A goalless life is like
a captain-less boat floating on the surface of the ocean; it has no direction.
Such a life wanders with the gusts of wind or waves and eventually sinks into
the ocean of time. (1a)
There should be a
definite goal of our life for a meaningful and successful life. (1b) The goal
of our life not only gives direction to our lives but also gives it a meaning
and greatness. The
higher the goal is, the more grand and glorious our life will be. (1c)
Q. But how shall we choose the goal of our life?
The Goal of Life based on Materialism:
A man who
believes in materialism considers himself to be different from all other
beings. He considers that his being is confined only to the known limits of his
body, life, and mind of which he is conscious.
He does not know that
he is an integral part of the Universe. Being satisfied with
his limited power, he spends the whole of his life to fulfil his desires. Knowing
himself to be different from all others, he competes with the human beings
around him. The only criterion of success of his life is how happy he and
his family are and how richer, and more powerful and respectable he is than his
relatives, friends and fellow human beings.
Today, when we look
around, we find that almost all human beings have only this one goal. If we become
a little detached about ourselves, we will understand how hollow this universal
goal is.
· Instead of conquering death, we have accepted death as our
destiny. [While the Gita
declares the immortality of man: “अजो नित्य: शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो ...” (2)]
· We have accepted the lack of evidence in support of rebirth; tired
of our efforts, we have accepted our doubts and rejected the principle of
rebirth. [When the Gita
declares rebirth: “देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे ….” (3)]
· Unaware of our soul and its immortality (2), universality and
unity with all, we have accepted the very small and superficial part of our being
as our whole being. [Where
the Upanishads declare: “अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि” (7) ]
These beliefs are neither
logical nor rational conclusions of any scientific analysis. They are a sign of our
ignorance and weakness. Even then, relying on these beliefs as the final
conclusion, we have forgotten the magnificent goal of 'Ascent to the Ultimate by growing
step by step in every life'. Instead, we have assumed
the goal of our lives as to protect our limited and mortal physical life and to
pass our present life happily, as our highest goal.
Q. Aren’t we ignorantly wasting our precious lives?
The True Goal of Life Based on True Knowledge:
Until man knows (a) the
purpose of God behind the creation of the world, (b) the secret of long
and arduous evolutionary struggle of mother earth that has led to human beings
walking on the earth, and (c) the role man is expected to play in this ongoing
evolutionary journey, it is meaningless to set any goal for human life.
First of all, we have to find a
solution to these questions. The obvious means available to man has to gain the
knowledge are his senses, faculty of reasoning and science. These tools give us
partial light, reduce darkness to an extent, light up our path to some
distance, but they are unable to resolve our deepest questions because these
questions are beyond the reach of these tools of knowledge. We have to find a solution to our
problem elsewhere!
“प्रत्यक्षेणानुमित्या
वा यस्तूपायो न बुध्यते |
एनं विदंति वेदेन
तस्माद् वेदस्य वेदता ||” (4)
(Meaning: The knowledge
that can’t be obtained either by observation or by analysis is attained by the
Vedas. This is the uniqueness and greatness of Vedas.)
That is, we must
turn to the Vedas and the Scriptures; they alone can guide us out
of our dilemma. Besides, many sages and ‘munis’ have also guided us from
time to time - the true knowledge can neither be obtained by observation nor
through analysis – first, we have to believe in the Truth; subsequently,
this knowledge comes through realisation.
“श्रद्धावान्
लभते ज्ञानं” (18)
Now let's go back to
the questions mentioned above. What is the purpose of this Creation or
the Will of God? According to the Vedas, the purpose
of God is to express himself in Multiplicity (as Many). In other
words, to reveal the God in man. That is, -
“एकोऽहम् बहुस्याम|”
According to “Savitri”(5),
the purpose of creation is:
"Nature
shall live to the manifest secret god,
The Spirit shall take up the human play,
This earthly life has become a life
divine." (6)
In the Upanishads, a truth told to us, again and again, is that ‘man himself is God’.
“अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि| तत् त्वमसि| अयमात्मा
ब्रह्म|” (7)
(That is, I am God. Thou are That. This Atma is God.)
In
the Gita, this is the truth is expressed differently:
“ईश्वर: सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति ” (8)
(That is, God is present in the hearts of all beings.)
Swami Vivekananda said this as follows,
“एक शब्द में कहें तो तुम ही परमात्मा हो |”
(That is, in one word, you are God.)
But what we see is that
a man who is indeed the master of Nature is living as his slave. He is immortal
but is caught in the web of Death. He is the Sun of knowledge but is wandering
in the darkness of ignorance. He is a being of joy, but he is suffering throughout
his life.
Therefore, conquering
ignorance, death and sorrow, and attaining knowledge, eternity and bliss, that
is, finding our inherent truth is the only and logical goal of his life.
“असतो मा सद्गमय| तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय| मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय|”(9)
(That is, Let’s move from Untruth to Truth, Darkness to
Light and Death to Immortality.)
In
the words of 'Savitri' -
"His nature we must put on as he
put ours;
We are sons of God and must be even as he:
His human portion, we must grow up." (10)
(That is, it is God who has become man;
we who are sons of
God must grow up and become God.)
Thus, our true
goal is to move towards God (सच्चिदानंद) and express the
Lord within us. This goal is not only in accordance with the purpose of the
creation and scriptures, and logical, it is also God’s will. Therefore, it is
also our religion.
Q. But the question that what our actions shall be to
achieve this purpose, remains.
Supreme Karma:
The scriptures not only
declared the supreme truth, “अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि |”(7), but also give a variety of Yogas in
detail to achieve this truth. The best and the easiest of them is the path
of ‘Ygnay’, i.e. the path of sacrifice and surrender.
That is, if we want to
attain our supreme Truth, we have to sacrifice. We have to dedicate our lives
to God who is seated in the hearts of human beings, i.e. we have to serve mankind.
“न कर्मणा न प्रजया धनेन त्यागेनैके
अमृतत्वमानशुः” (11)
(Meaning: Salvation is attained neither
by karma, nor by having children nor by wealth, but only by renunciation.)
According
to Swami Vivekananda -
“नर सेवा ही नारायण सेवा है|”
“दूसरे मनुष्यों की सेवा करना, लाखों जप तप के बराबर है|”
“यह जीवन अल्पकालीन है, संसार की विलासिता क्षणिक
है, लेकिन जो दूसरों के लिए जीते है, वास्तव में वे ही जीते है ।”
The
ignorant man knows himself different from others, so he acts according to his
self-interest, but the wise man sees the ultimate One in all beings. Knowing,
that
“वासुदेव: सर्वं इति” (12),
“सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्मम्” (13),
“वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्” (14)
he works for mankind, for One in all.
The path of human service
is suitable for personal liberation, but personal liberation cannot be our
ultimate purpose because "the soul is eternal and bondage is only
illusion" (15).
The objective of
divinization of earth is far more grand and noble than the purpose of personal
liberation. This alone is the purpose of God, which automatically includes the liberation of
men.
The path of
divinization of earth is the path that Nature has chosen through a progressive
evolution of life upon earth. And in the evolutionary
journey of earth, the place reserved for India is that of the Jagat-Guru.
"The future of
India is very clear. India is the Guru of the world. The future structure of
the world depends on India. India is the living soul. India is incarnating the
spiritual knowledge in the world”. (-The Mother, January 1954.)
"भारत के अस्तित्व का एकमात्र हेतु है – मानवजाति का
आध्यात्मीकरण| यही उसकी जीवन-रचना का प्रतिपाध्य विषय है, यही उसके अनंत संगीत का
दायित्व है, यही उसके अस्तित्व का मेरुदंड है और यही उसके जीवन की
आधारशिला है |” (-Swami Vivekananda) (16)
But today, India is
facing many problems – anarchy, corruption, poverty and ignorance are present all
around. Materialism and consumerism born of materialism, are breaking our
family, social and spiritual system into pieces. Foreign forces, on the other
hand, are constantly active in weakening and breaking the country. India not
only seems incapable of fulfilling its responsibility decreed by God, but it
seems that it has almost forgotten it. In such a scenario, the task of
protecting and restoring the spiritual knowledge of India is the supreme work.
