Talk:Becoming Argumentative

By Vishal Agarwal

The Bhakti Yogī should have a refined, sweet nature and behavior. His spiritual practice is one of experience, and he inspires others through it. Therefore, it does not behoove the Bhakti Yogī to get into futile arguments or discussions over mundane or even spiritual matters.

Never enter into (fruitless and inconclusive) discussions (about Bhagavān, Dharm, etc.). Nārada Bhakti Sūtras 74-75

Swami Sivananda decries the harms of excessive argumentation in the following words- “Those who engage themselves frequently in hot debates, vain discussions, wrangling, lingual warfare, and intellectual gymnastics cause serious damage to the astral body. Much energy is wasted. Hostility is the result. Time is wasted. The astral body gets inflamed by heated discussions. An open sore is formed in the astral body. The blood becomes hot….Ignorant people have no idea of the disastrous effects caused by unnecessary heated discussions and vain argumentation. Those who have the habit of arguing unnecessarily and entering into vain discussions cannot expect to make an iota of progress in the spiritual path. They must entirely give up arguing and discussions. They should destroy the impulses of arguing through careful introspection.”

Why should we avoid excessive philosophical discussion? The teachers give several reasons for the same-

1. Transcendent matters like Brahman, Prakriti, and so on are not subjects of observation and analysis by ordinary means of perception. Logic and reason are also subjective and are used under the influence of one’s understanding and experiences.
2. There can be multiple viewpoints about or interpretations of the same fact.
3. Different spiritual aspirants are at different stages of spiritual progress. What makes sense to one may not make sense to another.
4. Our views do not remain fixed throughout our lives and can evolve as our experiences and knowledge advance.
5. Even in the world, our understanding of various objects advances and changes as knowledge advances. For instance, Christians thought that the universe was Geocentric till modern science disproved this Biblical theory.

Philosophical discussions and arguments are more relevant in other paths to Moksha like Jnāna Yog, where a rational inquiry into the nature of the Bhagavān, the Universe, and the individual and relationships between them refines and purifies the Buddhi, making it Sāttvic, and the aid to liberate the Jīvātmā. The path of Bhakti Yog is simple love and service directed towards the Bhagavān who is Himself purifying and grantor of Moksha.