passions.
Be
pure. Develop good behaviour, good conduct. Control
anger. Be regular in Japa, Kirtan, meditation and study
of the Gita. Lead a life of an ideai householder. Go
through my books "Advice to Householders" and "Sure
Ways for Success in Life and God-realisation." Put the
instructions in daily
practice.
O Ram! Treat your wife like a Devi. She is the queen
or Lakshmi of the house. Where woman is honoured,
there are wealth, prosperity, success and peace. O Lila!
Become a Pativrata. Do not quarrel with your husband.
Become like Savitri, Anasuya or Sita.
r20 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
May you all lead a life of Purity, with devotion and
attain the supreme blessedness in this very life.
7. Spiritual Progress
The workings of Maya are so very extremely subtle,
so very difficult to overcome, and human nature is
fundamentally so Asuric and unregenerate that real
spiritual. development and progress in Sadhana are
indeed very hard to obtain. To achieve success in any
measure in the spiritual life is so difficult and uphill task
that truly it is Divine Grace alone that can raise the
aspirant from darkness to Light. So vehement,
self-assertive and rebellious is the egoistic self of man
that it refuses to be changed from its vicious state to a
state of virtue, goodness and saintliness. It is a
great
blunder to think that the mere act of renunciation is
suflicient achievement in spiritual life. If renunciation
makes you feel that you have at once become
quite
superior to the rest of mankind and has bestowed on you
the right to preach and to dictate to others, then the very
purpose of renunciation gets blasted. You destroy the
very foundation of spiritual life by this egoistic
assumption. The eradication of egoism in all its
numerous aggressive forms comprises the very core of
spirituality and all spiritual Sadhana.
Right from the very beginning of your spiritual life,
you must understand clearly that in true humility,
sincere desire to root out gradually pride, egoism and
jealousy
earnest and unceasing introspection to find out
one's own defects and improve oneself, lies your hope of
progress. Without this basis, all sorts of Sadhana
become a delusion and a waste. It makes the aspirant
puffed up, more proud and egoistic. When this happens,
all good advices and instructions fall flat upon him.
Higher influences cease to have any effect as the aspirant
becomes deliberately and obstinately non-receptive to
them.
SPECIAL ETHICS t2t
Eternal vigilance should be exercised by every
aspirant if he is to avoid falling into this dangerous state.
Spiritual life is not a light matter. To grow in Yoga is not
an easy
joke.
Sadhakas must take the path sincerely.
Always feel that you are
just
a beginner and strive
diligently to acquire the primary virtues of kindness,
charitableness,
patience, forbearance with boldness,
manliness and self-reliance combined with humility,
softness of speech and behaviour, and self-denial. Be
ready to serve others and put up with provocation and
abuse without retaliation. Remove all harshness and
rudeness from your nature. Courtesy and politeness
must become
part of your very nature. Then alone you
can become
pure. Then alone your nature becomes
Sattvic. Then alone the hardened heart gets softened and
good sentiments and spiritual emotions arise in it.
Concentration, meditation and Samadhi are still far
far from him who has not purified himself and got rid of
his evil traits. Sinning and evil have become so much a
habit with man that he never feels that he is committing
them even though day and night he is doing so
constantly. And the
greatest harm is done by the fact
that even while in this unregenerate state, the aspirant
becomes deluded by Maya into thinking that he has
alrehdy
progressed considerably in spirituality. He
deceives himself with the thought that as far as he is
concerned he is pretty advanced in Sadhana. He thinks
he has acquired that Nirlipta (unattached) attitude
where he can commit any sort of act and yet remain
unaffected by it. This self-deception puts a bar to all
progress. Under this
grave delusion he allows himself to
be unrestrained and runs wild, intolerant of criticisms,
resentful of the least opposition, utterly disregardful of
others'feelings and absolutelyunamenable to advice and
correction. All sense of discrimination, sane
judgment
and introspection vanish from him. Even the common
courtesy and culture possessed by an ordinary worldly
man take leave of the aspirant on account of his
t22 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
presumption
of spiritual advancement and growth in
wisdom. He becomes disposed to attack even venerable
and elderly persons
and spiritually superior souls.
O Aspirants! Beware of these dangers in your
spiritual life. Be vigilant always. Always regard yourself
as a beginner
just
commencing
Sadhana. Never
underestimate the importance of Yama, Niyama of
ethical culture and Sadhana-Chatushtaya! They are
everything. Japa, Kirtan, Svadhyaya, Upasana should all
be done side by side with this ethical training and
character-building.
Without the latter, Sadhana becomes as fruitless as
fiIling a vessel which is full of holes in the bottom.
Without the eager and earnest desire to obey the Guru
and improve oneself, without service, humility, sincerity,
simplicity and eagerness to learn and improve oneself.
Sadhana is useless like rowing a boat which is firmly
anchored to the river-bed or like sowing seeds upon the
rock.
Spirituality means growing
into the form of Divine
Ideal. It is the transformation of your nature from the
human to the Divine. You can hope to achieve perfection
only when you
effect this transformation. It is
purification
and change of heart alone that make
Dharana and Dhyana possible.
To grow in Sattva, you
must entirely destroy the Asuric side of your nature.
Never imagine for a moment that you are anywhere near
to the Goal unless and until you strive with earnestness
and diligence to rid yourself
of evil tendencies, get
established in a pure
Sattvic ethical character.
Remember this point
clearly. Constantly reflect
upon this. Meditate upon this. Know what true
spirituality is. Fully realise the importance of becoming a
changed man ethically and morally, before you
can claim
to be a Sadhaka. Carefully avoid the dangers of
self-deception by constant vigilance and introspection.
Do Sadhana regularly and pray for His Grace. Imagine
SPECIAL ETHICS
r23
not that
you have scaled the heights of spirituality.
Patiently
wait for the results. When your nature is
changed,
purified, and
prepared, grace will flow down of
itself in the firmament of your pure heart. Bliss and
Ananda will spontaneously
flow in and filIyou when you
have emptied
yourself of all harshness, egoism,
pride
and
passion. Perfection and immortality will be yours.
Where there is kindness, humility, and
purity, there
spirituality
springs uP, saintliness shines, divinity
descends
and
perfection manifests itself.
CIIAPTEN
VII
D-IJJIES gE
MAI!
1. General
Duties
The duty of a Brahmin
is to study the Vedas
and
bear them in memory.
The duty of a Kshatriya
is the protection
of all
creatures
from wrong
and oppression.
The duty of a Vaisya
is agriculture
and business.
The duty of the Sudra is to serve with humility,
persons
of the twice-born
order, viz.,
Brahmins,
Kshatriyas
and Vaisyas.
The duty
of the preceptor
is to make his disciple
virtuous
and help him to attain Self-realisation.
The duty of a disciple
is to wait respectfully
upon his
preceptor
for doing his bidding.
The duty of the professor
is to make the student
moral and virtuous.
The
duty of the student is to obey the behests
of his
teacher
or professor
and follow
his instructions.
The duty of the householder
is to do good
to all
creatures.
The duty of the husband
is to behave gently
and
properly
towards
his partner
in life and attend to her
wants
and help her in all possible
ways in the proper
maintenance
of family.
Chastity
and obedience
to the husband,
training
of
children in the righteous path
form the highest
duty of
the wife.
(r241
DUTIES OF MAN
t25
The duty of the employer is to look to the interests
of
the employed.
He should not make them overwork. He
should not tease them.
The duty of the employed is to do honest service to
their employers
and strive to increase his wealth and
make him more and more prosperous.
The duty of the servant is to obey the commands
of
his master.
The duty of a king is to protect
his people
by
supporting the good
and punishing
the wicked.
The duty of the subjects is to be loyal to the king.
The duty of the father is to make his son tread the
path
of the Truth.
The duty of the son is to obey the commands
of his
father and to keep up the prestige
of his family and to do
Sraaddha,
oblations, etc., after his demise.
The duty of the Government is to make people
happy
and maintain law and order in the land.
The duty of the people
is to cooperate
with the
Government
in its working.
The duty of the employer is to give fair remuneration
to the workers that labour for him. He should not take
advantage
of the poverty
of the latter and exploit labour
The duty of the worker is to give
honest labour to the
employer and be worthy of his trust.
The duty of the manufacturer
is to give
the best and
durable articles to the public.
He should not swindle the
consumer with sham goods.
Lastly, everyone should remember that all duties,
domestic, social and the like are only relative. The
ultimate and chief duty of every human being is the
attainment of Truth, God- realisation.
The discharge
of
all duties is in reality to qualify
man to do this highest
duty.
r26
ETHICAL
TEACHINGS
'
2. The Duties of a Brahmachari
TheBrahmacharishoulddirecthisentireattention
solely
to study and acquiring
of such knowledge
as would
..tbl.
him to become
a worthy
member
of society'
Duringthisperiodofstudylethimliveeitherwithhis
p.."rI" or uith"
place of his study under
the supervision
of teachers.
He should
not live by himself,
with friends
and acquaintances
nor with relatives'
A Brahmachari
should
not lose his seed.
In case accidentally
it so
happens,
he should
immediately
take cold
water bath
urri-r.p."t
Gayatri
or Omkara
one thousand
and eight
times.
The Brahmachari
should
respect
his elders
with
devotion.
He should
daily
perform his Sandhya-vandana'
after
prayers to the Sun, and
perform Agnikarya'
He
should
wtrship
his Guru,
worship
cows and
gods with
due reverence.
The Brahmachari
should
have Japa as his highest
possession. He should
never leave Japa'
Guru
is the
Lmbodiment
of all Vedas and all Devas' Therefore
God
and Guru should
be taken
as one and he should
worship
his Guru daily.
He should serve
his Guru and Guru's
wife
with faith and devotion
for complete
twelve
years'
He
should
never
look at
girls and should
not talk with them'
Looking
creates a desire to
go near them'
Talking
creates
a desire
to touch
them.
Touching
destroys
the
Brahmachari
totally.
Therefore
the Brahmachari
should
be very strict
in his movements
and wanderings'
He
should
never look at any object or anything
that rouses
lust in him. He should totally
avoid contact,
proximity or
even thought
of such things
that
give rise to impure
feelings.
The Brahmachari
should
go to sleep after
his Guru
but should
get up in the morning
before
his Guru
gets
up.HeshouldchantloudlythesacredVedasearlyinthe
morning
and make the
place sacred
with the waves
of
spiritua--l
sound.
He should
get for the Guru whatever
he
may want and should
not
grudge to do any sort of work'
DUTIES OF MAN
t27
The Brahmachari should serve his Guru with thought,
word and deed with intense devotion.
The Brahmachari should not overeat. Overeating
begets ill-health and that is a hindrance to all progress.
Let him, therefore, avoid overeating. Let him take cold
water bath daily in a river or a tank and keep his body
free from all disease. Overeating shortens one's life,
proves
hostile to acts which lead to final blessedness, is
sinful and is condemned by the wise. Therefore one
should avoid overeating.
The Brahmachari should not indulge in fine arts.
Fine arts create in him a passion for women and earthly
enjoyments. He should not sing and dance, should not
apply scents to his body, should not beautify his body
with flowers and sandal-paste. Decoration of the body,
singing and dancing create earthly attachments and
therefore, they are fit to be shunned by the Brahmachari.
