Dr. Satish Kumar Shukla
“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings.” (Julius Caesar ) “The web of our life is a mingled yarn, good and ill together.” (All’s Well That Ends Well )
Life’s complexity needs no introduction. Life truly is a one-off complex. Yes, it is an esoteric subject. Often, it is an enigma.
In some parts, life's abstruse drama is understandable when we use comprehension’s empirical measures- so just as life comes along. Most parts it is not exactly appreciated as that calls for cognition’s better tools which are generally wanting; a prerequisite: a handsome philosophical measure in appreciating the being’s givens. To many it is all so very abstruse. Most people make do with empiricism. Therefore, most don’t really arrive at life’s denouement’s gates. They leave the world very much as they came- unknowing human beings. At their death’s hour, they have regret on their minds, not to speak of pain and much more burdensome soul troubles.
That is no grand closure to life.
It is an abject surrender to ignorance however knowing one might have thought of oneself. For example, a nuclear scientist dies no better than a shepherd, if any far worse, for the latter goes without much burden on mind, the former all but scarred souls. Such were in fact those famous pioneers of quantum theory in physics. Their enterprise left behind Nukes which are such a constant deadly threat to the planet and its inhabitants. A Democle’s sword hanging over humankind's head. Einstein’s E=MC2 is not the best ever thing to have happened to humankind; it opened to the devils their way to their willful Atom Bombs devilry. We do suffer under that bedeviling of life. Nor is it a boon to the planet. Deterrence is a man made sickly phenomenon, and then born of sickly human chicaneries- the hordes racing to score over rivals at unbearable cost to human civilization and planet’s health.
Think Hiroshima Nagasaki. Think the Global Nuclear Holocaust which is no empty threat. Global Warming is already a world reality. They are yet to appreciate Global Harming attending the present day human works. Thus, empirical knowledge is no equal to divine knowledge. Einstein is not an equal of the Indian Maharishi, the one a physicist merely, the one a foreseer and a visionary working for human welfare, and envisioning culture, civilization and human happiness and peace and harmony. The one harms in the end; the one is a perennial source of good, only good, moreover to have at no cost to planet earth. HUmans stand to win; it’s such a knowledge packed win win deal. The distinction is as between Gyanam and Vigyanam, the former a spiritualism centered comprehensive take on creation, the latter but nuts and bolts of the physical world.
India comes into our visor when we begin to think on life and its complexities in the larger philosophical categories relating to human issues, particularly the life and death’s regard.
India hosts humankind’s evergreen and never failing philosophy of life. Accordingly, India has much to say on the well being of planet earth and humankind, leave alone space and ‘spacelings’.
The larger prospect itself stands clouded for an age now, in fact ever since the western civilization took over human caravan’s leadership following the West’s rise on the world stage post Middle Ages.
The West did break some refreshing new ground in discovery and invention, an endeavor that catapulted it to the world's leadership role even though the privilege itself turned sour soon enough. Instead of availing its historic opportunity to add to the joys of life, to embellish global life, culture and civilization, the West went its local imperial way that spelled for it free access to ready made materials, technologies, in a word world wealth, but so over loot and plunder, hence for its prey- global nations- untold woe and misery, forget peoples’ freedoms, liberties, natural rights, and social development’s opportunities which is peoples’ natural right in their established homes. The invader West destroyed established civilizations; it tried its damndest worst, in vain. Resultantly, its precious time wasted in futile chase after illusions, the West never came to grips with the fundamental questions of complexities of life. As such, it missed the mile; it mistook its tremendous material knowledge for life’s comprehensive appreciation. That was a dud. The West failed to get to the point of life as to its very purport- the life’s ultimate purpose. It functioned without proper knowledge of Karma and Retribution. It disregarded its own aphorism: as you sow, so you reap. It did shrink to its size- cut to the size really by the will of the people it had sought to subjugate and enslave.
Today’s western society, a peak in largely ill designed material progress, scores little in the all important matter of knowing, and knowing well, the complex that is life. A typical westerner dies an ignorant person, more or less, and generally, cancers sick.
India offers a different case.
India hosts Indian Philosophy. It is a fulsome subject of study, but for our purpose here, we may straight jump to the conclusion. All preconditions, well handled, are met in Ved and Vedant.
Here is a telling example.
Says Bhagwan Krishan in Bhagavad-Gita
अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम्
यः पर्याति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः
(the one departing from life meditating on me, doubtless returns to me)
The above is like drawing a line under human life as it is ending its journey on earth, namely death. Clear the words, ringing the meaning’s resonance. A perfect closure to human life. It is humans’ overcoming transmigration of soul as it is their merging with their source soul, namely Parmatma. Done!
But wait.
There is more discernment on offer, so
यं यं वापी स्म्रन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम्
तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः
(meditating on one’s liking’s object, one at death attains to that very object)
No room for confusion, none for unclarity. The words lay bare before human beings their choices when they are about their passing away from the world scene. They still have in their hands their full freedom to choose provided they took care to be in the know of life’s stakes.
The beauty is that the above principles apply to one and all- no matter Indian or westerner, or whoever wherever. And it is not even a matter of keeping faith, no! It is an exact spiritual science observable in its intricacies when we study the runs of human lives, of which seeking is no end either. Whether an empiricist or an atheist, a rationalist or a faithful, God believer or God denier, this faithful type or that faithful type, a naturalist or an agnostic, it doesn't matter. The plain fact is that every living being dies.
The more it applies to human beings as they possess intelligence backed super consciousness that is a unique enabler. Humans can discriminate and discern and so try getting at the ultimate truths of life. Indian Philosophy is exactly that exact science. The above two Sanskrit citations are but core Indian Philosophy brought to the world by none other than Bhagwan Krishan Himself. But has life’s vast experiences spanning cultures, civilizations and ages all over the world ever stood in contrast to the principles inherent in the cited Bhagavad-GIta Shloks?
No, not to this author’s knowledge.
Hence the reliance on Indian wisdom.
Naturally, it requires of human beings rigorous living, not flippant living however much its material vigors. The West shows those vigors at their strongest. But is the West an example to others? Is it? Really?
But Indian wisdom never fails its seekers.
So is life’s denouement a light matter, not one tough, or hard to master. All it takes on a human’s part is thoughtfulness, an exact regard of one’s condition and position in regard to the wholesomeness of nature, and accordingly set the living’s grammar’s priorities.
Overmuch of material pursuit is a rank loser in this mind taxing game. The Middle Path is a solid promise. Spiritualism is an outright winner and adherence to the Bhagavad-Gita word an absolute assurance that one leaves this world at one’s death at the least a well informed human being. It is said that under circumstances one can leave the physical body at will. Yet by good luck, and for honed awareness of keeping to the rigors home in Bhagwan Krishan’s words, any enlightened practitioner of life stands a good chance of scoring a success in life after all.
…यः पर्याति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः
Imagine the benefit that would ensue for one and all, all over the earth, if human beings were to reorder their lives and living according to the dictums of Indian Philosophy.
It would change the world for the better, a world in which for the minimal occurrence of oddities in life including basal social crime, overall peace would distinguish living, and it would prevail harmony among human beings, cultures, societies, countries, nations and civilizations.
Not for nothing does the Yajurved state
ॐ द्यौः शान्तिरन्तरिक्षं शान्तिः
पृथिवी शान्तिरापः शान्तिरोषधयः शान्तिः ।
वनस्पतयः शान्तिर्विश्वेदेवाः शान्तिर्ब्रह्म शान्तिः
सर्वं शान्तिः शान्तिरेव शान्तिः सा मा शान्तिरेधि ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
— यजुर्वेद ३६:१७
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