Swami Prajnanapada
R. SRINIVASAN
Talks with Swami Prajnanapada
Compiled by R. Srinivasan
ELEMENT BOOKS © R. Srinivasan 1977
The child of man is born helpless, and so it has to take everything from its surroundings.
It, therefore, takes ideas, emotions, thoughts and actions from all that is around it.
Inview of its helplessness and inexperience, this is perfectly justified.
Indeed, it is necessary at this stage.
But most of us carry on in the same way even after we have passed that stage and stepped into adulthood.
Our thoughts are quotations, our emotions imitations, and our actions caricatures.
We are never ourselves standing on our own.
We absorb ideas, opinions, prejudices, likes and dislikes, and actions, from the atmosphere around us without examining or testing them.
Therefore, we should first divest ourselves of all hearsay, prejudices, superstitions, likes and dislikes, tradition, unthinking belief and so on and begin afresh on a clean slate.
One is to follow a master, never blindly imitate him.
Monkeys can imitate, but it does not befit a human being todo so.
A child may imitate but not an adult.
When he becomes an adult he must scrutinize all his thoughts and emotions, beliefs and superstitions, habits and methods of doing work.
He must examine everything, accept it if it is beneficial, and reject it if it proves otherwise.
One should become aware of every one of his thoughts, every one of his emotions and every action of his.
He must challenge each one of them and see if it stands the test of intelligence.
Is the thought or emotion true?
Is the action correct?
Is the method the very best he can think of?
If so he may carry on.
If not he must take the necessary action to correct them.
Thus every thought and action must be made his own.
Cleaning spectacles, for instance.
Is this the best method?
Am I doing it in the right way?
Or am I doing it mechanically imitating others?
Is there a better way of doing it?
If so, switch to the better way and discard the existing method.
So one must challenge everything, major or minor, and make it his own.
Shedding all thoughts, emotions and actions taken from the outside unthinkingly is the first step.
That is de-education.
One must shed everything boldly, be it a pet like or dislike or belief in a personal God or in heaven and hell or a laudable devotion to idol worship.
Examine every item of your supposed knowledge.
Is this taken from the surroundings without examination?
Then examine it now and retain it only if sound.
Is it due to the tradition of my forefathers? See if there is any valid reason for it.
If not discard it.
Is this born out of superstition?
Then do not tolerate it any more.
Is this hearsay?
If so, it must be scrutinized carefully.
Is this because I have always done it this way?
Then see if that is the best method and change if there is a better one.
Are all my beliefs in Karma, re-incarnation, fate, heaven, hell, god and devil half-baked and unsure?
If so put them aside for a moment.
Pull down all these cobwebs and sweep your house clean.
What about the faith in which your were born? The sacred Hindu religion?
Even that must be examined critically.
You cannot do so unless you have your own standard to compare.
So, take whatever appears reasonable and reject what is contrary to your experience and knowledge.
So nothing is to be followed blindly.