SAI BABA AND SPEECH
(SHRI SAI LEELA NOVEMBER DECEMBER 1993)
I shall consider you blessed, when you will renounce all attachments, conquer lust and palate; and getting rid of all impediments, serve God wholeheartedly and resort to the begging bowl (accept sannyas)." (Ch. 44, P. 239)
The above is the reply given by Sai Baba to Bapusaheb Jog, who asked Him as to why even after serving Baba so many years, his mind was not calm and composed and why was he not succeeding in his efforts for self-realisation. Sai Baba in His teachings, always laid stress on controlling pleasures of senses, especially those of sexual organ and the tongue. About pleasures of sexual organ, we will discuss the subject in a later article. The tongue, however, has two functions - to taste the food and to speak. About tasting the food we have already discussed it in the previous article and now in this article let us see what Baba's teaching was about speech.
NOT TO USE SCORNFUL AND SLIGHTFUL SPEECH
In our scriptures great stress is laid on 'Non-violence', which means not to hurt anybody, physically, mentally or by speech. Sai Baba had realised that of all the above, harsh and scornful words hurt a person much more than physical or mental violence. Such cutting words are not easily forgotten and cannot be withdrawn also. Consequently they cause ever-lasting enmity. Sai Baba, therefore, not only advised His devotees "not to speak cuttingly to anyone so as to hurt him to the quick" (Ch. 19, P. 104), but on the contrary, off and on, said :
"Let anybody speak hundreds of things against you, do not resent by giving any bitter reply. If you always tolerate such things, you will certainly be happy" (Ch. 19, P. 101-102) and in addition to make sure that they did follow His advice, used to say :
"He who carps and cavils at others, pierces Me in the heart and injures Me, but he that suffers and endures, pleases Me most." (Ch. 44, P. 237)
ARGUMENTS AND DISPUTATION
Regarding tongue another advice of Sai Baba was lo avoid arguments or hot discussions on any subject with others. Arguments spring from egoism. Arguments lead to quarrels and spread enmity. We remember, how in Ch. 2, Annasaheb Dabholkar on the very first day of his visit to Shirdi, had hot discussion with Balasaheb Bhata regarding the necessity of a Guru (a spiritual teacher or preceptor) and how Baba checked Dabholkar's this argumentative habit permanently by addressing him as 'Hemadpant' (corrupted form of Hemadripant, a well-known and learned minister of the Yadav kings Mahadev and Ramdev in 13th century).
NOT TO INDULGE IN SLANDER-MONGERING NOR IN DISCUSSING OTHERS' AFFAIRS UNNECESSARILY
Sai Baba advised His devotees not to indulge in scandal or slander of others. For this, He had His own methods of correcting the defaulters. He, being omniscient, knew, when and where the devotees had committed the fault, and so, he could correct them effectively by taunting them also. In Ch. 19, Sai Baba pointed out to such a defaulter, a pig that was eating filth near a fence and said to him, "Behold how with what relish it is gorging dung. Your conduct is similar. You go on reviling own brethren to your heart's content."
Needless to say that the devotee was ashamed and took the lesson to his heart forever.
Similarly, in Ch. 21, having known that a pleader from Pandharpur, had unnecessarily taken part in a discussion in the bar room regarding the sub-judge Noolkar's coming and staying at Shirdi for cure of his ill-health, Sai Baba, when the pleader himself arrived at Shirdi, started saying,
"How cunning people are! They fall at the feet, offer Dakshina, but inwardly give abuses behind the back. Is not this wonderful?"
The pleader understood that the remark was aimed at himself and being convinced, later said to Kakasaheb Dixit,
"This is not a rebuke to me, but a favour and advice, that I should not indulge in any scandal or slander of others and not to interfere unnecessarily in others' affairs."
