Bhagawan laid down
very strict code of conduct for the students. Student hood is the phase of one’s
life when one is expected to gain mastery over not only knowledge and wisdom
but also over one’s own mind and body, enabling oneself to be well prepared to travel
along the rough terrain of one’s life journey. Whereas secular knowledge helps
in making a living, spiritual knowledge and wisdom shapes one’s life. Strict
discipline for students has been an age old practice right from the time of the
Gurukulas. When the boys and girls are young, studying in their schools and colleges;
that is the time they are expected to gain in-depth understanding and insights
about the body-mind-Atma complex and in the process; shape their attitudes,
form their convictions, and develop the right world view and a holistic picture
about life. As the physical body is trained to be fit and strong, the mind too
has to be trained to be well tuned and in alignment with the dictates of the
conscience communicated through the intellect. Thus, Bhagawan always stressed
on the balance between secular and spiritual, between ability and nobility,
between the head and the heart. For such a balanced pursuit, discipline of the
body and the mind is crucial.
In this posting, we
will listen to Bhagawan talking to us about the strict code of conduct to be
followed by students. His expectations are lofty and His standards are very
stringent. But, unless students exercise such restrain during their student
days, one cannot expect them to turn out to be ideal, responsible citizens in
society in the future. Bhagawan spares no effort in communicating every detail
to mankind. He goes into the details of how students should talk, walk, sleep
and study. The five audio clips in this posting have been taken from the
Discourse delivered by Bhagawan on the 23rd of May, 1990, as part of
the Summer Course in Indian Culture and Spirituality, held in the Brindavan
Campus of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning.
In Clip-1 Bhagawan explains how important control
of senses is for the students. Clip-2 is about the discipline to be exercised
in walking and talking. In Clip-3 Bhagawan explains the proper manner of
conversing with and talking to others. Clip-4 focuses on the discipline to be
exercised in sitting, sleeping and studying. Finally, in Clip-5 Bhagawan
explains the inner significance of the need to sit and walk in an erect posture.
Each audio clip has a name that adopts the
following code: Serial number, Title appropriate to the key content, Duration
of the clip, Year-Month-Date of the Clip. Below the title is the translation in
English of the select excerpt of the Discourse, followed by the audio
player. The post ends with a short quiz that would help you evaluate your
assimilation of Bhagawan's Message from these extracts.
Note: Those receiving this blog by email may
see words bunched together due to a technical glitch. That is beyond my
control. Please click on link at the top of the email to read the blog
01-Control of Senses is the most important Ideal for
Students-2.05-1990 May 23
 |
| Control of Senses is important Image Source |
Because
the youth today are not able to control their senses, their walking, standing,
sitting, are all following the path that is contradictory (to the right path).
Not even one student is seen, who is able to sit in the class (steadily) without
moving or changing his position. How should one walk, how should one sit, how
should one sleep, how should one talk, how should one conduct himself when
among elders; all these matters are just not known to them.
02-Discipline in Walking and Talking-3.36-1990 May 23
 |
| Walk with an erect posture |
It is a very bad
habit to stand in the bazaar (market) and keep talking. If there is any
necessity, then after going to the Hostel and to your room, you may try to find
out about that matter. Therefore, youth should not keep chatting while going in
the bazaar. You must control your sight. We are human beings and not crows.
Crows keep looking this side and that side and do not remain steady even for a
second. Only when we follow such discipline, we will be able to achieve true
humanity.
We must not enter into unnecessary matters. This is the weakness
in mankind today. Even a person sitting in some corner who cannot see properly
or hear properly; when he comes across two people meeting over there, keeps
asking, “what are they talking, what are they talking”? Whatever they may be
talking, what is it to you? Why should you enter into this?
Some people go
around to every other person and keep talking. This is a very bad habit. They
keep enquiring into the matters of others, “What did that person say? What did
this person say?” Why should he be concerned about all this? Because of this
bad habit, the sense organs become the target for more harm. We should not get
into the matters of anybody else. Mind your own business and confine yourself
to your needs. Talking to everybody you come across will make you lose your
respect. Nobody will respect you. If anybody sees you coming on the way, they
will exclaim, “O here comes the argumentative person”, and they will move
aside. Whenever there is a necessity, just confine your speech to “Good
morning, Good morning, How are you, How are you”, that is all, nothing more.
03-Proper manner of
conversing and talking-1.20-1990 May 23
 |
| Right manner of conversing |
04-Discipline in
Sitting-Sleeping and Studying-3.25-1990 May 23
 |
| Right posture for sitting and studying |
Some people appear
all the more awkward when they go to sleep. They become like the bundle that
the washer man carries along with him by tying all the clothes together. They
bend inwards and shrink when they go to sleep. On account of this they also
become susceptible to many ailments.
They lie down and
keep the book on the pillow. They bend their legs like a bow and arrow and
study. For such people (studying in this posture), how much ever they may study
the texts, nothing will enter into their head. The body must be kept properly.
If it (head) is raised at this end and (legs) at that end, it appears like
tying an arrow. Because of such distorted practices, students lack memory
power. If you wish to have good memory power, you must sit properly and study.
If you are tired by chance, then close your book and go to sleep, very happy.
There is nothing wrong in that. Why do you force yourself unnecessarily like
this? You should not study when you are tired. With the objective that you have
to study…you must study, you keep some tea next to you, and drink and sleep as
you study. There is no use of studying in this manner. Apart from losing memory
power, in the future, many dangerous diseases may also affect you. Your hands
and legs will start shivering. Rheumatic pains will commence. Therefore, when
in the student phase, man must nurture his body in the right manner.
05-Always sit erect
while studying-Significance of Sushumna
Naadi-3.21-1990 May 23
 |
| Significance of the Sushumna Naadi Image Source |
There are 33 rings
(vertebrae) in the spinal column. Between the 9th and the 12th
ring (vertebrae), the Sushumna Naadi
shines brilliantly. That is why it is described in the Vedas in so many ways:
Neelaatoyaada Madhyaasthad Vidyullekhavaa Bhaswaraa
Neevaaraasooka Vattanvee Peeta Bhaswatyanoopama
(Brilliant like a
streak of lightning set in the midst of the blue rain-bearing clouds, slender
like the awn of a paddy grain, yellow (like gold) in colour, in subtlety
comparable to the minute atom, (this Tongue of Fire) grows splendid).
Just as, when there is a lightning in the midst of dark clouds,
there is immense brightness; in the same way, in our spinal column, the
Kundalini shines like the Vidyullekha (a
streak of lightning). This is the very basis of our life. Those who practice
the Kundalini Yoga will understand this well. Whether you practice any Yoga or
not; you must maintain your body in the proper way.
01-What are the five sensory perceptions?
02-What
is the habit of the crow that Bhagawan asks us not to follow?
03-What
is the outcome of being a very talkative person?
04-What
is the discipline that we must exercise while talking or conversing with
others?
05-What
is the correct posture for sitting or walking? Why?
06-What
are the typical wrong postures adopted by students while studying? Why should
we avoid these postures?
07-What
is the uniqueness of the Sushumna Naadi?
Where is it located?
08-What
is the reference to the Sushumna Naadi
made in the Vedas? Which mantra is this?
