Spiritual Message for the Day – Ethical Culture  by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda

Baba Times Digest© | 19 February 2015 18.04 EST | New York Edition

Ethical Culture

Divine Life Society Publication: Ethical Teachings by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda

Ethical culture will result in ethical perfection. An ethical man is more powerful than an intellectual man. Ethical culture brings in various sorts of Siddhis or occult powers. If you study Yoga Sutras you will find a clear description of the powers that manifest by observance of the practices of Ahimsa, Satyam, Asteya, Brahmacharya and Aparigraha. The nine Riddhis roll under the feet of an ethically developed man. They are ready to serve him.

The philosopher need not necessarily be a moral man or ethical man; but a spiritual man must necessarily be moral. Morality goes hand in hand with spirituality. Morality co-exists with spirituality. The three kinds of Tapas, viz., physical, verbal and mental that are prescribed in the seventeenth chapter of the Gita, the practice of Yama in Raja Yoga philosophy, and the noble Eightfold path of the Buddhists, viz., right thinking, right endeavour, right action, right living, etc., are all best calculated to develop the moral side of man. Sadachara or right conduct aims at making a man moral, so that he may be fit for the reception of Atma-Jnana or the realisation of the Supreme Tattva.

You should always try your level best to speak the truth at all costs. You may lose your income in the beginning. But in the long run you are bound to be victorious. You will realise the truth of the Upanishads, "Satyameva Jayate Na-anritam." Truth alone triumphs, but not falsehood. Even a lawyer who speaks the truth in law courts, who does not coach up false witnesses may lose his practice in the beginning but later on he will be honoured by the judge as well as the client. Thousands of clients will flock to him only. He will have to make some sacrifice at the outset. Lawyers generally complain "What can we do? Our profession is such. We must tell lies. Otherwise we will lose our case." These are false excuses. There is an advocate, a mental Sannyasi who is practising in the Uttar Pradesh, who is a friend and benefactor of Sannyasins, who never coaches false witnesses, who never takes up criminal cases and yet he is the leader of the bar and is revered by the judges, clients, and colleagues. O, my friends, barristers and advocates, you are killing your conscience in order to have comfortable living and to please your wife. Life here is evanescent and like a bubble. Aspire to become divine.

The various formulae—Ahimsa paramo dharmah—Non-injuring is the highest of all virtues; Satyam vada, Dharmam chara—Speak the truth and do virtuous actions—Do unto others in the same way as you wish others to do unto you—Do as you would be done by—Love thy neighbour as thy Self—are all best calculated to develop the moral aspects of a human being. Morality is the basis for the realisation of Atmic Unity or oneness of life or Advaitic feeling of sameness everywhere. Ethical culture prepares you for Vedantic realisation of "Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma—All indeed is Brahman—there is no such thing as diversity."

All aspirants commit mistakes in jumping to Samadhi and Dhyana all at once as soon as they leave their houses without caring a bit for ethical perfection. The mind remains in the same condition although they have practised meditation for fifteen years. They have the same jealousy, hatred, idea of superiority, pride, egoism, etc. No meditation or Samadhi comes by itself when one has no ethical perfection.

 Excerpts from: Ethical Culture - Ethical Teachings by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda

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