Follow the principle of ‘Sarvodaya’ to live on for generations into the future

Follow the principle of ‘Sarvodaya’ to live on for generations into the future

Dr KK Aggarwal

The four Purusharth (Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha) are the basic purposes of life. Purushartha in Vedic text denote positive effort or action. Purushartha stands for actions (self-effort) - righteous action (dharma) and righteous earning (artha) - based on morality, ethics and religious obligations with the ultimate goal being to attain Moksha or inner happiness.

How long do you want to live after death?

How long you are remembered after death depends on how long will your actions last for.

Will it last for just this one generation? Will it last for three generations (one lifetime), will it last for seven generations (around 170 years, if we consider one generation to be 25 years), or will it last for more than seven generations?

What can you do so that people remember you even after your death?

Prakriti is when a person lives for himself or when his actions are centered towards oneself. Sanskriti is when one lives for the sake of others and vikriti is nothing but distortion in one’s living. Greed is a type of vikriti, which can make a ‘nar’ a ‘narbhakshi’ and later ‘nar rakshas. On the other hand, if a person works towards sanskriti, it can convert him or her ‘nar’ to ‘narottam’ and from ‘narottam’ to ‘Narain’.

The basic fundamental principle of Vedas is also based on Sarvodaya. The aim in life, therefore, should be to work not for oneself but for the welfare of the others. These people gradually start working for themselves often for the family, society, nation and universe respectively.

Lord Buddha also said that any action done should follow the rule that it is directed for the welfare of all. Sarvodaya is also at the core of the Gandhian Philosophy as propagated by Mahatma Gandhi.

Making a discovery or invention, postage stamp, winning National awards, heading a national body, become the prime minister of your country – these also put your name in history, which is passed on from generation to generation.

This is also how vidya or knowledge is passed on from generation to generation.

Every action has a reaction. This is the law of karma. Hence, every action of ours must be done taking into consideration its impact on the generations to come.

The soul never dies and so do your Sanskars and good work done. The aim of life should be that one should live even after the death of his or her physical body. It is your good Karmas, which keep your memories alive even after your physical death. Work for the welfare of all, it will last.

The Isha Upanishad has shown the path towards this. The first shloka of Isha Upanishad says:

“Om Isha vāsyam idam sarvam yat kiñ ca jagatyam jagat ||

tena tyaktena bhuñjitha ma grdhah kasyasvid dhanam.”

“Om. All this, whatever moves on the earth, should be covered by the (innermost) Self. Protect your Self through that detachment. Do not covet anybody’s wealth. Or – Do not covet, for whose is wealth?”

The second shloka of Isha Upanishad says:

“Kurvanneveha karmani jijivisecchatam samah ||

evam tvayi nanyatheto’sti na karma lipyate nare.”

“By doing karma, indeed, one should desire to live for a hundred years. For a man, such as you (who wants to live thus), there is no way other from this, whereby karma may not cling to you.”

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this write up are entirely my own

