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HOW TO BE GOOD
Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath
Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath
Don’t see anyone’s fault. That alone will make you good. If a person finds faults with others, he attracts those faults to himself and acquires all those faults. So if you really want to be good don’t see others’ faults. There is no bigger sin than finding fault with others. One who has committed a wrong, has done it and got its evil effects; but if you go on proclaiming his wrongs and denouncing him, you make your tongue foul and, thereafter, you go on crying.

You have been gifted with a pair of eyes so that you may see God in everything and do ‘Pranaam’ to all; you have been given a tongue so that you may sing God’s ‘Naam’ (Name), ‘Rupa’ (form), ‘Leela’ (play) and ‘Guna’ (qualities). But if you engage the same eyes and tongue to see and denounce other people’s faults, tell me, who is there in this world more unfortunate than yourself?

Before you pick others’ faults, you better find your own. Throughout your past life you have committed hundreds of faults and you are committing them even now. You pick your own faults one by one and get rid of them. Then you will be faultless and you will not be able to see other people’s faults. You yourself are full of faults, so you go on seeing faults in others. When you become faultless, you will not be able to see faults in others. If a person takes the same amount of care to find his own faults as he does to see those of others, he will soon be clean and faultless. Even amongst the learned people there are some whose only job is to find defects in the writings of others. Another writer might have given expression to many beautiful thoughts but the fault-finder does not consider those good aspects; he spends time in analyzing and searching for others’ alleged mistakes and shortcomings and he tries to show his own learning by giving publicity to these alleged shortcomings of other writers. Oh my God, he does not understand that the other man is God himself. He does not enhance his reputation by finding fault with others. It is most disreputable to do that.

Na Chkshusa Manasa Na Vacha Dushayet Api, Na Pratyaksham Paroksham Va Dushanam Vyaharet Kwachit.
Do not see, think of or speak of anyone’s faults by your eyes, mind and words. Don’t speak ill of him, either in his presence or in his absence.

‘Raja’ and ‘Tama’ Gunas in yourself make you see faults in others.
Guney Prabruddhey Varddhantey Guna Dosha Jayapradah, Doshey Vivruddhey Varddhantey Doshaguna Vinashanah.

By practicing self-restraint and by taking ‘Sattwik’ food, when ‘Sattwa-Guna’ increases and becomes strong, all weaknesses and faults are destroyed; but due to want of self-restraint and due to the intake of ‘Rajasik’ and ‘Tamasik’ food, defects in character increase greatly and destroy all good qualities.

Yathatmani Putrey Cha Sarva-bhuteshu Yastatha, Hitakamo Haristena Sarvada Toshyatey Sukham.

Just as a person desires well of himself and his son, in the same way when he desires well of all living creatures, then by his devotion Hari is pleased.
Yatha Puman Na Swangeshu Shirah Panyadishu Kwachit, Parakyam Budhim Kurutey Evam Bhuteshu Matparah.

Just as a person does not think of his own head, limbs and body as belonging to others, in the same way, he, who is devoted to me and considers me to be present in all creatures, will not consider these creatures or their pleasures and sorrows as different from himself or his own pleasures and sorrows. He does not apply to anyone this type of discrimination.

In this ‘Yuga’, the means to do that is simple and easy. Sing or chant ‘Naam’ constantly.
Atyanta Dustasya Kalah Ayam Eko Mahan Gunah, Kirtanadeva Krishnasya Mukta-vandhah ParamBrajet.

The ‘Kali Yuga’, which otherwise is extremely wicked, has one great quality. In this ‘Yuga’, he, who does ‘Kirtan’ of ‘Srikrishna Naam’, becomes liberated from all bonds and attains that ‘Param Purusha’. “You do constantly ‘Naam Samkirtan; you will gain with ease, the great treasure, ‘Prema’. Do only ‘Naam Kirtan’. From this, ‘Vairagya’ [feeling of renunciation] will automatically come”.
Vairagya-Buddhih Satatam-Atma-Dosha Vyapekshakah, Atma-Vandha Vinirmoksham Karoti-Achirat Eva Sa.

When one develops ‘Vairagya’ (aversion) to material objects, his eyes get directed to his own faults and that helps him to shake off the bondage of ‘Aham Mama’ i.e. I and Mine. You chant ‘Naam’ and do ‘Pranaam’ to everything saying ‘You (God) are everything’. Rising, sitting, whilst eating or lying down, he, who constantly chants ‘Naam’, crosses this ‘Samsara’ quickly. God Himself has come down as ‘Naam’. You devote your whole life in singing ‘Naam’ and giving ‘Naam’ to others.
Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram.

English rendering by B.N.Mullik [Kinkar Vishwananda]