In the previous episode we saw how ancient Indians were not against enjoyment completely. They only counseled for a guarded indulgence. They forbade promiscuity that can be a nuisance to the society in addition to harming the individual.
In that case, why not an individual keep taking births after birth, enjoying the world, of course in a well disciplined way? Why should one bother about ultimate realization and emancipation?
Yes, that is quite possible at least in theory. But does it really work that way?
When you indulge in enjoyment, there is always a trap that you may fall into, and protecting yourself from it may not be possible at all times. You may slip into unrestrained enjoyment and go off the track. The horses (remember the chariot analogy?) are always prone to run havoc unless they are well controlled.
What if one goes off the track? There always is another birth to correct the mistakes!
Unfortunately, things are not that simple.
There is no guarantee that you will again be born as a human being. If you are reborn as an animal or an insect or a plant, for example, you may not be intellectually mature enough to correct your mistakes. In those forms, you are driven merely by instincts, that only ensure your survival but not further evolution.
Is it not possible that one may take rebirth as a divine being?
Even that is quite possible. You may be reborn as a spirit, or an angel or even a completely evolved being depending on your accumulated Karma.
But the Upanishad makes an interesting observation.
“If you are born as a spirit in the spirit world (the world of departed souls that still cling on to their previous life), you can only get a hazy glimpse of the ultimate realization. It will be like seeing things in a dream. These spirits have such strong links to their past life that they can’t free themselves completely.Even if you are born as an angel, your vision of the ultimate is like seeing the reflection in water. You get a glimpse but the clarity will be lacking both because of the turbidity of water as well as the waves that may arise. Angels often tend to be too sensual and lack self control.If you are lucky enough to be born as a fully evolved being in the Brahma world, of course you can get a very clear vision of the ultimate, as clear as shadow and light. But how many will be able to reach that level in one go?It is only in the human existence that you can see the ultimate truth reflected back in your Buddhi itself, as if you are seeing your own image in a mirror.So it is now you have a great opportunity, having born as a human being. Don’t miss it. Strive for the realization”
What is this seeing the ultimate truth reflected back in the Buddhi? Let us discuss that in the next episode.
A story of Nachiketa from Katha Upanishad, which is part of Yajur Veda. Upanishads are concluding parts of ancient Indian Vedic scriptures believed to be at least 5000 years old. The interpretation is by Dr.King (Copyright © 2019 Dr. King).
No comments:
Post a Comment