Looking around what we see most of the time is chaos, commotion, hatred and destruction. We see nothing but moral degradation and perversity and contempt for sane value or ethical systems. However it might seem frightening, it should cause no surprise if you have to hear this is not a new happening. Care to look back in history or mythology it is all the same. Be it Brahmarishi Narada, the Greek philosopher Socrates or Gandhi; they all lamented on the same degradation of value systems. This malady is as old as the humans have known themselves. We can see this perpetuating into future.
It is our deviousness that we made business out of everything. We have to add value; make them more expensive; show I have something more expensive than the neighbour. The buzz word is on wealth creation through the likes of stock exchanges. Sell and live in dreams. We value prestige, prosperity and power as the driving goals. These are the values that we covet. In this rush either you have to trample someone or be done in by someone else. Survival of the fittest is the philosophy.
All over we find educational institutions giving emphasis on reading, writing and learning techniques. Education of values and vision finds no place in the scheme. Brilliant young people who come out with flying colours from institutions are often lost when faced with real life situations. The ethical considerations are more or less ignored in our transactions in day to day interface. Temples of learning (schools or colleges), temples of justice (judicial process), medical profession and most others have all become business enterprises.
We see even highly educated people fight on minor issues. Families split on insignificant stakes. The less said about political canvass the better. Almost the entire span of life is exhausted in acquiring skills to acquire wealth; power over fellow humans and environment.
We value ourselves as superior to all other forms of life and as evolved beings. Yet all we do is destructive. Conserving and protecting the ‘less evolved’ are not values that we value.
All this is basically symptoms of deterioration of value/ethical systems. As long as outer wealth overrides humans as is seen, degradation of values is inevitable.
What is the call? It is only when change is brought at individual level; change in the totality can be felt.
The enlightened souls of the yore or modern day gurus have done and doing what they can. If there is less insanity in the world it is only because of contribution of value systems and such enlightened masters. Deep within most people know what to do: but when it comes to action, something less than that happens. If values were to disappear completely, there would be total chaos. The disorder we see is the result of scarcity, misunderstanding and contempt for acceptance.
Humans have this unique blessing: exercise of free will; to be able to do what he or she feels like. Just as every cause has to have its effect, these actions have to leave their effects. Some are likeable; others not. One can muster the will to destroy the most beautiful edifice or rebuild the very same.
What is the difference between the ordinary and the extraordinary? How does one become the extraordinary? He does not drop from the skies. He becomes one simply by living what he has learnt and by his convictions.
Try and become a person of values. A person is valued for what he is and not what he has. What then are the values that we are to live by, uphold and cherish?
In Gita the Lord says:
• Fearlessness; purity of mind; steadfastness in the Yoga of knowledge; charity; control of senses; sacrifice; study of scriptures and straightforwardness…
• Non-injury; truthfulness; absence of anger, renunciation; peacefulness; absence of fault finding; compassion; non-covetousness; gentleness; modesty; absence of fickle mindedness…
• Vigour; forgiveness; fortitude; purity and cleanliness; absence of hatred; absence of pride
Are attributes of the divine. The divine qualities lead one towards freedom and liberation;
• Hypocrisy; arrogance; conceit; pride; anger; harshness and ignorance are demonic attributes.
The asuric qualities lead to bondage and misery; repeated cycle of life and death.
A prayer in Veda says:
AUM
Let noble thoughts come to me from all directions.
May my speech be rooted in my mind, my actions rooted my speech. May synchronicity prevail forever.
Mind, Speech and action form the basis of my existence, so please do not undo the basis my existence.
Day and night I spend in this endeavor.
I shall speak the Divine law; I shall speak the Divine truth.
May the Divine ever hold me steady in the pursuit.
AUM
Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:
The invocation of ‘Shanti’ thrice is to quell disturbance on the three planes: internal, external and the cosmic.
Thus there is singular personality and purity of action. You can feel divinity caressing all the time.
Acharya Sankara says: “Jantunam Narajanma durlabham”
Of all living creatures, a human birth is indeed rare;
Much more difficult it is to achieve full manhood;
Rarer is one to become one with Sattwic attitude;
Rarer still is to be steadfast on the path of spiritual activity;
Much more difficult; the understanding of the deep significance of scriptures; description between the real and unreal;
The experience of the glory and establishment of the living consciousness; that the Self in me is the same Self in all;
Culmination in one’s liberation
Thus the search for truth can reach with only unwavering focus.
The process is simple; yet t is tough. It is tough to be simple. You cannot achieve divinity by adopting Asuric values. Once they are in they will not leave. They are rogue tenants. Through the process of divine values you become tough to be simple. That is ever lasting and enduring.
Life thus lived is Dharma. This can only be an existential experience. Neither taught nor learnt. Such a person is stable within himself and ever happy, in other words, ‘Sthita prajna’, as the Lord describes.