He should not shave his hairs on the head etc., for
beauty of the body, for it goes against Brahmacharya. He
should not wear nice clothes, for beauty goes
against
Brahmacharya.
The Brahmachari should be of very good
conduct.
He should behave properly
before elders and his
study-mates. He should not have connections with
people
of the world. To the Brahmachari Gayatri Mantra
is the sole refuge. Gayatri bestows health. Gayatri gives
peace.
Gayatri guides him in self-control. Gayatri leads
him to the highest regions. Gayatri is everything for the
Brahmachari. The Brahmachari should daily do Gayatri
Japa one thousand and eight times.
Through Japa alone the Brahmachari attains
success, no matter whether he performs
any other Vedic
sacrifice or not. Through the contact of his senses with
their objects of gratification,
he undoubtedly acquires
sin. Hence, by controlling them, one achieves success.
Control of the senses is possible for the Brahmachari
only through Japa.
r28 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
The Brahmachari should not desire for earthly
objects. Never is desire extinguished by enjoying the
objects. On the other hand, it increases like fire after
pouring ghee
over it. These senses, the Brahmachari
should not try to suppress by force, for they cannot be
controlled except by knowledge. The study of sacred
scriptures, renunciaticln, the
performance of religious
sacrifices, self-control and devotional austerities, made
by him who is wicked at heart can never be successful.
Therefore, the Brahmachari should be
pure at heart at
all times.
The greatest duty of the Brahmachari is self-control.
He who, having heard, touchEd, seen, eaten, or smelt
anything whether good or bad, does not feel pleasure or
pain, is said to have conquered his senses. Of all the
senses, if only one sense manages to leak out, thereby,
all his wisdom leaks out, like the watqr of a
water-bladder through its only outlet. Without being
asked, he should not speak anything to any person, nor
should he speak if any
question is put to him without
decorum. In such cases, the intelligent one should
behave like a dumb person.
Where there is no virtue or gain, or where there is no
prospect
of a counter-balancing service, there knowledge
should not be imparted by the Guru, like a good seed in a
barren soil. That Brahmachari who sits on a bed or
cushion on which his preceptor used to sit, shall find no
good prosperity
either in this or the other world. At the
arrival of the preceptor, he should stand up and
prostrate before him with faith and devotion.
Of one's own progenitor and teacher of Wisdom, the
teacher of Wisdom is superior to his progenitor, since the
birth of a Brahmana through Knowledge is his eternal
existence, both in this and the next world. The birth of a
man through the lustful meeting of his parents in his
mother's womb is the birth which he has in common with
the beasts. The birth which the spiritual preceptor
procreates
for him is real, decayless, immortal.
DUTIES OF MAN
Grey hairs do not make an old man' A young man,
who has studied and has knowledge
is really old.
Elderliness is according to knowledge
and not according
to wealth or
prowess or age.
Persecuted
or oppressed
he must not hurt the
feelings of others. Let him wish or do no injury to
anybody. Let him not use a harsh word that bars the
gate
of blessedness
to anybody'
Let him shun worldly
honours,
like
poison throughout
his life. Desiring
immortality,
let him court humiliation
all through
his
life.
The highest
Tapasya is study of the Veda and
acquiring knowledge.
During that
penance, he should
not apply oil to the body or wear
garlands of flowers'
While residing with his preceptor, he should
control his
senses and observe these rules of conduct
for
purpose of
self-purification.
Let the Brahmachari
be
pure, let him forswear
the
use of honey, scents,
garlands, and articles of sweet
taste. Let him refrain
from visiting women or killing
animals. Let him renounce
the use of anointments,
collyriums, shoes, and umbrellas.
Let him renounce
lust,
anger,
greed, dancing,
singing and music,
gambling with
aici, idte
gossips, scandal,
falsehood,
embracing
and
casting lustful look on females. He must always
sleep
alone with
pure thoughts.
He should take all care to act
according
to the convenience
of the
preceptor and never
of himsef. He should always sit on a lower seat than
the
preceptor. Within the sight of his
preceptor he should not
sit in an easy or careless
posture. He should
not utter
his
preceptor's name even at his back, and should
not mimic
his
gait, speech or voice.
The Brahmachari
should
not look direct at the
preceptor's face, nor should
he sit arrogantly
before him'
A student of twenty
years old, or who has attained
the
age of discretion,
shall not accost his
preceptor's wife, if
she be a youthful one. To defile
men is the nature
of
r29
130
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
women, and hence the wise are never infatuated nor
uncircumspect
about them. Man, by nature, is subject to
lust and anger. Women are competent to lead even the
wise men astray, not to speak of fools who are their easy
victims.
The Brahmachari
shall not reside in a solitary place
even with his own mother, sister or aunt.
powerful
are
the passions
of man, and they sometimes overwhelm
even the wise.
The preceptor
is the living image of Brahman and his
authority should not be questioned
or doubted.
Let him acquire knowledge
even from a Sudra, the
highest virtue even from a man of vile caste, a good
conduct even from an enemy, a good word even from an
infant. Let him see good
alone ever5rwhere.
One who thus undeviatingly practises
the vow of a
Brahmachari
obtains
an excellent status, after death,
and stands not under the necessity of reverting to
human existence.
3. The Duties
of a Householder (Grihasthaf
The Brahmachari
after finishing the course of his
study in the house of the preceptor
should either enter
the forest for meditation on the Supreme or enter the
household
and marry a suitable girl. The householder
(Grihastha)
should earn money enough for his merest
existence, by works which do not disgrace the social
order he belongs to, and which do not entail much
physical
labour or hardship.
It is very difficult to live the life of a householder. The
householder's
life is prescribed
to one who cannot
control his passions.
One without passions
should revert
to the path
of Nivritti. The householder
should not
plunge
himself exclusivelyin
the welfare of his family. He
has got
to perform
many sacred duties. He has to
practise
self-control.
He should not become a slave of
worldly
enjo5rments
at any time.
DUTIES OF MAN
The householder should either store up food-grains
in his house, enough for three
year's consumption of his
family, or enough for a year's consumption of the family,
or enough to support the family for three days, or only
enough for the morrow.
Of these four kinds of householders, each
succeeding one is more meritorious than the one
immediately
preceding inasmuch as on account of their
comparatively
greater poverty, they are compelled to
practise self-abnegation
(self-control), by which they are
enabled to conquer the whole world.
Resting in contentment a seeker after happiness
must restrain himself from pursuing more and more
wealth. Happiness is rooted in contentment,
misery is
based on discontentment.
By unremittingly discharging
his duties alone, as ordained in the Vedas, to the best of
his ability, one comes by the most elevated status.
He shall not earn money by acts which enthral the
senses of man, nor by means forbidden by the Vedas. In
the event of his
possessing money, or in want, one must
not endeavour to earn money from any source, without
discrimination. Let him not wilfully addict himself to any
object of sense-gratification;
in case of extreme
attachment he must counteract it by means of his
will-force.
The householder should not omit to
perform
Rishi-Yajna, Deva-Yajna, Bhuta-Yajna,
Athithi-Yajna
and Pitru-Yajna. The five offerings in connection with the
Agnihotra sacrifices should be offered in the forepart of
the day or night, or in the first or last part of the day, or in
the first or last part of the night. At the close of the
dark-fortnight he shall
perform the Darsha sacrifice and
at the close of the bright-fortnight
the Purnimasi
sacrifice. The fire consumes the vitality of the
gluttonous
Brahmana who partakes of food-grains for himself
without offering it in sacrifice.
131
t32
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
A householder shall give food to Brahmacharins who
do not cook their meals, and after keeping enough food
for his relations and dependants, he shall distribute the
residue to birds and beasts. He should properly
shave his
hairs, wear clean clothes and keep himself neat and tidy.
Even extremely heated, he must not visit his wife during
the three forbidden days of her periods,
nor share the
same bed with her. Intellect, vigour, strength, eye-sight,
and vitality of a man who goes
unto a woman in her
menses are impaired.
Wearing a single cloth he must not eat his meal, nor
bathe stripped off all clothes. He must not pass
urine or
excreta on the road, or in a pasture ground,
or on the
ashes, or on a ploughed
field, or in water, or in a
cremation ground,
or on a mountain, or in a dilapidated
temple or on an ant-hill, or in an animal's hole; neither
when walking nor staying nor having arrived at a river
bank nor on the summit of a mountain. Facing the wind,
the fire, the cow, the Brahmana, the sun, the water, the
householder
should not evacuate urine or excreta. If he
does like this, he is robbed of his intellect.
He should not cast an unholy thing on the fire, nor
warm his feet over it. Let him not blow a fire with his
mouth, nor look at his naked wife. He must not restrain a
cow from drinking water or suckling her calf if he sees
her in the act, not shall he report it to anybody. An
intelligent person,
who has beheld a rainbow in the sky,
must not show it to others.
Early in the morning he should get
up with a holy
thought, chanting the names of Lord Hari and singing of
His glories
through various hymns and prayers.
He
should then evacuate his bowels and wash his legs,
hands and face. He should look at the sun and read the
daily almanac. He should then take his bath in a river or
a tank and perform
his morning Sandhya-vandana
and
Arghya. He should do one thousand and eight Gayatri
Mantra Japa, three times that of Narayana Ashtakshara
Mantra and also Pranava Japa as much as he can. He
DUTIES OF MAN
should supplement this by Panchakshara Japa and
finish his Japa-yajna. He should then chant the
Suryasukta and look at the sun and then again take his
bath for the midday Puja of the five Devatas. At midday
he should offer Vaisvadeva Bali and Vayasa Bali (to the
crows). He should feed his guest at first and then take his
meal with his family. He should daily read the
Bhagavata, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana for the
welfare of his family, both here and hereafter. At night,
he should once again start his evening
Sandhya-vandana and do Japa accordingly. He should
take only one meal at midday if he wants good
health.
Betel leaves should be chewed after food every day
without fail. He should walk after food about hundred
yards
doing Japa. He should not overeat. He should eat
only half-belly. He should sleep always on the left side
facing the east or the south. He should not sleep during
the daytime. Sleeping during daytime begets ill-heatth.
He should not sleep for more than six hours in the night.
The householder should not play with dice and
should not gamble.
He should not eat like a slow ass and
should not keep his plate of food on a cushion, etc. He
should eat with feet wet, but he must lie down for sleep
with feet dry at night. He should not give
any worldly
advice or Vedic instructions to a Sudra who is unfit to
receive such advice. He should not bathe without wetting
his head, should not scratch his head with the nails,
should not accept the gift
of a king who is not the son of a
Kshatriya, nor from a meat-seller, nor a wine-seller, nor
a prostitute.
The Veda is the holiest and the most sacred thing in
the whole world. The Veda should not be chanted
indiscriminately. The Veda should be preserved
like his
own self, for there is nothing in all the worlds that is
greater
than the Veda.
He should not bathe after eating, nor while ill, nor at
midnight, nor with a large number of clothes, nor in an
unknown tank or reservoir of water. Let him not
133
134 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
disparage himbelf on account of his past failure or
misfortunes. Let him pursue fortune even to the last day
of his life and never think anything to be beyond his
reach.
He must speak truth, and truth that is pleasant; he
must not speak an unpleasant truth nor a pleasant lie.
