‘O foolish Man! Devote yourself to Govind, to God, to Paramatma!’ Whom is he calling, the foolish man? Who is the fool? As per general point of view that person is NOT considered wise who is willing to usurp the rights of others, who deprives others of their necessities and fills his own coffers, who goes on accumulating wealth for his sons, grand-kids and other relatives and thus becomes a rich man. There are few who are truly selfless and devoted to the welfare of others. Adi Shankaracharya was the first and most adorable flower of God. No second flower of that charm and beauty has appeared again in this world.
I call that mind a foolish mind which usurps and misappropriates worldly possessions. But that mind is the best quality mind, desirable mind which is efficient and expert in walking on the path to God. Everyone should have that intelligence. Philosophers and serious thinkers have called such minds as ‘Ritambhara Buddhi’. It is one thing to be bright; mind may be very fast, clever, cunning highly discriminating but the best one is a comprehensive, divinely inclined mind. The man of Ritambhara Buddhi also sees the world from a different angle. When Buddha was young Siddhartha, he left his palace on a chariot and told his charioteer, “Today I am leaving everything behind, even these palaces.
I want to realize that element after acquiring which one does not have to get, achieve or realize anything else.” The charioteer could not understand what he meant. He said, “O Prince! We dream day and night that we should own palaces, get unlimited Wealth. But you have such a beautiful wife, a sweet son, there is no dearth of riches, you do not lack any comfort or pleasure. A person like me dreams day and night that a life like yours would be the best thing we can get.
What do you find lacking or missing in the palace that you have turned yourself away from them?” Siddhartha said, “You hear the sounds of music in the palace but I see the flames of fire rising from there. There is no peace there but only he will know it who reaches His destination. Because man generally thinks that he should take ten or fifty steps more and reach another place; maybe I get peace there. But when a man reaches there, he finds that his assessment was wrong’.
Buddha said, ‘There are many kings who will sit on the throne in an unconscious state of mind but I tripped and stumbled and my eyes opened. Therefore, I have understood there is nothing in the palaces.” But the charioteer did not follow what Siddhartha was saying.
Then came the day when Siddhartha became Buddha and the crowns of kings began to touch his feet. Buddha went out, carrying immense peace and blessings for one and all, and then the charioteer understood what Buddha had meant. Though he has returned here after so many years, yet the situation today is that thousands of kings are placing their crowns at his feet.
You do not get that status from earning wealth or from accumulating worldly possessions what you get in this carefree sleep, life of real happiness and a life of lasting peace. One who has come to his senses, one who is awakened, is really wise. Otherwise, everyone else in the world is busy in accumulating the objects of the world.
Shankara acknowledged due requirement of worldly objects and money – but how much? To what extent are they useful? He said, “You take the accurate dose of a medicine, neither more nor less. If you take a lesser dose it does not cure; if you take more, it causes harm. Take only that much as is necessary, as is required, and do not forget that the journey of life is ever-flowing.”
Shri Sudhanshuji Maharaj
