Darshan On Listening to Scripture

Darshan with Bapuji: On Listening to Scripture

August 26, 1977

[Bapuji chants Radha Ramana Hari Govinda Jai Jai]

Bapuji [translated by Guruji]: My beloved children, when we hear on some subject often, the subjects go on becoming clearer and clearer. Among the yamas and niyamas, listening to the Scriptures is one of the niyamas. Individual who is learned and who can read the scripture, what is the necessity of listening to the scripture? If the speaker is truly experienced, then the listener will be able to understand it properly. So by listening often, the principles become very clear to us.

As soon as the basic principles become clear to us, our intellect can accept it, and whatever we can accept we can also bring into our actions. You are beginner sadhak/sadhakas. So it is possible that the higher principles of Scriptures may be a tool of your play at this time. But by doing that gradually you will be able to come closer in touch with the basic principles of teachings.

Just as the carpenter takes the nail and hits it with the hammer, gradually the nail each time goes deeper into the wood, so also listening to the principles gradually they go deeper into us. It takes a long time to digest the principles in life. Just as the sadhaks and sadhakas are progressing, their ability to practice becomes easier and easier. In the beginning, they try to understand many different principles, and as he goes on listening to many different principles, he begins to realize that instead of knowing many it is better to know one and digest it.

When a little child first learns to write on the slate with a pen and a slate, one way, then another one differently, then a third one differently, why should there be all different kinds of “one.” Why should it be one type? When we are progressing in any one field in the beginning, our condition is very much like the child learning to write “one.” So in order to digest the principles, bring it into our life, it takes an in depth thinking. While living in an ashram life, many, many difficulties are reduced.

The life, the time, that is used in the most usual conflicts of life are removed in ashram life. Just as you will become more and more conscious of your ashram life, you begin to progress quickly. Always you must remember that you are sadhaks. In circus, which you are familiar with, there is one show, where a man walks on the wire with an umbrella for his support, and he has to walk with such awareness and care that even if he misses a little bit he will be down on the ground, hurt badly.

Sadhaks, we also have to act in that manner with awareness. So that you do not lose your balance either way, you must hold the umbrella of self-control. Then only you can protect yourself. Bapuji says, “Just stay awake, stay awake, even in sleep you can stay awake. You can’t afford to miss anything.” One whose mind becomes sadhak, that individual also becomes sadhak. So every moment, remember that “I am a sadhak,” and by thus constant remembrance, you will be able to do your sadhana.

Ordinarily we can say, “What is the difference in the color dress we wear?” But whenever the clothing is selected, a lot of psychology or psychological truth is used in it. This is the Swami’s clothing. So when you wear this color clothing you yourself are aware that you are now Swami, and in India and America, those who see this person they recognize that this person is a Swami. Similarly, when the brothers and sisters wear white clothes, they are wearing it as a sign of self-control.

Similarly, your white clothes inspire you as the others. Suppose a sister who has decorated herself with a nice hair and all different decorations and make ups, it is simply a sign of vanity. When such a person talks with the opposite sex, they try to show off all the alertness and the smartness and enchant the other. And they try to impress the other. When the same sister talks to an old man, she does not care to present herself in that manner.

Same thing, understand with the brothers, too. But when you wear the white dress, you have self-control over that restless expression. You do not behave the same way as the other brothers and sisters, those who are usually doing according to. If any outside brother or sister sitting right beside you, no matter how restless they are to express their sensuality, you do not allow that to touch your mind.

To whatever extent you can naturally have the calm in this restless situation, to that extent, you will be able to progress. This is called wakefulness. Such wakefulness is not to be kept in just one subject, but in every affair of life. If we try to impress or practice our self-control in every subject all of a sudden, we will not be able to practice self-control. So in the beginning we will have to pick up one basic principle that we want to choose.

Every moment we remember that, “I am a sadhak and must remain awake in order to grow.” Those who decide on one ideal in their life or direction, they look at it like a clock which continually ticks, you can’t let it stop. It is better that we listen a little bit. This is true in one side. Just as there is over eating, there can also be over seeing, over hearing, over touching, too much eating, too much seeing, too much hearing, too much touching.

Just as when we overeat, it is painful in the stomach and indigestion happens, so also it happens with every sense. So we may listen about all other principles, but the principle that we have decided to very closely follow at that moment, we must remain focused on that all the time. Just as to digest the food that we eat, some form of exercise is necessary, so also to digest what we have heard, some form of in depth reflection is also necessary.

I used to read very much, because I was a literary man, I wanted to progress very quickly. Mostly I used to write poems, dramas, small stories, and the novels. I used to also read other languages like Hindi, Gujarati, etc. So I had to read a lot. And I used to reflect a little bit after reading, too. I used to observe closely as to which poet has written which poem beautifully. So from that my seeking mind, my scientist mind, used to take me into all together new dimension.

So even the small story I would observe carefully as to which element makes it most attractive. And I used to check out what are the most attractive spots in the entire story. Then I used to see if there was any parallel place or similar place in the manner or that approach, and I used to examine that. But I was able to do that in a very small portion.

Then the time passed gradually and I grew older and I became Swami, and I started reading Darshan Shastra. There are 6 Darshans, 6 Scriptures. In the literature field I was really running, but in the scriptures, there was no room for running. I had to walk with great thinking at every step of the way. If you don’t understand what was before, you cannot understand what is happening now. There was no possibility of running beyond or running further.

I used to read just one of the sutras or shlokas, then I would be still right there. So I can say that Darshan Shastra has made me much more serious, more thinking in depth and reflecting in depth. For example, the first sutra, Vedant Darshan, which is one of the 6 darshans. Now from here the subject of Brahman is thought over. So in this the key word is Brahma, but in order to understand that word you have to go to the next sutra.

Then you have to read some more, and then you must properly understand each one and whether they are properly related to the first one, you have to understand each thing.

We can say that in-depth reflection is the break for restlessness in the study, everything actually. Now you have to practice and progress each day, and you have to spread the light of the divine light you already have received. Then candle has to simply be burned, but by its burning many receive the light. One may be burning or suffering, but it is good to give happiness to others. To be unhappy or suffer for the others is a good suffering.

The electricity was found very recently. Before that they were using kerosene or oil for the light. When the oil lamp was started in the beginning it was put off, it will not go on burning easily. Even today the candles are lit but if it is windy, it may blow off. This is why the lamps that cannot be blown off by the wind have come into being. So now you have to be the light of electricity, not the oil lamps. Because the oil lamp is likely to be blown off by the wind.

Today I have told you what was to be said. Now I intend to stay in seclusion because I have a lot of work, and today first time I should come, so I have come. Just believe that Bapuji is here. Just as you kept the candle in your hand, believe that Bapuji is with you.

(Bapuji chants OM.)

There are many types of caps, but major two. One is officer’s cap, one is swami’s, one is renunciate’s.