Point of View!!!

VP Nandakumar nandav01 at M0E3S33.NMB.NORWEST.COM
Thu May 8 16:36:56 CDT 1997


        Questions and doubts assail me and I hope these points do not offend
anybody.

        Even though I really want to believe that there's some purpose in my
creation, I can't but reflect on the fact that, for all the high level thinking
and philosophy that have been generated throughout the history of mankind, one
cannot but forget the fact that man is basically a more intelligent form of the
Ape and basically an animal. OK, Hinduism does have answers for everything, but
unfortunately the rational mind can't but be sceptical of all these theories as
being mostly conjecture and well thought of , clever answers formulated with no
loose ends! It might actually be the correct way to take everything on faith to
realize Brahman, but it's not mine. The reason Advaita appealed to me was that
one needn't take anything for granted and must only have a craving for
knowledge.

Or is taking up sanyasin and performing Karma and Bhakti yoga an easy way out?
It's true that life of the common man in general, earning a living and loving
and caring for his spouse and offspring and living in harmony with the society
and sustaining this over a period of time can be quite a formidable job. And
along with this he's to contend with human infirmity - in the sense that his or
his spouse's love will definitely wane over a period of time, the differences of
opinion and the heartbreaks with the children and the n number of personal
problems and tensions one has to face in a normal life. Plus the disappointments
encountered during one's lifetime due to attatchments and expectations. So is
Advaita just an easy way out (OK, it's not easy, but probably easier and wiser
in the long run than the normal life), an escape from undergoing the trials
which is part of man's natural lifecycle? If so, isn't it cowardly not to face
the rigours of life and denying yourself of the experience rather than doing an
escape act?

        Few years ago, when I'd never heard of Advaita, I used to think Self -
Perfection to be the ultimate goal. The Self Perfection, I had in mind was based
on honesty and intelligence without pettiness or weaknesses. It made sense that
it was better to be a friend than an enemy, for the Thirukural says, "Do good to
somebody who wrongs you"! This has logic in it, for a enemy too can come in
useful at a latter day or that one can appeal to the better side of human
nature. It also made sense that  attatchment to worldly possessions and the ego
or pride are too, hollow in themselves.

        So is all this striving towards Brahman, this Karma and Bhakthi and
Jnana Yoga, just a ideal state for a man to co-exist in harmony with other human
beings, to develop understanding and condition him, to make him impervious of
the pettiness and infirmity and cruelty that are so inherent a quality of the
human nature?



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