,, "You are a human being, therefore you have the power to discriminate what is good and what is bad, and you can accomplish the greatest human goals. Don't think of yourself as weak or fallen. Whatever has happened in the past, understand that it was done unknowingly. But now be careful, begin doing the type of acts appropriate for a human being. Discern for yourself what is good and what is bad. Adopt the good and reject the bad. As a human being, if you don't know Paramàtmà, then understand that you have sold a diamond for the price of spinach." -SBS
In TM we say “Jai Guru Dev” a lot; but, what did Guru Dev Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (Maharishi’s teacher) have to say about morality and behavior? Let us look at this for a bit. Let us look more at what Maharishi’s teacher had to say about character and behavior... Of morality Guru Dev evidently is saying, That our Spiritual in morality is judging in discernment how we take care of ourselves and others in either enhancing spiritual wellbeing or not. ..Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s teacher) says: “Dhanàrjana has said, [Sanskrit:] akçtvà parasantàpaü, àgatvà khalamandiram | anullaïghya satàm vartmaü yadalpamapi tad bahu || This means, not harming others, not associating with bad persons, not plunging the àtman in entanglements, and whatever small amount we earn will be plenty. If you make trouble for others while earning your money, that wealth will remain behind, but the harm that you have given to the person will carry along with your subtle body. Therefore, don't act such that you carry along a baggage of sin with you. The meaning of àgatvà khalamandiram is this Þ if you associate with base people, your intellect (buddhi) gets spoiled, and once your intellect is spoiled, a fall is certain. [The phrase] buddhinà÷àt praõasyati Þ Direct association with base objects is much more precipitous. So going to the home of the wicked for the purpose of making money is forbidden. The meaning of anullaïghya satàm vartmaü is thisÞthat path which is in accord with the Vedas and ÷àstras given by good people should never be violated. If a situation arises in your daily dealings where you have to come into contact with a base person, then you should approach him just like you go to the toilet — do the job and leave. Nobody lingers in the toilet for long. If you discipline your intellect in this way, then there is no doubt of harm through association with the low. A pure mind goes near Paramàtmà, and the impure mind wanders through various types of emotional states.” ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <dhamiltony...@yahoo.com> wrote : Of moral integrity, Maharishi’s teacher’s teachings about moral character.. Teaching #50, "For all kinds of progress, both in this world and the next, keep the mind pure, and it is essential to increase the purity of the mind to remain pure. Therefore you must keep the company of good people while foregoing the company of the bad. Always study the scriptures; take care to maintain a pure diet (thoughts); perform Bhagavàn's bhajan and worship, as well as repetition of mantras; practice truth and non-injury (ahimsà), and the other precepts of good conduct; you must always keep yourself within proper bounds." -Guru Dev Swami Brahmananda Saraswati ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <dhamiltony...@yahoo.com> wrote : "A man learns from the company he keeps. As one's company is good or evil, so such things will be learned. It is a notable fact that on seeing his companions' behavior, a man does likewise; whether he is aware of it at all or not, he nevertheless acts accordingly. So the point is that man's actions and thoughts accord with the company he keeps. Therefore, if someone falls in with a bad crowd, then his actions and thoughts will be corrupted; moreover, those with whom he comes into contact will also sink. Hence, one should strive to associate with good company." -Guru Dev, SBS Guru Dev Swami Brahmananda Saraswati reflecting, You should understand that if someone is of poor character, he is not a [real] devotee, and is just putting on a show to cheat people. Save yourself from such deceitful people, and save innocent pious people from them. .. As a matter of principle, one should reject those deserving rejection and honor those deserving honor. If unworthy people are honored, then their number will increase and their stench will spoil society. -SBS ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <dhamiltony...