THE THREE TYPES OF AGONIES AND THEIR CAUSATION
Sudden happenings of good fortune and misfortune are part of life and there is no escape from them. Saintpoet Soordas has rightly stated that the effects of actions (Karmas) cannot be avoided even with the best of guidance from an enlightened and experienced person. In spite of having Maharshi Vashishtha as his Guru, Sri Ram had to undergo the agony of the death of his father, abduction of his wife, Sita, and subsequently her forced banishment to rishi Valmiki’s Ashram. It would not be proper to assume that misfortunes are punishments given by an angry God to chastite an erring person. The Epic Ramayana says that each individual is himself personally responsible for his happiness and miseries (“Kahu na kowoo dukha-sukhkar data| Nij nij karm bhog sab bhrata||”). All beings reap the fruits of their own karmas. They rejoice or wail, weep and suffer because of their own doings. With each living being, God has provided an unerring and intelligent mechanism, which determines fruits of his actions. Like a fish swimming in the water of a snake moving on sand, we leave behind footprints of our own karmas. These impressions are known as “samskars” in spiratual parlance. Evil deeds generate distressful samskars, which in course of time sprout as sufferings, like self-growing thorny bushes.
Now we shall discuss the three categories of karmas, their characteristics and consequences.
Happiness and peace is the natural state of mind. Man is instinctively inclined to act for welfare of self and others, which naturally results in peace and joy. He suffers only when he is mentally disturbed. He dreads mental turbulence, sorrow and grief. Hence it would be useful to discuss about the causes of unhappiness. As the medical science has two independent streams, one for promotion of health and another for treatment of diseases, there are two branches of spiritual effects – one for promoting happiness and the other for unhappiness. Righteous living is essential for inner peace and happiness just as nutritional food is for health. In therapy it is necessary to first have a diagnosis and then look for treatment. The same holds true for unhappiness. By discarding the karmas, which produce bad Samskars, we can get rid of the resultant suffering and pain.
Let us now discuss the three types of sufferings in detail. As mentioned earlier, misfortunes influence a person by creating three types of adverse reactions: (1) Mental suffering, (2) Physical pain and (3) Distress caused by natural disasters. In spiritual parlance these are known as “Daivik”, “Daihik” and “Bhautik”- Dukhas.
.... to be continue
✍ЁЯП╗ Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya
ЁЯУЦ The Absolute Law Of Karma Page 20
Sudden happenings of good fortune and misfortune are part of life and there is no escape from them. Saintpoet Soordas has rightly stated that the effects of actions (Karmas) cannot be avoided even with the best of guidance from an enlightened and experienced person. In spite of having Maharshi Vashishtha as his Guru, Sri Ram had to undergo the agony of the death of his father, abduction of his wife, Sita, and subsequently her forced banishment to rishi Valmiki’s Ashram. It would not be proper to assume that misfortunes are punishments given by an angry God to chastite an erring person. The Epic Ramayana says that each individual is himself personally responsible for his happiness and miseries (“Kahu na kowoo dukha-sukhkar data| Nij nij karm bhog sab bhrata||”). All beings reap the fruits of their own karmas. They rejoice or wail, weep and suffer because of their own doings. With each living being, God has provided an unerring and intelligent mechanism, which determines fruits of his actions. Like a fish swimming in the water of a snake moving on sand, we leave behind footprints of our own karmas. These impressions are known as “samskars” in spiratual parlance. Evil deeds generate distressful samskars, which in course of time sprout as sufferings, like self-growing thorny bushes.
Now we shall discuss the three categories of karmas, their characteristics and consequences.
Happiness and peace is the natural state of mind. Man is instinctively inclined to act for welfare of self and others, which naturally results in peace and joy. He suffers only when he is mentally disturbed. He dreads mental turbulence, sorrow and grief. Hence it would be useful to discuss about the causes of unhappiness. As the medical science has two independent streams, one for promotion of health and another for treatment of diseases, there are two branches of spiritual effects – one for promoting happiness and the other for unhappiness. Righteous living is essential for inner peace and happiness just as nutritional food is for health. In therapy it is necessary to first have a diagnosis and then look for treatment. The same holds true for unhappiness. By discarding the karmas, which produce bad Samskars, we can get rid of the resultant suffering and pain.
Let us now discuss the three types of sufferings in detail. As mentioned earlier, misfortunes influence a person by creating three types of adverse reactions: (1) Mental suffering, (2) Physical pain and (3) Distress caused by natural disasters. In spiritual parlance these are known as “Daivik”, “Daihik” and “Bhautik”- Dukhas.
.... to be continue
✍ЁЯП╗ Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya
ЁЯУЦ The Absolute Law Of Karma Page 20
рдХोрдИ рдЯिрдк्рдкрдгी рдирд╣ीं:
рдПрдХ рдЯिрдк्рдкрдгी рднेрдЬें