Humbled by knowledge

[1]

Swami Tejomayananda [1]

What we see depends on our vision of life. Looking at the moon, a scientist will want to know more about it. He/she will want to know whether or not there is water on moon and try to find out if life is possible on moon. But a poet’s response will be entirely different. A person who thinks only about food will compare the full moon to a papad!

Your vision of life prompts your thoughts. Seeing the hot water springs in Yamunotri, a devotee will think with gratitude about the Lord, while a businessman may think of opening a resort there. Looking at the things around us in this world, we should get noble thoughts.
Sri Rama saw dark rain-bearing clouds and peacocks dancing in joy. The analogy that came instantly to his mind was the joy of a dispassionate householder who sees a devotee coming to his house. We must understand that household life is not meant only for enjoyment, it is also meant to develop dispassion. Usually, the joy of the householder is compared to the peacock’s dance of ecstasy. Here the comparison is inverted in a very effective manner to hold up an ideal.
Sri Rama was a householder, and yet he went to the forest, accompanied by wife Sita and brother Laxman, with a calm mind, to follow His dharma, though the entire kingdom, except Kaikeyi and Manthara, wanted Him to stay. We learn that priority has to be given to dispassion and devotion.
When Rama used to meet saints, He would be very happy. Seeing the beauty of the dark clouds, Rama keenly felt the absence of His dear wife and worried about Her welfare. From this we learn that the husband should be concerned about the wife’s welfare, a simple fact that needs to be reiterated today. From the way the Lord sees things, from His thoughts, words and behaviour, we come to know about His nature and His vision of life.
The flashes of lightning that disappear in a moment remind Sri Rama of the fickle friendship of ignoble people who show a lot of affection one moment but are not to be seen a moment later. When Kamsa saw Vasudeva’s first son, he was filled with joy, but the moment someone told to him about the prophesy, he wanted the child killed. As clouds gather water and become heavy, they hang low, near the earth. Similarly, an intelligent person grows humble with the growth of knowledge. The beauty of knowledge lies in humility.
A cloud is called “jalada” because it can give water — generously and impartially. Most people give with a certain sense of pride; there is a feeling of arrogance where there should be love alone. True knowledge is that which confers humility. We shall study more of Sri Rama’s insights on the monsoon in my next column.