Miscellaneous - Religion   

The moral order in the universe

CHENNAI SEPT.5. Evenness of mind about the result of one's actions has been termed "Yoga" in the Bhagavad Gita. It can be seen that man's actions do not always yield the desired result. It is this uncertainty, which creates anxiety and frustration. A person can only make all efforts but he cannot control the outcome according to his wish. So every individual has to come to terms with this element of uncertainty in life. Recognition of this uncertainty and developing equanimity of mind to accept the result has to be developed consciously. With this comes the appreciation that the result has been given by the Almighty.

Can man act according to his fancy without reflecting whether his actions conform to Dharma? Man has been endowed with free will but with freedom comes responsibility. So human actions have to conform to certain laws. For example, if there is a state where there are no traffic rules one can imagine the chaos that will result on the roads. Since human beings live in a society all have to abide by certain social norms. These are not personal but universal in nature. These rules form the bedrock of the moral order (Dharma) in the universe, which governs human behaviour also.

All without exception sensed Dharma instinctively, said Swamini Shraddhanand Saraswati in her discourse. This can be understood by questioning, "Would you like to be hurt or cheated by others?" or "Would you like to be victimised by someone's anger or jealousy?" Everyone will reply "No". So it is obvious that everyone instinctively knows the ethics governing human behaviour. A doubt that will arise is, "Why then do people flout moral values?" In fact, there are those who claim that it impossible to be ethical in business today. Certainly it is with the intention of immediate gain that values are compromised. In such a case there is a "knower" who senses the moral order and a "doer" who violates it, which is akin to being a split personality. By cheating others for material gain the person loses his self-integrity.

It is possible to escape manmade laws but not that created by God as in the process the person is going against nature and is bound to get hurt. Hence discrimination is necessary to consider whether one's actions conform to Dharma. If one spontaneously follows Dharma it is fine but if one is swerved by likes and dislikes then conscious effort becomes imperative. There is a sense of joy in abiding by Dharma as it makes one attuned to God, which is true worship.

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