Commandment 19:
Restrain from Analysis and Criticism of Other Paths
There are thousand ways to reach the Truth. There is no one exclusive way. The path that you choose is the path of your soul quality. Others may choose other paths according to their soul quality. Some may follow the path of will. Another may follow the path of love and synthesis. Still another may follow the path of service and sacrifice. Yet another may follow the path of devotion. Likewise there are paths of ritualism, of sound, of colour, of penance. There is also a path of negation of that which is not self. The souls are free to follow the path of their choice. They may also choose to shift from one to the other up to a point, until they find what is suitable to each one. When one chooses to be on a path to truth one should stay put. To be more focussed in one’s own chosen path it is better not to indulge into analysis and criticism of other paths. Such an activity is a deviation from one’s own path. Mind your own business. Do not poke your nose into others’.
Judge Not
People live in vain analysing others’ ways and forming opinions. They live in the world of opinions. Consequently they drift from their own path. Partaking in side issues is distraction. Forming opinions through analysis and making judgements is criminal in nature. “Judge not”, is the dictum. It needs to be followed. One would do better to be silent when one differs from the others. One would do better to be silent when others express opinions and analysis.
The human tendency is always to judge good and bad. Persons who do so, unconsciously divide their consciousness into two parts. Division is contrary to Yoga. Yoga is the state of continuous consciousness simultaneously at all planes. Consciousness is one. It does not suffer division. Divisions happen in the ignorant minds. The wise do not divide. The wise do not judge. The wise are inclusive and are not exclusive. The One consciousness that pervades all is as much in an Initiate as it is in an idiot. The difference is, in an Initiate the consciousness is in order and in the idiot it is in disorder. The students of Yoga are required to see the variety in the functioning of consciousness and not to judge. There are persons who have aggressive consciousness. There are persons whose consciousness is lethargic. There are millions and millions of persons in whom consciousness is in disorder. But it is only one consciousness in all. The students who see the play of consciousness do not fall or step down to form opinions and judge. When they see the sunrise they enjoy the consciousness, but do not say, “It is beautiful.” It is already beautiful. By saying so, we do not contribute to its beauty. But the human instinct is used to say something. Somehow we are like that. We have an urge to speak, an urge to opine and an urge to judge. Avoiding these three is desirable.
Remember that in the whole universe only man has the faculty to speak. Speech has been given to man as a great gift of God. Others do not have speeches. In the fourth root race man gained this gift to speak. It is the greatest facility that man has. It has to be appropriately used. It can be used to realise God, the Truth. It can be used to destroy oneself. Between these two extremities, there is a huge range of speaking. “Speak pleasantly and speak truth. Speak not truth unpleasantly, speak not untruth unpleasantly”, says the Veda. Veda also says, “What you know as Truth and what you don’t yet know, put together is Truth.” Therefore forming opinions without knowing the whole truth is dangerous. It can lead to criminal acts. Living in opinions about others is seen as mediocrity. Living in noble thoughts is seen as the platform for growth. If you are full of opinions of good and bad about persons, places and events you are living in an ignoble way.
For the above reason silence is said to be golden. Pythagoras was suggesting three years of silence for the vocal cords. He was also giving practices to silence the speech at mental and emotional levels. He was very insisting on right speech, right thought and right action. Critical speeches, judgmental speeches, opinionated speeches, manipulating speeches, negative speeches go against the progress of a student. Very few know how to speak. To speak the right word, to speak in the right tone, and to spread light through speech – all these constitute a path to Truth.
The modern man also has instinct to discuss. Discussion many times leads to lack of cushion causing discomfort. Too much discussion drifts persons from the issue at hand. They beat around the bush. They do not make the point. Instead of discussions, criticism, analysis, opinions and judgements one would do well to reflect within, to ponder upon, contemplate upon the given information.
Discussion and analysis of the works of Saints, Initiates and Masters is totally avoidable. This is much more dangerous than the normal critical judgemental, analytical speeches about others. It leads to arrogating oneself a position that one does not have. Little is known of others and much less is known of the wise men. Be not in haste to make critical comments on them. It will be totally unacceptable to Nature. Sanat Kumara therefore gives a strong instruction to restrain from analysis and criticism in general and analysis and criticism of others’ practices in particular.
For more deatials refer to the author’s on ‘Saraswathi – The Word’’, ‘Sound – The Key and its Application’, ‘Mantrams – Their Significance and Practice’.
… to be continued
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