As we proceed towards the close of the text, Shankaracharya takes us back to the 2 greatest causes of our downfall:
1) Kaanchan (Wealth - Representing the Tendency of Acquisition)
2) Kamini (Lust - Representing the Tendency of Indulgence)
We spend our whole life running away from sorrow and running after pleasure. To run away from sorrow (incompleteness), we acquire more and more and more. And to catch up with pleasure, we indulge more and more and more.
These are 2 most difficult-to-overcome weaknesses of the human mind. We constantly want to possess and enjoy. And this is easy also!! We are all experts in this because for lifetimes we have lived in such animalistic ways. Thus it is very easy for us to allow the mind to indulge uncontrollably in the cravings of the body. Going down is always quick and easy. Climbing up is however difficult.
Hence, invariably, no matter how much we hear about self-control and other such spiritual principles, we slip. One more object, one more relationship, one more....This is never-ending as though. It keeps us trapped.
This is the Last Temptation. So Shankaracharya impatiently reminds us about how calamitous such a life devoted to the lusty impulses of the body is.
To live in the flesh, implicitly obeying its wretched biddings, is to allow the dissipation of the personality-strength at all levels. Regulated enjoyment with maturity, balance and understanding is allowed. But excessive indulgence without any control leads to suffering only. Thus, Shankaracharya indirectly asks us to follow discipline.
Discipline ensures that enjoyment doesn't violate the balance of the mind. However the difficulty is we all hate discipline! Our minds rebel! Enjoyment, it is said, is like nectar in the beginning, but like poison in the end. And discipline is like poison in the beginning, but like nectar in the end.
Naturally short-sighted people keep away from discipline, not being able to have any control even in spite of knowing that death lies around the corner - awaiting for an opportunity to pounce, not realizing that blind indulgence ultimately leads to suffering at all levels, not realizing that indiscriminate indulgence will even sap us of our capacity to enjoy! This helpless indisciplined foolish indulgence pulls us away from our attempts to live nobler and the divine virtues of spiritual living and leads us to a rotten death.
It is this addiction to enjoyment which leads us to an uncontrollable infatuation to wealth. We want more and more and more all the time, so that we can enjoy more and better. But this whole money-psychology is rather deceitful. Money, no doubt, has value. It is important and required. But, to give an over-exaggerated importance to money as such is thoughtlessness, and it will breed lovelessness, hatred, and a thousand subhuman impulses in the money-mad people.
Shankaracharya is not asking us to give up our wealth or to stop earning. But this is an indication towards Dharma. Money earned with Dharma and spent for Dharma, is never calamitous. Use money for the right purpose, but don't make money your purpose - this is the simple but difficult-to-practice message of the Acharya in Bhaja Govindam.
You see, in the whole of the world, maximum crimes happen because of either wealth or pleasure. This is a proven fact. All fights and wars happen because of wealth or pleasure. So much so, that one's own children end up even killing the parent for the sake of wealth or pleasure.
Shankaracharya is reminding us one last time to refrain from such blind acquisition and enjoyment, by practicing Discipline and living by Dharma. Without living a disciplined life and without practicing Dharma, it is impossible to control theses impulses of the human body and mind. Hence, before anything else is done by the seeker, a strong grip on Dharma is inevitable.
Often people ask, "But why should i follow Dharma when nobody else does?"
The answer is simple: "Because you want infinite happiness." THINK!
TODAY's REFLECTION IS BASED ON VERSE 28 & VERSE 29 OF BHAJA GOVINDAM.
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