Quotations in Spiritual Practice

[Guest guest]

Dear Shubhanan

 

You have brought up an important aspect of sadhna, especially in

today's information age.

 

Personally I love quotations and parables. Sages, Rishis, Saints,

Gurus, Swami/Swaminis all (each at different levels and topics) are

able to present complex concepts using simple words, having had the

direct experience of what they are talking about. Not only are we

dealing with an attempt to describe a phenomenon which can only be

experienced, the inadequacy of our language makes any attempt to

explain even more complicated. As we know, this has lead to

summaries and explanations, and summaries and explanations and

discources of previous summaries and explanations. In this scenario,

simple comprehensive words spoken by those who have the knowledge

and wisdom helps in giving, if only, a glimpse of what one is

talking about.

 

The problem arises in HOW we use this tool of spiritual growth.

INFORMATION IS TRANSFORMED TO KNOWLEDGE/WISDOM (Gyana) ONLY THROUGH

DILIGENT PRACTICE of the INFORMATION. Genuine attempts towards

application of principles we learn at first stage as information,

triggers personal obstacles, issues etc, and as one works through

them, one is able to imbibe the words. This is no simple process,

but who said sadhana is simple?

 

As is well known, though often unacknowledged, information is not

Gyana. And in today's information age where the info guru

is "GOOGLE.COM", information is even more freely available without

much personal study. Unlike learning from Gurus, such information

may be biased, inaccurate, or limited or simply misinterpreted due

to the consciouness of the writer. Thus we have millions of

religious sites, each summarizing, quoting, paraphrazing texts, or

paraphrasing other such sites. On the surface it would appear that

there is a huge rise of spirituality in the world, but if we dig

deeper we see a rise in Information NOT Knowledge. In such cases,

the wonderful tool of quotations becomes parroting (same for blind

practice of rituals), and loses it purpose. This pattern throws

light on why there is often a huge dichotomy between the quotes used

and/or rituals performed by a person, and his/her behavior and

actions in the karmic world.

 

No doubt, simple listening or reading, is certainly of some value;

one's mind is occupied with higher order thoughts at least for few

moments. Like a tuning fork, positive thoughts help attune one's

energy to more and more subtler levels. Teamed with karma yoga, it

is an important phase of spiritual evolution. However, without

application, such attunement tends to last momentarily.

 

This plays into our journey to spiritual evolvement perfectly. As we

know, Gyana Yoga, without its restraining hand of genuine practice

of Bhakti (surrender, humility, deference to a higher authority)

works its tricks on the ego, the little self, which is always

waiting in the sidelines to sabotage any efforts being made towards

its demise!!!! Yogis who present the path of genuine Gyana, may not

demonstrate the maudlin shows of devotion or even sycophancy, but

they have a inherent sense of "knowing" and surrender of the ego "i"

to the Higher SELF "I" which is Demonstrated in their thoughts,

actions and behavior. As long as one is manifested in finite form,

this surrender is absolutely imperative for any progress.

 

Therefore, quotations is a very effective and great tool for

spiritual practice when it is accompanied by sincere efforts to

understand, process, and apply what is being stated, without

allowing it to inflate one's ego!

 

 

_/\_ Tat twam asi

 

Uma

 

 

 

post 5424 lotuswithin <no_reply> wrote:

 

> I would like to raise this issue for discussion in a later post:

>How far can qouting great figures take us? Isn't it necessary to

>gain a first hand experience before one can use it, or atleast some

>amount of questioning the idea before accepting it. Usually we tend

>to accept an idea if it is said by a great figure. Maybe some

> elaboration is necessary on the question.