23 Apr 2020
Shri Mittapalli Bharath asked: I have numerous questions but there are no answers for them. In my whole education, I did not see a guru who could find some uniqueness in me. I want a guru who can find something special in me. I searched for such a guru, but I could not find one. Finally, I started reading and listening to the Bhagavad Gita daily. Then alone could I find my Guru. He is Lord Krishna, who helped me find my inner thoughts. Why in our education system is talent measured on the basis of marks scored in examinations alone? Why are there no teachers in our system who can find some uniqueness in children? Every one has their own talent, but why do all of them need to prove themselves based on their performance in this one single system? Why does our educational system not teach us how to live without fear? Why does our educational system not teach us how to live happily? Why does our educational system not teach us how to live righteously?
Nowadays, I am not able to control my mind. Right now, I am an engineering student and I am honestly telling You, I am not interested in finding a job. I want to enter into politics. But I could not do so since I did not have enough money or support from parents. How can I control my thoughts and emotions? If I see any problem in society, I cannot sit calmly and simply watch the scene. Is there anything else I can do? These 22 years of bookish knowledge will not help me join politics. I believe, more than that, I need emotional balance, so that I can handle every situation well. What should I do to gain more emotional balance?
Swami replied: First of all, you must build the foundation for the house. Education is the foundation and the house consists of your worldly life and spiritual life. Worldly life is the ground floor of the house. Spiritual knowledge is the first floor that is built on top of the ground floor. You must first complete your professional education, find a job and get married to the girl chosen by you, with guidance from your parents. Then, you would have built the foundation and the ground floor of the house. With it you can live with peace of mind and happiness. It provides the necessary stability in life. While leading a worldly life with your family, in the course of time, you should build the first floor of the house, which is your spiritual life. You cannot directly jump to the first floor. The ground floor of the house and the foundation, which is beneath the ground, are necessary. The successful completion of your education is the foundation, which you have to focus on right now. Then you have to get a job and find a suitable life-partner who will help you in all your efforts.
You and I are not Ādi Śaṅkara, the Incarnation of God, who was born to set right human society. Śaṅkara directly ascended to the first floor of spiritual life, without passing through the ground floor of worldly life and its foundation, which is conventional education. He could do so because He was an Incarnation of God. By the age of 8 years, He had mastered all branches of knowledge and He took saṃnyāsa. By His 16th year, He had completed writing scholarly commentaries on the three divine scriptures of Hinduism. After His 16th year, He travelled on foot all over the country for another 16 years to establish the correct spiritual knowledge. By the age of 32, His divine mission on Earth was completed and He even left His physical body! Is this possible for us? Despite some special talents that we may have, we are only ordinary souls, after all. With those talents, we do not become Incarnations of God like Krishna or Śaṅkara. Therefore, we should only follow the normal routine path, which is followed by all other people. While following that routine path, we can try to do God’s work, as much as possible.
You are interested in politics, but today, politics is a highly polluted field. Also, there are too many uncertainties in a political career. If you are very rich and if you are in a position to support your family and children without any difficulty, you can enter into politics to set society right. But understand that in order to keep society on the right path, spiritual knowledge is most essential. It is only due to the lack of spiritual knowledge that today’s politicians are following the wrong path of corruption. Hence, establishing true spiritual knowledge in society alone will set society right. Spiritual knowledge reforms individuals and makes them perfect. When individuals are reformed, society is reformed. This is also the main essence of the Gita. Krishna gave spiritual knowledge which established the existence of God. The concepts of the existence of God and of His divine adminstration are essential for establishing justice in society (Dharma saṃsthāpanārthāya…). When individuals in society learn spiritual knowledge, they begin to firmly believe in the existence of God and in God’s unimaginable omnipotence. They are certain that every sinner will face inevitable punishment. This firm belief causes them to avoid sin and do righteous deeds. Thus, when spiritual knowledge is established in society, society always runs on the perfect track.
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| Shri Dattaswami | Can You please answer my questions related to education, career, happiness, righteousness and emotional balance? | Samnyaasa Shankara
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