SNS04Jnana&Duty
Published:20 May 2019 2 PMUpdated:20 May 2019 8 PM Sakthi Vikatan
ஆதியும் அந்தமும் - 4
சேஷாத்ரிநாத சாஸ்திரிகள் Śeṣādrinātha Śāsthrigaḷ
மறை சொல்லும் மகிமைகள். ஓவியம்: மாருதி
The grandeur of Vedas. Images: Maruthi
Wisdom and Duty.
1. We should experience life’s happiness and wellness and help others experience the same.
2. In the bygone days, the Britishers laid down the rule that the retirement age must be 60. The purported reason was that the body at 60 would not be nimble in function, and that there will be a decline in the thought process. The workers were sent home at 60 years of age as retirees with the advice to endeavor to attain their goals in life.
3. However, what do we think?
4. The potential retiree thinks that he has enough experience (stamina and brain power) to continue in service for another ten years. However, the Britisher did not allow extended service. At any time, we should not rearrange and change the paradigm of transformation.
5. What do we learn from this? The man knows his beginning. He was born as a child to his parents. He went to school to learn and receive Jñāṉam. His Buddhi blossomed because of his education; he developed the innate power to do his wished-for activities without the help of others. He understands people of the world, their culture, and civilization. He feels he has neither enemies nor loving individuals.
6. Man has five sensory and five motor organs: eye, ear, nose, and the like. The sensory organs can apprehend each its specific sense: Eye for color and light, nose for smell and the like. Sensory organs can sense but not act. The five motor organs do them. In the daily newspaper, we see an ad for a drama. The rational sense knows the show must be a good one. We desire to attend to the drama. In the olden days, we could not have seen the drama from our chair. So, we use our legs for transportation to the drama hall.  (Yes, we can see live casts now from our chair without moving a muscle. July 2019)
7. The sense organs cannot accomplish its objectives without the cooperation of the motor organs. That is the way of creation. The brain determines what we should reject and what we should accept. If the mind is bright and alert, it will impel us to do pleasing things for ourselves and others.
8. Education is the road sign showing us the correct path and the way to live our lives. Education inculcates wisdom and evokes ideas which come rushing like a torrent that happens with the opening of floodgates, resulting in a plethora of intended actions.
9. What is the need for creation? We should live the life of a householder. It is not for personal pleasure but for the progeny. One should look after the health of oneself and his life partner.
10. Having progeny, safeguarding one’s vocation, augmenting the richness of one’s Buddhi and maintaining the former lifestyle are of paramount importance. The wisdom for such accomplishments come from the wealth of thinking power, which proceeds only from education. We should live with dignity until we arrive at the sixth stage in our lives.
11. Are all like that?
12. One likes to imbibe inebriant alcohol. That one is a perpetual drinker. At last, the drunkard is a goner. Desires induce men to overindulge in the senses. Because of it, people suffer ill health like the disease of indiscreet food intake: Diabetes Mellitus. God gave us a hundred-year lifetime. We should, till the end, keep the body, mind, and soul in good condition.
13. We should set limits in fulfilling our desires. An example is in order. A honeybee takes its nectar from all the flowers without damaging them so the flowers can advance to their fruiting stage. If the buff-tailed bumblebee with a short tongue and robust mandible, unable to reach the nectar with a short tongue, uses its strong mandibles to make holes in the corolla and damages the flower to reach the nectar, the flower is too far damaged to become a fruit. Over-pollinated flowers yield berries with fewer druplets.
14. The honeybee lands on its six legs softly over the petals. It sucks on the nectar gently and leaves the flower. The flower remains fresh with no fading and withering. Subsequently, the fruit emerges from the flower. The unripe fruit matures and becomes a ripe fruit. This progression in nature is the orderly way; likewise, man’s life should be. This method is in order in the pursuit of happiness in the householder’s life. This fulfillment is possible with the wisdom obtained from education.
16. ‘பரோபகாரம் இதம் சரீரம்’ = This body came in our possession to render philanthropy. We should live for others. This generosity in one’s thinking came from proper education.
புனரபி ஜனனம் புனரபி மரணம் = Born again, death again.
17. In many matters of interest, we do not know the beginning and the end. The mango tree came from the mango seed. From its seeds, many mango trees grew. But we don’t know when the first mango tree came. We do not know when the mango tree will disappear.
18. Likewise, we have no idea when the flora in all of nature came. We know what we see. However, we do not know when their creation took place. We do not know when they will disappear. In truth, they do not disappear. From one trees’ fruits, multiple trees come into being. This cycle of creation-maintenance-death-creation goes on forever.
19. People computed the precise time of the origin of objects. They are all in the realm of guesswork. Nobody knows them by direct observation.
20. We do not know the beginning and the end. How could we elucidate something beyond the reach of our intellect and make calculations?
21. I took birth in this world. I had birth previously. There is a possibility, I will have multiple future rebirths. So, I do not know when my rebirth will end. Likewise, we have no idea of the beginning and the end of time.
22. Adhi Saṅkara said: புனரபி ஜனனம் புனரபி மரணம் புனரபி ஜனனீ ஜடரே சயனம்’. Purapi Jananam Punapi Maranam Janani Jadare Sayanam = Nobody knows when the cycle of birth began and when it will end.
23. Let us take the Vedas. We do not know when Vedas dawned in this world besides it contents. We do not know who uttered its contents first. Vedas’ other names are eḻutā-k-kiḷavi ( = எழுதாக்கிளவி’ = as unwritten and handed down by oral tradition) and Maṛai ( = மறை’ = concealment, secret).
 Do you know what the reason is?

 To be continued…
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