This is the eternal virtue. Even in cases of ungentle
dealings he must always say, "That's
good, that's good,
good, good" to all. He must not engage in futile
quarrel,
nor create a barren enmity with any person. Persons
possessing limbs in less or excess, old men, illiterate
persons, those devoid of personal beauty and worldly
possessions, and men of low birth, he must not taunt for
their unfortunate deformities or
privations. Above all let
him diligently study the Vedas for that is the highest
duty of a Brahmana, all others are merely minor or
accessory duties.
Remembrances of his past births make him
apathetic to the world and its concerns, and lead him to
attain the Supreme Brahman and by existing in this
Supreme Sell he enjoys infinite and eternal happiness.
Constant study of the Vedas, cleanliness of the body and
mind, contemplation, austerities and compassion
towards all creatures are what bring to a man the
remembrances of his past existences.
In the next world, neither his wife and children nor
his parents and relations will be of any avail; it is virtue
alone that stands by him in the other world. Alone a man
comes into being; alone does he meet his death; alone he
enjoys the merits of his good deeds, and the consequence
of his misdeeds he suffers alone. He leaves behind him
his dead body like a log of wood, or a clod of earth, on the
ground, and his friends, and relations go away turning
their backs on it. It is virtue alone that follows him till the
end.
DUTIES OF MAN
135
4. The Duties of a Vanaprastha
Having duly discharged the duties of a householder,
a Brahmana with all passions
of his heart sobered and
tranquillised,
shall live, self-controlled,
in the forest. He
should renounce the use of all kinds of food-grains,
all
kinds of nice clothes and vehicles,
and placing
his wife
under the protection
of his son, or in her company, he
should take refuge in the wood.
He should perform
the five great
sacrifices in the
wood with the food-grain used by Munis, roots, tubers
and fruits of the forest. He should not shave any part
of
his body, should wear only barks of wood and should not
cut his nails. Out of his own food he should feed the
guests
that may happen to come to his place
of residence
in the wood, and he should not receive gifts
from anyone
in the world. He must do the Agnihotra even in the stage
of Vanaprastha,
and he should avoid the conveniences
and luxuries
of a householder.
He must store up food enough for a day's, month,s,
half year's,
or a year's
use. Or he shall live as per
the
Chandrayana penance,
or he shall live only on fruits,
roots and flowers. He should either stroll on the ground
or stand on the tips of his toes during the day, or gently
ramble in the place
of his staying, and bathe in the
morning, noon and evening. In summer he should
practise
the Iive penances,
lie in the open during the
rainy season, and wear wet clothes in the foreparts
of
winter. Thus gradually
he should increase his penitential
austerities. Installing the sacrificial fire on his self, as is
practised
by the forest-dwelling
hermits, he must
observe the vow of silence, and houseless and
unpossessed of fire, he must live on fruits and edible
roots.
Apathetic to the objects of pleasure,
and content, he
must lie on the bare ground,
knowing no other house
than the tree-shade, and caring not for any other place
of
refuge. He shall collect his food even from the
136
ETHICAL
TEACHINGS
neighbouring
village if necessary,
but he should not
become a burden
to the householders
at any cost' He
shall read the upanishads
and make his mind free of all
desires and anxieties. On the advent of an incurable
disease, he should, living on air and water, and with his
Self rooted in Yoga,
go straight to the North-east
until
he
quits his mortal coil. Thus the
glorious Brahmana
reaches the regions of Brahma.
The Vanaprastha
should
have the attainment
of
Immortality
as the Goal and spend his time in preparing
for the life of absolute SannYasa.
The strict scriptural
ideal of the Vanaprastha
may
not be quite possible to follow to the very letter at the
present day. Man has not the same
robustness of health
and hardihood,
the same endurance,
strength
of frame
and iron constitution
as the ancestors.
If a
purely
jungle-life in complete seclusion
is not
possible, the
Vanaprastha
must retire to a
quiet village or a
place of
pilgrimage or a holy Tirtha' He must live there upon a
simple diet of
plain bread and vegetable or even milk and
fruit. He must be extremely
simple in his habits. He must
reduce
his wants to the minimum, be devoid of luxury,
and observe
austerity in food, sleep, dress and all habits
as much as
possible. The highest ideal must be always
in
his mind and within the capacity of his
prowess he
should
strive to adhere rigidly to the true ideal.
5. The Duties of a SannYasin
Tired with the mundane life of the world, and
striying for the realisation and correct knowledge
of the
Self,
pondering over the Wisdom of the Upanishads
which appertain to the science of Brahman,
a really wise
man should abandon his home and take to the life of
asceticism
(Sannyasa). Those Brahmanas
who declaring
protection to all creatures, leave their homes and take to
asceticism,
attain the effulgent regions'
DUTIES OF MAN
Alone and unfriended, the Sannyasi should roam
about for working out the emancipation of his Self.
Houseless, bereft of the sacred fire, desireless, indifferent
and speechless, he should maintain perfect equanimity.
He should not have distinction of friends and foes. Life
and death he must not court; like a servant waiting for
the receipt of his salary he must patiently bid the time of
emancipation,
With his sight, he must purify his each footstep,
speak the speech which truth has purified and do only
that which his inner conscience may approve of.
Dispassionately he must bear with revilers, without
offering affront to any one. He should not, for the sake of
this frail and pathogenic body, create enmity with any
person whomsoever.
Always contemplating upon Brahman,
non-attached to anything of the world, and desiring
nothing both here and hereafter, he should, in the
company of his self alone, roam about in the world, for
the bliss of emancipation. He must not desire to obtain
gifts by reading
portends and omens, nor by practising
divination or astrologr, nor by reading physiognomy,
nor
by interpreting and
preaching Sastras. He must not live
in a place crowded by hermits, Brahmanas, birds,
beggars and others. He should court peace and live in
peace, for
peace
is bliss and peace is his ideal.
Vessels made of
gourds, wood, earth or bamboo,
should be used by the fourth order of ascetics (Yatis).
Once a day, he should stroll out for begging alms and
refrain from attempting to secure a large quantity
of
foodstuff. By begging through attachment to a larger
alms-collecting, a Yati may ultimately become attached
to things of the senses. After the hearths of householders
have ceased to emit smoke, after pestles and mortars
have been laid aside for the day, after the hearth-fires
have been extinguished, after the householders have all
eaten their meals, and plates with leavings have been
t37
138 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
cast away, then should an ascetic (Sannyasi) stroll out
for alms, each day in the afternoon.
He must not be sorry, if he obtains no alms, nor
rejoice at its receipt. He should abandon Bhiksha given
in honour, for, by such
glori$ring Bhiksha a Yati, though
emancipated, is enchained again through Maya. By
taking small food and residing in solitude, he must
withdraw his senses from their attracting objects of the
world.
The Sannyasi has only three duties to perform,
Saucha, Bhiksha and Dhyana, ever wandering from
place
to
place.
By restraining the senses, by annihilating desire
and aversion, by extending compassion to all creatures,
by seeing the Eternal Being existing ever5rwhere, a
Sannyasi attains Immortality.
In order that he may not be attracted at any time by
the world and its contents, the Sannyasi should ponder
over the sufferings of human life, brought about through
the effect of evil deeds and evil thoughts, such as the
consignment of souls to the tortures of debased
perdition
and the dreadful sufferings therein to be endured; on
separation from objects of desire and association with
those who are loathsome, on the ravages of age and
imbecility and affliction from diseases; on the exit of the
soul from the body and its rebirth in another womb after
death, and on the transmigration of this inner spirit
through tens of millions of wombs; on the affliction
which is endured by all embodied creatures through the
predominance of sin and on the eternal bliss they enjoy
through the effect of their good deeds.
By means of Yoga, the Sannyasi should comprehend
the disembodied Self of the Supreme Brahman, which in
Its
gross form, runs through all types of living beings,
good or bad, high or low. Placed in whatever station or
society, and howsoever defiled, he should
practise virtue
and should be equally indifferent to all creatures. The
DUTIES OF MAN 139
mere garb of holy order is no virtue. As burning metals
are
purged of their dross, so the impurities of the senses
are burnt off by practising the discriminative meditation
on Brahman.
The Sannyasi should burn down the defects of his
senses with Pranayama; sin, by concentrating his mind
on the Self; attachment to the world, by withdrawing the
senses from the external objects; and undivine attributes
of his self, by means of Divine Meditation. The
all-pervadingness
of this Inner Self which runs through
all creatures, whether high or low, is unintelligible to
untrained and uncultured intellects; let him witness this
Existence-Knowledge-Bliss by means of
profound
Meditation.
Him, who has fully witnessed this Supreme State of
Being, the Self, the actions do not bind; without this
knowledge, man shall revert to this mortal world.
Supported by the pillars of bones, bound by
ligaments,
plastered over with flesh and blood, and
covered with skin, this body should be understood as the
foul-smelling refuge of urine and excreta. He shall have
to
quit this bodily frame, subject to age and imbecility,
the abode of diseases, afflicted with pain and suffering,
the transitory embodiment of material elements,
characterised by the impure quality of Rajas.
As a tree tumbles down from the bank of a river, as a
bird
quits
a tree at daybreak, so the self, like an aquatic
animal
freed from the
jaws
of a monstrous crocodile with
the
greatest
difficulty, beeomes liberated from this
delusion of a body. Thus by
gradually abandoning all
associations, and becoming free
from pairs of opposites,
his self shall merge in the Great Brahman.
All these latent possibilities of his nature such as the
knowledge of the Supreme Brahman, extinction of all
feelings of 'I'or 'Mine', etc., become
patent only through
the practice of unbroken meditation on the Supreme
Brahman at all times; he who has not acquired this
140
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
knowledge of the identity of the individual with the
Supreme Brahman will not obtain the highest
good
through mere dull meditation.
He must constantly mutter the sacred Mantras
related to the Wisdom of Brahman and the sentences of
the Vedantas which treat of the Eternal Truth. The
Brahman is the refuge of the all-knowing as well as
ignorant beings. It is the final Goal of the aspirations of
all who wish to become Immortal.
Bereft of all work, indifferent to the
pleasures of
heaven as factors of embodiment and enchainment, on
account of the
privilege of witnessing the Self, and by
constantly brooding over the Supreme Brahman, the
wise one attains the Highest Bliss.
CTIAYTER
VIII
EIll tgAl
I_E+9.1! 1 t! 9 _s_
1. Morality-The
Basis of Spiritual
Life
1. Morality is the basis of things. Morality
is the
basis of spiritual life. It is the basis of
yoga.
Truth or
Brahman
is the substance
of all morality.
practice
of
morality leads to purity
of heart,
and attainment
of
Self-realisation.
Without
morality, you
will become
a
spiritual
bankrupt.
2. Without
ethical perfection,
there is no spiritual
progress.
Without
spiritual progress,
there is no
emancipation.
Ethical perfection
comes through
the
practice
of Yama
and Niyama.
Asanas and
pranayamas
form the second
stage. concentration
and meditation
form the third step. Samadhi is the summum
bonum.
Thus the human soul aspiring after perfection
goes
from
stage to stage and finally merges itself in the blissful
glory
of the highest
union. Aim, therefore,
at moral
perfection.
spiritual
success is half achieved
through
strong moral foundation.
3. Always
bear in.mind
that the primary
condition
of success in the spiritual life is an earnest longing
for
purity.
So be sincere and very earnest in your
Sadhana
and strive for purification
and sound
ethical culture.
