There is an urge amongst us to acquire possessions in plenty
We assess worth by the accumulated total in our ledger entry
These provide us with a sense of security, quite mistaken
Nothing stands the test of time, which itself is in aberration
Yet we pursue these frivolous goals, tirelessly and in earnest
Giving them a life that is false, dressing a corpse in velvet
Taking it about town, showing to the gawking, milling crowd
That we have something special to exhibit, perhaps to be proud
It is easy to identify these trammels when they are material
And Religion offers guidance to be free of chains inferior
But what about those possessions that are in the realm of mind
Our thoughts, that we hold dear, of wisdom and their allied kind?
These are equally binding, as the learned are in a tight cell
Made of their very knowledge, which they use to barter and sell
Counting worth in terms of degrees, and letters of appreciation
When in truth, reality is absolute, needing no interpretation
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1 comment:
This has reference to your composition entitled “Reality’s agent”. Admittedly there is undeniable force in your statement that all material possessions are transient, and in that sense they deserve to be brought under the classification of “frivolous goals”. However the acquisition of such possessions, per se, is not taboo, according to our scriptures, as long as they are procured by utilizing one’s legitimate earnings. Shankaracharya, has this to say , on the topic, in his immortal composition “Bhaja Govindam” and I quote-
“ Yallabha se nija karmopatham, vitham thena vinodaya chittam”, which translates as “Earn wealth and material possessions, through honest and legitimate work and rejoice in the use of the same”. As long as we are of this world, we have to live in accordance with the rules of the game, only taking care to see that in the process, we do not transgress, either the stipulations in our scriptures, or the dictates of our conscience. I, of course, am in entire agreement with you when you say that these possessions or acquisitions, whether, they are spiritual or material should not be flaunted before others for the purpose of establishing our own importance or for satisfying the cravings of our ego. Our scriptures stipulate that,while the constant awareness of the truth “Aham Brahmasmi”, should remain as the backdrop for all our actions in this birth, our actions themselves should be in accordance with our station in life, as decided by our prarabdha karma. The modern comparison would be, that, the consciousness of “Aham Brahmasmi” will be like the movie screen in the cinema theatre, which remains totally unaffected by the various actions, which are projected on to it, based on the activities of the performing artistes.
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