The Hindu : Truth and Morality are twin treasures

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 02, 2002

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

Truth and Morality are twin treasures

CHENNAI AUG.2 . People have different notions about our culture. Some think that it is archaic and outdated. This term can be defined as the process, which destroys beastly instincts, fosters humanness and makes the individual divine. The achievement of a person before his exit from this life is to strive to rise to the level of Divinity. Our sages in the past spent their lives in dense forests amidst wild animals without any sense of fear. Lions and similar ferocious beings used to lie on their path when the Rishis went to take bath in rivers. These animals never harmed them because there was absolutely no trace of hatred in these noble souls and consequently the former too were friendly. The sages never carried with them any weapon except the "Divine Names of the Lord". Even now if one goes with this potent "rifle" with him others can do no harm to him. So too, our ancients used to offer foodgrains to birds and rice flour to ants (to feed them). This was because the "Bharatiyas" had firm faith in God and believed that He is present in every creation. This represents our glorious culture, which had its basis on observing "Truth" which the ancients considered as supreme wealth and as the source of all prosperity. They held "Truth and Morality" as twin treasures.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba, in a lecture, referred to several characters in our scriptures who were mighty, powerful, intelligent and educated, but yet were ruined since they forsook "Truth" and failed to uphold Morality and Integrity. Truth and Righteousness will always protect everyone and the youth of today should have these virtues as the goal of life. At no point of time did the main player in the Mahabharata (Yudhishtira) transgress this sacred path. The last word in the first verse of the Bhagavad Gita is "Dharma" and the last in the final sloka is "Mama". Together it becomes "Mamadharma" (my foremost duty). Safeguarding this eternal virtue will make mind tranquil. While on his ascetic practices, Buddha told a woman who offered him alms that he was actually in search of the "food of knowledge". Once a farmer mocked at him as a lazy monk and so he would not give him anything. Buddha told him that he was cultivating the land of the heart, watering it with love, removing the weeds of evil tendencies, harvesting the grains of wisdom and that he gets the fruit of Bliss. The mind of a man can become steady once he believes that God resides in him.

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