It is amazing how much mischief can be caused by taking a line completely out of context.
‘Don’t cast pearls before swine.’ ‘Don’t play music to a cow.’ ‘Don’t throw gold coins to a cat.’ ‘Don’t expect a monkey to appreciate ginger.’ ‘Honey isn’t made for a donkey’s mouth.’ The meaning is exactly the same.
According to the gospel of matthew: ‘Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine.’
According to the muNDakopaniSad: ‘This is declared by the Rg verse: Let one teach this knowledge of brahma to those only who perform the karma enjoined, who are versed in the vedAs, and firmly established in brahmA, who, endowed with full faith, offer oblations themselves to the fire called ekarSi, and who perform the shirovrata according to the rule.’
And according to the shvetAshvataropaniSad: ‘This highest secret in the vedAnta, expounded in a former age, should not be given to one whose passions have not been subdued, nor to one who is not a worthy son, nor to an unworthy disciple.’
Can you please explain the essential difference between ‘this should not be given to one who is unworthy’ (which is the standard hindu tradition) and ‘that which is holy should not be thrown to the dogs’ or ‘cast not your pearls before swine’ (as advised by christian tradition)???
nAprashAntAya dAtavyaM na aputrAya ashiSyAya vA punaH
The highest secret of vedAnta is a veritable pearl, which should not be taught to “an untrue son” (thus, not to a “bastard child” or a “mongrel”, and hence not to a “dog”). And neither should it be taught to “a person or thing not deserving to be taught or not capable of being instructed” (thus, not to a “donkey” or a “monkey” or a “cat” or a “cow” or a “pig”).
Since only an idiot would even contemplate teaching vedAnta to any one of these animals, the words are surely metaphorical and referring to human communication, indicating simply anyone who is incapable or unprepared for properly appreciating or digesting the pearl of wisdom.
The veda refers to wisdom that should only be given to a tyAgin (vAnaprastha), and the upaniSad is referring to wisdom that should only be given to a sannyAsin, and in each case the meaning is the same ~ don’t give the post-graduate instruction to the undergraduates, for they are (as yet) unfit to properly comprehend it, and in their hands the true significance will be lost. And it is fruitless to caste such pearls of wisdom to those who are not prepared (i.e. to the “unwashed”, who are without the appropriate saMskAra) for it.
Any difference between the biblical statement and the vedAntika statement is only in your mind.
And regarding my own use of the phrase ~ it is futile to give the ultimate wisdom of sannyAsa to those who are not prepared for sannyAsa ~ it is useless to suggest the common origin and aims of apparently diverse dharmas to those whose passionate support of one side over another makes them blind to the very possibility ~
and it is clearly unwise to cast appropriate metaphors before those who take everything literally!
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