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Articles: Devotion | Kanchi periyavaal's cont
- Prof. venkata ramanamurty mallajosyula
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By education we realise Truth. There are many truths, History is one truth. Geography is one truth, Mathematics is one truth. The content of truth is the greatest in Mathematics. In others, there is an element of imagination. In Geography, we come across names Asia, Africa, Madras, Calcutta, etc. These names were given by us. By imagination, we have given names 'plateau' 'valley', etc. By a process of gradual elimination of all that is imaginary, when we arrive at truth, that Truth is found to be God. To think of Him with real
devotion is the fruit of education.
What is the use of education? Its first use is to develop humility (vinaya). In olden days, the disciple who went to a guru was called 'vineyan' meaning a person of humility which is the hall-mark of Instruction he had from his guru, the fruit of education. Education without humility is no education. Education is the same today as it was before, but methods have changed. The medicine is the same but if the diet is changed, the medicine becomes poison. Education has today become merely the means of livelihood. For true education, the student should go to a guru and follow the guru-kula system.
Right education should make us know that God is the Truth. Knowledge must fill one with good qualities, through which one can realise the Truth, that is God. Therefore, the goal of knowledge is the understanding of the Ultimate Truth. The first fruit of education must be humility and self control.
The total surrender to the Lord is a means of learning our
insignificance and the transcendent grace of the Lord.
If we engage an inquiry into the Atman, at the end of it, it will be clear that God is in us as our very self. When that stage is reached, we have no use for the devas. Then all karmas will fall away from us. But, until then, we must obligatorily do the karmas directing them to the Gods.
Those who are the leaders of a group, society, or state should not neglect the established religious customs and usages. For themselves the may mot be in need of Church ceremonies, for instance, their advance in spirituality may not require them. But if they begin to neglect them, the people for whom the rituals are really helpful, will also start neglecting them. This would be setting a bad example. In the words of the Bhagavad Gita, the wise one should not unsettle the minds of those who are ignorant, and are attached to action: on the
contrary, he should encourage them to perform whatthey should perform, by himself doing the appropriate actions well and with diligence. It is duty cast upon the leaders and those that are at the top to lead the people from where they are, and not to refrain from participation in the traditional ways of worship. Of all scriptures, the Gita has acquired a specialty of its own. Like this, there are many other books of wisdom. In the Mahabharata, there are many chapters teaching wisdom. Besides, in the Sivapurana, Vishnupurana, Skandham, etc., there is Jnanopadesa.
So also in agamas. But what is the special importance of Gita due to? Not only in our country but in countries like Java, people follow the Gita. My inference is that because it was born in an atmosphere utterly free from attachment - attachment to life, attachment to body, attachment to kith and kin, but out of attachment only to Reality, it has become so famous.
On deep consideration, ahimsa appears to be good as an ideal or for preaching. But practically speaking, it is difficult to follow fully.
First of all, we must love others. But if we love anyone too much, the end is sorrow. Therefore we should love God who always gives happiness and not sorrow. I ask myself if we love God, should we not love anyone else in this world? So long as there is false knowledge which distinguishes God from the rest of the world, there will be differences. If we attain Jnana that God is all, we will develop the same love for all that we have for God; This is the sign of Ahimsa.
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