Hari
Om
Each 'Choose-day' we will investigate the process by
which we can reassess our activity and interaction with the world of plurality
and become more congruent within our personality.
We are reading "Tips for Happy
Living - jIvnsUÇai[
/jiivanasuutraani", by Swami Tejomayananda (Guru-ji). Choose-days writings
are here to prompt deeper thinking on the choices made on a daily basis and
seek to provide prompts for raising the standard of one's thinking and living.
This text composed in format of Sanskrit traditional teachings, speaks directly
to this purpose. As ever, the full text may be obtained from CM Publications - or your local centre
(see sidebar).
Does
anyone have everything in life?
How
should we fill this void in our life?
How
should we live a fulfilled life?
àay> sveR;a< jIvne yiTkiÂdpU[RTv< †Zyte.8.
tSy pUitRlaERikkpiriCDÚsaxnen n saXya ikNtu pU[RprmatmnEv.9.
pUpR†i:qmaiïTy pU[Rmev jIvn< jIvet!.10.
praayaH sarveshaam jiivane yatkinghidapuurnatvam dRshyate ||8||
Tasya puurtir-laukika-parichcchinna-saadhanen na saadhyaa kintu
puurna-paramaatmanaiva ||9||
Puurna-dRshtim-ashritya puurnam-eva jiivanam jiivet ||10||
Generally, in everyone's life, some
kind of incompleteness is seen.
It should not be fulfilled by any
worldly, finite means, but by the infinite Lord alone.
With the vision of the Whole, live a
whole life.
Some have more. Some have less… but none have everything. There is
always something lacking, some incompleteness in everyone's life. There are
those who have plenty, but no offspring to inherit it. Some have a child who is
wild. Some live without marrying, others may have much wealth but poor health;
conversely there are those who have very
little but their health is their wealth. There are countries with huge material
prosperity, but there is a spiritual emptiness. Some have democracy, but no
governance, others have governance but no freedom. No individual, society or
country has everything.
We generally feel that by adding more of what we have or acquiring
what we do not have, we will become fulfilled. Then folk marry, they beget
children, they gain promotions and gather 'stuff'. We may fulfill one need but
will find another need arises. There is never a sense of being replete. Worldly
objects and beings cannot satisfy us.
True fulfillment can come only by gaining that which is infinite. Hence
we ought to seek to fill the emptiness within with the Infinite Lord alone.
That deep, still centre which we have, till now, left untapped.
Life is multifaceted. We have many roles and goals. This
part-time-everything way of life confuses, deludes, brings about pettiness and
discontent. The manifold aspects of life makes us attempt to prioritise
one thing or another and this causes distortions. Lop-sided development of
character can develop. We can become obsessive. People who are physically
healthy but emotionally unstable, intellectually brilliant but spiritually
empty, can cause harm not only to themselves, but to others, as often their
behaviour can become destructive in one form or another as they attempt to
fight their way out of their misery. We have to find the balance for all the
different parts, giving proper weight and attention according the part played.
Every form, hue and pattern has its own place and importance in the big picture
of life. We have to draw back and see that whole in order to become part of the
wholeness itself. We must understand that we are just one part of an integrated
being-ness and in grasping that fact we can play that part well.
