Let's talk about "Life" ! Sounds t0o vague eh ? Yes, of course !
Since the time I have been exposed to mobile phones back in 2005, through some or other ways I have been reading quotes by different philosophers talking about life. Funny part is, these days, whatever successful / rich person has to say becomes words of wisdom or quote. Because that's what everyone want's to be - Rich / Famous and Successful !
The real question people don't ask here is, if they are permanently happy after becoming successful and rich ! People often solve one problem just to give rise to another problem. e.g. Human invented modes of transport and vehicles so that he can travel from one corner of the world to another and now he also cribs about the crisis of fuel.
Like many people who keep posting quotes as their status on social media, I have also been a fan of these quotes until I read them by the greatest philosopher ever - Shri Krishna !
Now, whenever I read quotes posted by people on different social media, I can relate it with Bhagvad Gita or I find it personal opinion made in specific circumstances. Honestly speaking, there is no such the philosophy which can't be looked through an angle described in Bhagvad Gita. Reading the Srimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavat Puran), made me realise it's an extension of the Bhagvad Gita and the philosophy of Bhagvad Gita is described in detail through different situations and circumstances occurred in different millennia as moral stories.
I'll get back to the philosophy of Bhagvad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam again somewhere in this post but for now I'll try to stick my thoughts about life as I have started understanding it better recently. So before I proceed further let me tell you a short story - "Blind Men and an Elephant" .
Interesting thing about this story is, it's a very old story. Its reference can be found in ancient texts from many traditions across the world which includes Hinduism, Jainism. Buddhism, Sufism, etc,.
So here it is-
A group of blind men heard that a strange animal, called an elephant, had been brought to the town, but none of them were aware of its shape and form. Out of curiosity, they said: "We must inspect and know it by touch, of which we are capable". So, they sought it out, and when they found it they groped about it. The first person, whose hand landed on the trunk, said, "This being is like a thick snake". For another one whose hand reached its ear, it seemed like a kind of fan. As for another person, whose hand was upon its leg, said, the elephant is a pillar like a tree-trunk. The blind man who placed his hand upon its side said the elephant, "is a wall". Another who felt its tail, described it as a rope. The last felt its tusk, stating the elephant is that which is hard, smooth and like a spear.
Nice story ! So how is this connected to life and quotes and things I was randomly scribbling about ?
This elephant is nothing but life and an absolute reality. Reality is one, though wise men speak of it variously. We are blindfolded by our own perspective and often reluctant on accepting the true reality. While one may say 6+3 is 9, so 5+4 is !
All of us look at the life through different angles, different perspectives even though we are talking about the same incident. The software industry I work in, often has these retrospective sessions post live incidences in production or after every software release. The motive behind it, is to look from different perspectives so that we get better at planning in future.
Similarly, all the quotes we see by different philosophers are nothing but their perspective based on their own experiences as they tried to generalise what life is, how things work or how one should approach a problem. It's a broad perspective. A problem is a problem only until we find the solution for to solve it. To find the absolute truth, to solve the problem one has to look at it from all the perspectives.
The secret to find the absolute truth is by self realisation. If the blindfolded men could figure out that they are experiencing elephant from just one angle, most probably only then they would want to go around it, experience it from all the angles and then conclude how an elephant actually is !
Often it takes time to realise that we were looking at the life from just one perspective. Because our life is often like Chinese Whisper -
As young as toddlers, we start building our perspective based on the knowledge that has been flowing through generations and we try to relate to the same when we have our own experiences. The essence of the original morals, complete knowledge about the truth is lost in this process because, only limited and required knowledge is often passed from one generation to the another. This can be seen evidently in cases when we are performing rituals at religious Holy places or on festive occasions. It is often told by parents to their kids that, "This is how you perform rituals because this is how we were taught by our parents" and so on !
At one point of time, today's generation who is extremely curious to know the reasoning behind everything they have been told, doesn't get convinced. Rather than searching for the truth, they get carried away with their own beliefs and many times turn into atheists. "Man is made by his belief or you become what you think" e.g. If one thinks he is not loveable or evil then most probably that's what he has has made himself. It's a reflection of himself he is seeing in other's eyes.
