5 Oct 2011 —
Question
Q188: Studying scriptures?
Question 188:
“Amma says: ‘Study the scriptures with the attitude of a child.’ How do you understand this?”
Please make your answer brief and clear (maximum 5 or 6 lines).
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I think Amma wants us to read scriptures with the innocence and inquisitiveness of a child. A child doesn’t take something for granted when they read. They want to know the reasoning behind it(meaning of every word they have read) and tries to understand it for what it is , do not fear what others think if they ask the same question a hundred times until they really understand and are satisfied with it and then accept it. Adults are usually pre-conditioned,opinionated and not so humble.
My humble opinion is when we sit down to study the scriptures, lets have the attitude ‘I dont know anything’ and study them. If we assume that we already know what the scriptures are teaching, then we will never truly learn. Scriptures have lot of subtle meanings and priceless instructions on how to live in this world. If we take for granted that we know many things already, the subtle meanings in the scriptures will be a mystery for us and we will miss the essence of the scriptures. So lets be like a child which is aware that it does not know anything and hence learns soon.
We need the sense of enthusiasm and wonder to really understand the message of the scriptures. The scriptures are there to guide us to self-realization, and it is through having a child-like excitement about the possibility of self-realization that effort will be made. The Shvetashvatara Upanishad says “hear, O children of immortal bliss, you are born to be united with the Lord”. It’s through being like a child longing to be united with its mother that we will make the effort that is required.
As adults it is often difficult to become excited and passionate about anything. But if we have a child-like attitude, we shall have the enthusiasm to practice until we achieve the goal.
Om Namah Shivaya
Have the attitude of a beginner and in the silence of the mind.
The study of scriptures bestows on us the knowledge to attain the Beatitude of the Divine in this very body fulfilling all forms of duties(Dharma). When it comes to Dharma, even the wise men are deluded, hence it is the simple innocent attitude of a child that sees not the blemishes when performed actions that also reflect a stink of evil as fire can’t exit without smoke. Hence, reverence to the study of scriptures with the innocence of a child verily bestows knowledge to gain happiness to one’s own self and to the world at large (ability to perform duties at all levels.)
Studying the scriptures should not be a serious business. It has to be a playful thing to do.
Catching the words of the scriptures with intellect and doing the scientific analysis, we miss the real point of the scriptures what they meant to be.
When we are at the heart center and enjoying the scriptures without analyzing it; a kind of bhava Samadhi can occur if the guru’s grace is there.
The very fact of my thinking of me confined to this body is coming from ignorance. I have hunger, I need sleep, I need to talk, I need to smell, I need to be touched, I need to manage, I need to obey, I need fame, I need to show that I am humble, I need to show off my “knowledge” and vices. I need to show that I am able. I need to show that I get things done. Do you think I know everything to ignore scriptures? Ofcourse not. That I is coming from abysmal ignorance. To me, that is what Amma says in those lines.
No matter how many times a child hears a story, the child listens as if it has never been heard before. A child hears the song and is swept up into the story and becomes a part of it, every setting, every character. When the story is finished being read, the child continues to live within the song, the story. The child becomes Krishna, Arjuna, Rama, etc… in the world beyond the story.
OM SRI RAM JAI RAM JAI JAI RAM
Studying the scriptures should be child like. One should learn to accept what is present in the scriptures without any question. Then only it will help.
OM SRI RAM JAI RAM JAI JAI RAM.
The studying of the scriptures with the child-like curiosity and excitement and with all interest only for learning (without ego) from the scriptures unbiased are all the great features of the recommendation 🙂
I feel that we should study the scriptures with an open mind without any pre-conceived notions. One should humbly bow before the Lord / Guru/ scriptures and remember that we do not know anything. When we learn the scriptures with such an attitude whatever we learn is a wonder which resembles a child learning.
A child is always in ‘Half Empty’ stage of a glass of water whereas an adult is in ‘half full’ stage of the same. In this case a child is very much open to all the knowledge of a scripture physically, mentally and intellectually. I.E. the child is open from all fronts for the deep knowledge hidden in the scriptures. On the other hand an adult would be full of Office, Wife,forthcoming evening meeting with friends, next weeks Party at Sandy’s. So on and so forth…. and no or very little mind or intellect left over to grasp the contents. Above all that little knowledge whatever is gained may be tinted with or contaminated with his/her big EGO! Thus a child’s grasping of a scripture may be exhaustive and picturesque.
I understand that the attittude of a Child is EGO less. Knowingly or unknowingly we experience this state in the presence of our beloved “AMMA”, when we become child.
Amma Sharanam.
Be open like a child and let the study of scriptures benefit you by working on your ego and draw you to the indweller..
It means to listen from the heart. By the way, is there a basic prescribed reading list, sequence to follow? Are epics or story-based teachings scriptures?
