ADVENTURES IN ADVAITA VEDANTA...

Adventures in Advaita Vedanta, the philosophy and science of spirit. We are one you and I; are you curious why?..


Warning

Hari OM
Application - that is what 'Workings-days' are about!
The text under study is BHAJA GOVINDAM, song of despair of time-wasting, by Sri Adi Shankaraachaarya.

As we draw close to the end of the song of lament at the state of Mankind, there are now two verses pointing out, once again, the faults which halt us, spiritually.

Sauot> i³yte rama_aaeg>
píaÏNt zrIre raeg>,
y*ip laeke mr[< zr[<
Tadip n muÂit papacr[!.28.
AwRmnwR< _aavy inTy<
naiSt tt> suolez> sTym!,
puÇadip xn_aja< _aIit>
svRÇE;a ivihta rIit>.29.
sukhataH kriyate raamaabhogaH
Pashchaaddhanta shariire rogaH,
Yadyapi loke maranam sharanam
Tadapi na mungchati paapaacharanam ||28||
Arthamanartham bhaavaya nityam
Naasti that sukhaleshaH satyam,
Putraadapi dhanabhaajaam bhiitiH
Sarvatraishaa vihitaa riitiH ||29||
Very readily one indulges in carnal pleasures,
Later on, alas, come diseases of the body;
Even though in the world the ultimate end is death,
Even then, man leaves not his sinful behaviour.
Wealth is calamitous - thus reflect constantly;
The truth is that there is no happiness to be got from it;
To the rich, there is fear even from one's own son -
This is the way of wealth everywhere.

Doesn't hold back, eh?! It's the cruel to be kind philosophy. In fact, there is nothing said here that we cannot see is the case in our modern living - showing that nothing is new under this sun! We are all the time being advised by governments, health authorities, various organisations invested in one part of our being or other, that to live carelessly, partying, extreme activities, altering our body chemistry with one thing or another, indulging our lusts, will result in serious health issues if not early death. Despite this, due to nature of addiction (attachment), we keep up the self-destructive behaviours.

Perhaps, for some, the idea of 'wealth' seems distant and we might be muttering "I should have that as a problem!" - but the thing is that we in the West, even on low income, are still significantly wealthier than many others in the world… yet in a great proportion of cases, we are far less happy. If we have it, we find that we are in defence mode in order to preserve it or obtain more. For there is never enough, it seems.

Where is the happiness in that?