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[Guest guest]

Recently Sri Krishnapraba had brought up the

following problem - how do we hold on to

our non-materialistic tradition while

aspiring for success in modern times with

its value system totally based on making

the most amount of money ?

 

But isn't there plenty of guidance from

our own tradition which throws light on

the matter ? This problem is nothing new.

 

Bhagavan says in the Gita that we should

act like a lotus leaf - be in this world,

but not of this world. He tells Arjuna

to aspire for complete success in his

chosen field, while practising detachment

from its fruits at the same time. He

urges that Arjuna cultivate the attitude

that he is merely the instrument thru

which karma gets played out. (Nimitta

matram bhava )

 

The sage Janaka was a king, whose dedication

to his job as caretaker of his people

was legendary. And yet he was the supreme

philosopher with a detachment so total

that he could claim he couldn't get

agitated even if he were

to see his beloved Mithila burn.

 

Yogah karmashu koushalam - says Bhagavan

in the Gita. You must be excellent in

your work, that is Yoga for you. You

achieve detachment, not by abandoning

work, but by dedicated performance of

work but with the crucial proviso that

you cultivate the attitude of nimitta

matram.

 

To summarize, the Gita has all these

brilliant answers to this problem -

you don't become a slave to the mindless

materialistic pressures; on the contrary,

you become the master of the situation

by cultivating your mind, just as

the charioteer controls the unruly horses,

working hard in his name, surrendering

to him, performing excellently as part

of your contribution to Him, and finally

by rendering service to the world using

the money you have earned as part of

your expression of your love of Hari.

 

As our rituals are all calculated

to help us cultivate the desired

state of mind, why would we want

to abandon them ? ALL instruments

look useless till you understand the

problem to be solved - then their

need becomes obvious.

 

So I contend that there is nothing

unique about the 20th c and its

problems that should make us say

that the old solutions don't apply.

Every generation has thought it

is faced with a unique situation -

but there is little evidence

for it.

 

Regards,

Raghu Seshadri