Sing the glories
and most powerful
names of the Lord. It
will fillyou with peace
supreme,
and devotion
will dwell
in your purified
heart. Evil thoughts
are as sinful as evil
deeds. The path
of virtue
lies straight
before you.
Be
sufficiently
watchful
and exert with faith.
(14 1)
r42
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
2. Dharma Confers Wealth and Happiness
4. What is Bhagavad
Dharma? That which takes
you to the Lord, that which enables
you to kill
your
Vasanas, egoism, likes and dislikes is Bhagavad
Dharma. That which frees
you from the round of births
and deaths, that which makes
you fearless, desireless
and 'I-less',
is Bhagavad Dharma.
That which fills
your
heart with devotion to Lord Krishna, that which enables
you to behold the one Supreme Tattva, Lord Krishna,
ever5nvhere,
is Bhagavad Dharma'
5. Practice of compassion,
humilitY,
straightforwardness
is Samanya
Dharma
(ordinary duty)
of man. Srauta-smarta
Karmas such as Agnihotra, etc',
are his Visesha Dharma to
puri$ the heart.
6. Dharma indeed is supreme
in this world. In
Dharma is truth rooted
(Dharme Satyam
Pratishthitam)'
Therefore
practise Dharma. The practice of Dharma will
lead
you to the attainment of the final emancipation.
7. Hold fast to the lamp of Dharma' Strive
ceaselessly
to do
good to others. Entertain
thoughts
of
love. Allay the flames of lust,
greed and anger. Become a
physician of the soul. Sit motionless and calm. Enjoy the
peace of the Eternal.
8. Out of righteousness
(Dharma) springs wealth'
Out of rigtheousness
springs
happiness'
Through
righteousness,
one obtains everything.
This world has
righteousness
as its essence.
9. Do not oppose righteousness
for
gain, for the
gratification of your senses. Eschew untruthfulness,
inattention, anger,
procrastination, evil company,
idleness,
gratification of the senses'
10. Those who put on the appearance
of righteous
men are more sinful than the unrighteous.
Theywill
have
to undergo
great miseries.
1 1. The course of morality is very subtle indeed.
Even the
great sages fail to understand
it always. What a
ETHICAL TEACHINGS t43
strong man says in this world is morality and is
considered as such by others, though it may not be really
so, while what a weak man says is immorality and is
regarded as such even if it be the highest morality. Follow
the path trodden by great
souls. This will be your guide.
3. Character Is Power
12. Character is power.
Characterlessness is
practically
death. Character is made by Karma.
Character makes the will.
13. Character is the ornament of the virtuous.
Character is the real protection
and ornament of a
woman.
14. Your character, your future is built by your
thoughts and deeds. As you
think, so shall you become.
If you think nobly, you will be born with a noble
character. If you think badly, you
will be born with a bad
character. This is the immutable law of nature. Change
your mode of thought and mental attitude from this very
minute. Develop right thinking. Have pure
Sattvic desire.
Thought transformed will transform your life.
15. Do good
actions. Entertain sublime, divine
thoughts and build your character. Have one pure,
holy
desire, the desire for liberation from the wheel of birth
and death. Root out hatred. Radiate love and
compassion. Pure Prem alone can overcome hatred and
enmity. True selfless love is the greatest
redeeming and
unifying force in the universe. See and feel the presence
of the Atman in all things.
16. Your character depends upon the quality
of
thoughts held in your mind and the mental pictures
of
ideals entertained by you. If your thoughts are of a base
nature, you will have a bad character. If you
entertain
noble thoughts, sublime ideals and holy pictures, you
will have a magnanimous character. You will have a
magnetic personality.
You will be a centre of
joy,
power
and peace. If you
develop the practice
of cultivating
t44 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
sublime divine thoughts, all base thoughts will
perish by
themselves gradually. Just as darkness cannot stand
before the sun, so also evil thoughts cannot stand before
the sublime thoughts.
17. More than the moral lessons taught in schools
is the training which the children receive at home. If the
parents take care of the development of character in their
own children, the moral lessons will be like the good
seeds sown on fertile soil. When children
grow up to
youth and manhood they will become ideal men.
18. Father and mother are only responsible for the
character of their children. If the parents are irreligious,
their children also become irreligious. It is the onerous
duty of parents to give their children religious training in
their boyhood. They should themselves lead the Divine
Life. When religious Samskaras are lodged in boyhood,
they will strike deep root, blossom and bear fruit when
they attain manhood.
19. There is no religion higher than virtue. Virtue
brings peace. Virtue is greater than life and prosperity.
Virtue is the gateway to Bliss. Therefore be virtuous
always. Let virtue be your mainstay.
20. Courage is that quality of mind which enables
one to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness or
without fear or fainting of heart. Valour, intrepidity,
boldness are synonymous terms. It is a positive attribute
of the mind. This quality is very necessary for material
and spiritual progress. A coward dies many times before
he actually leaves this physical body. Honesty and
justice
are linked with courage. There are people who
have exhibited physical courage during combat, but who
have shown but very little moral courage in matters of
principle. Moral courage is an attribute of the soul. It
comes from the source within.
ETHICAL TEACHINGS 145
4. The Power of Ahimsa
21. Ahimsa is supreme love. Ahimsa is soul-force.
Ahimsa is Divine Life. Hate melts in the presence of love.
Hate dissolves in the
presence of Ahimsa. There is no
power greater than Ahimsa. The practice of Ahimsa
develops will-power to a considerable degree. The
practice of Ahimsa will make you fearless. He who
practises Ahimsa with real faith can move the whole
world, can tame wild animals, can win the hearts of all
and can subdue his enemies. He can do and undo things.
The power of Ahimsa is ineffable. Its glory is
indescribable. Its greatness is inscrutable. The force of
Ahimsa is infinitely more wonderful and subtle than
electricity or magnetism.
5. Truth Alone Reigns Supreme
22. Truth alone reigns supreme but not untruth.
Truth alone triumphs but not falsehood. Dharma is
rooted in Truth. Sages reach the immortal abode where
the Supreme Seat of Truth is situated. They cease to
speak or think of anything else.
23. Truth is nobody's
propert5r. Truth is not the
property
of any particular sect, creed or religion. This is
the
property of everybody and is the same for all.
24. Be truthful. Truth stands even when there is no
public support. Truth is the gateway to the kingdom of
God. Draw inspiration from the lives of saints who lead a
life of truth and
penance.
25. Satyam (Truth) is the seed. Brahmacharya
(celibacy) is the root. Meditation is the shower. Santi or
peace is the flower. Moksha or salvation is the fruit.
Therefore speak the truth,
practise Brahmacharya
and
meditation. Cultivate Santi. You will surely attain the
final emancipation or freedom from the trammels of birth
and death and enjoy eternal bliss, supreme
peace,
perennial
joy
and immortality.
r46 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
26. O Ram, speak truth at all costs. See Radha in all
women. Be humble as a blade of grass. Be kind. Be good.
Do good.
Sing always Krishna's Name. Let
'Om Namo
Bhagavate Vaasudevaya' be always on your lips. May
Lord Krishna protect you.
27. Do not grieve.
O Beloved Kaivalya! Do not
despair. Nil desperandum. Tread the path
of Truth and
righteousness. Stick tenaciously to the twenty
instructions. Be regular in your
meditation. Never cease
to strive. You will reach the goal soon. The way to
freedom or Moksha is thrown open to you now.
6. Illhen Man Becomes One with the Divine
28. Man is a mixture of three ingredients, viz.,
human element, brutal instinct and divine ray. He is
endowed with finite intellect, perishable
body, a little
knowledge and a little power.
This makes him distinctly
human. Lust, anger, hatred belong to his brutal nature.
The reflection of cosmic intelligence is at the back of his
intellect. So he is an image of God. When the brutal
instincts die, when his ignorance is rent asunder, when
he is able to bear insult and injury, he becomes one with
the Divine.
29. The conquest of the lower self is the conquest of
the world.
3O. Lasciviousness
of the Gandharvas, anger of the
serpents, timidity of deers, hunger of vultures, ferocity of
tigers, gentleness
of cows, cunningness of the
jackals
are
most dominant. Each possesses
only one vicious quality.
But man is a complex animal. He possesses
countless
evil traits. It is difficult to describe him. He is a horrible
compound of so many evil qualities.
31. Passion, egoism,
jealousy,
pride, hatred are
very, very deep-rooted. If you
cut the branches of a tree,
again after some time they grow.
Even so these Vrittis are
suppressed or thinned out for some time, they manifest
ETHICAL TEACHINGS t47
again after some time. They should be completely rooted
out by strenuous efforts, Vichara, meditation, etc.
32. Worry, depression, unholy thoughts, anger and
hatred produce
a kind of crust or dark layer on the
surface of the mind or astral body. This crust prevents
the beneficial influences to get entry inside and allows
the evil forces or lower influences to operate. Worry does
great harm in the astral body and the mind. Energr is
wasted by worry. Nothing is gained by worrying. It
causes inflammation of the astral body and drains the
vitality of man. It should be eradicated by vigilant
introspection and keeping the mind fully occupied.
33. Self-sufficiency, impertinence, pride, luxury,
name, fame, self-assertive nature, obstinacy, idea of
superiorit5r, sensual desires, evil company, laziness,
overwork, too much mixing and too much talk are some
of the obstacles in the path
of Yoga. Admit your faults
freely. When you are free from all these evil traits,
Samadhi will come by itself.
34. Pride, self-sufficiency, arrogance, self-assertive
Rajasic nature, irritability, curiosity about the affairs of
other people,
hypocrisy, are all obstacles in meditation.
Subtle forms of these evil Vrittis lurk in the mind. They
operate as oceanic under-currents. Under the pressure
of Yoga and meditation various sorts of dirts in the mind
come out,
just
as dirt of a room that is shut up for six
months, comes out when you
carefully sweep. Aspirants
should introspect and watch their minds. They should
remove them one by one applying suitable, effective
methods. Pride is inveterate. Its branches rami$r in all
directions in the regions of the Rajasic mind. Again and
again it manifests, although the wave subsides
temporarily for some time.
35. To be
jealous
is mean, to be selfish is ignoble, to
be compassionate is divine, to be patient and enduring is
manly, to be contented and happy is wise, to be serene is
glorious, to be dispassionate is praiseworthy and to be
148 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
equanimous is laudable. Therefore eradicate
jealousy,
selfishness and cultivate the divine virtues. You will soon
attain Godhead.
36. If you are endowed with good character,
Brahmachdtyd, truthfulness, mercy, pure love,
tolerance, forgiveness, serenity, these qualities will more
than counter-balance many evil qualities you may
possess. Gradually these evil
qualities also will vanish if
you are careful, if you focus your attention on them.
37. lf you are endowed with good character,
Brahmach&ry&, decision, far-sightedness, discernment,
alacrity, the faculty of "Daksha"
(expertness) which will
help you to decide a right line of action when you are in a
dilemma, then only you will be able to find out what is
exactly required at the critical
juncture
or at right time
but not an hour afterwards. You will not regret
afterwards in any way.
38. If the aspirant is capable of being offended easily
for trifling things, he cannot make any progress in
meditation. He should cultivate amiable loving nature
and adaptability. Then this bad trait will vanish. Some
aspirants get easily offended if their bad qualities and
defects are pointed out. They become indignant and
begin to
{ight
with the man who points out the defects.
