- Avoid Sharing Experiences During Sadhana:
- Sharing spiritual experiences during the practice can weaken or diminish them. This is called ksaya (waste) of tapasya (spiritual effort).
- Such experiences are meant to prepare the consciousness for deeper realisations and should be preserved until they become stable.
- Privacy Is Important:
- Experiences, especially during sadhana, are personal and should not become topics for gossip or speculation.
- Sharing only past, settled realisations with spiritual value for others is acceptable, and even then, only selectively.
- Risks of Sharing:
- Loss of Experience: Speaking of an experience to someone unqualified (non-adhikari) can cause it to fade away.
- Gossip and Misuse: Sharing widely can trivialise the experience, turning it into a topic for superficial discussion.
- Ego and Disruption: Public sharing or teaching without readiness can lead to ego inflation or taking on others’ difficulties.
- Guidelines for Sharing:
- Share only if it serves a spiritual purpose or imparts clarity about sadhana.
- Experiences that have matured into permanent realisations are less affected by sharing.
- Caution for Sadhaks:
- Sadhaks who maintain the privacy of their inner journey tend to have steadier progress.
- Premature sharing can disrupt the flow of experiences.
- Exceptions:
- Some individuals or situations may permit sharing, depending on the spiritual readiness and intention behind it.
- Speaking to a Guru or a guide who can provide help is always safe.
- General Knowledge vs. Spiritual Experience:
- Intellectual teaching and sharing general knowledge is beneficial for understanding.
- Sharing personal spiritual experiences is different and requires caution until one attains stability.
Practical Advice:
- Preserve Joy and Progress: Avoid talking too much about your spiritual practices and experiences to others. Speaking can cause the energy to dissipate (“things spoken about get wings and try to escape”).
- Wait for Stability: Only share when experiences are deeply integrated and no longer at risk of being lost.
This guidance emphasizes the sacredness of spiritual growth and the need for discretion to protect and deepen one’s journey.
Simplified version of Sri Aurobindo (Letters on Yoga-3,page no.50-52)