Miscellaneous - Religion   

Value of human birth

CHENNAI: It is important that every individual makes a conscious effort to realise the purpose of life. Human birth is a result of good deeds in the past for human beings are endowed with intellect — an invaluable potential that can be used to strive to reach for salvation and hence it is necessary not to fritter away this opportunity. But the intellect is a two edged sword that has to be handled carefully for though it is the spring board from which a human being can reach higher levels of realisation, it can also easily get attracted to worldly distractions, pointed out Sri Mathivannan in a lecture.

The tendency of the mind is to get attached to evil easily. Each one of us is endowed with tremendous Self power but we do not make use of it adequately. The present day living conditions where terror and violence predominate indicate a total lack of higher ideals and a return to primitivism. The key to realise the purpose of life and to realise God and the Self is the ability to control one’s mind. If we do not control the mind it will become a master and control us. But it is possible to control the mind and make it serve us and not be a servant to its waywardness.

Just as rain water is pure at its source but takes up the qualities/defects of the destination (river, pond, gutter or sea) it reaches, all human beings, apart from the innate tendencies or imprints (Vasanas), develop their nature through the different kinds of associations they encounter in the course of their life. The main obstacles in this path to liberation are Love (Kama), anger (Krodha), delusion (Moha), greed (Lobha), arrogance (Matam) and jealousy (Matsarya). Each of these is strong enough to weaken an individual’s desire towards liberation.

It is also difficult to overcome the desire for material enjoyments that flow from the possession of wealth, social status, fame, etc. This is a deep rooted urge and too strong to resist at times. In the Bhaja Govindam, Adi Sankara urges people to shun wealth since it is not as desirable as people think it to be. It brings misery and is man’s worst enemy. The advice is to seek the company of the good that can lead us to the goal of life.

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