We Should Obtain Knowledge

Meaning: According to the line of Athervaved 6/64/1 we can receive the message that we should obtain knowledge by our clean deeds which can be explain as — "It is every man's duty to obtain knowledge and live by mixing with others. May all be blessed with good culture? Just our ancestors have been carrying out their duties. Similarly, let us also carry out our duties completely."

Message: The activities of the life of a spiritual person are not based on filling the belly, producing children and desires like the ordinary men who are like animals, but his activities are bright and are inspired by idealism. A spiritual person knows the difference between the body and the soul and believes that the soul is the lord (or the controller) and the body is a means. The person who has clearly understood this aspect gives importance to the thought of the best ways of utilizing this invaluable human life for great projects like spiritual salvation and self-development, while ignoring bodily comforts, temptations for indulging the senses, false acclaim and pomp. If for fulfilling this objective there is a reduction of physical comforts and material wealth, he is not upset even for a moment, because he knows that the body is merely a means. If his privileges are snatched, the door for the upliftment of his soul is opened up. There is greater benefit and lesser harm in that.

A spiritual person follows the ideals of plain living and high thinking. It becomes possible to save the time and money spent in pomp and luxury and spends it for idealistic works of public welfare. The needs, worries, difficulties and troubles of a person are in proportion to his spendthrift and pompous life. The person who reduces his desire for showing off and living a life of great comforts compared to others, will find meaningless his own and his families useless expenditure and pomp. That is why divinity starts with frugality (i.e. spending minimum for only basic needs and for a very simple life).

When a man realizes the above, then he experiences joy only in mixing and living harmoniously with others. He understands others' happiness and sorrows as his own and finds his own happiness in the happiness of others, and sorrow in others' sorrow. His desire sharing his happiness with others and desire for reducing others' sorrow by sharing their troubles takes him to the high level of considering the 'world as a family' as enshrined in the snskrit saying "vasudhaiva kutumbakam". With the sentiments of sympathy, pity, helping others, love and oneness with others, there is an increase in mutual goodwill, affection and the feeling of equality and a heavenly atmosphere is created in the society.

Our rishis had fixed this very ideal for us, which is equally meaningful today. They were making use of their knowledge and intelligence only for societal welfare. Living in thatched cottages and leading very ordinary lives, they used to be busy in making the society happy and highly prosperous. What an excellent way of thinking! They loved to devote their entire lives busily in doing their duty.

We can be men of character only by putting into our personal conduct such excellent ideals of our ancestors.