Value System

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Value SYSTEM

 

by Swami Sivananda

 

WHAT IS SATYAM?

 

God is truth. He can be realised only by speaking truth and observing

truth in thought, word and deed. Truthfulness, equal vision, self-

control, absence of envious emulation, forgiveness, modesty,

endurance, absence of jealousy, charity, thoughtfulness,

disinterested philanthropy, self-possession and unceasing and

compassionate harmlessness are the thirteen forms of truth. Your

thoughts should agree with your words and your words should agree

with your actions. To think of one thing, say another and do a third

is horrible - it is nothing but crookedness. By telling lies you

pollute your conscience and infect your sub-conscious mind. The habit

of telling lies will be carried on to your next birth and you will

suffer in birth after birth. Have you ever thought of this?

 

If you are established in truth, all other virtues will cling to you.

Penetrate more deeply into the kingdom of truth. Sacrifice your all

for the truth. Die for the truth. Speak the truth. Truth is life and

power. Truth is existence. Truth is knowledge. Truth is bliss. Truth

is silence. Truth is peace. Truth is light. Truth is love. Live to

realise the truth.

 

Truth is the law of life. Truth means the strength of will to abide

by positive principles - a sense of justice, an unbiased mind and

recognition of its subtle essence in all life. Truth is like a ladder

leading to heaven, or a boat enabling one to cross the ocean of

misery. Speak the truth, but let it not be unpleasant and speak not

of any pleasing falsehood - this is eternal religion.

 

Fire burns everything; it is true to its nature. Water flows from a

higher level; the seed sprouts and becomes a tree; the scorpion

stings; these are all true to their nature. This is satyam. But man

violates truth; he is ungrateful. He is not true to his essential

nature. Wife poisons the husband; sons are not filial towards their

fathers; sons murder their parents; this is not truth. To manifest

one's essential divine nature, to manifest divine virtues is satyam

or truth. To be true to one's own self is satyam.

 

A truthful man is free from worry and anxiety, he has a calm mind. He

is respected by society. If you speak the truth for twelve years you

will get vak-siddhi - then whatever you speak will come to pass.

There will be great power in your speech - you will be able to

influence thousands.

 

AHIMSA IS SUPREME VIRTUE

 

That work which gives elevation, joy and peace to the mind, is right.

That which brings depression, pain and restlessness to the mind is

wrong. This is an easy way to find out what is right and what is

wrong.

 

Selfishness clouds understanding. Therefore if a man has got even a

tinge of selfishness, he cannot detect what is right and what is

wrong. A very pure, subtle, sharp intellect is needed for this

purpose.

 

The Gita describes the nature of satva (purity), rajas (dynamism) and

tamas (inertia in relation to reason) in chapter eighteen. It

says: " That which knoweth energy and abstinence, what ought to be

done and what ought not to be done, fear and fearlessness, bondage

and liberation - that reason is pure, O Partha. That by which one

understandeth right from wrong and also what ought to be done, and

what ought not to be done - that reason, O Partha, is passionate.

That which, enwrapped in darkness, thinketh wrong to be right, and

which seeth all things subverted - that reason, O Partha, is of

darkness. "

 

Various other definitions are given by wise men to help the students

in the path of righteousness. In the Bible it is said " Do unto others

as you would be done by. "

 

This is a very good maxim. The whole gist of right conduct is here.

If one practises this very carefully, he will not commit any wrong

action.

 

" Ahimsa paramo dharmah " . Ahimsa is non-injuring in thought and word

and deed. " This is the highest of all virtues. " If one is well

established in ahimsa of thought and word and deed, one can never do

any wrong action.

 

Ahimsa comes first in the practice of yama or self-restraint. To give

pleasure to others is right. To spread misery and pain, is wrong. One

can follow this in one's daily conduct towards others and can evolve

in one's spiritual path.

 

(Source: http://sivanandaonline.org/html/ )