@yahoo.com> wrote : Consideration of bad spiritual morality and bad character in behavior runs throughout Brahmananda Saraswati’s discourses. Like discourses #17, 19, 22, 33, 50 and throughout, morality by what enhances spirituality or does not as a litmus. Of bad morality and bad character different people have dealt with their feelings around behavior displayed in the communities ofTM differently. There evidently was some good, bad, and ugly in it. Maharishi’s teacher counselled practically in his spiritual discourses on how to deal with bad morality and bad character. Communities continue now within TM and folks around TM evidently have practically taken a range of disposition about behavior as they see it. Not unlike what we are learning about how people dealt with the behavior of sexual harassment, abuse and exploitation in the Harvey Weinstein & that company culture example. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <dhamiltony...@yahoo.com> wrote : Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s teacher, (Guru Dev)Swami Brahmananda Saraswati was both nuanced and practical in his talks about this subject of discernment and spiritual morality. He taught of character and morality too as they relate to human spiritual evolution. Once you get in to the discourses and find his voice in them the teaching is practical spirituality told with a sense of humor too. Teaching #19 The false man can get no peace even if he is as rich as Kubera (God of Wealth) himself.. Because of the absence of dharma in education, people's ability to discriminate between do's and don'ts has weakened. People think that whatever they are doing is correct. The belief, "I'll go to hell if I sin," has almost vanished. Because of this, falsehood has exploded in society nowadays. People seem to think that the meaning of life is to just attain sensory pleasures. Further, people have become unconcerned about the means by which they obtain the wealth necessary to have these sensory pleasures. Even so, it is certain (niścita) that engaging in wrong dealings for the purpose of earning money will never result in peace. Lack of good company (satsaïg) has increased characterlessness. Nowadays people do not believe they can manage without resorting to dishonesty (beãmanã), and they have no faith in the future or in Vi÷vambhara.64 Have faith in Paramàtmà, and conduct your affairs honestly. By doing so, you will feel satisfied in this life, and satisfaction is the true form of happiness. As it is said, santoùa paramaü sukham.65 A liar cannot be peaceful in this life even if he is as rich as Kubera. He will always be doubtful and his heart will burn [anxiously]. Thus he will not be happy in this world, and even in the other world, he will be ruined. FW email: Obviously MMY wasn’t paying attention when GD said that stuff. Probably out running errands. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <dhamiltony...@yahoo.com> wrote : What is Conscionable? Those voices recorded on all sides of the Rajneeshpuram documentary are such studies in dynamic of trust: from a trusting ‘benefit of doubt’ to extending trust, to violating trust. Bad character in trust evidently is consequently hurtful spiritually as it happens. Teaching #22 “Honor those who deserve honor, disdain those who deserve disdain. Mingling with characterless people is like listening to the Gãtagovinda or Sårsàgar from a whore. If you drink water from the Ganges, take it from where the stream is clean; don't drink Ganges water flowing from a gutter. If a teacher is of good character, then listen to him. If you follow the words of a characterless person, it only serves to magnify your own lack of character. The character of a Bhagavàn devotee must be exceedingly good. You should understand that if someone is of poor character, he is not a [real] devotee, and is just putting on a show to cheat people. Save yourself from such deceitful people, and save innocent pious people from them. Only he who is endowed with character is fit to be respected. A sweetmeat (laóóå) made of bad ghee will be crooked and bad; but when made of pure ghee, its shape will be good. If somebody declares that he is spreading devotional teachings of Bhagavàn, then he should have an impeccable character. Only then will people know that through devotion to Bhagavàn (the Transcendent), all past sins can be destroyed and present problems can be overcome. As a matter of principle, one should reject those deserving rejection and honor those deserving honor. If unworthy people are honored, then their number will increase and their stench will spoil society.” -Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, Maharishi’s teacher. Of Spiritual morality and ethical behavior, inside Swami Brahmananda Saraswati's discourses the importance of moral behavior and the company we keep is very much a thread that runs through his satsanga. SBS groups together the study of spiritual works, cultivating transcendence (meditation practices) and also behavior that does not impugn the spiritual subtle system. The discourses are short talks given as practical spirituality. They are