Using Sāma, Dāna, Daṇḍa, Bheda Without Losing Self-Control

Question

Last time I had a question—though it repeats what you said: when we gain Self-knowledge and start enjoying the seven qualities of the soul, then while doing our duties, how should we use sāma, dāna, daṇḍa, bheda (conciliation, offering, discipline/punishment, and division)? If we use these methods, won’t we slip back toward vices and ego?

Answer

No—there’s a difference. Everyone performs actions: those in knowledge, those not in knowledge, and even those in complete ignorance.

What matters is the doer—the quality of action depends on the quality of the one acting. If the doer is refined, the actions will be refined. And yes, while acting, you’ll need to bring people into discipline; for that, our tradition mentions four ways—sāma, dāna, daṇḍa, bheda.

Someone established in Self-knowledge—or even someone with a little knowledge—will use these differently. How? They will remain in control of themselves.

Right now, when we act, we often have no control over ourselves. For example, when we scold a child for a real mistake, we end up getting very angry inside. That’s where the difference in quality shows. A person grounded in knowledge will keep full control. Anger won’t arise within. If something needs to be explained firmly—even in a stern tone—they’ll do exactly that, and no more.

Our problem is: we try to get work done, but we ourselves stay restless. With a restless mind, how will we control others when we cannot control ourselves?

So both the ignorant and the knower perform actions. But the knower’s actions have a different quality—because they stay in self-control and, from that steadiness, bring others into discipline. The ignorant lacks self-control; if he can’t manage himself, how will he discipline others? That’s all.

If you experiment with this in life, you’ll see the results directly.

Yes, bring discipline; do all the work. As the Gita says: just as the ignorant act, so should the wise also act—but by changing only the quality of their action.

If you keep self-control, no wrong will occur anywhere in any form. Right now, the other person’s indiscipline is the smaller problem; the bigger problem is our own indiscipline.

Understand it this way—and then apply it in life.