Bhagawan's Commandments for the Tongue

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Bhagawan's COMMANDMENTS OF THE TONGUE 1. THOU SHALT NOT GOSSIP. Before any story whispered in the ear is passed on, if it must, it should be treated as the apples for a pie ... first peeled, then quartered, and cored, then what remains …. liberally sugared. The first step in the Sadhana is the cleansing of the speech. Most misunderstandings and factions arise out of carelessly spoken words. When the foot slips, the wound can be healed; but when the tongue slips, the wound it causes in the heart of another will fester for life. (Swami, SSS. Vol.1 p. 62) 2. THOU SHALT NOT USE A MULTITUDE OF EMPTY WORDS. Your tongue reveals the nature of your thinking

and your character. The Lord Himself admonishes the children of men to "let your admonishes be yes, yes, no, no, for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil." As far as possible, avoid causing harm or pain to others. As you sow, so you reap. Whenever you feel disturbed by a sense of anger, envy, pride, jealousy and the like, become alert and resort to the contemplation of the Lord. Practice silence. That will save you from squabbles, frittering thoughts and faction. (Swami, SSS, Vol II P. 34 - 36) 3. THOU SHALT NOT BOAST. A small man makes long, loud boasting in order to centre the spotlight of attention on himself; the great man works quietly, Silently polishing the beacon that it may guide the ship safely into the desired haven. Do not boast of your scholarship or

attainments. Those who conquer states and earn fame in the world are hailed as heroes, no doubt; but those who have conquered the senses are heroes who must be acclaimed as the conquerors of the Universe. Be humble, eager to serve; conserve your speech. (Swami, Sathya Sai Speaks Vol II p.34-36) 4. THOU SHALT NOT FLATTER. The less you talk, the more will become your mental power. With the increase in your mental capacity, there will be increase in your power of discrimination too. Consequently, you will give up "individual discrimination". Because of this, you will begin to consider the good of the world at large rather than your own individual welfare. You must cultivate such broad feelings from this young age itself. (Swami , Divine Discourse. Brindavan, 24 May,

1992) 5. THOU SHALT NOT GRUMBLE. Do not thrust your sorrows, your needs, your problems into the ears of those who have come here with their own bundle of such things. They are not interested in adding to their troubles. I am here to listen to you, to console you. Do not by loudness of voice disturb those who are meditating or reading or writing the Name of God. (Swami, SSS. Vol. 3 p. 9) 6. THOU SHALT NOT BACKBITE OR SLANDER. Instead of searching for others' faults, search for your own faults yourself; uproot them, throw them off. It is enough if you search and discover one fault of yours; that is better than discovering tens of hundreds of faults in others. Practice the

vocabulary of love; unlearn the language of hate and contempt. (From Swami's Discourse on 4.10.1991) 7. THOU SHALT NOT MOCK OR MAKE FUN. Practice moderation in speech. That will help you in many ways. It will develop Prema, for most misunderstandings and factions arise out of carelessly spoken words. Do not pretend or patronise. The mischief-mongering tendency should be plucked out by the roots and thrown off. If allowed to exist, it will undermine life itself. ( From Swami's Discourse to Students on January'15th' 1989. 8. THOU SHALT NOT LIE. There are three rules to be observed in promoting collective action. ‘Sathyam bruyaath ˜Speak the

truth ˜Priyam bruyaath. ˜Speak what is pleasant. ˜Na bruyaath Sathyam apriyan.˜Never speak what is true but not pleasing From the ethical point of view you have to speak the truth. In the context of worldly life, you have to speak what is pleasing. From the spiritual point of view you have to avoid what is not pleasing even if it is true. The Gita also teaches that one should not utter words that cause excitement, but speak the truth which is both pleasing and wholesome. From Swami's Divine Discourse on 20.11.95 ( 6th World Conference ) Om Sai Ram Send free SMS to your Friends on Mobile from your Messenger. Download Now! http://messenger./download.php