The Way Forward

There is a verse in one of the scriptures. The gist of it is that a good man who wants to go on the spiritual path says what he feels, and does what he says. That is, he speaks from pure feeling. When he has impure feelings, he tries not to speak or rush into action or express them. A bad man does the reverse: he feels one thing and says something else; he says something but does something else.

If one really did speak what one felt, and did exactly what one said, then this would build up the inner strength of the man and, because of this clarity and unity of his mind and sincerity of his heart, the way would be fairly clear for him.

- Shantananda Sarasvati

In another place he said something similar, if anything with a stronger emphasis on straightforward speech. He said not to worry too much about getting it wrong, because if you did someone else would correct you.

For me this blog has been a real practice in speaking what's in the heart. That's the reason I have so much to say: this is what I have been thinking for 20 years, but because no-one ever asked it stayed inside. Well, mostly! Obviously one recognises that this is an unhealthy situation, but until people can speak from the heart spiritual development will be difficult.

It still feels unhealthy, because speaking is just the first step. The words have to be enacted. It may be objected that it's up to me to enact them ... but it's not so. If speaking out has not been our habit, even less has acting without instruction been practiced. We are rusty.

Speaking out doesn't mean talking out of the corner of your mouth in the pub after group, or thinking internally that you're above what you outwardly assent to. It means speaking what you feel, and then, of course, doing what you say.

This is the instruction of the Shankaracharya ... and so it is your duty, not only to the School but to yourself.