TELLING THE TRUTH ALWAYS
In our scriptures, repeated stress is laid on speaking the truth always. Our national motto is Satyameva Jayate (Truth only succeeds). In Mahabharata, we have heard of Dharmaraj, the eldest amongst Pandavas, who always spoke the truth, but, once in life he told a lie and, therefore, had to spend few hours in hell. Sai Baba was always practical and realistic in His teachings. He never told His devotees by words not to tell a lie and speak the truth always. But, the devotees knew that Sai Baba was Antardnyani (knew the secrets of every being's heart) and would certainly catch them, if they told a lie, hence, they dared not to speak untruth in His presence. Hemadpant in his original Marathi Shri Sai Satcharita rightly says:
Asatya chalena Sainprati /
Asatyen nahin Sainchi prapti /
Asatyen janen adhogati /
Antin durgati asatye //
Adhyay 38, 138
(Untruth does not work before Sai and Sai cannot be procured with untruth. Untruth means downfall. Untruth in the end takes you to hell.)
Khote sanguni bhagena kaj /
Sai Maharaj sarvasakshi //
Adhyay 51, 159
(Success is not possible by telling a lie. Sai Baba is omniscient.)
However, there are some instances in Sai Baba's life, where Sai Baba Himself has told lies. In Ch. 27, Sai Baba wanted to give one Ramdasi's Vishnu-Sahasra-Nama (a book, giving a thousand names of Vishnu and held second in importance to Bhagwat Geeta) to His devotee Shama for initiating him in its recitation. So, He called Ramdasi and told him a lie, that He was suffering from intense stomach-pain and asked him to go to the bazaar and bring some sonamukhi (a mild purgative drug). When Ramdasi went to bazaar, Sai Baba got up from His seat, picked up the copy of Vishnu-Sahasra-Nama and gave it to Shama-although he was not willing to take it.
Similarly, in Ch. 33 for reaching Udi and Arati urgently for the safe delivery of Nanasaheb Chandorkar's daughter at Jamner, Sai Baba Himself look the form of tonga-driver and told a lie to Bapugir, that the tonga and the refreshments also was sent by Nanasaheb Chandorkar himself from Jamner.
Now, how do we interpret such acts? Firstly, the saints do not have to bear the consequences of their acts - whether good or bad, since the saints do not claim the doership of these acts to themselves. Secondly, even if such acts are sinful, the saints are prepared to bear their consequences for the sake of their devotees. In the first instance, Sai Baba wanted to favour His devotee Shama with some religious practice and hence, He enacted this drama. Normal advice by words would not have been that effective. In the second instance, Sai Baba wanted to respond to Nanasaheb Chandorkar's fervent prayers to save the life of his pregnant daughter Mainatai, who was having severe labour pains and not delivering at Jamner. In this case, there was urgency to reach Udi and Arati more than 100 miles away and that too in the night. Hence, not only Baba prompted Bapugir to go to his native place at that odd hour but helped him to reach Jamner from Jalgaon Railway station in a tonga by even speaking all sorts of lies to convince Bapugir. Thus, saints would do anything to favour their devotees or to help them in their calamities. Haven't we heard a number of instances, where saints have taken on themselves serious and painful diseases of their devotees and suffered them willingly!
Sai Baba Himself in Ch. 7 had taken on Himself four fully-developed bubos of Dadasaheb Khaparde's young son and suffered them. How then saints would ever hesitate to perform sinful acts for the sake of their devotees and suffer the consequences if any?
Telling the truth - nothing but the truth - sometimes becomes problematic in everyday life. Now-a-days there is a shortage of change, while travelling in a bus or rickshaw. The conductor or the rickshaw-driver always demands the exact amount saying he has no change. Now, even if we have the change, we would need it for the return journey. So, we are tempted to tell a lie, since telling the conductor or rickshaw-driver, that we need the change for return journey will not work, and thus telling the truth will end in serious difficulties on our return journey. Actually, the conductor or the rickshaw-driver himself, many a times, bluffs, that he has no change. So, what should we do? Follow the principle of 'Satyam Vad' (Tell the truth always) or not?
