2003 – “How is your son, have
you put him in a play school?”
2004 – “Have you enrolled him
into a school?”
2007 – “How good is he in
studies?”
2015 – “What grade did he get
in his 10th? Taking science or commerce?”
2017 – “What rank did he get
in the exams? Which medical/engineering college?”
2021 – “Which company did he
get placed into? Good salary?”
2023 – “Are you thinking of
getting him married?”
2024 – “Have you not started
searching for a girl for him?” (Now getting seemingly worried)
2025 – “Didn’t find any
suitable match yet?” (Anxiety building further)
2026 – “Oh great news, you
finally found a nice girl for him” (Ah, what a relief!)
2028 – “Oh Congrats, you have
become grandmother”
2031 – “How is your grandson,
have you put him in a play school?”
2032 – “Have you enrolled your
grandson into a school?”
I was a little perplexed, I
suddenly interrupted and asked “What happened to the son who you were enquiring
about for decades? Why suddenly stopped asking about him? Did he die
immediately after having a child?”
“Arre what nonsense are you
speaking? What is there to further enquire about him? He is settled na?” came
the reply.
“Oh! Is that the end then? He
achieved the end of the world?”
“He is working abroad and
earning millions. He has two houses in his name and one house in his wife’s
name. He has a kid going to school. What else to ask about him?”
“Ok so, we are now just waiting
for him to die? Countdown?”
“Hey who are you? Why are you
speaking rubbish?”
“Then what else do you mean? You
said nothing else remains to enquire further. That means he has to just live
his life without anything further to achieve. That means death can only be the
next notable event. You will certainly enquire when he dies, won’t you? So
effectively, you are waiting for him to die then!”
No doubt, I didn’t get a reply
to that and was shooed away immediately. But I hope at least you got the point!
Common sense says that only when something is complete we stop enquiring about
it. And in today’s world we strongly believe that money, property and family
makes us complete. There remains nothing to ask, we think, if a man/woman has
sufficient money and a family.
I wondered what is the answer
to my questions above. I asked Krishna as usual and got some answers. The
following is the summary of he said.
There is a big confusion between
the two – ‘Necessary Condition’ and ‘Sufficient Condition’. For e.g. being
indivisible by 3 is a necessity for a number to be a prime number but it is
certainly not sufficient. It needs to be indivisible by many more numbers for
us to ensure that it is a prime. Only a sufficient condition can fulfill the
purpose. If we satisfy the ‘Sufficient condition’ we automatically satisfy the ‘Necessary
condition’, but if we satisfy a ‘Necessary condition’ we cannot guarantee that
sufficiency has been achieved.
By now, you may have noticed
the irony of the terminology – ‘Necessary condition’ does not guarantee
anything! But it says it is ‘necessary’! Look at the example given above again,
it may be clear how ironical it is. It is in fact only a part of the sufficient
condition.
So, that’s how the mad
marathon is on. Money, according to us, is a necessary condition. Money is a
necessity – looks perfectly logical. But we fail to notice that money, by
itself, guarantees the fulfillment of nothing! But still it is ‘Necessary’!
Cannot deny that! Paradox!
We ourselves say (as if we
have had some divine vision) – “Oh Lord, you are all pervading, what exists
without you? You are in everything, blah blah”. Then, why don’t we try to
attain this entity called God? It looks like a ‘Sufficient Condition’, isn’t it?
So, if we attain God, then, as per the definition of God, we must attain
everything, including money and all that. Then why not try for the ‘Sufficient
condition’ rather than wasting time on the seemingly ‘Necessary condition’?
Krishna said he has told this
in the Gita as ‘Preyas’ and ‘Shreyas’. Preyas is that which looks like a
necessity but guarantees nothing. All material achievements, he called as
Preyas. And Shreyas is that by attaining which you fulfill the purpose once for
all. Self-Realization, he called as Shreyas.
But then I asked him “But what
should I do till I attain this sufficiency? I need food, shelter etc.”
Krishna said “That’s why they
are named as ‘Necessary Condition’. They are a necessity only while you try to
fulfill the Sufficient condition. Fulfill those minimum necessities required by
the body and always keep trying to fulfill the Sufficient condition. But if you
stop there itself – with money, food etc – you are a fool. They are like the scenery
that you see during the journey, not the destination. These scenery should just
be enjoyed and left alone. Do not stick to them. If you stop your vehicle every
five minutes and keep taking photographs on the roadside, you will only delay
reaching the destination. Nevertheless you will reach, that is inevitable, but
why delay once you know all this!”
“Ohho, so this is the problem.”
I said to myself “That’s why no one enquires ‘How is your meditation going on’
or ‘How is your Self-Enquiry going on?’. Because they are confused that money alone
is the sufficient condition. Everyone is busy relishing the beauty (?) of the cat,
dog and the crows whereas they have forgotten that they will get to see the Majestic
Tiger if they proceed further.”
This reminded me of the
following two incidents mentioned in the ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ by
Paramahamsa Yogananda.
Babaji says to Lahiri Mahashaya –
Only a few know that spiritual world encompasses and surpasses the material
pleasures. But material world is only an illusion and is unreal (because it, by
itself, guarantees nothing).
A disciple says to Nagendra Natha
Baduri “Guruji, you are extraordinary. You have renounced wealth and pleasures of
the world for seeing God” for which Baduri Mahashaya says “You have upturned the
fact! I gave up only the infinitesimal (money and pleasures) to gain infinite
bliss. Is that renunciation? In fact, the renunciation by the worldly materialists
is true renunciation, they are real Tyagis. Just for a handful of material toys,
they give up the eternal and infinite spiritual wealth!”
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