The Need for a Living Ideal People say that man may do without a living Ideal. If man pursues some lofty ideas that may suffice. But it is very difficult to be attached to impersonal ideas. If the idea is not embodied in a person, there can be no actual communication with it nor can its real form be perceived. Man can feel mercy only through a merciful person. Otherwise mercy is merely a word. This holds good with regard to all attributes. Without an embodied Ideal there can be no realistic idea about a nobler life. Without a living Ideal, with whom the bond of love will be established, and out of love for whom and through whose inspiring example will man evolve into a higher life adjusting his unruly passions? So it is to be specially remembered that the pursuit of the philosophy of a seer cannot be successful without pursuing the seer. The Result of Following Many Some say—we shall accept from different persons whatever is good in them. Why should we surrender to one? But there is an error in this conception. If we divide our internal attachment in different parts, our personality will also be disintegrated and inconsistent. So, that attachment has to be centered in a proper individual. And everything that is needful for fulfilling and nurturing him has to be collected from different quarters. “Devotion loves many for the sake of one, and passionate leaving loves one for the sake of many.” Following Conscience Some again give the excuse of conscience. They think that God-given conscience naturally guides man aright. But the conscience of all people is not the same. It varies according to the character, experience and knowledge of different persons. Conscience means the power of discrimination between good and bad, right and wrong. Everyone has it in his own way. So it cannot be said that it cannot commit any blunder. Rather, due to the influence of our indwelling unholiness, in more cases than not, the decision of conscience is wrong. And even when it is right, it can hardly guide man’s conduct, because reasoning does not guide man ; it is the urge of love that guides him. His go of life is determined by the centre of his love. Again, man often unconsciously supports his weakness on the pretext of conscience. He cannot detect it. At times others also fail to detect it. At times others also fail to detect it. One illustration will make the point clear. The reasons against war which Arjuna adduced in the battlefield, enumerating the evils of killing relations, appear to be irrefutable and proper. And in order to expose the flaw lying therein, Lord Sri Krishna discussed many points in the Gita. And at last Arjuna said to Sri Krishna-“By your grace my infatuation is gone and recollection restored, now my doubts are dispelled and I am in myself, please order me what to do”. In the name of Dharma people often indulge in infatuation and oblivion and lovingly cling to them considering them to be Dharma. Man cannot detect the deception of his mind. He even explains infallible scriptures according to his liking. He has no escape from the labyrinth of his unregenerate mind. To get rid of this, a living Ideal is needed who is the very embodiment of Dharma. So long as a man is not tackled by him, he cannot get beyond the sense of Dharma of his own making and his eye of knowledge is not opened either. Man goes on revolving in the world of his own thinking and conception. He attaches an exaggerated value to his own conception and idealises it. But this deception cannot continue if a living Ideal is accepted. He definitely points out what is what.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 19:02:50 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015