Sadhana Panchakam, Instruction 24

Translation and Commentary by Jayaram V

3.8 Avoid arguments with the wise people.

On the path of jnana yoga, a seeker of truth has to keep his mind open and listen to those who possess knowledge and wisdom rather than argue with them. You can ask questions and seek answers or express your doubts, but you shall not dispute their statements, even if you disagree with them. If you do so, it will prevent you from knowing their point of view and the possibility of receiving any further guidance from them. Spiritual masters are interested in imparting knowledge to seekers. They have no desire to convince or persuade anyone with their knowledge or erudition. The nature of your faith arises from your gunas and your past karma. No one can help you, if your faith is weak or lacks conviction.

When a seeker of knowledge listens to enlightened people with attention, he is benefited by their knowledge and wisdom. He may also gain further insight and experience peace when you meditate upon their statements after listening to them. However, if he enters into an argument with them for any reason, he may end up reinforcing his preexisting beliefs and opinions without learning any new knowledge. Besides, arguments and disagreements bring out strong emotions and interfere with one’s understanding. When you are drawn into an argument and emotionally aroused, you may even forget common courtesies and become disrespectful.

Arguments strengthen your ego as you cling to your thoughts and opinions and act upon them, which in turn makes it difficult to practice detachment and renunciation. When you renounce worldly life, you have to renounce any attachments you may have towards your habitual thoughts and rigid beliefs. Since arguments invoke strong emotions, especially those which have a bearing upon one’s identity and ego, they also impair relationships and become a stumbling block in your spiritual development. Sometimes, you may win an argument but lose the person with whom you argue.

We have learned in previous instructions that a student shall honor the highest knowledge of the Vedas and embrace the reasoning which agrees with them. It is possible that occasionally you may come across learned scholars and spiritual masters, who may not have the same reverence for the Vedas as you or your teacher or accept their reasoning. When it happens, you do not have to argue with them, at least not until you become enlightened and acquire self-knowledge. You may listen to them with indifference and keep your opinions to yourself.

If you have truly renounced everything, including your mental constructs, you will not argue with anyone or force your opinions and beliefs upon others. You may share them with others at their request, but you will not try to suppress theirs. A spiritual aspirant or a seeker of truth shall observe the ways of the world and learn from them, rather than trying to control them or change them. He shall not evince any interest in changing the ways of the world, or imposing his mind or his ego upon others, acknowledging the diversity of thoughts, opinions and beliefs as the defining aspect of the natural world and a play of Maya.

The diversity of opinions and thoughts which exist in the world shall make you indifferent to them and abide in the self. In the Ashtavakra Samhita (9.5), you will find a reference to this where sage Ashtavakra suggests how to deal with the disagreements and differences of opinion. He states that upon seeing the diversity of opinion which exists among the great seers and sages on almost every metaphysical subject one shall become indifferent to them, and remain absorbed in the contemplation of the self. By remaining indifferent to the ways of the world, and by equanimity and discernment, the seeker shall gain the knowledge of the pure self and escape from the cycle of births and deaths.

On the path of liberation, you have to renounce all thoughts and opinions, however good they may be, and suppress any desire or intention to defend yourself or prove others wrong. Without that, it is impossible to empty your mind of all the clutter and enter the tranquil states of oneness. Every attachment which you may have towards any thought or opinion shall be discarded before it induces self-fulfilling delusions and acts as obstacle. When you leave the world, you have to leave also the world which you build in your mind with your thoughts, beliefs and intelligence. Without that, your renunciation will be incomplete.

If you believe in the Vedas or the wisdom of the Upanishads, it is not necessary that everyone shall have the same opinion or belief. Your purpose is to attain liberation not to prove your point or disprove others. As the Bhagavadgita suggests it is not wise to disturb the faith of others. Everyone’s life is shaped and guided by karma. You cannot take responsibility for that. You have to let people arrive at truth by themselves through trial and error. Life teaches us valuable lessons. If we are wrong, we will be proven wrong and forced to learn or change. The same happens to others also. The purpose of spiritual practice is not to reform the world or others but to reform and transform yourself.

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