Miscellaneous - Religion   

Merit of moderation

CHENNAI : The scriptures recommend a life of moderation for one who takes to spiritual life and its benefits are such that this can be followed to one's advantage in worldly life also. If one pauses to consider, excess of anything will only be counterproductive ultimately and hence it is not just for spiritual practice but also in all pursuits that a golden mean is necessary for success. The discipline of Yoga prescribes sensory and mental control as the basis of spiritual evolution.

In his discourse, Sri B. Sundar Kumar said the Mahabharata listed eight practices as the basis of righteous life. This aside on Dharma occurs in the counsel given by Sage Saunaka to Yudhishthira when the Pandavas went on exile. Yudhishthira was worried that he would not be able to discharge his duty towards the sages and elders who had accompanied them and his family priest Dhaumya then asked him to worship the Sun and the deity gifted him a vessel that provided as much food as they wanted.

The eight limbs of Dharma that Saunaka explained are: performance of sacrifices, study of the Vedas, charity, penance, adherence to truth, patience, control of the senses and control of desires. These are to be adhered for the sake of attaining liberation from rebirths and not with the expectation of merit (Punya) that would necessitate future births to enjoy it.

Man engages in the world with his sensory faculties and the pleasures they afford only make him desire for more and more. It is essential to understand that it is not possible to satiate desires and hence one must learn to control them. The child devotee Prahlada while teaching the virtues that are conducive to realising God to his friends emphasised that they should be practised from young age by pointing out, "What man whose senses have not yet been conquered can hope to liberate his own self, attached to his home and bound with the powerful cords of affection?"

Lord Krishna has highlighted the importance of self-discipline in the Bhagavad Gita, "Arjuna, this Yoga is neither for him who overeats, nor for him who observes a complete fast; it is neither for him who is given to too much sleep, nor even for him who is ceaselessly awake." A regulated way of life is thus the key to Self-realisation.

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