They think that the man is concocting their defects out of
jealousy
or hatred. A man who has no life of
introspection, whose mind is of out-going tendencies
(Bahirmukha-Vritti), cannot find out his own mistakes.
The self-conceit acts as a veil and blurs the mental
vision. If an aspirant wants to grow, he must admit his
defects if they are pointed out. He must try his level best
to eradicate them and must thank the man who points
out his defects. Then only he can grow in spirituality.
39. Be on the alert. Be vigilant. Be bold. Be cheerful.
Be pure. Be kind. Be humble. Be patient. Do not miss the
ideal. Keep the vision of your goal clear before your eyes.
Live every moment to realise the ideal in life. Correctyour
ETHICAL
TEACHINGS
t49
mistakes.
Realise
the self through
direct intuitive
experience.
40. If you
remove
selfishness, greed,
lust, anger,
jealousy,
pride,
egoism, you
will feel, beyond
shadow
of
doubt, that God exists. Do not enter into heated
discussions
with people.
Remove
these evil qualities
first.
Then Divine Light will dawn by itself in your
heart.
41. The salt of life is selfless
service. The bread of life
is universal
love. The water of life is purity.
The
sweetness
of life is devotion.
The fragrance
of life is
generosity.
The pivot
of life is meditation.
The goal
of life
is emancipation
or Moksha.
7. Importance
of Brahmacharya
42. Chastity
or continence
is an integral part
of
Yoga. It is an indispensable
factor for the aspirants
to
divine union or blissful Samadhi.
you
cannot
attain
great
heights of spirituality
without
chastit5r.
chastity
or
Brahmacharya
lies at the ver5r heart of Tapasya
oryoga.
43. Brahmacharya
means literally,
Achara
or
conduct that leads to the realisation
of Brahman
or one,s
owrr immortal
Self. Its technical
meaning
is
self-restraint, particularly
mastery
or perfect
control over
the sexual organ or freedom
from lust in thought,
word
and deed.
44. Sexual Vasanas
are more powerful
than all
other vasanas.
Therefore you
will have to direct all your
efforts in subduing
the sexual Vasanas
and the
reproductive
organ first.
45. Men are swayed by lust. They lose their sense of
righteousness
and of time and place.
They never
discriminate
between right
and wrong. They lose all
sense of shame.
46. A lustful look itself is break in Brahmacharya.
There is internal
discharge.
veerya is separated
from ihe
system.
150
ETHICAL
TEACHINGS
47. Abstinence
or continence
is the corner-stone
on
which the
pedestal of Moksha
stands.
If the foundation
is
not very
"irorrg,
the superstructure
will fall down
when
there is treavy rain. Even so if you are not established
in
Brahmach
ur1d,
if your mind is agitated
by sexual
thoughts,
you wilt faIl down.
You cannot
reach the
.rr**it
of the ladder of Yoga or the highest Nirvikalpa
Samadhi.
48. If a man is lustful
in his conduct,
he can be
known
from his
postures,
gazing, eating,
work, state
of
his mind, etc.
49. Three evils born of
passion exist in this world'
Uttering
a falsehood
is the first. The two others
which are
more heinous,
are intercourse
with another
man's wife
and the infliction
of cruelty
in the absence
of enmity'
50. Cunningness,
deceitfulness,
pride, evil desire,
covetousness,
discontentedness,
lasciviousness,
frivolity,
these and other states are found abundantly
in
one who is lustful.
51. The beginning
of saintliness
is killing of egoism
or Ahamkara,
the end of saintliness
is eternal
life. The
key to saintliness
is Brahmacharya'
The light
of
saintliness
is universal
love. The
garb of saintliness
is
virtue. The mark of saintliness
is equal
vision. The Kasoti
or touch-stone
of saintliness
is humility.
The road to
saintliness
is regular
meditation.
The foundation
of
saintliness
is Yama and NiYama'
52. Of what avail is knowledge
of the Universities
and titles, of what avail is life, of what avail
is Japa or
meditation
or enquiry
of Who am I'if
you become
a slave
of lust or women? control
this mischievous
Indriya first
by rigorous
Tapas before
you take to rigorous meditation.
First become
at least a strict
physical Brahrhachari.
Then endeavour
to have mental Brahmacharya'
53. Your actions must supportyour
character'
Your
ideals must lead
you to the highest.
Stake not the
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
stomach for half a plate of rice, your independence for
the sexual Life.
54. Householders who are treading the path of
Truth and who are doing spiritual Sadhana should
observe
perfect celibacy. A sexual contact revives all bad
ideas and gives them a new lease of life.
55. If you want to practise Brahmacharya, think
and feel that your wife is your sister. Destroy the idea of
husband and wife and develop the idea of brother and
sister. You both will develop
pure and strong love
because the impurity of lust will be removed. Talk to her
always on spiritual matters. Narrate to her stories from
the Mahabharata, the Bhagavata. Sit with her on
holidays and read some religious book. Gradually her
mind will be changed. She will take interest and delight
in spirituality. Put this in practice if you want to get rid of
the miseries of Samsara and enjoy the eternal bliss of the
Soul.
56. Parents should not force marriage on their sons.
They should not stamp out the spiritual Samskaras of
their children.
57. Brahmacharya does not mean to shut oneself
out from the worldly temptation, but to sublimate and
spiritualise the sex-ener5/ and to offer it as a
pure and
humble dedication to the service of God and man,
keeping the ideal of Hanuman and Bhishma in view.
58. Lustful look, lustful thinking, wet-dreams are
all failures or breaks in Brahmacharya. Be chaste in your
look. Give up Drishti-dosha
(lustful look). See mother in
all women. Cultivate sublime, divine thoughts. Do Japa
and meditation regularly. You will be established in
Brahmacharya.
59. Those who practise Brahmacharya should
control the sexual
gazing impulse or Skoptophilia. This
kind of impulse is a great menace as it will stimulate
curiosity and sexual desire. There is no harm in looking
at a beautiful object. You will have to develop the divine
151
t52
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
Bhava. You will have to feel that everything is a
manifestation of God. If there is impurity behind the
gaze, it is tantamount to adultery. Purify your
thoughts
and feelings. Purity is Brahman. Thou art pure in
essence. Thou art an embodiment of purity.
O Ram!
Repeat the formula mentally: "suddhoham;
Suddhoham-I am purity;
I am purity"
and attain that
state of pristine,
matchless purity.
60. Make the mind understand by repeated
hammering and Vichara that all sexual pleasures
are
false, utterly worthless and extremely harmful. Clearly
think over how very illusory and full of pain
it is. On no
account should you
listen to the promptings
of the
impure mind. P1ace before the mind the glory
and
advantage of a life in the eternal and all-blissful,
Omniscient Atman.
61. Lust deals a deadly blow to spiritual Sadhana.
Kill this lust by diverse methods. Do not entertain
thoughts of women. Do not look at figures that create the
mental sensation of passion.
Avoid going
to cinemas. Do
not mix with all sorts of people, people
who take pleasure
in speaking of women, their character, love, nature, etc.
Think of the Lord when the idea of sex enters the mind.
Pray to Him fervently.
8. Disastrous
Consequences of Anger
62. A terrible fit of anger shatters the physical
neryous system and produces
a deep and lasting
impression on the inner astral body. Dark arrows will
shoot from the astral body. The germs
that caused an
epidemic may die, but the wave of influenza continues in
various parts for a long time. Even so, though the effect
of the fit of anger in the mind may subside in a short
time, the vibration or wave continues to exist for days
and weeks together in the Linga Sarira or astral body.
Slight unpleasant feeling that lasts in the mind for five
minutes may produce
deep inflammation
of the astral
body. It will take several months for the healing of the
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
153
ulcer. Have
you realised now the disastrous
consequences of anger? Do not become a victim to anger.
Control it by Kshama, love, mercy, sympathy, Vichara
and consideration for others.
63. Even slight annoyance and irritability affects
the mind and astral body. Aspirants should not allow
these evil Vrittis to manifest in the mind-lake. They may
burst out as big waves of anger at any moment, if you are
careless and weak. They should be nipped in the bud, by
forgiveness, love and sympathy for others. There should
not be the least disturbance in the mind-lake. It should
be
perfectly calm and serene. Then only meditation is
possible.
64. Hatred has no real existence, because it is a
negative Vikara of mind. Love alone exists. Love is God.
Untruth has no real existence because it is a negative
Vikara. Truth always exists. Truth is God.
65. It is very difficult to control anger. Anger is a
manifestation
of Sakti. First try to reduce its force (Vega),
its frequency and duration. Endeavour to attenuate or
thin out this formidable modification or Vritti. Do not
allow it to assume the form of a big wave on the surface of
the conscious mind. Nip it in the bud when it is in the
form of irritability in the subconscious mind. Divert the
mind now. Entertain divine thoughts. Do rigorous Japa
or Kirtan. Repeat some prayers or Slokas of the
Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana or the Upanishads.
Develop
gradually the opposite
positive divine virtues
such as
patience, love, forgiveness. Anger will gradually
die by itself. It is very difficult to fight against it directly. It
is easy to control anger when it is in the form of mild
irritability.
66. In worldly-minded, emotional
people, the
modification of anger exists in a very expanded state
(Udaara Avastha). They are thrown into a state of
explosive fury for trifling things. They cannot control
anger even a bit. Their bodies will tremble when they
154 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
become angry; their eyes will become red, they wilt bite
their lips. There will be intense burning in their hearts.
That state will continue for hours together. Theywill even
kill their opponents. They do not know what they are
doing.
67, lf the emotion of love prevails in the mind, you
cannot have the emotion of anger at the same time and
vice versa. The effects of good or Sattvic emotions persist
for a longer time than the effects of evil emotions.
68. If a man's mind is filled with hatred, he does not
see the real merit of another. He will exaggerate his fault,
though it is a small one. Anger, malice, hypocrisy,
rivalry, DW, meannesss-these and other states
manifest in one who has hatred in his mind.
69. Do not cause pain
or suffering in any living
being from greed,
selfishness, irritability, annoyance.
Give up anger or ill-will. Give up the spirit of fighting, and
heated debates. Do not argue. If you quarrel with
somebody or if you
have a heated debate with anybody,
you cannot meditate for 3 or 4 days. Your balance of
mind will be upset. Much enerry will be wasted in
useless channels. The blood will become hot. The nerves
will be shattered, You must try your level best to keep a
serene mind always. Meditation can proceed from a
serene mind only. A serene mind is a valuable spiritual
asset for you.
70. Blessed are those high-souled people who can
control their anger by dint of their
pure
and strong will
and intellect, like fire quenched by water. What evil
cannot be effected by anger? An angry person can even
kill the worshipful and vilify the pious with rude
expressions. The angry man cannot decide what to speak
and what not to utter. There is no sin that cannot be
committed by him. He is a real man who can cast off his
anger as the snakes cast off their sloughs.
