The Spirit Of Spirituality: Fulfillment Of Objectives Of Human Birth

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Fulfillment Of Objectives Of Human Birth

Please read my book on spirituality which is available at amazon.com.

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Many of us at some point in our lives wonder why we are here. What is our purpose in life? Many of us in the corporate sector wonder where will this “rat race” we are in lead us to when will it finally end? To understand this better, let us go through the 4 purusharthas – Kama, Artha, Dharma and Moksha as enunciated by the ancient philosophers.

Kama or desire

Before we delve deeper into desires, let us distinguish between wants and needs? “Need” is a primal instinct which has to be met and a “want” is a means typically to meet that need. I “need” to quench my thirst. I want “Coke”. I “need” to satiate my hunger. I “want” sandwich. Let us take the case of a just born child. Does it have needs or wants? It is obvious to anyone that a child has only “needs” and has no clue about what it “wants”. It is not yet conditioned by the world as to what it should like or dislike in order to meet its needs. The child is hungry and needs food and does not care whether its mom gives I her own milk, powdered milk of any brand or whatever. So, the infant has no desire for objects, just need to satisfy its basic urges.

As the child grows, it is conditioned by the world around it. Concepts of like and dislike start building in the intellect. It likes sweets and does not like spicy. So, now when it is hungry and “needs” to satisfy its hunger, it now “wants” some sweet food and does not “want” spicy food or bland food. When it is cold and it “needs” to stay warm, it now “wants” a red sweater and does not “want” a black sweater. So, the seeds of desire are slowly building in the child. From an initial desire of physical objects, the desires keep growing as the child grows. It wants toys, cycle, car etc. which are physical objects. It wants love affection etc. which are emotional objects. It wants fame, prestige etc. which are intellectual objects. So long as the parents can take of the growing desires of the individual, there is no issue. But at some point, the individual has to find means to get objects to satiate their desires. This leads us to the next item: artha or wealth.

Artha or wealth

The individual in order to meet their desires has to earn wealth. Soon the individual marries and has a growing family. With each addition, the number of desires grows and the wealth needed to support the acquisition of objects keeps growing. So, just as the desires are unending, the need for wealth is unending. There is nothing wrong in earning wealth so long as the means of acquiring wealth are governed by Dharma or righteousness which is the next item.

Dharma or righteousness

So long as an individual earns wealth in a righteous manner, it is fine. But all of us know of instances where people tend to acquire wealth illegally or through unfair methods. Why does this happen? When the desires exceed the current ability to meet them and if the individual does not have the intellect to check the uncontrollable growth of desires, he soon falls into the trap of acquiring wealth unjustly. It may start with creating the first bogus receipt, the first bribe, the first insider trade and so on. The individual always assumes that he will not be trapped. But this is a guaranteed slippery path. Even if the legal system of the world does not ensnare such an individual, the long arm of the universe which dispenses unbiased and natural justice will surely catch up. If I have hurt someone in my thirst to acquire wealth, it will come back as karmic retribution at some point in my existence in this life or next.

So the prime need is to ensure that the intellect controls the acquisition of wealth and ensures that desires do not become overwhelming leading to a downward spiraling road of destructive wealth acquisition.

Even assuming that an individual has kept his desires under check and has righteously acquired wealth, is his mission in life met? I acquire a motor cycle with my own salaried wealth and I feel it is the greatest thing till I see another youth driving a motorcar. I work harder, acquire wealth and buy that gleaming new Toyota and am happy till I see my colleague driving a BMW. I can keep on working harder and harder and within the path of Dharma and keep on acquiring objects after objects. But is this the purpose of my life to keep on working and keep on acquiring objects?

So, what is my purpose? This leads us to the next item in our discussion – Moksha or liberation.

Moksha or Liberation

When I talk to many people, they wonder what is so bad about coming back through rebirth. These are people having a good life and wonder what is so bad about rebirth. I have to remind such people that life is not only roses. Even the seemingly happiest of persons has faced tragedies, a loss of a dear one, loss of a job and finally his own end. What is the guarantee that in next birth I will not be born in a starving poor family in sub-Saharan Africa? If I am driving along a road in a BMW to a place of pleasure and someone asks me how I feel, I will definitely ay life is good and would like to repeat the journey. However, if there is a bad road with potential accident, would I say, I will be happy to drive again on the road? So, also with our lives. Just because we are having a good life now, does not mean that we will definitely have a good life in next birth. I can already sense people telling, we do not believe in an after-life. Well, the Universe does not care whether one believes in its laws or not. Karmic law is emphatic about rebirth based on actions and unfulfilled desires.

Continuing the driving example, if someone tells me that they can show a path through which I need to go only once and even though the path initially is not good, but finally will end in a place of unfathomable, inexhaustible pleasure, will I accept it or will I say that I want to keep making innumerable trips? Most sane people would say that they would make that one not so pleasant trip to get the never ending pleasure.

Similarly the path of liberation is initially painful. But as one continues on that path and reaches the goal of self-enlightenment, there is unending bliss. So, why would I as an individual want to keep on coming through several cycles of birth and death and in each birth join the rat race and still never be fulfilled? It is clear that the final objective of human life is Moksha or liberation.

As readers may be aware, 3 of my books on spirituality are available on Amazon.com.

I invite readers of my blog to try any of the books and give me feedback so that I can make changes in the next edition.

1. My Humble Understanding Of Spirituality

My Humble Understanding Of Spirituality