RISE AND FALL OF MAN
Man has=
made
this world a glorious place to live in. All threatening and persecuting pow=
ers
of nature have been tamed and harnessed to serve him. The comforts and
amenities provided are almost heavenly. Man has been indulging in them with=
out
any restraint. However, sitting amidst this mountain of wealth and prosperi=
ty,
man now lives a life of worry, anxiety and dissatisfaction.
This sad paradox has =
been
the subject of investigation by the spiritual masters all over the world. T=
hey
have discovered that uncontrolled and excessive indulgence in sensual
enjoyments and material comforts causes dissipation of one's personality and
leads to sorrow and misery.
The essential nature of man is absolute freedom. He does not relish being t=
old
what to do, or what not to do. He revolts against the very idea of any
spiritual practice of self-denial. Little does he realize that freedom is
essentially built on intelligent self-restraint and discipline. This inabil=
ity
to distinguish between freedom and licence is at the root of the modern man=
's
aversion to religion.
Religious text books are similar to the technical manuals, supplied along w=
ith
a machine, for its efficient and proper use. They help us to do the adjustm=
ents
and fine-tuning of the human machines, which are the most complex entity in
nature. Man is given the liberty to follow these instructions for maximum
happiness, or to disregard them inviting all sorrow and suffering, for hims=
elf.
When there is an intelligent appreciation and faithful adherence to these l=
aws,
we maintain the right contact with the world and that alone can bring about=
a
healthy life of dynamic existence.
Man, in his pilgrimage =
from
the womb to the tomb, engages himself in an endless chase after 'Happiness'.
Happiness is measured by the tranquility of one's mind. There are 2 distinct
and separate 'Paths' in life:
|
The Path of the Pleasant |
The Path of the Good |
|
Pleases, fascinates and entices ma=
n. |
Based on sound religious precepts =
|
Man is co=
nfronted
with the choice of taking to one of these paths at every single moment of h=
is life.
The scriptures, like a true mariner's compass, always indicate the right
direction.
What causes Stress a=
nd Strain?
Life is defined as a se=
ries
of continuous and unbroken experiences. Thus, the 'unit' of life is 'experience'. A successful life=
is
that in which the individual can have a larger number of successful and hap=
py
experiences. Similarly, a life of failure is that in which the majority of
experiences are sorrowful.
Every experience cons=
ists
of the 3 fundamental factors: the experience (subject), the experienced
(object) and the act of experiencing. The modern scientists studied the
objects; whereas, our Rishis studied the subject. The tireless Rishis proved
that the world outside is only a projection of the active mind, and establi=
shed
the sovereignty of the experiencer over the experienced and the experiencin=
g.
The experiencer is a
composite structure of 4 different personalities - the physical, the mental=
or
emotional, the intellectual and the spiritual. They all work so simultaneou=
sly
and so quickly that the superficial observer fails to recognize their fine
distinctions in a single action. Each one of these four entities is differe=
ntly
constituted and has its own values and demands. When the subject experiencer
comes in contact with an object, all the four rise up yearning to experience
it. The union may result in satisfaction for one or two of the personalitie=
s,
but produce a sense of dissatisfaction for the other personalities.
Consequently, a friction is generated in his total personality. Such fricti=
on
causes the individual to suffer the stress and strain of life, which is a
common malady in the world today.
What is the solution=
?
The solution to the problems of stress and strain in life lies in streamlin=
ing
our experiences. Man can properly integrate the 4 entities in him into one
synthetic whole and thereby enjoy a harmony and rhythm in the varied
experiences of life. Our religious scriptures provide practical suggestions=
and
exercises for this desired integration of personalities in every individual.
The greater the integration, the greater is his happiness in life.
Of the 4 entities, the ' mind and intellect ' equipment is the actual exper=
ience
that enjoys or suffers the objects with which it comes into contact. When t=
his
equipment is properly tuned up, man experiences a harmony and rhythm in lif=
e.
The physical body and the spiritual consciousness are almost common in all
human beings. The most variable factor in man is the ' mind and intellect '
equipment. Mind is the seat of all emotions and feelings, whereas the intel=
lect
is the discriminating faculty that distinguishes the good from the bad, the
right from the wrong and the real from the unreal. The functions of the mind
and the intellect are fundamentally divergent and opposed to each other.
Human Personality.
In the world today, the important aspect of the human personality lies
neglected. The human personality is determined and defined by the quality a=
nd
texture of one's mind and intellect. Religion helps to bring about a revolu=
tion
in the individual's personality by chastening the mind and educating the
intellect. All schemes and plans envisaged by religion for personality reha=
bilitation
are meant to promote development and perfection of the 'mind and intellect'
equipment in him.
