Satyopanisad

[Guest guest]

Swami! A change is very much needed in every field of our activity. Almost all

walks of public life are nowadays polluted, disgusting and disappointing. How is

change to be brought about?

 

Truly speaking, villagers who are unlettered, innocent and rustic are living in

greater peace and co-operation, more intimate relationships, and mutual love

than the so-called urban, sophisticated, educated, and seemingly cultured

people. The latter are full of ego and jealousy. To bring about a change, they

need to work for it. They must put in enough sincere effort to overcome

qualities like egoism pride, jealousy, and hatred. Butter is no doubt very soft.

But in order to make ghee out of it, you must heat it. Similarly for any change,

you have to work for it. You should first of all listen to all good things from

good people. This listening, s'ravan a is the first step. It is not enough if

you simply listen. You should remember, recall, recollect, and recapitulate the

good things you have listened to. This is called manana. The third thing is to

practice what you have listened and learnt. This is called nidhidhy a sa . Take

a small example. First of all, your food must be cooked in the kitchen. Then it

has to be brought and kept on the dining table and served. It is then that you

eat it. Further, the food that you eat must be digested, assimilated, and the

nourishment is to be supplied to different parts of your body. Is it not so?

Similarly, s'rvan a , listening is like cooking, manana, remembering is the

same as food kept on the table, whereas nidhidhy a sa , practicing what is heard

is like eating and digesting.