71. Be serene and tranquil under all circumstances.
Cultivate this virtue, Sama, again and again through
ETHICAL TEACHINGS 155
constant and strenuous endeavour. Serenity is like a
rock. Waves of irritation may dash on it, but cannot
affect it. Meditate daily on the ever-tranquil Atman or the
Eternal which is unchanging. You will attain this
sublime virtue
gradually. The divine light will descend on
a calm mind only. An aspirant with a calm mind only can
enter into deep meditation and Nirvikalpa Samadhi. He
only can practise Nishkamya Karma Yoga' It is easy to do
evil for evil, to do
good for
good but it is difficult and
sublime to do
good for evil. The downward
path to evil is
very easy, but the upward
path to
good is very difficult,
thorny and
precipitous. Those who are endowed with
strength,
wisdom in order to do
good for evil, are indeed
blessed
people. They are veritable
gods on earth.
9. Control ofAnger
72. Take refuge in the name of the Lord. Do Japa
daily. Sing His Name. You will
gain immense inner
spiritual
strength. Fractice
of Pranayama
also will help
you in the control of anger. Be on the alert. Remain as a
Sakshi. Do not identify
yourself with the Vritti, anger,
73. When
you try to control anger, when somebody
has injured
you, you should not only check the big wave
of anger, but also try to eradicate the internal burning
which remains even though
you do not speak any harsh
word or express outwardly any sign of anger.
7 4 . Conlrol the big wave of anger first. If you
are not
able to control it, cut short its duration. Control of the big
wave of anger will give you strength to control irritability
or sharp temper.
Irritability is a smaller wave only. Pray
and watch. Develop
patience and forgiveness. This small
wave also will vanish. You will enjoy supreme
peace.
75. Gradually the burning caused by anger will
subside. The force born of anger
(Vega) will
gradually lose
its intensity. The attacks will not
persist for a long time.
The spiritual strength born of Nirodha Samskaras
156
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
(Sattvic
controlling potencies)
will come to your aid. The
mind will become calmer gradually.
76. Anger can be burnt in toto only by Nirvikalpa
Samadhi or Knowledge
of Self. If you
thin out this evil
Vritti through regular
Japa and meditation,
enquiry,
etc., if you
mitigate its force, itwill not do any havoc. It
will be like a cobra whose poisonous
fangs are rooted out.
It may raise its hood and hiss sometimes,
but it can be
controlled quite
easily.
77. T}re effect of hate is repulsion. The effect of Raga
is attraction. If you
are attached to a certain man, you
feel inclined
to attend on him and serve him; if you
dislike or hate a man, you
feel disinclined to wait upon
him and serve him. Attraction and repulsion are Vrittis of
the mind. Go above attraction and repulsion and rest
peacefully
in your
own Atman where there is neither
attraction nor repulsion.
78. There is nothing really good
or bad in this world.
Only thinking or imagination
makes it so. All these
phenomena
and diversities,
all these seeming
contradictions
and this interplay
of good
and bad are the
workings
of the mysterious
Maya. The moment you
penetrate
this stiff veil, all the knotty problems
will be
solved for you.
To a realised
sage there is nothing bad.
Samsara vanishes for him. He becomes one with
Brahman or the Infinite.
79. lf you
entertain some dislike for anybody, it also
spreads its root deep in the subconscious mind and
gradually grows
into a big tree. Your duty, therefore, lies
in loving one and all and in hating none.
80. Restrain the senses. Annihilate Raga-Dvesha
(like and dislike). Extend compassion
to all creatures.
You will soon attain Immortality.
81. If you really want to root out hatred and develop
Prem or pure love, you
will have to serve that man who is
planning
to destroy you. When you hear that your
bitterest enemy is sick, you
will have to run immediately
ETHICAL TEACHINGS t57
to his house and shampoo his legs with full Prem. You
will have to attend on him day and night,
just
as you
attend on your
sick wife, son or mother. This is doubtless
a trying, difficult Sadhana. But the benefits are
wonderful. You will become a centre of power
and energr.
82. lt is easy to contract friendship, but it is difficult
to maintain it owing to the fickleness of mind. A very
slight cause may bring about a rupture. You must be
very careful.
83. When your friendship with some other person
terminates by some slight rupture, quarrel
or
misunderstanding, you should never, never advertise
and circulate the evil qualities
or wrong doings of your
friend whom you have loved for a long time. If you do so,
this will bring harm to yourself and to your friend. Drop
the matter at once. Forget all about the unhappy
incident. Always speak well of anybody. Speak well even
of that man who has done serious injury to you. You will
help that man. This is nobility. This is the nature of a
Mahatma. Even if you
are a worldly man now, you must
become a Mahatma in this very life, in a short time.
10. Selfishness Retards Progress
84. Selfishness is the source of all vices. It is born of
ignorance. A selfish man is greedy
and unrighteous. He
is far from God. He will do anything to attain his ends. He
injures others, robs their properties
and does many
sinful actions to satisff his selfishness. He has neither
scruples nor character. Peace of mind is unknown to
him. He is always planning
and scheming for acquisition
of wealth, power,
name and fame. He always separates
himself from others. He is very much attached to his wife,
children and property.
Attachment and sense of
separateness are present in him to a maximum degree.
Selfishness is a great impediment to Yoga. Destroy
selfishness through selfless service, charit5r, Satsanga.
158 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
85. Man lives in vain if he is selfish and miserly.
Man lives in vain if he has not got a generous heart, if he
has no mercy and sympathy, if he does not lead a life of
virtue, Tapas and meditation and if he does not help and
serve religious institutions and religious teachers with
uniform and artless courtesy and devotion.
86. Selfishness retards spiritual progress. If any
one can destroy his selfishness, half of his spiritual
Sadhana is over. No Samadhi or meditation is possible
without eradication of this undesirable negative quality.
Aspirants should direct their whole attention in the
beginning towards the removal of this dire malady by
protracted
selfless disinterested service.
87. A selfish man is unrighteous. Attachment and
sense of separateness are present in him to a remarkable
degree. He cannot develop those qualities which Yoga
needs. A desire to become a Yogi and to learn Yoga can
only arise in a man who is free from selfishness, who is
righteous, and who has religious disposition. Selfishness
constricts the heart and forces a man to do injury to
others and to get hold of the property of others by foul
means. It is selfishness that prompts
a man to do evil
acts.
88. If you
are attached to your wife and children,
you
cannot develop universal love. You cannot look upon
all mankind as kith and kin. You cannot cultivate
universal brotherhood. You cannot extend the same love
which you have for your
children to other children. You
cannot consider all children as your
own children. You
will have a constricted or narrow heart. Your love will be
conhned to a few persons only. Through selfishness, you
have created a boundary wall round the members of your
family only. You always think: "Let my family members
duly prosper.
Let us only be happy. Why should I bother
about the welfare of others?"
89. Whereas the man who has developed universal
love has equal vision for all. He loves and embraces all.
ETHICAL TEACHINGS 159
A11 children are his. All men are his brothers. All women
are his sisters. The whole world is his family. The whole
world is his home. He sympathises with all. He serves all.
He shares what he has with all. He cares for the
well-being of all. He sacrifices his interests for the
interest of others. He lives and dies for others. What a
magnanimous personality! What an expanded heart he
has! He is a veritable God on earth.
90. Blessed is he who has overcome all selfishness,
crookedness and petty-mindedness. Blessed is he who
has attained the supreme peace
of the Eternal. Blessed is
he who has found the Truth.
91. Eradicate greed and other selfish cravings. Do
not be much intimate with anybody nor be wanting in
friendship. Too much of everything is bad. Therefore
always follow the golden mean.
92. Harischandra, Rantideva, Unchavritti, Sibi,
Bali, the hunter, the pigeon and many more have
attained eternal fame by their generosity
and
large-heartedness. Draw inspiration from them.
Remember their names and spotless life they led. Your
mind
will be elevated to loftier heights of splendour and
glory.
11. Destroy Jealousy and Prejudice
93. The stink of
jealousy
or selfishness is more
abominable than the stink of a gutter or a suppurating
boil or abscess. A boil with foul pus can be rendered neat
and clean in a short time byusing a potent antiseptic or a
powerful
disinfectant, but it is very difficult to remove the
stink of
jealousy
in the mind. Constant Japa, ceaseless
meditation and untiring selfless service are necessary to
remove this loathsome stink ofjealousy and selfishness.
94. Near relatives and fellows in office and those
who have been bred together are more liable to entertain
jealousy
towards their equals when they are in a better
position in life. This is seen in daily life. Brothers fight
160 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
and go to courts. Clerks in an office backbite and carry
tales against their colleagues. It consumes the man like
blazing fire. He can have no peace
of mind. O man of
jealousy,
pitiable is your lot. Destroy this evil trait by
cultivating nobility, generosity
and large-heartedness.
How long do you
want to remain in this wretched
condition? Are you not ashamed of your
mean-mindedness? Be in the company of a noble man.
Associate with Mahatmas and kill this ignoble evil
quality.
95. A white man dislikes a black man and vice
versa. A Samajist dislikes a Sanatanist and vice versa. A
South Indian dislikes a man of Northern India and vice
versa. A Saivite dislikes a Vaishnavite and vice versa. A
Protestant dislikes a Catholic and vice versa. There is an
inherent tendency in man to praise his own native place,
his own country, his own family, his own clan or sect, his
own mode of worship, his own religion, his own language
and to censure those of others. This is petty-mindedness
born of ignorance. When the heart of man expands
through spiritual culture, when he gets Knowledge of the
Self, these evil Vasanas will perish.
Mark! How man is in
a degraded and deplorable state on account of the
influence of the Vasanas. Still he will not try to destroy
these Vasanas. He clings to them like a leech and thinks
he is always in the right path
on account of delusion
created by the Vasanas. Though he is in the body of a
human being, he does the actions of a horizontal being.
96. Man finds it difficult to adjust to the ways and
habits of others. His mind is filled with the prejudice of
caste, creed and colour. He is quite intolerant. He thinks
that his views, opinions and ways of living only are right
and the views of others are incorrect. The faultfinding
nature is ingrained in him. He
jumps
at once to find the
faults of others. He has morbid eyes. He cannot see the
good in others. He can brag of his own abilities and
actions. That is the reason why he fights with all people
and cannot keep up the friendship with others for a long
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
161
time. Aspirants do not make progress in the path of
spirituality, because they too have these defects to a
great degree. They should eradicate them completely by
developing tolerance, pure love and other Sattvic
qualities.
97. Jealousy is a fire. It eats up goodness just
as fire
consumes fuel. Therefore abandon
jealousy
totally and
develop magnanimity and large-heartedness. Embrace
all. Love all. You will soon enter the kingdom of God.
98. The Samskaras of vanit5r, cunningness,
crookedness, arrogance,
jealousy,
petty-mindedness,
fighting nature, boasting or bragging or self-esteem or
thinking too much of one's self, speaking ill of others,
belittling others may be still lurking in your mind. You
cannot shine unless you remove them thoroughly.
Success in meditation is not possible without eradicating
these undesirable negative qualities
of lower nature.
12. Discipline the Tongue
99. Be clean-hearted, sweet-tongued, true-tongued.
Be courteous. Do not destroy your soul by anger and
revenge. Live in harmony with others. You will soon
attain eternal bliss and Immortality.
100. Observe Mouna (vow of silence). Discipline the
tongue properly.
Think thrice before you
speak, before
you let fall a word. Know the power
of each word that you
utter and the effect it will produce
on the minds of others.
Do not allow the tongue to run riot. Do not be garrulous.
