Whatever
a man sees in the world arouses fear in him. Detachment alone
can free him from fear. Failing to grasp this profound truth,
man is allowing his desires to multiply, without realising
that desires promote attachment instead of detachment.
As long as man is attached to the body, he cannot get over
the desire to possess the objects that attract him. A man
afflicted with the acquisitive impulse can never get rid of
worries. To overcome this attachment and possessiveness, ancient
sages tailored their educational system so that it promoted
self-control. Self-control also developed humility and thus,
humility became the true index of right education. Control
of the senses is absolutely essential for achieving humility,
and education must promote such control.
Today's educational system is concerned mostly with imparting
bookish knowledge, and students seek education only as a means
for earning a living. This link between education and employment
has to be severed, and education must instead be transformed
into the process of acquiring True Wisdom.
In life, there are two aspects that have to be considered,
rights and duties. Most people are concerned only with their
rights and engage in struggles to secure them. Seldom do they
recognise their responsibilities. This is true of all fields
of human activity - social, political, economic and even spiritual.
Lack of self-control is responsible for all this.
Men should regard their senses as potential enemies and not
allow senses to have their own way. They should be subject
to one's control and direction. What is the easiest way to
achieve this mastery? Only the spiritual path. If there is
real faith and devotion in man, the senses would be powerless
against him. It is the decline in faith and devotion that
has led man to become a slave of the senses.
The prompting of intellectual reasoning should not be identified
with the dictates of the Conscience. Rather, the directives
should come from the Heart. When you dive deep into a problem
and enquire whether what you do is in the interests of your
friends and Society in general, your Conscience will give
you the right answer
Man is made up of three constituents, the body, the Mind and
the Atma. Man needs the body for performing actions. But,
if the actions are done without using the discriminating power
of the Mind, man would be behaving like an animal, which acts
on impulse. Moreover, if the Mind, without relying on the
eternal and ever pure Atma, follows the demands of the body
and the senses, the actions would be demonic. Bereft of the
influence of the Atma, the combination of the Mind and the
body can lead to demonic qualities. However, when one is installed
in the Atmic principle, transcending the body and the Mind,
one attains the Divine.
Hence, sanctify all your words, thoughts and deeds. Make your
Heart pure so that it becomes a worthy abode for the Divine.
|