The renaissance and upliftment of India is God’s will and is in accordance with
God’s plan. It is, therefore, our religion and our duty. Swami Vivekananda
says, "Ram-Ram does not make anyone religious. The one who acts according
to the will of God is truly religious. "
This, then, is expected
from the youth of India – along with one’s own growth and liberation (17),
upliftment of the country and mankind. For this -
1.
We need to develop a powerful body, with strong
life-force and mind.
2. We shall acquire all knowledge related to India
and have a deep study of its history, philosophy, social structure, Vedas,
Upanishads, Gita, dance, music, Ayurveda, economics, etc.
3.
We shall know the idea of India and its
purpose.
4. We shall know about India's current problems
and work for its advancement and prosperity.
Therefore, while having
faith paying on truth quoted in the Gita, i.e. “वासुदेव: सर्वं इति” (12), and God’s
Will of Divine Life upon the earth (6) and realising God in man (8), we have to
sacrifice our life for the upliftment of India.
The path of
self-dedication is not only suitable for the advancement of our society and
country, but it is also the quickest and the easiest way to achieve our personal
goal of salvation and attainment of God. This, alone is the best
work for the welfare of the whole world. This is in accordance with the God’s Will
of Divine Life upon the earth. This, alone is the best among all the works available
to us.
References:
1. (a)
“An aimless life is always a miserable life.” (b) “Every one of you should have
an aim.” (c) “But do not forget that on the quality of your aim will depend the
quality of your life.” - Collected Works of the Mother, Volume 12, pp.3-8.
2. “न जायते म्रियते वा
कदाचिन्नायम् भूत्वा भविता वा न भूय: | अजो नित्य:
शाश्वतोऽयम् पुराणोन हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे || गीता-2/20.
3. “देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा | तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न
मुह्यति ||”, गीता-2/13,
4. आचार्य सायण, कृष्ण यजुर्वेद, तैत्तिरीय सहिंता (उपोद्घात),
5. ‘Savitri
– A Legend and a Symbol’, Sri Aurobindo.
6. Savitri,
p. 710,
7. बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद
१/४/१०, छान्दोग्य उपनिषद
६/८/७, माण्डूक्य उपनिषद १/२,
8. “ईश्वर: सर्वभूतानां
हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति | भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि
यन्त्रारूढानि मायया || गीता-18/61,
9. बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद्
(१.३.२८),
10. Savitri,
p. 67,
11. कैवल्योपनिषद् (१.३),
12. “बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते
ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपध्यते | वासुदेव: सर्वमिति स
महात्मा सुदुर्लभ: || गीता-7/19.
13. छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् (३/१४/१).
14. महोपनिषद् (४.७१).
15. ‘हमारा योग और उसके
उद्देश्य’, श्रीअरविंद, 6 संस्करण २०१५, पृ०१,
16. स्वामी विवेकानन्द
साहित्य (दस खण्ड), अद्वैत आश्रम, कलकत्ता, (९, ३००)
17. मुक्ति का अर्थ मृत्यु
लोक से पलायन कर किसी स्वर्ग में रमण करना नहीं है | मुक्ति का सही अर्थ है दु:ख से भरे इस लोक में रहते हुए त्रिगुणी प्रकृति के पाश से मुक्त
होना, अपनी आत्मा को जानना और अपनी सत्ता
में आत्मा का शासन स्थापित करना है |
18. “श्रद्धावान् लभते ज्ञानं तत्पर:
संयतेन्द्रिय:| ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिम् अचिरेण
अधिगच्छति” गीता-4/39,
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