Nov 25, 2024
Nov 25, 2024
Be rational to achieve the desired goal without impediments
Who doesn’t want to be free? Freedom (Moksha) here means free from all worldly desire – a level or state at which it is supposed that you can perform your desired action at your will without any impediment. This complete freedom and liberation (Mukti) of man and society is not achieved after death. Freedom or final emancipation or liberation has been called a Purushartha (aspiration) or a desirable action that every person or society must try to attain in his or/her life itself. It is the ultimate goal of human life journey according to Holy Scriptures. Modern managers also try to attain this Purushartha to some extent when they talk about optimization of their organizational goal.
Now the question arises why some people attain their goal by reaching at the helm of power in their respective fields and enjoy freedom whereas why most people can’t. The answer is veiled in the question itself. You desire to attain liberation but the desire or attachment itself is the impediment in the way of attaining liberation. So seers advised to shun all the mundane desire – be it sexual instinct or any other materialistic desire (Kama). However it is neither desirable nor possible for a household to come out of worldly attachments as Kama Purushartha or material longings is inevitable to run the whole creation. This is why the marriage system has been instituted in all races. We can’t afford to isolate our basic biological instincts but there is always a way out. If you have eaten enough you can satiate your hunger. In the same way try your best to fulfill all your ambitions – biological or earthly first then think of liberation from all desire. This is conducive for the society and the nation too. To put in other words overcome your Kama to proceed in the path of renunciation otherwise Kama will be haunting you all the way. Remember Kama is known as the last but one Purushartha or desirable action of human life.
I wish I have all comforts available on the earth. You covet for the most beautiful woman in the universe. Kama or desire is a Purushartha or desirable action of human life nevertheless very few of us can fulfill our desired object (Kama). What’s the problem? The problem is that I don’t have money and you have no status to marry the most beautiful woman. So Artha (affluence of man and affluent society in pursuit of the meaningful purposes of life and organisation) is another Purushartha or desirable action to move upward in human life voyage. Even a monk has to collect a fistful of alms to maintain his physical existence.
Nowadays (as misunderstood by every generation) the society has become more perverted and corrupt than ever. People want to grab Artha, wish to enjoy Kama and desire to avail sovereignty in their sphere of life without doing necessary righteous action. To be millionaire by corrupt practices, to be selfish to fulfill the trifle wishes, to grab the position of power by hook or crook are a few proof to illustrate that these Purushartha are the basic psychological instincts of the human beings. The result of this greed is that the person is bounded by immense illegal Artha or deceitful Kama and finally caught by the law and imprisoned. He may deceive the law of the land but his own conscience can’t allow him to enjoy freedom.
So the righteous path or legitimate action or what we call Dharma (the upholding and sustaining principle) is the first Purushartha in our journey of attaining Moksha via Artha and Kama. Dharma is the fortune; that is if you do any action by right means your fortune will smile at you and it would be easy to stride fast in the path of higher aspiration.
Scriptures has it that Dharma is the path of austerity and it is very difficult to observe. So what is the obstruction in the way of Dharma? It is our inertia what is misapprehended as materialistic pleasure or Sukha. We don’t want to leave our worldly pleasure then how can we go towards higher destinations? Again the same principle comes to rescue. First gain it than shun it. To gain the worldly pleasure, it’s necessary to have the knowledge (Vidya) of the pleasure of the mundane existence. So study or learning (Jnan) is the way to follow the path of Dharma.
Now what hinders your knowledge (Vidya)? Remember the state or level of knowledge is ever dynamic and ever changing, so continuous updating (Satat Prayatna) of the knowledge is equally necessary. What were the facts in the past may be a fiction today.
Again what is the precondition of attaining success in Vidya? You must be mentally, morally and spiritually fit and free from 3Rs – Roga, Rina and Ripu i.e., ailment, debts and enemy.
So don’t be worrying and make your personality (Vyaktitwa) so strong that you can overcome all anxieties.
Thus for a healthy personality the main requirement is the healthy body (Swasthya / Ayush). The elderly people very often bless us saying “Ayushmaan Bhava”.
The way to achieve a healthy body (Ayush) is enough body exercising. So, physical power (Prakrama) is the right way to have a healthy body. That is why Brahmacharya (regular physical and mental exercise before the dawn) was advised by our teachers.
Again to become physically fit you require pollution free environment or space (Akash). So don’t pollute your body by any kind of toxins, don’t pollute your family atmosphere by anger or harsh words, don’t pollute your society by subversive activities; be integrated and be powerful. It is also not desirable to pollute your external Panch Mahabhuta namely prithvi, jal, agni, aakash and vayu - soil (the earth), water, radiation (fire), space and air.
But what compels you to vitiate your environment? It is your own wisdom or your nature. So wisdom or Buddhi is at the lowest level of the spectrum of attaining freedom or Moksha.
Your own wisdom either bounds you or gives you the desired level of freedom. Human beings are gifted by the highest degree of wisdom. They are rational animals. So, try your best to be rational and discerning. Listen to the voice of your conscience, follow it and you will be able to achieve your desired goal.
Image (c) Gettyimages.com
11-Jun-2011
More by : Rajesh Karmahe
Nice article...Good insight...Keep it up... |