Another instance is our grandsons asking for blank papers for drawing pictures. Normally, once or twice we can always spare. But, when our stock is coming to an end, what do we tell them? If we give away every paper from our stock, there would be a problem of getting it from the market in this our old age. If we tell the grandson that there is no paper left with us, we transgress the principle of truth. Then, how should we add?
From the above discussion, personally my views are as follows. One must always speak the truth. Never tell a lie - at least not for one's own self-interest. However, sometimes for the benefit of others. There is no harm in sometimes telling a little lie. For example, if telling some sad news is likely to shock a person, there is no harm in telling a lie that such a thing has not happened or that we do not know about it. Similarly, if somebody has offered with love and care some food and even if it is not relished by us, will it not be wiser to praise the food smilingly rather than bluntly telling the truth and hurting the feelings of that person! Such acts are even supported by our scriptures:
Satyasya vachanam shreyaha
satyadapi hitam vadeta!
Yadbhutahitmatyamanta
metatsatyam matam mama//
- Mahabharata, Shanti Parva
(Telling the truth is good, but telling what is beneficial to others is better. In my opinion, what results in the ultimate welfare of all beings, is the real truth.)
Satyam bruyat priyam bruyat na bruyat satyampriyam !!34!!
- Manusmruli, Adhyay 4
(One should speak the truth and speak what is pleasing and agreeable to others. Never speak the truth, which is not pleasing and agreeable to others.)
KEEP YOUR PROMISE ALWAYS
Sai Baba preached that, if you promise anything to anybody, you, must fulfil it. Never give a false promise. Devotees normally pray and make a vow to their diety or Guru to do some act or offer something, on condition, that certain desire of theirs is fulfilled, but, once their desire is fulfilled they forget to fulfil their vow. There are many instances, where Sai Baba prompted such devotees to fulfil their pending vows. For instance, in Ch. 33, Appasaheb Kulkarni wished to pay Rs. 10 to the Fakir, who had visited his residence during his absence and Baba got it fulfilled by approaching him again and demanding the full amount. Similarly, in Ch. 30, we have read how Sai Baba manoeuvred to get Shama's long-pending offering to Sapla-shringi Goddess fulfilled. In Ch. 15 also Sai Baba is seen highly pleased to note His devotee Cholkar giving up sugar in his dietary and drinking tea also without sugar until his vow to offer sugar-candy to Sai Baba by visiting Shirdi is fulfilled.
TALK LESS
Sai Baba Himself followed this principle. He never gave long lectures, but preached His devotees by giving them suitable experiences or by narrating suitable stories. For spiritual advancement, observing silence for sometime everyday is good. Baba Himself practised this by spending sometime twice a day in Lendi Baug till the end of His life regularly. Talking too much consumes lot of energy, hence, even in day-to-day business, it is advisable to avoid unnecessary talk.
REPEATING GOD'S NAME
In speech, Sai Baba's most important advice was about repeating God's name. He Himself used to repeat Allah Malik (God is Lord) constantly. He was fond of making others sing God's name continuously by day and night for a whole week. This is known as Nama-saptaha. Hemadpant also adds in Ch.27 :
"The efficacy of God's name is well-known. It saves us from all sins and bad tendencies, frees us from the cycle of births and deaths. There is no easier sadhana than this. It is the best purifier of our mind. It requires no paraphernalia and no restrictions. It is so easy and effective." (P. 145)
SUMMARY
In short, Sai Baba's advice on speech was as under:
(a) Not to speak cuttingly to anyone, so as to hurt-him to the quick. On the contrary one should bear the other person's outburst calmly!
(b) Avoid argumentation and disputation!
(c) Never indulge in slander-mongering or ridiculing others!
(d) Speak the truth always!
(e) Speak soft and sweet words!
(f) Keep your promise!
(g) Talk less and observe silence frequently!
(h) Repeat God’s name as often as possible!
http://saileelas.org/articles/nimbalkar/speech.htmSai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
Topic: DWARKAMAI's LEELAS(She is our Mother) (Read 399358 times)