Speak a few words. Speak sweet and loving words. A
word spoken once cannot be taken back like a shot sent
at a target. Be careful in your
speech. It is the speech
that wounds a man more than the action. A harsh
speech bleeds the heart and not the body. The wound in
the body heals quickly
but the wound in the heart caused
by offensive speech never heals. The sufferings of the
body are transitory and easily forgotten but not the
sufferings of the heart. Speak measured words. Make
t62 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
this a habit through protracted practice. You can then
talk cautiously without thinking.
101.
'Speak
politely. Be sweet in your speech. Do not
praise yourself. Do not abuse anybody. Do not be
discourteous. Give up backbiting as it is more grievous
than adultery. Do not mock at others. Do not laugh on
improper occasions. Do not treat the poor with contempt.
Beware that you may be
poor
one day. Do not revenge. Be
grateful.
1O2. Kind words are worth much but cost little.
Therefore always speak kind words.
103. Subjugate the senses. Subdue the desires.
Practise truth and austerity. Practise abstract
meditation. Know the Self (Atman) and become
Immortal.
13. Humility-The Path of Immortality
104. Humility is the path of Immortality. Vanity is
the path of births and deaths. Simple living is the high
road to the kingdom of Eternal Bliss. Luxury is the high
road to the round of births and deaths.
105. Humility is a bomb of infinite potency which
only can destroy the invincible citadel of egoism. Egoism
is harder than granite or steel. A thousand bombs can
destroy a big city or a country but the bomb of humility
only which is more powerful than the sum total of all
bombs of this world put together can annihilate this
egoism. He who is endowed with humility can conquer
the three worlds. He can win the hearts of all.
106. Be humble before teachers. Sympathise with
all creatures. Make no distinction between one Sastra
and another. Adhere strictly to the injunction of the
Sastras. Become fearless. Crush this ego. Pulverise the
lower nature. You will soon attain everlasting bliss.
107. Mere outward humility is of no use. It is
hypocrisy. A man may prostrate before you half a dozen
times and yet he will speak ill of you and vilify you at your
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
163
back. What is wanted is true humility wherein there is no
outward
show. True humility
is the outcome
of
substantial
spiritual growth.
108. Akrura went to Gokula at the command
of
Kamsa to take Sri Krishna
and Balarama
for the
bow-sacrifice.
As soon as Sri Krishna
saw Akrura,
he
washed the feet of Akrura
and shampooed
his legs as he
was fatigued
by the
journey.
Lord Krishna
carried
bundles
of firewood for his Guru Sandipani.
Lord
Krishna touched the feet of the Brahmin
who brought
the message from Rukmini with his own hands.
Sri
Krishna,
the mighty Ruler of the three worlds, performed
all these deeds which are considered
as menial services
in the eyes of the worldly-minded.
Remember
these
actions of Sri Krishna. Become
humble. Serve like Him
untiringly. Consider
every act as an offering
unto the
Lord. Then only you will have purification
of heart,
devotion
unto the Lord
and eventually
Advaita
realisation
of oneness or unity of Self.
14. Be Self-Controlled
109. The final end of moral discipline is self-control.
Your whole nature must be disciplined. Each organ or
element requires its specific discipline.
110. Learn the science
of self-control.
possess
a
steady mind by constant practice
of meditation.
Fix your
mind upon God. You will have divine 1ife. Light will shine.
There will be an inflooding
of all divine qualities.
All
negative tendencies
will vanish. All conflicting forces will
be reconciled.
You will enjoy perfect
harmony,
undisturbed
happiness
and deep abiding peace.
1 1 1. Be self-controlled.
Be
just.
Know the right.
Keep to your promise.
Be noble and impartial.
Be like the
ocean in depth, like Himalayas in firmness.
112. Do your
duty to your
father, mother, wife, son,
relatives,
friends, religious
teachers,
society and
country. Do not be troubled by worldly care, worries,
t64 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
anxieties, by sorrow or misfortune. Endeavour to remain
calm and self-restrained amidst the vicissitudes of life.
Discipline the mind. Have a balanced mind. You will have
to struggle hard to attain this state of mind.
113. Life is a great pilgrimage. Do not stray away.
March direct to the
goal. That
goal is God-realisation.
The temple of God is within
yourself. Awake. Arise.
Puriff. Meditate. The dark clouds will lead you on to the
Light Divine.
114. Self-cdntrol, self-restraint and self-denial, are
necessary for the realisation of the eternal bliss of the
Supreme Self. Therefore develop these virtues to the
maximum degree.
15. How to PurlfY Heatt and Mind
115. A pure heart is the beginning of divinity. Purity
is the
gateway to God. It is ante-chamber
to the
presence
of the Lord. It is the key by which the doors of intuition
that lead to the abode of supreme
peace are opened.
Therefore attain purity at all costs.
116. Learn to cleanse
your mind with the water of
purity or celibacy or with the soap of divine love' How can
you expect to become
pure internally by merely washing
the body with soap and water. Internal
purity is more
important than external
purity.
117. Purify the mind. You will attain success in
meditation only when the mind is pure and free from all
extraneous thoughts. Calm the mind. Silence the
bubbling thoughts and the surging emotions. Plunge
yourself deep into the innermost recesses of
your heart
and enjoy the supreme silence of the Soul. Rest in
silence. Know the Self and be free.
118. Purity is the passport to the foreign land of
eternal bliss. If you hold this
passport you can set sail to
the yonder land where reign everlasting
peace, unalloyed
felicity and eternal sunshine.
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
1 19. You will have to attain purity
first. When this is
done half of your
Sadhana is over. Anger must be
controlled. Even irritability must be nipped. The eight
breaks in Brahmachar5ra
should be avoided. The
Bhavana
or feeling that all the forms are the
manifestations
of the Lord should be kept up during
work also. Regularity in meditation is highly essential.
120. One who has no purity
of heart though versed
in the Vedic lore or scriptural knowledge
cannot
comprehend
the Great One or the Supreme Soul, who
dwells in the chambers of the hearts of all beings, who is
the support for the world, who is all-pervading
and
self-luminous.
121. Control emotions and whims.
Rub the edges of
all angularities.
Become more sober. Give up fantastic
ideas. Develop more intense faith.
your
faith is flickering
now. Give up curiosit5r. Let there be real spiritual
awakening and thirsting for God. Abandon all puerile,
childish ideas.
122. Worship
God with flowers of purity,
self-restraint,
humilit5r, wisdom and devotion.
123. The attainment
of Chitta-Suddhi
or purity
of
heart and other virtuous qualities
are the A.B.C. of
yoga
Sadhana.
L24. Do not mistake the promptings
of the lower
mind for the voice of the soul. The higher mind which
tends towards virtue is Sattvic mind or Suddha Manas.
This higher mind elevates man. It guides
him. It acts as a
true preceptor.
You should try to hear the voice of the
SatMc mind. If a wrong action is done, the Sattvic mind
will prick you.
This is the sign to know that an action is
bad. If there is
joy
and elevation of mind, the act is a
righteous one. That mind which tends towards luxury
and evil is the lower or Rajasa-Tamasic
mind. The mind
is the cause for one's downfall. Annihilate
Rajas and
Tamas by increasing
Sattva. You will be quite
safe.
165
t66 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
16. Contentment Is the Real Wealth
125. Contentment is real wealth. Contentment is
natural wealth, because it gives peace of mind.
Contentment is a sentinel on the domain of Moksha. If
you keep company with him, if you befriend him, he will
introduce you to his friends the other three sentinels,
viz., Satsanga, Atma-Vichara and Santi. You can then
very easily enter the illimitable kingdom of Moksha.
126. lf you are earning one hundred rupees
per
month, do not compare
yourself with a man who is
earning five hundred rupees
per month. If you compare,
you will get discontentment. This will distract the
peace
of mind. Compare
yourself with a man who is earning
25/- Rupees only per month. Thank God for having
given
you this present state. Contentment alone can calm
your
re'stless mind. There is no wealth
greater than
contentment. Worldly ambitions are useless. Aim high.
Aim at attaining Brahman. This will annihilate all vain
worldly ambitions. Worldly ambitions will land you in
pain, sorrow and disappointment.
127. He who is humble, calm,
quiet in mind and
controlled in conduct and who is content in his heart
finds the whole universe full ofjoy and bliss.
128. Peace is a divine attribute. It is a quality of the
Soul. It cannot remain with greedy persons. It fills the
pure heart. It deserts the lustful. It runs away from the
selfish. It is an ornament of a Paramahamsa.
129. Cultivate
peace first in the
garden of
your own
heart by removing the weeds, viz., hatred,
greed,
selfishness,
jealousy.
Then only
you can manifest it
externally. Then only those who come in contact with you
witl be benefited by your vibrations of peace and
harmony.
130. Inhibit all surging emotions and impulses.
Direct your energies in the appropriate channel towards
your chosen ideal. Develop the power of self-control.
Keep the
,
instruments in harmony. Master
your
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
t67
thoughts. Cultivate serenity of mind. Reserve your
ener$/.
.
Educate your will. Coordinate your innate
tendencies. You will enjoy immense peace
of mind.
you
will possess
inner spiritual strength. You will have rapid
spiritual progress.
17. Direct Enemies of
peace
131. Evil thought is the most dangerous thief. Good
thought is like nectar. Virtue is the most precious
treasure. Cultivate good
thoughts by studying
scriptures, by Satsanga, Japa and meditation.
132. Destroy evil thoughts, wrong desires, and
unchaste looks by entertaining divine thoughts and by
cultivating purity.
God beholds all your
thoughts and
actions. He demands from you perfect purity
of heart.
133. The first requisite for successful meditation is
the conquest of anger and lust.
134. In some, lust may be more powerful
than anger
while in others anger may be more'powerful than lust.
You should attempt to annihilate these two evil traits,
the direct enemies of peace.
135. Agitation or excitement in the mind, burning
from lust, Ernger and hatred, restlessness from greed,
worry and fear disturb the peace
of mind. Japa,
meditation, prayer,
enquiry, Satsanga, development of
virtues like Brahmachaqra, patience,
forgiveness, cosmic
love, contentment, courage will remove these enemies of
peace.
18. Be Always Hopeful
136. Hope is the source of good fortune. Hope
causes the highest happiness indeed. Hope impels you
always in all quests.
Therefore be hopeful and make
strenuous attempts. You will attain sanguine success.
137. Confidence is the companion of success.
Therefore develop confidence in your
own Self.
168
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
138. Hope is indeed mighty. There is no power
which is mightier than hope. To one
possessed of hope
there is nothing unattainable indeed. Relying on hope
alone, you will attain sanguine success in all your
undertakings, in meditation and Self-realisation.
Therefore be always hopeful. Nil desperandum. Never
'despair
friend!
19. Develop Universal Love
139. Love
your parents as much as
you love God. If
you cultivate love for one and all, you can have unselfish
love for humanity. Love for humanity begins at home.
First you love your parents, your brothers and sisters,
your relatives,
your neighbours,
your school-mates,
your
community,
your country,
your land and then the whole
world. Thus the small seed of love sown in the young
mind of the child
gradually develops into universal love.
140. Conquer the hearts of men through
pure love.
Adhere to truth and march victoriously in the field of
Yoga. Annihilate egoism and enter the infinite domain of
Supreme Peace. Destroy ignorance and attain knowledge
of the Self. Crush the Vasanas and enter the illimitable
realm of Eternal Bliss.
