Some Golden Rules for Gita Satsangh and List Discussions

August 24, 2008

Namaste Satsanghis:

When we conduct our Satsangh, we should practice the following

suggestion Gitacharya in Chapter 17, verse 15 while communicating our

thoughts.

Anudwegakaram vaakyam satyam priyahitam cha yat;

Swaadhyaayaabhyasanam chaiva vaangmayam tapa uchyate.

Translation: Speech which causes no excitement and is truthful,

pleasant and beneficial, the practice of the study of the Vedas, are

called austerity of speech.

Swami Sivananda states the following quotation from the Manu

Smriti: " One should speak what is true; one should speak what is

pleasant; one should not speak what is true if it is not pleasant,

nor what is pleasant if it is false. This is the ancient Dharma " . To

be an austerity speech should combine all the attributes mentioned in

the above verse. Here is the Sanskrit verse that summarizes the rule

for communication and it is good for speaking, listening and

writing.

Sathyam Bruyath (speak the Truth)

Priyam Bruyath (speak courteosuly what is pleasant)

Na Bruyath Sathyamapriyam (never utter the truth that causes

unpleasantness)

I also find the following eternal law outlined by Thiruvalluvar a

great Tamil Poet in Thirukkural (a collection of 1330 short poems on

human morality and ethics) quite appropriate for our list

communications. Valluvar describes the law through ten short verses

and one of the key verse is the following:

" Iniya ulavaka innatha kooral

kani iruppa kai kavarthandatru " (Tamil verse # 100)

Tranlation: Our communication with others by using unpleasant words

instead of pleasant words is comparable to eating an un-ripened fruit

with a bitter taste when fully ripened sweet fruit is readily

available.

This verse provides a simple but a very practical rule for

communicating with our fellow members during the list discussions.

Website for Thirukkural Main Page (English and Tamil versions are

available)

http://thirukural.tamilpower.com/thirukural.htm

Here are few quotations that I gathered from the Internet that will

be quite handy while conducting our discussions:

" There are no facts, only interpretations! "

" The difference between a smart person and a wise person is that a

smart person knows what to say and a wise person knows whether or not

to say it. "

" A smart person talks from experience, a smarter person from

experience does not talk. "

" When you talk you can only say something that you already know, but

when you listen, you learn what someone else knows. "

" A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can

see from a mountain top. "

" There is this difference between happiness and wisdom, that he that

thinks himself the happiest man really is so; but he that thinks

himself the wisest is generally the greatest fool. "

" It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be

reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err. "

" Before God we are equally wise -- and equally foolish. "

We should also remind ourselves often that what appears " clear " to

our understanding may not necessarily be clear to those who read what

we write. We should take necessary steps to clear the doubts of

others and express any of our disagreements with pleasant words and

manner of expressions. This will help us to develop our scholarship

and communication with humility. Hopefully by practicing humility, we

will be able to get rid of our `ego' slowly and steadily.

With my warmest regards,

Ram Chandran

August 25, 2008

Namasthe,

Differences are the keystone of worthwhile discussions affecting the churning.

In case the 'amrutkalas' appears let all be 'devas' and not 'asuras'.

Creating an atmosphere of 'pleasantness' will definetly prompt more to air their appreciations/ doubts/ healthy criticism/ opinions and views without the fear of being 'laughed' at, ridiculed, taunted, censored etc.

As shree Ram Chandranji said- all may not be equally proficient in all things. One may have deep knowledge in the scriptures but the person opining may be a person who is helping many in different ways!

I am sure the group is well developed to continue to render the service of spreading spirituality with special reference to 'advaita'.

Regards

Balagopal

Unlimited freedom, unlimited storage. Get it now