Mastakam (head) is more important than Pustakam (book). What is in Pustakam should be taken into one’s Mastakam and from there into one’s Hastam (hand). That is to say, one should read, understand and practise what has been read, in one’s life. You have to exert to achieve the oneness of the three – Pustakam, Mastakam and Hastam.
Three persons will have to get together to produce a book – the writer, the publisher and reader. How many books you publish, is not important. What kind of books you publish is most important. You should publish only good books that develop broad-mindedness in readers; your books should not promote narrow mindedness. The books you publish should be useful and fulfil the need of readers. Money is not important; moral values are important. Money comes and goes; but morality comes and grows! Whatever number of books you may write and read, if you don’t practise at least one good teaching contained therein, it is all a waste of effort. You may have a lot of delicacies on your plate. Your hunger will not be appeased just by uttering their names. You have to eat at least one of them. Similarly, there are many books on Swami. What is the use of reading them without practising anything? You will gain strength and ability only when you practise what you read.
Rajan (the convener of the Trust) prints many books and brings them to Me. I don’t look to the Pustakam (book), but at the Mastakam (head) of the writer. Only when the vessel is clean, the food that is cooked in it will be good and tasty. Similarly, the head of the writer should be steady and the heart should be pure.
Bookish knowledge is not enough for the writers. What is important is not the Grantham (book). The writers should write books that touch the heart. In the world outside, they write and publish books that provoke worldly desires. Such books do not last long, since they do not dwell upon Satya (truth). Only those books that inspire the heart lead you to Sathya.
All that you do will be a complete waste, if you forget God. You should never forget that your ultimate goal is to attain God. You should not be deterred by what others say. Your devotion should be steady and pure. Whatever you do should be done as an offering to God That is true devotion. Never differentiate your work thinking, ‘This is my work; that is Swami’s work or public work!’ All work belongs to God. The one who writes, the one who prints and the one who reads the book – are all ultimately one and the same. Therefore you should never practise any such differences amongst yourselves. Only then will your devotion become steady. When wrong thoughts and desires invade your mind, take recourse to discrimination and follow your conscience. Conduct yourself as per the signal given by your conscience, come what may! (SSSm Vol.7, pp. 339-340)