141. Love is harmony. It prolongs life. Fear,
jealousy,
envy and discord shorten life. Love lightens the
burden of life and makes self-sacrifice a pleasure. Love is
the great panacea for all ills that this flesh is heir to.
142. Apart from the knowledge of scriptures and
erudition one should develop a tender heart. Austerity
devoid of compassion, charity devoid of faith, spiritual
Sadhana devoid of purity, a heart devoid of fellow-feeling,
a life without prayer are all as fruitless as the waters of
the sandy desert. Love, compassion or mercy, purity,
truth, non-injury are the stepping-stones to success in
the path of God-realisation. Satsanga, contentment,
dispassion and patience are the different steps that lead
to the
portals of the kingdom of God.
ETHICAL TEACHINGS L69
143. Passive goodness alone is not sufficient. Active
goodness or positive goodness is very essential for one's
spiritual advancement. The aspirant should be ever
doing actions. Not to harm others is passive goodness.
This is negative goodness.
144. If you possess humility, obedience and a sweet
tongue,
you can enter into the hearts of anybody, you
can subdue anybody.
145. Do your duties properly. Be firm in vows and
true in speech. Possess good character. Be kind to all.
Conquer wrath. Become master of self. Get rid of envy.
You will soon attain God-realisation.
146. The Immortal can be attained only by
performing acts of kindness continuously. Hatred,
anger,
jealousy
are removed by continuous service with a
loving heart. Lord Buddha still lives in our hearts. Why?
Because he was extremely kind, did immense service and
was an embodiment of compassion. You will get more
strength, more
joy,
more satisfaction by doing kind acts.
Your heart will be at rest when you are about to face
death. You will be loved by all. Practice of compassion,
charitable acts, kind service
purify and soften the heart,
turn the heart-lotus upwards and prepare the aspirant
for the reception of DMne Light.
2O. Advice to Sadhakas
747. Mart is only a brute if he has no Manushyatva,
if he does not possess mercy, love, kindness, self-control,
good behaviour, courtesy, politeness, etc.
148. A kind, sympathetic,
pure, loving and merciful
heart is the garden. Virtuous Samskaras are the seeds.
Sublime, divine thoughts are the roots. SatMc qualities
are the sprouts. Kind, loving, truthful words are the
leaves. Virtuous actions are the blossoms. Moksha is the
fruit. Therefore develop mercy. Entertain sublime
thoughts. Speak truth. Do virtuous actions. Eat the
divine fruit.
t70 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
149. Do not fight against evil thoughts, evil
qualities, defects, weaknesses and bad habits. If you
fight against them, they will become stronger and
stronger, and it will be difficult for you to overcome them
by fighting against them. Cultivate sublime, divine
thoughts. Develop virtuous qualities. Build up good
habits. Do Japa. Meditate regularly. Try to live in God. All
defects, all evil thoughts, all weaknesses will vanish in
toto.
150. Righteousness, frankness, amiable
disposition, kindness, benevolence, service and mercy
will protect you from the acts of certain self-interested
persons of undesirable character. Gradually cultivate
these positive,
Sattvic qualities
one by one. You can win
the hearts of all.
151. Have the wisdom of Vidura, the virtues of
Yudhishthira, the purity
of Bhishma, the liberality of
Karna and the gallantry
of Arjuna and the strength of
Bhima. You will attain greatness
and immortality.
152. To begin with, drink the Prem Mixture twice
daily at 4 a.m. and 8 p.m. Mix a teaspoonful of Sraddha
with 3 teaspoonfuls of Prem and half a teaspoonful of
Bhava. Add to this mixture 2 teaspoonfuls of Hari Kirtan
and one ounce of Japa. Gradually increase the quantities
in the mixture. This will form an infallible specific or
panacea for attaining Immortality and destroying the
disease of births and deaths.
153. Eat three things. Wear three things. Practise
three things, viz., Ahimsa, Satyam, Brahmacharya.
Remember three things: death, pains of Samsara and
God. Renounce three things: egoism, desire and
attachment. Cultivate three things: humility,
fearlessness and love. Eradicate three things: lust, anger
and greed.
154. Action is the source of all virtue, wealth and
desire. He who has no activity, has no enerS/ or valour.
The end of virtue and wealth is the attainment of
ETHICAL TEACHINGS
171
salvation. He who does not practise virtue commits sin.
The fruits of righteous acts and of wealth occur either in
this world or in the next.
155. Overcome anger by love, lust by purity, greed
by liberality, pride by humility, egoism by self-surrender
to the Lord. Thou wilt become Divine.
156. Earnestness is the path of blessedness.
Thoughtless- ness is the royal road to births and deaths.
Evince more earnestness and enthusiasm in your
Sadhana. You will soon attain the Immortal.
157. Sit less, serve more. Hate none, love all. Clothe
less, bathe more. Take less, give more. Talk less, think
more. Eat less, masticate more. Preach less, practise
more. Worry less, laugh more. Indulge less, restrain
more. Rest less, work more. Sleep less, meditate more.
You will enjoy wonderful health and inner peace
of the
Soul.
158. Do not become a victim of
your
emotions.
Govern them. Control them. Do not allow yourself to be
governed
by them. That man who has controlled his
emotions has a serene mind. He is really a strong man.
159. Give up hate and strife and greed
for power,
position
and gold. Wear the crown of humility. Become
pure and bright. Build your faith in God. Be steadfast in
your
Japa and meditation. Attain love and light.
160. If you take a vow, you will have to stick to it
even at the cost of your life, even if your
throat is cut,
even if you
are burnt alive, even under any sort of
persecution.
161. If you fail in keepingyour resolves, make fresh
resolves. Just as the child falls many a time when it tries
to walk without the help of the wall,
just
as the new
cyclist falls from the cycle a number of times before he
learns to sit steadily in the seat, so also the new aspirant
will fall a number of times in his resolves. He has to make
repeated attempts. Ultimately he will come out
victoriously.
t72 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
162. lf you leave the public service simply because
some
jealous
persons attempted to viliS and injure you,
simply because you will have to face various sorts of
bitter experiences, it is a
great loss for you. Your spiritual
growth will be terribly retarded. You must have moral
strength and moral courage to face public criticism,
harsh remarks and persecution. Your suffering is
nothing when compared with the
persecutions
undergone by Sri Rama and the five Pandavas. Show
your manliness, moral courage and the spiritual
strengtJr now. The inner strength that
you have obtained
by meditation is tested now. Had you really done good
meditation, you ought to have abundant strength now to
face these difficulties with a smile. If you have no
strength, it shows that there had been some error in
meditation. Real meditation
gives immense inner
strength.
163. Serve and love. Give and relinquish. Tolerate
and endure. Restrain and subdue. Forget and forgive.
Adjust and adapt. Persevere and plod on. Aspire and
puriff. Reflect and enquire. Meditate and realise. May
you attain Kaivalya!
XXXXX
TWENTY I MPORTANT SPIRITUAL
tN-S--T_RU_CJIQNS
By
H.H. Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharqi
1. BRAHMA-MUHURTA: Get up at 4 a.m. daily.
This is Brahmamuhurta which is extremely favourable
for meditation on God.
2. ASANA: Sit on Padma, Siddha or Sukha Asana
for Japa and meditation for half an hour, facing the east
or the north. Increase the period gradually
to three
hours. Do Sirshasana and Sarvangasana for i<eeping up
Brahmacharya and health. Take light physical
exercises
as walking, etc., regularly. Do twenty Pranayamas.
3. JAPA: Repeat any Mantra as pure
Om or Om
Namo Narayanaya, Om Namah Sivaya, Om Namo
Bhagavate Vasudevaya, Om Saravanabhavaya Namah,
Sita Ram, Sri Ram, Hari Om, or Gayatri, abcording to
your taste or inclination, from 108 to 27,600 times daily.
4. DIETETIC DISCIPLINE: Take Sattvic food,
Suddha Ahara. Give up chillies, tamarind, garlic,
onion,
sour articles, oil, mustard, asafoetida. Observe
moderation in diet (Mitahara).
Do not overload the
stomach. Give up those things which the mind likes best
for a fortnight in a year.
Eat simple food. Milk and fruits
help concentration. Take food as medicine to keep the tife
going. Eating for enjoyment is sin. Give up salt and sugar
for a month. You must be able to live on rice, Dhal and
bread without any chutni. Do not ask for extra salt for
Dhal and sugar for tea, coffee or milk.
5. MEDITATION.ROOM: Have a separate medita-
tion-room under lock and key.
6. CHARITY: Do charity regularly, every month, or
even daily according to your
means, say six paise per
rupee.
(173)
t74 ETHICAL TEACHINGS
7. SVADHYAYA: Study systematically the Gita, the
Ramayana, the Bhagavata, Sri Vishnu-Sahasranama,
Lalita-Sahasranama, Aditya Hridaya, Upanishads or
Yoga Vasishtha, the Bible
,
Zend Avesta, the Koran, the
Tripitakas, the Granth Sahib, etc., from half an hour to
one hour daily and have Suddha Vichara.
8. BRAHMACHARYA: Preserve the vital force
(Veerya) vry, very carefully. Veerya is God in motion or
manifestation-Vibhuti. Veerya is all power. Veerya is all
money. Veerya is the essence of life, thought and
intelligence.
9.'PRAYER SLOKAS: Get by heart some
prayer-Slokas, Stotras and repeat them as soon as you
sit in the Asana before starting Japa or meditation. This
will elevate the mind quickly.
i0. SATSANGA: Have Satsanga. Give up bad
company, smoking, meat and alcoholic liquors entirely.
Do not develop any evil habits.
11. FAST ON EKADASI: Fast on Ekadasi or live on
milk and fruits only.
12. JAPA MAALA: Have Japa Maala (rosary) round
your neck or in your pocket or underneath
your pillow at
night.
13. MOUNA: Observe Mouna (vow of silence) for a
couple of hours daily.
14. SPEAK THE TRUTH: Speak the truth at all cost.
Speak a little. Speak sweetly.
15. SIMPLE LIVING: Reduce your wants. Ifyou have
four shirts, reduce the number to three or two. Lead a
happy, contented life. Avoid unnecessary worry. Have
plain living and high thinking.
16. NEVER HURT ANYBODY: Never hurt anybody
(Ahimsa Paramo Dharmah). Control anger by love,
Kshama (forgiveness) and Daya (compassion).
TWENTY
IMPORTANT
SPIRITUAL
INSTRUCTIONS
175
17. DO NOT DEPEND
UPON SERVANTS:
Do not
depend upon servants.
self-reliance
is the highest
of all
virtues.
18. SELF-ANALYSIS:
Think
of the mistakes you
have committed
during the course of the day,
just
beiore
retiring
to bed (self-analysis).
Keep
daily diary
and
self-correction
register.
Do not brood over past
misiakes.
19. FULFIL
DUTIES:
Remember
that death is
awaiting you
at every moment.
Never fail to fulfil your
duties.
Have pure
conduct (Sadachara).
20. SURRENDER
TO GOD: Think
of God as soon as
you wake
up and
just
before you go to sleep.
Surrender
yourself
completely
to God (Saranagati).
Om Santih Santih
Santih!
This is the essence
of all spiritual
Sadhanas.
This will lead you
to Moksha.
All these Niyamas
or
spiritual
canons
must be rigidly
obsefoed.
You must not give
leniency
tothe
mind.