Human Values

To be happy is the universal urge of all beings and at all times. One has to be at peace with oneself to be happy. There can be no peace for a turbulent mind. Vasanas, desire, take away the peace of mind. It is only when we follow a value system that we can have a serene, contemplative mind. When mind is calm, we can turn it within to ‘see’ the treasure of pure consciousness. No treasure on earth is equal to a slice of that tattva.

The following pages contain a lucid commentary on some of the values dwelt upon by Lord Krishna for Arjuna’s peace of mind. The Arjuna in you and me. The commentary is based on the talks delivered by Swami Visharadananda to a small group of students in Prashanti Kutiram. Nector of Vedanta has a soothing effect on a troubled mind. To bring the same effect, we have tried to retain the direct drom of address, editing only where necessary. However, it is one thing to listen to a talk directly from a teacher or from a recorded cassette and read its transcribed version. Hope the readers will take benefit of this book keeping in mind the unavoidable shortcomings of this gap. Important point is to make a beginning on the path of betterment of life. .

When vasanas are roused in the mind, viveka-sakti(power of discrimination) goes away. It acts like a child who does not discriminate between good and bad but wants everything. The child is drawn to whatever looks attractive. Human beings behave the same way when the available viveka is not used. .

Atma is nityamukta. Whatever you want to be, you are already that. You want to be a significant person? The fact is that you are already the most significant being in the world. This whole world exists because of you. Drawing strength from you, the sun and moon rise. But you do not see the significant nature of your Self because you have identified yourself with the upadhi, your body. You want to be knowledgeable but you are the source of all knowledge. You want to be powerful but you are the source of all power, saravasaktiman. .

Atma is saravyapi. It is everywhere, omnipresent. Yet we do not see that fact. Atma is ever pure, it need not be purified. Mind only has to be purified and not Atma. Yet we conclude we are impure. Impurity is a conclusion; ignorance is a conclusion. These conclusions have to be corrected. It is not that you have to become great. When it is your very nature and you search for it outside, you will not get it because it is not available outside. .

Even though it is our nature, why do we miss it and not own it up? Why do we not see the fact? .

It is because we are busy seeing something else. When we are busy seeing something else we do not have time to see ourselves. We assume that when we get the object of our choice, only then we will be happy. Therefore we disown inner sukha(happiness) and run after the external objects. What is not going to make us happy, that we conclude as the source of happiness and run after it, and disown the sukka, which is already within. .

A stray dog goes from door to door, place to place just to search for some left over food. Similarly mind goes after objects here and there even when there is a plenty inside. Why is mind extrovert, why does it search outside. .

Rejecting cooked food inside, the fool goes begging. Our mind also does the same thing. It goes and searches sukha outside. We think that everything is provided from outside. We are born with this orientation! This orientation we had in our previous life and even before that. .

While looking outside, there is competition. One keeps running after objects and people and life comes to an end while running. “I belong them, they belong to me” this is where our mind is stuck. Vairagya has come here. Seeing the dosa in the objects, fallacy in them is revealed. .

Please note that nobody really cares for you as much as you imagine. It is only an assumption that people care. One is important only so far as the other’s self-interest is served, just as your own self interest is more important to you than that of anybody else. The whole world is like that. Not seeing that, you conclude that people are going to do any sacrifice for you. But it is not so! If you see this fact clearly, vairagya will come. .

Mind has to be loosened form durvyapara (misdeeds) and engaged in acquiring sadgunas(virtues). In Gita, Krsna talks about developing human values and says that a mind which has daivisampatt (divine qualities) has santi. These values make us introspective and correct our personality.