Develop equanimity of mind

CHENNAI, JUNE 7. Joys and sorrows are intrinsic to worldly life and every human being has to face both in his life. Human nature is such that joys are accepted as one's right whereas the moment one is confronted with setbacks the person bemoans his lot but he also tries to alleviate his condition by turning to God.

There are exceptions to this general human behaviour like in the case of devotees who accept vagaries of life with equanimity. In fact they bear tragedies and misfortunes with a smiling face as can be seen in the lives of saints and their hardships only increase their faith in divine dispensation. Joy and sorrow are only states of mind and what may appear as suffering to the worldly may not affect a devotee whose faith in God enables him to bear it.

In the life of an average worldly person it can be seen that his worldly achievements are responsible for distancing him from God. Wealth, position and power, for instance, make a person very proud and licentious as he is able to command what he wants. Likewise, learning can make one arrogant if it is not tempered with humility. A person blessed with fortune in life must constantly remember that he owes everything he enjoys to God.

In his discourse, Sri V. B. Damodara Dikshitar said that the Bhagavata Purana in one of the opening episodes highlighted the truth that it was only in adversity that man remembered God. After the Mahabharata war Lord Krishna once again graced the Pandava clan by protecting Uttara's unborn child when Ashwatthama discharged a missile to wipe out the Pandava lineage. When Krishna visited the Pandavas to take leave of them, Kunti recalled with gratitude the innumerable instances when the Lord had saved them during great calamities and also His reassuring presence during the war.

Kunti's prayer to Lord Krishna is an eye-opener, as this lady who had known nothing but suffering all her life prayed to Him, ``May calamities befall us at every step through eternity for it is in adversity alone that we are blessed with Your sight, which eliminates the possibility of our seeing another birth. A man whose birth, power, learning and affluence only serve to swell his pride is unable even to utter Your name, You being open to the perception of only those who have nothing to call their own. You are the only wealth of those who have no sense of possession.''

The scriptures remind at every juncture that human birth is intended for realising the goal of liberation and hence one must not fritter it away in materialistic pursuits. What is essential is to keep the goal of liberation always in mind.

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Section  : Miscellaneous
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