Scriptural study and Behaviour

(Adapted from Swami Paramarthananda’s talk)

Study of scriptures is not for preaching to others or for changing others but for changing oneself.  One can change only oneself.  And one cannot change others unless they want to change.  Changing others is possible under three conditions only.  The first condition is that the person has made a decision to change. Second condition is even as the other person has decided to change he must have a desire to take help from this person. One can offer help only when the other person wants to change and he has a desire to take help from this one. Because one cannot give something unless the other person is willing to receive. Otherwise whatever one gives will only drop out. And the third condition, the most important condition, is that the person offering to help should be competent to help others. If these three conditions are satisfied then one can try to help others to change.

As regards changing oneself, one should have strong desire to change.  Second he should take help from God through surrender to God.  And if these two conditions are met then God Himself will change one or He will send competent people to help one to change for the better.  When one recognizes this fact then one’s attitude to scriptural study will become different and he will find that his personality changes gradually like a butterfly changing from a caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly. In the case of a human being the change will be internal and one will mature into a wonderful and attractive person internally.  But between a butterfly and human being, there is a big difference. In the case of a butterfly, the change happens naturally for it is programmed that way genetically.  In the case of a human being it does not happen automatically but one has to use one’s free will to initiate the change and seek God’s Grace through surrender for complete transformation.  Otherwise scriptural study will cause no transformation and remain mere information only.

One unfortunate fact about change is, it is a painful affair.  As one becomes cosy and comfortable in one’s habits and in one’s way of behaviour one does not want to give it up to change.  Unless one is willing to undergo that pain, there cannot be change. The scriptures constantly emphasize the fact that along with scriptural study, there must be a change in our personality.   It is said, “as vichara changes, the achara must also change.”  Vichara means the changes in the thought process as learning takes place. The internal change must bring a change in our external personality.  Achara means speech and action.  We find that one has got all the knowledge in the world when it comes to advising others. But when it comes to one’s own life, one forgets this knowledge and does not apply the values he had learnt in his own life.  One should guard oneself against this weakness in his behaviour.

One must lead a disciplined life by Achara – speech and actions- learnt in the scriptures.  In regard to speech, one should not talk too much and exercise quantity control in talk.  Then only one can have quality control over words, as Sri Adhi Sankaracharya advises in Viveka Chudamani.  Secondly one should be alert in one’s actions.  Dharma is not something that is only spoken in words but it should exist through one’s actions.  Scriptures emphasize Achara.  That is, one must remove the gap between what one knows and what one is.

For persons who do not change and also do not want to change, in spite of all the scriptural studies, the scripture sounds a warning.  Digested food contributes to one’s growth. But the very same food when not properly digested can turn into poison and harm the person.  The study of scriptures is akin to taking food.  When it is assimilated and leads to change in behaviour it aids one’s spiritual growth.  When they are not assimilated but simply stuffed they become counter-productive by contributing to one’s ego problem through VidyaGarvam.   VidyaGarvam is the worst garvam for which there is no parihara because for all kinds of arrogance, Vidya is the solution. But if Vidya itself is a cause of pride then even Bhagawan cannot help one. So one should assimilate the teaching and guard against it itself contributing to arrogance.

Any amount of scriptural study will not benefit or purify the mind unless the person is keen to follow what he has been taught. One might have studied all the four Vedas and also the six Angas but he can still be cantankerous and problematic and as egoistic as before.   Without Achara, Vedas cannot purify a person.  During crisis that knowledge as mere book knowledge will not help and it will be only in his head without being of any practical use to him.   A Vedic scholar is one whose life is dharmic.  Mere scriptural knowledge is useless unless it is backed by a dharmic life.   So to benefit by this knowledge one should change oneself and one’s behaviour to conform to the Achara emphasised by the scriptures, with the scriptural knowledge embedded in one’s mind, well assimilated.

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