The mind is the seat of impulses and feelings and it is common to all living
creatures. Man alone has the capacity to discriminate and analyze his feeli=
ngs
as and when they arise. This power of judgment is the function of the
intellect. The dignity and culture of mankind lie in the exercise of this
faculty. When this wondrous equipment is left neglected, man is bound to
deteriorate to the lower status of an animal and suffer the consequences
thereof.
In our day-to-day experience in the present modern and civilized society, m=
ost
of our actions are governed by the mind. We do a thing simply because we 'f=
eel
like' doing it. The intellect is generally divorced from the mind. Such act=
ions
are bound to be detrimental and dangerous to our welfare and prosperity.
The mind is like the 'receiving clerk' in an office. He collects the papers=
and
put them up to the Officer-in-charge, for his direction and advice for
disposal. If the clerk (mind) chooses to take action directly, without
consulting the Officer (intellect), there is bound to be confusion and chao=
s in
that organization.
The 'secret of success' behind all 'Men of Achievement' lies in the faculty=
of
applying their intellect in all their activities. Religion offers the
'Techniques of Development' of this faculty and leaves the 'choice' to man =
to
make or break himself and his progress.
The quality and texture of the 'mind-and-intellect' equipment in us depend =
upon
our inherent and innate tendencies or inclinations called
"Vaasanaas". By purifying and reforming the 'vaasanaas', the
mind-and-intellect get properly tuned up and perfected.
'Vaasanaas' in Sanskrit means 'Fragrance'. Each individual has vaasanaas,
distinct and peculiar to him, and they constitute and define his individual=
ity.
These vaasanaas are the prime mover of all his actions. Man has the unique
capacity to exercise his 'Self-Effort' in choosing his actions. By a persis=
tent
and prolonged application of this great faculty, every human being can corr=
ect
and improve his vaasanaas and reach the pinnacle of perfection.
The Law of Karma.
The 'Law of Karma' is one of the most significant contributions of Vedaanta=
to
humanity. It is a law based on pure scientific reasoning covering the past,=
the
present and the future. Many hasty readers have misunderstood this law as a
mere 'Law of Destiny', and condemned it as a pessimistic and ineffectual
theory, dealing only with one's past experiences in life.
Man is what he is because of his past actions. That is, he is a product of =
an
effect of his own 'karma'. This is the 'Principle of Destiny'. It may be
concluded from this that man is a mere victim of his past actions, over whi=
ch
he has no control. Destiny or 'Praarabdha' forms only one aspect of the 'La=
w of
Karma'. Man is gifted with the capacity to choose his present action, which=
is
called 'Self-Effort' or 'Purushartha'. In other words, the sum total of all
past 'Purushartha' will be equal to his present 'Praarabdha'. 'What' one me=
ets
in life is Destiny and 'How' one meets it is 'Self-Effort'.
The 'Law of Karma' goes a step ahead of the 'Law of Destiny' and states that
the future lies in the control of man, since he has the capacity to change =
it
by regulating his 'Self-Effort' from now on. Thus, if he had chosen the 'Pa=
th
of the Pleasant' (Preyas) in the past, he can now choose the 'Path of Good'
(Sreyas) by using his 'Self-Effort". The future, therefore, is a
continuity of the past, modified in the present. The freedom to modify the =
past
and to create a future, either for the better or for the worse, is
'Purushartha' or 'Self-Effort'. His 'Self-Effort', when exercised, mixes wi=
th
his Destiny to bring about an effect, resultant of their combination.
The above idea is better understood with the following example: Compare the
life with the sailing in a boat in the river. The rate of flow of water is 2
miles/hour. The boat also will have the same speed. Suppose we fit a motor =
to
the boat with an independent speed of 10 miles/hour. Now, in the downward
direction, you will have a combined speed of 10+2=3D12 miles/hour. Towards
upstream, the speed will be 10-2=3D8 miles/hour. The speed is thus conditio=
ned by
the flow of the river (Praarabdha) positive or negative. Motor is the
'Self-Effort'.
Looking back at the past, man is the product of it. Looking into the future,
man is a producer. At the present, he is a 'Product-cum-Producer', just as =
he
is the son of his father and a father of his son as well, at one and the sa=
me
time.
The 'Law of Karma' applies not only to an individual, but to a community,
society or a nation as well. Again, its application is not restricted to the
present lives, but embraces those of the past and the future. This law enab=
les
one to view life in its entirety, which provides a meaning, a purpose and a=
rhythm to existence.