All over the world people today have come to understand life with the simple theory of “Life is short, make merry and enjoy”. Though it seems simple, it opens up several dangers which we shall unravel through the course of this discussion. The quest for any theory in life is to be happy and make the most of what is available for our own personal sense gratification. This in short is the cause of our disturbances. It seems strange isn’t it! But it’s a hard reality which we have got to accept. Let’s accept it with some basis though but before that let us understand what this word ‘choice’ is.
I happened to meet a gentleman from a respected family in India and was pleased to explain the philosophy of God consciousness to him. He patiently listened through and then started his part of the story. Finally he landed up at a point saying – what is wrong in suffering? I am ok with it. Well now here ends the conversation. When we have made a choice to suffer nobody can save us. It sounds foolish isn’t it…that I am ok to suffer but this is a reality in today’s world. We are so much engrossed in temporary sense enjoyment that we don’t bother even to suffer or at least say that we don’t bother. Hold on…let me not get any further. Let’s come to the basis.
Have we ever thought of questioning something very basic like this: Why am I born? Why is there disease, death and old age? Why am I not in control of my surroundings and the way I look at things? Why is something subtly forced on me?
The answer to these million dollar questions are not available in today’s modern books of history or geography but in our very own ancient Vedic wisdom.
To answer them we need to explore a series of points and understand its linkage. The Bhagavad Gita – meaning song of the Lord spoken some 5,000 years ago methodically explains and clarifies this linkage.
To begin with, we need to understand that we are this spirit soul and not this body or at least we are not this body and we are something distinct from it. The distinction between a dead body and a living body is sufficient evidence to help us understand this fact.
Now having known that fact, we get information that this spirit soul which is the source of the consciousness in the body is a part and parcel of the lord. Being a part and parcel of the Lord means in essence that the spirit soul has all the qualities that are available in God just like a part and parcel of gold also possesses the qualities of gold. So are we God? No, because though qualitatively we are one with God we cannot match it quantitatively just like though a part of gold is also gold it cannot match the quantity in a gold mine. By this we come to understand the concept of a superior and a subordinate. Well the trouble game starts when this subordinate x wants to be on his own and ignore superior Y. It’s like a child who is part of the family but does not want to accept the family and be on his own. This is the sum and substance of our trouble in material existence. We living entities being parts and parcels of God want to enjoy independent of the Lord and have therefore been imprisoned in this material world to enjoy or suffer the reactions of our past deeds. So the solution is simple. If we want to be truly or eternally happy we should attempt to reinstate that relationship just like though the particle of gold might glitter independently, but when it is part of a gold ring it is very much appreciated. This is the secret of peace and happiness.
Srila Prabhupada wrote that when a diamond is set in a gold ring, it looks very nice. The gold is glorified and at the same time, the diamond is also glorified. The Lord and the living entity eternally glitter, and when a living entity becomes inclined to the service of the Supreme Lord he looks like gold. The Lord is the diamond, and so this combination is very nice.
More on Part 2
But why is independence a problem? After all it’s something that everyone look for.
Having understood a fair deal on our relationship with God, let’s explore this concept of independence. But before that, can we think aloud and see what we mean as independence and is it something which is really possible? At least going my general parlance, independence can be associated with a sense of feeling where everything is under one’s control where one can dictate terms and be in a position according to his own whims and fancies. I am sure this definition of independence would have raised a few eyebrows and made one ponder as to where we are heading. We are heading to understand if this is really possible and whether we really are independent in the first place.
Hare Krsna!!
Krsna Caitanya Das
