This life line is sustained between the two ends of birth and death. Our life, emerging from behind the curtain of the unknown, exhibits itself for some time to this manifest world and then makes its exit merging with the unknown again. This life is like a manuscript which has lost pages in the beginning and in the end. One who seeks to find these missing pages is called a philosopher and the search thereof is known as philosophy. Life is not confined to only what we see or know of it in the present. Who are we? Whence have we come? Wherefore have we come? Where have we to go? These are questions which press for an answer.
Materialists who idolize only the gross intellect and pleasures call this life as a mere chance event and preach the doctrine of “eat, drink and be merry.” Considering this life as a chance event, they regard the gratification of the animal desires as the only aim of existence. In the world of today man is so busy that he stops at nothing in his striving to satisfy the needs of his material existence. There is a mad rush for competition among individuals, families, societies and nations to beat others in the advancement of material comforts and luxuries. Striving to achieve maximum of material comforts man is yet restless and unhappy. He has been yearning for achievement of happiness and extermination of pain since the beginning of creation.
The religious leaders of the world have preached different methods of the gaining of happiness and conquest of pain according to the varying conditions of different ages. All these methods are right and proper for their respective ages. But the problems before us are not the problems of our ancestors but of the people living in the world of today. It will, therefore, be futile for us to indulge in discussions about the past. What type of men were our ancestors, rishis (sages), yogis and thinkers? Undoubtedly our glorious past culture, philosophy, morality and scriptures are all sacred, great and worthy of adherence. There is no room for any doubt here. But how is it that being the descendants of the same rishis we are so miserable? What solid and substantial principles have we put before our society? We have nothing which we may call our own. What is our own contribution to the world? What new system of philosophy have we produced? What is the philosophy of our life today? Is there anyone who can answer these questions? There is a world of difference between the man of today and the man of the past, between the conditions prevailing today and those prevailing in the past, between the social system of today and the social structure of the past. In addition to the above mentioned questions man is today facing some very new problems. These problems have greatly multiplied and are much more complex than the problems of any past age. The life of man today has become a book abounding in series of questions.
The history of human civilization bears testimony to the evolution of man through various happy stages. But the question remains what substantial gain he has made in his progress to the present stage. Sometimes there is a feeling of utter disappointment in the midst of hope. Even today man, alarmed at the prospects of death, disease and decrepitude is as much grief ridden as he appears in the narratives of past. He has yet not been able to reach the climax of his all round development.
A careful consideration of human life shows that there are three main tendencies in man’s nature. If there are devilish (satanic) and human tendencies in him, there also exists in man what we may call a divine disposition. It is obvious that every man has in himself the tendencies of jealousy, violence, cupidity, anger and greed simultaneously with the human leanings of kindness, sympathy, love and generosity. We also witness in him the divine qualities of thirst for knowledge, search for peace and eagerness and yearning for the realization of bliss. This man’s life is like a vessel full of various and varied qualities and characteristics.
to be continued. . . . . . .
Originally printed in “Voice of Himalayas” Vol 2, No 3, 1972
