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HONESTY
Honesty is the best protection.
A peaceful heart is the
best reward of honesty. Be sincere and honest
and your mind will be at rest. 10 December 1959 Vital
honesty: not to allow our sensations and desires to falsify our judgement and determine our action. Mental honesty: one does
not try to deceive others or to deceive oneself. Mental sincerity: the
essential condition for integral honesty. To speak always the
truth is the highest title of nobility. Page
― 216 One drop of truth is
worth more than an ocean of false information. Never tell a lie:
absolute condition for safety on the path. Each lie uttered is a
step taken towards disintegration. I have always and will
always forbid lies. If you do not wish to
say something which is true, instead of lying just keep silent. Let nothing be written
with this pen except what is perfectly true. 14 June 1934 If we allow a falsehood,
however small, to express itself through our mouth or our pen, how can we hope
to become perfect messengers of Truth? A perfect servant of Truth should
abstain even from the slightest inexactitude, exaggeration or deformation. Silence is far superior
to inexactitude. 30 December 1972 Page
― 217 Control over what one
says is more important than complete silence. The best is to learn to say what
is useful in the most exact and true way possible. 5 March 1933 It is the control over
oneself that is the first thing needed, and especially the control over one’s
tongue! If people could learn to keep silent how many troubles would be
avoided! Be quiet and gather
strength and force not only to do work but also, chiefly, to achieve the
Transformation. 3 March 1934 If only people did
remain a little quiet before speaking, acting or writing, much trouble could be
avoided. So many things are said uselessly, they bring misunderstandings and
bad feelings which could have been saved with silence. If were spoken only the
words that needed to be spoken, the world would be a very silent place. 29 December 1934 The world is deafened
with useless words. Mother, we were late with our drying work because they were behind
with the washing. However, I am happy to say that I was not carried away by the
violent discussions of my co-workers. With difficulty, I could do it. From now
on I shall try to take this attitude. Give me the strength of Your Silence. Page
― 218 Yes, it is very good to know how to remain
silent and not take part in discussions that are always useless and
unwholesome. There is a great
strength in the power to keep silent. It is always better not
to listen to talks especially on so-called spiritual matters. Each one must
follow his own way and the others have nothing to do with it. 9 January 1938 An atmosphere of
spirituality sometimes helps much more than an exchange of words. 22 November 1951 You must always do what
you say, but it is not always wise to speak about everything you do. When you speak, you must
always speak the truth; but sometimes it is better not to speak. 18 December 1951 When speaking of
physical things one should have a lively, pleasant, witty style. When speaking of vital
things the style should be eloquent. When speaking of mental
things the style should be clear, precise, exact. When speaking of psychic
things one must be inspired. 23 January 1953 Page
― 219 Spiritual speech:
all-powerful in its simplicity. Frankness says candidly
what it has to say without caring for the result. It is always a sign of
strength to be able to say things gently and it is always weakness that bursts
out into unpleasantnesses.
18 April 1956 Anger has never made
anyone say anything but stupidities. Never boast. By boasting
you dissipate your capacity for realisation. Boasting, boasting ― one of the greatest obstacles to progress. It is a foolishness
one must carefully avoid if one aspires to a true progress. The criticising
habit is more destructive than many bad habits. Médire est une
chose très vile. I
don’t know how to translate Page
― 220 médire into English. It is not exactly “speaking ill”. Crooked mind,
crooked tongue, crooked heart: this comes out in speech that looks like honey
but tastes like poison. Every word spoken
uselessly is a dangerous gossiping. Every malicious word,
every slander is a degradation of the consciousness. And when this slander is
expressed in a vulgar language and gross terms, then that is equivalent to a
suicide ― the suicide of one’s soul.
9 August 1957 When, in ignorance, one
speaks ill of others, he debases his consciousness and degrades his soul. A respectful and modest
silence is the only attitude befitting a disciple. To cure a critical sense
that manifests by incontinence of speech: 1) When you are in this
state, absolutely refuse to speak ― if need be, make it
physically impossible for yourself to speak. 2) Study yourself
without pity and realise that you carry in yourself
precisely all the things that you find so ridiculous in others. 3) Discover in your
nature the opposite way of being (benevolence, humility, goodwill) and insist
that it develop to the detriment of the contrary element.
11 October 1958 Page
― 221 True strength and
protection come from the Divine Presence in the heart. If you want to keep this
Presence constantly in you, avoid carefully all vulgarity in speech, behaviour and acts. Do not mistake liberty for licence and freedom for bad manners. The thoughts must be
pure and the aspiration ardent.
26 February 1965 Be careful always to
keep the living Presence and Protection around you when you speak to people and
speak as little as possible. You are right in keeping
quiet in front of those who do not understand, because the Divine is with you,
and that is the only thing that matters. With love and blessings.
3 November 1965 You need not go to
apologize. But as your words were misunderstood you do right to resolve to be
more careful about what you say. It is certainly very bad
to speak about the faults of others; everyone has his defects and to keep on
thinking of them surely does not help to cure them. June 1966 Page
― 222 For writing, even more
than for speaking, if you aspire to remain in the best attitude for advancing
swiftly towards the Divine, you should make it a strict rule to speak (and even
more to write) only what is absolutely
indispensable. It is a marvellous discipline if
you follow it sincerely. 27
July 1966 Neither too many nor too
few words ― just what is needed. I think the tendency to gather information is not bad? It is bad and harmful and lowers not only the consciousness of those
who gossip, but also the general atmosphere of the place. 29 July 1967 To gossip about what
somebody is doing or not doing is wrong. To listen to such gossip
is wrong. To verify if such gossip
is true is wrong. To retaliate in words
against a false gossip is wrong. The whole affair is a
very bad way of wasting one’s time and lowering one’s consciousness.{208} Unless this very nasty
habit is eradicated from the atmosphere, never will the Ashram reach its goal
of Divine Life. I wish all would repent
like you and take the resolution of stopping this unhealthy activity. 12 October 1967 Page
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