Short Cuts

Health and Happiness - Dr Dwarakanath

Shankara has removed one very important doubt, ‘without true knowledge, life in this world is a mixture of sorrow and pleasure’. This mixture only helps increasing body-consciousness and life will become a hell. We will be tossed up and down by temporary pleasures and pains. Shankara prescribes four important points to put into practice sincerely. They are, (1) regular reading of holy books, (2) daily recitation of god’s name or worship of him, (3) keep the company of the good, noble and holy people, and (4) serve the poor and the needy by sharing the wealth one has. Only knowledge of self will give solace and strength to bear and tide over the sorrows and pleasures in life. The easy way to obtain this true knowledge of the self is to read, understand and practice the principles laid down in Gita and meditate upon that primordial Energy- Shakti, which is all-pervading, in and through the atom to atma (soul). Again Shankara prescribed a convenient and at the same time scientific method to do this. He says that when the mind is drawn to something evil, seek the company of the good, noble and holy people. If we have wealth, spend it with full joy, for the sake of those who do not have, the poor, to wipe their tears, instead of squandering carelessly in wasteful deeds. 

Shankara is suggesting here two pronged strategy to break open the shackles that we put on ourselves by conditioning our thoughts and actions. He says, first, that read Gita, as it explains both the goal and the path. Gita also gives different techniques of living. Secondly, recite the thousand names of the lord with one-pointed devotion. it means very clearly that by reading and understanding Gita one acquires the true knowledge and with that one learns to distinguish between shreyas and preyas, good and bad, true and false, permanent and impermanent, pleasure and pain and chose that one, which is good for the development and refinement of the self. By reciting the name of the lord, we develop devotion on that force, which is running the whole universe every minute in a systematic and orderly manner. As we keep doing these two regularly, we are definite to learn both the knowledge required to refine the soul and intensify bhakti in ones heart over a period of time. 

The path will become very clear if we try to approach the goal from these two approaches, although if we opt for even one path, at the end of it, we will come to know about the second path automatically. Therefore, one path, i.e., either knowledge or devotion, is sufficient, but so as to quicken the process, it is better to have these two legs to walk properly. reading holy book with full devotion and with a sincere approach to learn the basic truth coupled with regular Sadhana- practice will help us to understand the Maya- delusion and ultimately to overcome it by his divine grace. Mere study does not lead us to anywhere, although study is absolutely necessary for the intellectual satisfaction of the seeker. Unless the ideas gained from reading scriptures are diligently put into practice in one's life, the acquired knowledge will not get us the required result. The biggest enemy of human being is our ego. Sincere and devotional reading of holy books will fill one's heart with humility, love and real joy. The first and the strongest sign of ego is development of body-consciousness. Identifying our self with "i" is the biggest stumbling block for the spiritual progress. Most of us, human beings are under the wrong notion that we get real pleasure if we succeed in keeping the body comfortable. Gita teaches the basic difference between the body and the soul and how to overcome the body-consciousness, so that we are always established in the soul-consciousness, which is the real happiness.

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