Om Namah Sivaya
Scriptures are symbolically refereed to as “Veda Maathaa”; therefore it is only natural that one approaches as a “Child” as the connection between the Mother and the Child is the only phenomenon closest to “reality” in this world of illusions. The story of Thirugnaana Sampanthar best illustrates the fact that the Goddess herself will feed the ‘milk’ of ‘Gnaanaa” when a child is hungry for knowledge,
A child is open, innocent, has optimistic faith, ever curious, is tenacious and energetic. All these attributes are required in one to study the scriptures. As the story of Sage Bhardwaja goes, where he prays to Indra to keep adding more lifetimes to quench the Sage’s thirst to study the scriptures. After three lifetimes, in the fourth one, Indra creates huge mountains in front of the Sage, with a handful of sand grains points to Sage Bhardwaja that what he has accomplished in these lifetimes is only handful and what remains is compared to the huge mountains…As the legend goes these mountains are currently called “Vedagiri” and so is age old adage in Tamil “Kattrathu Kai man alavu; Kallaathathu Ulagalavu”…(Knowledge acquired is just handful and what remains to be acquired is as much as the whole earth)…
Point is …one must approach with reverence to the task on hand and be open as the real hallmark of one’s learning is humility…
“Vidyaa Dadaati Vinayam; Vinayaadyaati Paatrataam”
Knowledge generates Humility; by humility one becomes worthy
“There is no better alternative to begin this process than having the attitude of a child”
Aum Amriteshwaryai Namah
A logical mind (grown ups) will question the validity of what is read in the Scriptures in so called rational (or scientific) way. The scriptures are pure experiences of sages. This has to be taken to the heart and meditated upon just like a child. A child listens to a story and would listen to it again and again and when it grows up it relates its experiences to those mentioned in the stories never forgetting it. I still remember the story of “Kuchela (Sudama)” when he decides to see Krishna due to his poverty and hesitates to hand over the “poha” (beaten rice)that his wife had packed in a dirty cloth.
being like a empty vessel waiting for the first drop of knowledge.
Intellectual pride is in reality, Ignorance.
And a childlike heart does not belong to an intellectual.
Generaly children are very qurious to know somthing new.And they are very innocent and unbiased and don’t have a pre-conceived notion.So they can able to understand the the Reality very easily.A child can cultivate faith (Shradha ) which is the important aspect of the spirituality, very intensively.So this kind of attitute should be there to learn the scriptures.There are so many egsamples of such children in the our sciptures.Druva and Prahlad in Sreemad
Bhagavatam and Nachikedus in upnishat are most popular .In the age of 4 or 5 Dhruva had such a intensity to know the Truth and realise it.And in the womb of mother only Prahlad could able to understand the Truth.The God of Death failed in front of Nachikedus by entising with so many metirial things to the little child,instead of the Prue knowledge.
in my point of view if we used to play with a child,we can see the joy nous of that child,his innocence and all,
usually the elders used to take the child and they give a hug make them up and down.they throw the child upwards it smiles we can see that it smiles instead of crying.the child knows that we will not make them fall.this is the attitude of the child
amma also says the same thing read the scriptures,do the karma with the attitude of a child.i am sure that the Param athma will not make us to fall down.
Namashivaya, To fulfill the Hunger of Body , ANNAM [Food] , To fulfill the Hunger of Mind , MANASA POOJA / BHAJAN , to fulfill the hunger of Intellect , SWADHYA (Study of Scriptures) , and ultimately to Realise our True Being [ Swaroopa ] , PREMA [ Unconditional Love]
Innocence and relaxation is the most important requirement for successful study. So Amma emphasizes the need for a vibrant, sincere, dynamic, innocent, ever open, positive mindset.Very small Children have all these qualities. We should be always in the present to acquire knowledge.
GOD, RAM, LIFE FORCE in the form of a child has in most no ideas, no motives, no judgements and without desire. instead it is Pure Consciousness looking out of a new set of eyes in wonder. To feel rather than think, and to be present rather than wanting an outcome.
I think Amma wants us to be in the present moment with full faith in the scriptures. In other words, give 100% of our attention with positive reasoning and absorbing, but devoid of a clever mental analysis.
Adults usually knows certain things and they will be learning new things with that view point only. Kids are fully open. With an open mind and egoless mind, it’s easier to grasp things. Scriptures are difficult to grasp and to practice it is even more difficult. Open mind and heart will make things easier.
A child is open to all possibilities of life and the accumulated tendencies and EGO are not so active. The child’s mind has the needed alertness to assimilate. He is alive and this genuine aliveness makes him so receptive. Scripture learning demands a mind that has a certain level of preparedness. Sastra are for those who have the ability to still their mind. Man has to have the innocent faith of a child in the preceptor. For a child learning is effortless…