#147 , WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT? WHAT HE DOES OR WHAT HE SAYS?

Some readers have questioned me:

"Why are you concerned with what he does? Write about what he taught? Write about his philosophies. Write about his Gnaana Yoga etc."

Reply for this can be found in his following quote (Complete Works, Volume 4, Bhakti Yoga):

The second condition necessary in the teacher is that he must be sinless. The question was once asked me in England by a friend, "Why should we look to the personality of a teacher? We have only to judge of what he says, and take that up." Not so. If a man wants to teach me something of dynamics or chemistry or any other physical science, he may be of any character; he can still teach dynamics or any other science. For the knowledge that the physical sciences require is simply intellectual and depends on intellectual strength; a man can have in such a case a gigantic intellectual power without the least development of his soul. But in the spiritual sciences it is impossible from first to last that there can be any spiritual light in that soul which is impure.

BLOGGER'S VIEW
1. What is more important? What a preacher teaches? What he does?
2. Can a soul be impure?
3. Can a person be sinful or sinless?
4. What is the meaning of sin?

These are all relative terms, susceptible to subjectivity. But what a person does outside and in his closed room cannot be ignored IN CASE OF PUBLIC PERSONALITIES WHO PREACH MULTITUDES. In case of private person, WHO DO NOT HAVE GLARE, GLORY AND HALO OF PUBLICITY, their PRIVACY DESERVES PROTECTION.

Here what Bhagavad Gita says in 3/21 (Karma Yoga, Verse No. 21) is very important:

Sanskrit verse: yad yad aacharati s`reesht`has tat tad deeveetaroo jana:
sa yat pramaan`am kurutee lookas tad anuvartatee

Whatever the best men in the society and the leaders do others will emulate. Whatever the elite take as standard, the world will copy.

BLOGGER'S VIEW
If Vivekananda eats turtles, shad fish, ordinary people will also do. If he looks at photos and gets overtaxed nerves, others will also get. If he indulges in barfi, ice cream etc. and gets diabetes others will also get. If he sacrifices goats, others will also do. If he smokes cigars and catches up asthma, others will also smoke cigars and catch asthma!