Practical Vedanta

Practical Vedantarealisation that you become a [blessing] to others. . . ."Thy face shines like [that of] one who has known God." (Chhândogya. IV. ix. 2.)That is the goal. This is not to be preached as I am doing. "Under a tree I saw ateacher, a boy of sixteen; the disciple was an old man of eighty. The teacher wasteaching in silence, and the doubts of the disciplevanished." (Dakshinâmurtistotram, 12.) And who speaks? Who lights a candle tosee the sun? When the truth [dawns], no witness is necessary. You know it . . . .That is what you are going to do: . . . realise it. [first think of it. Reason it out.Satisfy your curiosity. Then [think] of nothing else. I wish we never read anything.Lord help us all! Just see what [a learned] man becomes."This is said, and that is said. . . .""What do you say, my friend?""I say nothing.'' [He quotes] everybody else's thought; but he thinks nothing. Ifthis is education, what is lunacy? Look at all the men who wrote! . . . Thesemodern writers, not two sentences their own! All quotations. . . .There is not much value in books, and in [secondhand] religion there is no valuewhatsoever. It is like eating. Your religion would not satisfy me Jesus saw Godand Buddha saw God. If you have not seen God, you are no better than the atheist.Only he is quiet, and you talk much and disturb the world with your talk. Booksand bibles and scriptures are of no use. I met an old man when I was a boy; [he didnot study any scripture, but he transmitted the truth of God by a touch].Silence ye teachers of the world. Silence ye books. Lord, Thou alone speak andThy servant listeneth. . . . If truth is not there, what is the use of this life? We allthink we will catch it, but we do not. Most of us catch only dust. God is not there.If no God, what is the use of life? Is there any resting-place in the universe? [It isup to us to find it]; only we do not [search for it intensely. We are] like a littlepiece of maw carried on in the current.If there is this truth, if there is God, it must be within us. . . . [I must be able tosay,] "I have seen Him with my eyes," Otherwise I have no religion. Beliefs,doctrines, sermons do not make religion. It is realisation, perception of God[which alone is religion]. What is the glory of all these men whom the worldworships? God was no more a doctrine [for them. Did they believe] because theirgrandfather believed it? No. It was the realisation of the Infinite, higher than theirown bodies, minds, and everything. This world is real inasmuch as it contains alittle bit [of] the reflection of that God. We love the good man because in his faceshines the reflection a little more. We must catch it ourselves. There is no otherway.That is the goal. Struggle for it! Have your own Bible. Have your own Christ.Otherwise you are not religious. Do not talk religion. Men talk and talk. "Some ofthem, steeped in darkness, in the pride of their hearts think that they have the light.And not only [that], they offer to take others upon their shoulders and both fallinto the pit." (Katha, I. ii. 5.) . . .No church ever saved by itself. It is good to be born in a temple, but woe unto thefile:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Chitra%20Selv...ksBySwami/PracticalVedanta/PracticalVedantaPDF.html (112 of 113)2/26/2007 12:24:34 AM