Kamal Ghorui
Not 3R’s nor IQ but being a Karma Yogi guarantees we attain the highest Perfection. And every citizen, even a cobbler, labourer, Vyadh (butcher, hunter who slaughter animals for a living), robber or a simple housewife can learn to be a Karma Yogi!
Instead of literacy etc. why can’t we ensure that every citizen is educated to be a Karma Yogi, i.e. selflessly committed to kartavya-palan, knowing, fulfilling its respective duties, working for good of all, remaining on the critical path to Perfection.
The ideal of Karma Yoga from “Vyadh Gita” of Mahabharat: Bird droppings fell on the head of a learned brahmin, monk who became infuriated and flung an angry glance at the bird upon which it fell and died. When he went out for bhiksha, alms the housewife asked him to wait a while which again made him angry and irritated.
Whereupon she said to him I am not the bird that you killed with your angry glance! Astonished he asked how she knew about it! The housewife said that the purity of mind that you have gained by education, Tapasya, Vedic studies, she’d gained the same purity of mind simply from selfless kartavya-palan, fulfilling her respective duties with full dedication and devotion – work as worship of God in man. She then suggested he would do well to pay a visit to Dharma-vyādha the butcher and learn Dharma, righteous conduct from him.
2) Chastened, the Monk visits the Vyadh who on seeing him remarks, the chaste housewife has advised you to come to visit me. I know all of this, and I also know for what purpose you have come. Though subdued, the Brahmin told the Vyadh, I really don’t think that this lowly vocation is for you. I deeply regret that you should follow such a cruel trade.
The butcher remarked, this is my hereditary profession, I have inherited it from my father and grandfather. I am adhering to my duties that belong to me by birth. I discharge my duties and carefully serve my elders and the citizens.
I always speak the truth and never envy others; and I give charity to the best of my ability. I live upon what remains after serving the gods, strangers, and the employees that depend on me. I never speak ill of anything, small or great. O Brahmin, the actions (karma) of a former life always follow the doer.
Agriculture, rearing of cattle, trade, politics and the study and teaching of the Vedas are the principal means of material existence in the world. Service has been ordained to be the vocation of the Sudra. Agriculture for the Vaishyas, and defence for the Kshatriyas, while the practice of the Brahmacharya, asceticism, recitation of mantras and truthfulness have been ordained for the Brahmins. The king should rule justly over subjects adhering to their proper duties; while he should rectify those that have neglected their bounded duties. Rulers should always be feared, because they are the lords of their subjects. They restrain those subjects of theirs that neglect their obligations just as they restrain the motions of the deer by means of their arrows. Politicians dedicated to their profession should work hard to maximise the economy of the country through the protection and nurturing all the orders of society.
As regards myself, I never intentionally harm any living being, but I do sell pork and buffalo meat. Even though the vocation one pursues may lack virtue, yet the practitioner may be unimpeachable. So even a butcher who slaughters animals for a living may be an exemplary person. I always seek to please with acts of kindness, those that praise me, as also those that speak ill of me.
Giving food to the best of one’s ability to the hungry, endurance of heat and cold and the other pairs of opposites, steadiness in the practice of Dharma, giving respect and honour to the deserving and compassion for all creatures — these attributes can never be found in a person without an innate desire for striving to be good, better. One should avoid falsehood in speech appreciate and should do good without being urged to. One should never abandon Dharma from lust, from anger, or from malice.
If at any time one does what is wrong in error, it should never be repeated. One should always strive mentally to do that which is beneficial to oneself. One should never seek revenge, but should always deal honestly with others, friends or foes. That wretched individual who desires to do what is dishonest, commits spiritual suicide.
If one regrets a wrong done, that feeling of remorse effaces the guilt. The firm resolution of never doing it again saves one from future accountability.
The good don’t harp upon the faults of others but desire the wellbeing of all and are ever ready to help. The bad ignore their own faults and focus on those of others and thus fail to attain ananda.
3) Nowadays as educated Indians, throughout schooling, preaching and growing up we’re taught many things but never are we ever taught our own eternal profound ideal of Dharma as selfless Kartavya-palan for good of creation as a whole. Instead, we allow My vs Your God & Religions and politics to polarize and spread hated for others!
We all, particularly our Teachers, Preachers, Politicians must be taught to appreciate, imbibe, assimilate that Dharma which represents universal Ethical, Moral, Righteous conduct and commitment to respective duties.
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