The topic for the Hindi Satsang on Sunday, 12th May, 2013 was ‘Satya.’ (Truth)
Following is the transcript of the Q & A between the audience and Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra and Smt. Hansaji Yogendra.
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Q. Giving advice is a good thing.
Dr. J: So give advice if it is a good thing.
Smt. H: Firstly see to whom you are giving advice. Give only the advice which you yourself follow. Otherwise it is a lie and has no meaning. Advice only someone who wants the advice. Don’t go around giving unsolicited advice.
Q. How to handle or deal with a person who speaks lies?
Dr. J: Keep away from him.
Smt. H: Exactly. Keep away from him and don’t ask him questions like where were you, what were you doing? You know he will lie, so why create unnecessary tension? But try and see the goodness in him and maybe later your direction may help.
Q. How can truth stemming from anger be called truth?
Dr. J: One must not speak when angry.
Smt. H: If you find that you are angry or under influence of emotions like worry or hurt or sadness, don’t open your mouth.
Q. If we want to go out with friends and parents don’t allow us, we don’t have any other option other than lying. What should we do?
Dr. J: Well, the option is open. You can go and tell the parent.
Smt. H: Tell your parents the truth. They are not your enemy. They only wish for your wellbeing and protection. If you are living with them, you have to understand them or you will hurt them if something goes wrong. So don’t do all that. Listen to parents. If you want to go out with your friends, bring them home and tell your parents that these are the friends I want to go out with. Speak the truth because otherwise who will protect you? And if things go wrong, how will they help you out?
Q. There is no connection of truth with politicians. Still they are happy and powerful.
Dr. J: This question itself is wrong. There is no connection of truth with politicians, that is one point. And they are sad, which is another point.
Smt. H: Again here, let us not form opinions. There may be politicians there who may be lying and earning money and owning properties etc. That aside, there must be some good politicians also because of whom our nation is running. But as John Kennedy’s statement goes, don’t ask what the nation is doing for you but what you are doing for the nation. So look at what we are doing first rather than at others. What is, is. Just remember it next time you vote. Politicians are also not happy. Many of them have trouble sleeping at night. Even a small position can be hard to handle. A simple corporator around here used to come to the Institute because his blood pressure was out of control and he couldn’t sleep. So don’t think they are happy. Happiness does not come to one walking the path of untruth. Externally they might look happy, but don’t form such opinions.
Q. Why is having an opinion or being opinionated wrong?
Dr. J: See, unless you know and are a 100 per cent sure, don’t make an opinion and don’t convey it.
Smt. H: We should not form an opinion because we have not reached the stage of Satya. And if seen from a spiritual point of view, the material world is continuously changing. So today if you form an opinion on someone, five years later the person could be changed because of different circumstances. Then your opinion becomes wrong.
Q. Today is Mothers’ Day. What is the duty of children towards their mothers? Many do not know.
Dr. J: I read in yesterday’s paper that it was Mothers’ Day, today you say it is Mothers’ Day. I think that is the truth? What is the truth?
Smt. H: Children’s duty towards mother: listen, feel, spend some quality time, speak truth. The mother-child relationship should be made of truth. Even if some manipulation is required in the family to keep the peace, it should be with the permission of the mother. I remember when I was young, a new movie had been released which had a song Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje. I was interested in dancing on it. So my mother wanted to take me to watch the movie. But my father was very strict about some things. He did not like us going to watch movies or looking at ourselves in the mirror. We should study in the morning from 4 to 7. But by mother felt children should enjoy a little. So she gave us money and let us go for the film. When my father asked where we had gone, some kind of excuse was made. But the truth should reach our parents somehow. Once we returned, we were dancing some steps and our father saw and inquired. We told him we had gone for a film and he saw that the deed was already done and we had learnt something good from it, so he did not make an issue out of it. So you can probably buy some time, but don’t go off the path of truth. So it is important for children to be direct and truthful with parents.
Satsang is an open meeting held every Sunday from 9:30 to 10:30 am at The Yoga Institute, Santacruz East, Mumbai. It involves an interesting presentation to the public, made by the students of the Teacher Training Course. Each week, a new presentation of a Yogic concept is made in a simple way through skits and decoration for the general public, followed by a short speech from our Gurus, Dr. Jayadeva and Smt. Hansaji Yogendra.