The Words that Ring True

By Karmayogi

Life is submerged in an ocean of words. Words emanate from us endlessly and impinge on us forever. They all dissolve and disappear. Of course, several words remain in our memory ever fresh. But we also know the phenomenon of some casual words remaining in our memory and constantly repeating with a vigour. On closer examination, we see they are words spoken to us at a crucial moment of our lives. Still, these are words and phrases apparently frivolous such as, ‘‘This is not the way of doing it,'' ‘‘Whatever you do, you do with grace,'' ‘‘I shall never accept your idea.'' Further analysis shows that memory retains compliments.

Still utterly meaningless words often ring in our ears and defy our understanding. They are the words of other descriptions of our insistent character which we try in vain to change. You may be one who constantly projects your views on others and you have now come to realise this has to be given up. So the words ‘‘I shall never accept your idea'' stick to the memory. One may see a dozen or two dozen words that remain in the mind and refuse to disappear. They are the points of character where one needs inner change. To accept them as a subconscious guidance is valuable in life, and essential in yoga. If you are argumentative, you will see several arguments of old constantly rearing their heads. Each argument will come from a certain person or his words. You may be thinking you are being bothered by an old event. Truly it is not so. That argument represents a thought which you have not understood. Stop there. Try to fully understand that argument. When the understanding is emotionally accepted, that argument will cease to appear in the memory.

Man is what he understands. As long as a certain understanding defies the mind, it will be appearing in the Mind. Suppose you were unable to help a friend several years ago and the event recurs in your mind, it means you wish to acquire the capacity to help another. It will suddenly disappear when you acquire the capacity. In this case, the recurring words are symbolic of your endeavour at progress. We always say, ‘‘Those words are ringing in my Mind.'' They are the frontiers of our personality where we strain our utmost to widen our inner domain.