erudite and grounded with folk sense of countryside humor (mid-20th Century). For the discourses of Swami Brahmanada Saraswati find: http://www.lulu.com/shop/lb-shriver-and-translation-by-cynthia-ann-humes/the-sweet-teachings-of-the-blessed-sankaracarya-swami-brahmananda-saraswati/paperback/product-21350609.html http://www.lulu.com/shop/lb-shriver-and-translation-by-cynthia-ann-humes/the-sweet-teachings-of-the-blessed-sankaracarya-swami-brahmananda-saraswati/paperback/product-21350609.html [ email reply.. This has nothing to do with being 'judgmental.' Just about everyone associated with the IAA knows that 'minding one's own business' has to do with how we do our Program. That is clear from the context of Maharishi's saying it on his talks, which we hear all the time. It may not be clear for anyone who do not hear those talks all the time. ] Ethics, Later on MMY counseled a type of self discipline.. to be happy and "mind your own business" towards being regular practicing meditators and ‘on the program’ as a basis for behavior. This instruction would be a spiritual working ethic maybe different from social cultural ethic like the Golden Rule, that Golden Rule kindness seems overtly more to do with effects of behavior on subtle psycho-spiritual light-bodies of people than object outcomes. What is unconscionable, in TM? "Thou shalt not.." Anything particularly unconscionable, hurtful, in the community of TM? wrote: The Transcendentalists’ Morality.. In the ™ movement we were told some little details about Maharishi’s teacher Guru Dev, Swami Brahmananda Saraswati. About how Maharishi first met SBS and also about how Guru Dev found his own teacher. On advanced training residential courses with Maharishi back in the 1970’s for those of us who were TM teachers there was a typed one page translated discourse of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, of Guru Dev’s that was let to be passed around. This was the talk warning of the selling of life for the price of spinach. An advice that held intrinsic value that was important clarification, like a moral wake up, for people in TM then. Discourse 59 “After experiencing 8,400,000 births, we have obtained this rare human body; don't waste it. Each and every moment of life is very valuable. And if you don't understand its value? Then you will have nothing else to do but weep, and you will have nothing in your hands in the end. You are a human being, therefore you have the power to discriminate what is good and what is bad, and you can accomplish the greatest human goals. Don't think of yourself as weak or fallen. Whatever has happened in the past, understand that it was done unknowingly. But now be careful, begin doing the type of acts appropriate for a human being. Discern for yourself what is good and what is bad. Adopt the good and reject the bad. As a human being, if you don't know Paramàtmà (the Transcendent), then understand that you have sold a diamond for the price of spinach. One does not worship Paramàtmà for the sake of Paramàtmà. One worships Paramàtmà to remove one's own sorrow, lack of peace, ignorance, and lack of power. Paramàtmà is all knowing, omnipotent, and full of limitless bliss. Through worship, one can grasp on to his unending power. The fulfillment of this superb act is the real purpose of human life. If there is no effort made toward this, then understand that you have cheated yourself.” http://www.lulu.com/shop/lb-shriver-and-translation-by-cynthia-ann-humes/the-sweet-teachings-of-the-blessed-sankaracarya-swami-brahmananda-saraswati/paperback/product-21350609.html http://www.lulu.com/shop/lb-shriver-and-translation-by-cynthia-ann-humes/the-sweet-teachings-of-the-blessed-sankaracarya-swami-brahmananda-saraswati/paperback/product-21350609.html Evidently there is a behavioral axis between self-interest and altruism.. and maybe not strictly related to 'consciousness', as we have seen. A hardwired morality of self-interest v Altruism.. In a core worldview that life is nakedly a selfish struggle for money and dominance the great act of moral decoupling woven through this in this worldview, morality has nothing to do with anything. Altruism, trust, cooperation and virtue are unaffordable luxuries in the struggle of all against all. Everything is about self-interest. Powerful, selfish people have always adopted this dirty-minded realism to justify their own selfishness. The problem is that this philosophy is based on an error about human beings and it leads to self-destructive behavior in all cases. The error is that it misunderstands what drives human action. Of course people are driven by selfish motivations — for individual status, wealth and power. But they are also motivated by another set of drives — for solidarity, love and moral fulfillment — that are equally and sometimes more powerful.