Vedic Prescriptions

Vedic Prescriptions Chapter 1 - Know your dharma [Dharma the foundation of bioethics] Dharma is the path of righteousness and living one’s life as per the codes of conduct described in Vedas. Its western equivalents might include morality, ethics, virtue, righteousness and purity. The term dharma can best be explained as the “law of being” without which things cannot exist. The word dharma is derived from dhri, which means “to hold”. It literally means “that which holds” the people of this world and the whole creation. The same is described in the Vedic Text, in Atharva Veda as: Prithivim dharmana dhritam, that is, “this world is upheld by dharma”. In Hinduism Dharma is the very foundation of life. Tulsidas the author of Ramcharitmanas, defined the root of dharma as compassion. Buddha also used this principle in his book Dhammapada. According to Hindu philosophy, it’s the GOD which holds us through “Truth” and or “LOVE”. “Dharma prevails” or “truth prevails” is the essence of Hinduism. To achieve good karma, Vedas teaches us that one should live according to dharma (the right action). This involves doing what is right for the individual, the family, the class or caste and for the universe. As per Bhagavat Purana, righteous living or life on a dharmic path has four pillars: Truthfulness (satya), austerity (tap), purity (shauch) and compassion (daya). It further adds that the adharmic or unrighteous life has three vices: Pride (ahankar), contact (sangh), and intoxication (madya). Manusmriti, prescribes ten essential rules for the observance of dharma: Patience (dhriti), forgiveness (kshama), piety or self control (dama), honesty (asteya), sanctity (shauch), control of senses (indraiya-nigrah), reason (dhi), knowledge or learning (vidya), truthfulness (satya) and absence of anger (krodha). Manu further writes, “Non-violence, truth, non-coveting, purity of body and mind, control of senses are the essence of dharma”. In Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna says that in the society dharma is likely to fall from time to time and to bring dharma back; a GOD representative is born from time to time. The shlokas (parithraanaaya saadhoonaam vinaasaaya cha dhushkr.thaam|dharma-samsthaapanaarthaaya sambhavaami yuge’ yuge’ (Chapter IV - 8) says that “For the protection of the virtuous, for the destruction of evil-doers, and for establishing the rule of righteousness (Dharma), I am born from age to age [in every age]”. Another Shloka “ yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srjamy aham” means that “Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion - at that time I descend Myself”. Deepak Chopra in his book Seven Spiritual Laws of Success talks about the “Law of “Dharma” or Purpose in Life’”. According to Dr Chopra everybody should discover his or her divinity, find the unique talent and serve humanity with it. With this one can generate all the wealth that one wants. According to him when your creative expressions match the needs of your fellow humans, then wealth will spontaneously flow from the un-manifest into the manifest, from the realm of spirit to the world of form. In spiritual terms this is an attempt to find out whether his life is progressing as per the Laws of Dharma (Dharma in Sanskrit means ‘purpose in life’) which, according to the scriptures, is said to be the sole purpose for a human being to manifest in this physical form. To achieve one’ DHARMA Dr Chopra suggests the following exercises: 1. Today I will lovingly nurture the god or goddess in embryo that lies deep within my soul. I will pay attention to the spirit within me that animates both my body and my mind. I will awaken myself to this deep stillness within my heart. I will carry this consciousness of timeless, eternal being in the midst of time-bound experience. 2. I will make a list of my unique talents. Then I will list all of the things I love to do while expressing my unique talents. When I express my unique talents and use them in the service of humanity, I lose track of time and create abundance in my life as well as in the lives of others. 3. I will ask myself daily, “How can I serve?” and “How can I help?” The answers to these questions will allow me to help and serve my fellow human beings with love. Karma, dharma and samsara are three fundamental aspects of the Hinduism. Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism are all built on this. Dharma is one’s appropriate role or attributes. Karma, measures of how well one performs one’s dharma, explains why one is born where he or she is, why there is suffering and seeming injustices. Samsara, is the continuous round of birth, death and rebirth, and the context for all experience. Dharma sutras from Dharma Shãstras are the basic texts which talks about the morality of individuals and he society. Most India laws are made from these Shãstras. In Jainism, also the wheel of Dharma (Chakra) with 24 spokes represents the religion preached by the 24 Tirthankaras consisting of nonviolence (Ahimsa) and other virtues. The very first word of the Gita is “Dharma”. The Gita concludes with the word “Mama”. The whole of Bhagavad Gita is contained in the two words Mama and Dharma. When you join these two last words it becomes mamadharma, meaning your true Dharma. This is what the Gita teaches. What is your Dharma? How to achieve your dharma 1. Do unto others what you do unto yourself. Satisfy your conscience. That is your Dharma. 2. The word Living Dharma signifies the right action in every moment of the life. 3. Do not follow the dictates of body and do not indiscriminately follow the mind, for the mind is like a mad monkey. Follow the conscience. 4. Practice Random acts of kindness to inculcate the spirit of Dharma. 5. According to many Saints, to do dharma, includes eight-fold path and these are 1. Nonviolence; Control over the Senses; Compassion or daya; Forbearance or Khsma; Peace; Meditation; Penance or Tapas and Truth. 6. The Bhagavad Gita also starts with the phrase, “Dharmakshetre Kuruksetra” which means the battle of dharma and adharma. 7. In Mahabharata, when Duryodhana went to Gandhari, his mother, on the eve of the war, for her benediction. She blessed Duryodhana saying, “Victory will be there, where dharma is.”