Shri Krishna Says in Bhagvad Gita - Chapter 18 Verse 58
मच्चित्त: सर्वदुर्गाणि मत्प्रसादात्तरिष्यसि । अथ चेत्त्वमहङ्कारान्न श्रोष्यसि विनङ्क्ष्यसि ॥ ५८ ॥
mac-cittaḥ sarva-durgāṇi mat-prasādāt tariṣyasi atha cet tvam ahaṅkārān na śroṣyasi vinaṅkṣyasi
Translation :
If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditioned life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost.
Shri Krishna Says in Bhagvad Gita - Chapter 4 Verse 40
अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति । नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः ॥ ४० ॥
ajñaś cāśraddadhānaś ca saṁśayātmā vinaśyati nāyaṁ loko ’sti na paro na sukhaṁ saṁśayātmanaḥ
Translation :
But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness; they fall down. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next.
Shri Krishna Says in Bhagvad Gita - Chapter 8 Verse 6
यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् । तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावित: ॥ ६ ॥
yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ
Translation :
Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kuntī, that state he will attain without fail.
The more people you meet, more versions of you comes to an existence !
What is applicable for elephant here is applicable for you as well. Everyone who claims to know you, just know a version of you from their perspective. You are real yet you are a different person for every person around you . A funny quote says - A man is neither as simple as his mother thinks nor as bad as his wife thinks !
The one and only who knows you better than you is the one who resides in your heart as higher consciousness or super soul.
Shri Krishna says in Bhagvad Gita Chapter 10, Verse 20
अहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्थित: । अहमादिश्च मध्यं च भूतानामन्त एव च ॥ २० ॥
aham ātmā guḍākeśa sarva-bhūtāśaya-sthitaḥ aham ādiś ca madhyaṁ ca bhūtānām anta eva ca
Translation :
I am the Supersoul, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all living entities. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings.
Can you answer, what's the purpose of your Life ?
Many people say, YOLO - You Only Live Once and in this misguided belief they want to live their life as it comes. Although it's true that we don't know what is served in our plates, but what we do know is where we stand today. Sometimes we fail to realise how fortunate we have been for the things we already have and unfortunately we continue chasing the things we don't have or we could have got. In short the thought of - we could have been better, we could have got better things or envy ! keeps us pushing us to get better results from life. The moment we stand still at one point of time and instead of chasing targets when we look back, only then we realise that, we come so far and yet don't have everything what we wanted. We realise that, we have sacrificed something else which was worth more than what we have achieved ( e.g. Peace of mind or best moments with family ). Sometimes life surprises us with things better than we expected and sometimes we are disappointed more than we anticipate. In a nutshell, in the end, nobody is truly happy and satisfied !
Samarth Ramdas Swami says in Manache Shlok ( मनाचे श्र्लोक)
जगी सर्व सुखी असा कोण आहे |
विचारे मना तूची शोधून पाहे ||
Translation :
Find out who is the happiest person in the world - ( Nobody is )
Spiritual Awakening
While running at pace and chasing my pseudo dreams, once I stumbled upon an obstacle, I halted, looked back and I had my spiritual awakening. One of the things lock down situation, due to Covid-19, made me realise something which I always knew was that, I was just passing days after days and the time that was passing by was mostly wasted on worthless things. It opened my eyes at one point and made me think "What am I doing ? Why am I doing this to myself ? What's the greater goal or purpose I'm trying to achieve ? I might be working, learning new things in technology and thus earning more money every year but is that what it is ? When I'll retire from my corporate job, may be at the age of 55-60 and look back, what is it that's going to make me truly satisfied ? And what after that ? What should I look forward to ? Will I have a new purpose to chase again ? And what if I don't get it ? Will I just die with unfulfilled wishes and desires ?"
Karma - Fruits of your good and bad deeds. You can never escape them. I myself have realised it many times when I experienced them. I have written about them in my previous posts - हृदयस्थ श्रीकृष्ण & अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि ! so I'll try not to repeat the same.
Only thing that I would try to stress upon is, one who really likes to read, talk, discuss about the philosophy and want to understand what's the greater purpose of their life should at least try to read Bhagvad Gita. Once you are engrossed in reading it, once you believe in Him, you start getting your answers. You understand the purpose of human life, your life !
Shri Krishna says in Bhagvad Gita Chapter 18, Verse 66 -
सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज ।
अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुच: ॥ ६६ ॥
sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
Translation :
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.
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