- Swami Shreeji -

Abhav/Avgun - "Gossip"

Sadhu Divyamurtidas

Once we went to a village called Khaakarya to perform a kirtan aaradhana in presence of

Swmaishri. We reached the village at 3;30 in the afternoon. Swamishri was resting.
After he awoke, we went to have his darshan. He asked questions concerning the saints and
welfare of Sarangpur Temple. While we were talking, the conversation somehow found the topic of
dieting.
One saint said that there was a fellow saint who had brought his weight down from 95 kilos to 70
kilos. But because he cannot resist good food, he is finding it difficult to control his weight.
As soon as he said this, Swamishri got up without any support at all and walked out saying,"The
devotees are waiting for me."
He left his AC room for the heat of the late afternoon sun. Why? Because we had spoken
unkindly about another saint, because we had spoken discouraging words which is, in fact, another form
of gossip. A form which defames, accuses, and destroys a devotee's character.
We can thus conclude from this incident that Swamishri does not like gossip as he had walked out
when we uttered those fatal words.
So what should we do?
We have come into this satsang to please Pramukh Swami and to attain our salvation. And in
order to fulfill that goal, my speech today will look at "How we can please our guru and earn his grace by
not gossiping."
But before we dive into "How" let us look at some of the reasons of "Why" - "Why we 'clatter'
away."
1. Jealousy
Some of the heaviest forms of gossip are caused or set in motion because of jealousy. We just
cannot stand and see others progressing ahead of us while we are left watching behind. Nor can we bear
to listen at the praises of others.
In order to convince ourselves that we are not left behind we find the simplest, the quickest and
shortest way to bring that person to our level - by simple gossiping.
In Maharaj's time, Muktanand Swami won a debate against the Vedantins in Baroda. When the
news reached Maharaj and the devotees in Gadhada, two saints, Nirvikalpanand and Haryanand,
turned green with envy. They went up to Maharaj and out of their pride discussed Muktanand Swami's
victory as a trifle matter.
"Maharaj," they said, "Muktanand Swami's victory against the Vedantins was like the victory of a
mighty lion over a weak fox. We see no great feat performed by Muktanand Swami. If you had sent us
we too would have won the debate." Maharaj was deeply hurt by their jealousy and disrespect for
Muktanand Swami. He expressed his wish to leave this satsang. "I don't want to stay here any longer," he
said. "I want to go and live in the forest, far from this place."
(Also take Jive Khachar's jealousy for Dada Khachar. cost was attempted murder of Maharaj).
2. Arguments
Usually what happens after an argument is that we go and tell someone about it. We tell that
person how the argument started and how it finished. Further more, we dig up other faults and drawbacks
of our - now enemy - in order to make ourselves look clean, good and innocent.
3. Dislikes
Each human has his own likes and dislikes. We may not like the way a person looks, talks, walks
or even the way he munches his food.
Human habits and behavior have interested us since the birth of man. We discuss crucial points
in depth and at great lengths. Sometimes we talk just to have 'a good laugh' at our fellow brothers.
I had a friend who had a large nose. People called him everything under the sun, from parrot
nose to Concorde. this got so bad that he stopped school. Furthermore, he stopped coming outdoors
altogether. He spent over a thousand pounds on plastic surgery to reduce the size of his nose.

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 For, my friend, gossip cost a thousand pounds and a near mental breakdown. But there have
been worse cases. Murder, suicide, mental breakdowns as well as wrecked marriages, careers, ruined
reputations and characters destroyed, heartaches, nightmares, grief, pain and as one author of "Good
News" magazine wrote, "it makes innocent people cry and turn in their pillows."
So the crucial question: how do we stop this lethal and deadly disease from attacking us? How
can we save ourselves from spiritual death?
1. Before we can take someone's faults into account we must see our own side. How perfect are we
really? Do we really have the right to look at another's fault when we ourselves are in the wrong?
It is said that a perfect man sees perfection and an imperfect man sees only imperfections.
Do we see the faults of others? If we do then we are imperfect. We have faults of our own, then
we have no right to talk about others. Maharaj has said in his Vachnamritam that one who takes others
faults is a great fool. In another Vachnamritam, he has used the term "Demoniac".
2. Ask ourselves next time when we feel like gossiping - whose children are we? Who is seated in
the hearts of each and everyone?
Each one of us, you, me and every other person in this satsang belongs to Maharaj and Swami.
And the same Maharaj and Swami are seated in our souls. How can we point our crooked and bent
fingers at others? If we point then it will mean - no salvation, no liberation, no happiness, and no bliss.
But one may ask, "What if someone comes up to me and starts gossiping? What do I do?"
Well, we do exactly what Pramukh Swami did - we walk away. And if we have the boldness to tell
him, then tell him. It will save our salvation, pleas Swamishri and it may jog his senses to do likewise.
The choice is ours - Do we want to please Swamishri and attain the happiness of God? then stop
gossiping and start glorifying.
gossip