Bhaja Govindam - Talks from Chinmaya Mission

These were published by Brni.Nidhi Chaitanya of Chinmaya Mission. Reproduced here. Shankara points out some of most common stupidities of the human race in further verses. Often we wonder how to overcome these stupidities? Shankara very plainly says, "See the flip side!" This is called Pratipaksha Bhaavna. Often our perception of things, people, situations is very fractional. We only see what is convenient, favourable, or instinctive. But Bhaja Govindam is a thorough training in holistic vision. Shankaracharya or spirituality is not out to criticise all that is good, dear, beautiful n enjoyable. Instead, Shankara says "Enjoy with alertness and awareness" Shankaracharya gives us as though an ariel view of our priorities, making us understand how shallow our understanding of the most significant things of our life is - whether it is wealth, passion, relationships, family, society, our own body, or even life itself!! We live with these, but dont understand them at all!! Shankar says understand each of them. Analyse them. Question the obvious. Enquire into the everyday affairs of life. Unless i know these well, i cant ever progress. But we rarely bother!! Why do we go to school? Why marry? Why remove footwear outside a temple? Why do i need wealth for? Why am i working?? Why do i need a family?? Why follow values? Why do arati at the end of the pooja? We rarely ask!! Even if a question arises, we dont pursue it and it dies down. Even if we pursue, we do not find the right answers usually. It is important to question the obvious. Then Knowledge arises. Newton questioned the obvious "Why apples fall?" and Knowledge arose!! The students in the Upanishads, the Soldier prince Arjuna in Geeta, the great Janmajaya in Mahabharata... They questioned, they thought, they analysed... And so the Lord came in the form of Gurus, Scriptures or their own Higher Intelligence and answered! Knowledge was revealed and transformation happened. Unless we question, we wont be able to see the stupidity of our stupidities(Moha)!! Many people ask "I know, but why cant i do?" The answer is bitter but true "Because we love being stupid!" It is like the dog who chews a bone. He is enjoying the juice n keeps chewing the bone, until he realises that what he was enjoying is not the juice of the bone but his own blood. The bone was cutting his mouth n he was bleeding continuously, n yet enjoying it not knowing it is its own blood. Now it has ulcers all over its mouth!! Are we all not like that?? Enjoying our own stupidities, which are silently keeping us on the path of stress, suffering n finitude? Shankara then discusses about Wealth. What is wealth? "Worldly possessions" So it isnt just the money n the house. Its EVERY"THING"! But Shankara isnt telling us to leave it all or to give up the pursuit of wealth or to stop enjoying it. Not at all! In fact Shankaracharya says "Earn n Enjoy"!! But what Shankaracharya asks us to renounce is the insatiable craving for possessing wealth!! Why? Because wealth is never enough. It is important in order to live life. In fact, in our culture, we worship wealth in the form of Mother Lakshmi. But an insatiable lust for worldly possessions is also what causes stress, crime, corruption. Here some analysis would help... Why do i want Wealth? To enjoy myself n be happy! But if wealth takes away my happiness n makes me selfish n stressed out, is it still worth pursuing wealth? Some of us educated people may say "I am not after wealth". But dont we all want the latest phone/car/dress/jewellery/etc? How is it different? Our lifestyle becomes our identity. So much so, that if we cant afford the MacDonalds and the Dominos, or send our children to the best International Schools, we start losing confidence, feeling miserable n helpless...as if life otherwise is not worth even talking about!!! For the sake of wealth, we sacrifice our Family, our health, our values, our peace of mind!! We feel so deluded by wealth that we feel we can do anything if we have money. Our dignity as human beings is determined by how much wealth we possess. So we talk of "class" and dont interact much with ppl of another class!! Loss of wealth sometimes even makes some people suicidal!! Can u imagine! "A place for Everything and Everything in its Place" they say. It is NOT WRONG to own wealth. But it is important we know its place. We need to keep wealth rightly placed. It IS VERY IMPORTANT. Without Lakshmi, even Narayana cant run the World. Desiring wealth also is not wrong. Why not? Artha(Pursuit of Wealth) is one of the 4 most important human goals as per scriptures. So yes, "Earn n Enjoy"! But DO NOT DEPEND. Dependancy Tests- 1) If all my wealth is taken away n i become a pauper, will i be able to smile n say "Its ok. We can do it again. May be not as much as before. But we can"? If i can, it shows that i know that human potential means more than money power. 2) At least once in a year, live in an ashram for a week - WITHOUT COMFORTS & LUXURIES - like ordinary people do. N watch how badly u miss the wealth. Then u will know how dependent on wealth u r. 3) During the month of Shraavan or any holy month, instead of not eating, try NOT SPENDING. Dont touch or transact in cash or card at all. See what happens!! We suddenly realise how much we depend on our "Spending Power"! It gives us all a great sense of security to be able to just spend! THINK 4) When u do charity, always force urself to give a little more than u r comfortable giving. Thats the reason, in our culture they always add 1! So if u can give £100 or $100 or Rs.100, give 101!! The idea is give a little more than what is comfortable. See urself losing a little bit of that which the mind is attached to. 5) Share what u r attached to. If it is the house, offer it out for some community service (eg.a Satsang). If it is the car, offer it for some community use once in a while(may be to take patients to hospital). Idea is, when i share what i am attached to, i realise how possessive i m about it. A small scratch, a little misuse makes me hate the very person who may have caused it!! Think! When we realise our dependency, it is important to make efforts n think clearly. Life is not to be taken for granted. Anything can happen at any time. If i lose my dear ones, what will i do with all this wealth n comfort? Will it still be worth it? Will my bank balance really matter to me on my death-bed? I wont be able to take along a single thing! Then why am i constantly living dependent and stuck to such stuff? Earn n Enjoy! But never be overwhelmed. Remember, Narayana cant run the world without Lakshmi, but Lakshmi is always at His feet!