Society reveres money regardless of how it is earned, while sincere spiritual striving seems to invite only struggle and chaos instead of peace. What are the deeper spiritual consequences of living solely for wealth and indulgence, and why does walking the Divine path feel so overwhelmingly difficult compared to their easy success?
First of all, this is an overgeneralised statement. Most alcoholics and people who are engaged in crime are not happy. They are in great distress inwardly. They may have outer amenities, may achieve quick money, but these things are not synonymous with success or happiness. These methods bring you money, and with this money you can surely buy momentary pleasures, get some instant kicks and thrills and if that is what one is looking for, then well, one should try that way and see where it will lead and learn by consequences.
Yes, alcoholics get pleasure and so do womanisers. And if that kind of so-called ‘happiness’ is what one is looking for, then spirituality is out of question. Why spirituality, even knowledge, love, peace are out of bounds for those seeking pleasure thrills. In this world, everyone is given a quota of happiness, including the insect and the animal. An animal is happy with food and sex. He doesn’t even need money and job. So should man live like an animal? Like the animal, he can pick up his share of pleasure without giving anything in exchange. Yes, there are human beings like that, plenty and they are satisfied with their piece of meat. And if that is what one wants, well, one can enter the animal world of competition for food, sex and money under the belief that might is right and the ends justify the means.
The question is if this is what life is all about? If it were so, then man would not have the urge to go beyond the animal and, in that case, those who try to climb Mount Everest, discover the scientific principles, seek after knowledge are fools. But there is one problem though. The seeker after wisdom, the lover of humanity, the bhakta of God, the warrior sacrificing himself for a great ideal, also find joy, even a much greater joy. Similarly, creative artists, poets, philosophers find their own joy. And those who have tasted all of these know that the greatest of joys lies in God-love. But the secret of God-love, or any love, is when one loves with no ulterior motives but simply for the joy of giving oneself to the Divine and His Service.
True, most are not ready for this. It is kind of the acme of present human evolution. That is why spirituality in ancient times was not given to everybody, certainly not to the seekers after money and lust and the pleasures of the inferior kind or those who want to eat, drink and be merry. They have a lot to learn and grow through all kinds of pleasures and pains. One doesn’t teach higher mathematics or subtle nuances of language in the primary school to children.
One must therefore first decide what one wants to do with one’s life. One must feel in one’s heart the true calling, one’s swabhava as the Gita puts it. That is the royal road to happiness, through the door to progress along the lines of one’s own true nature, swabhava and swadharma. All the rest is simply a deviation and distraction. Spirituality also works best if it arises within as a natural, spontaneous need and not with ulterior motives such as happiness or money or fame. Of course, one can pray to God and ask for anything. But there is law of earthly life and its evolution that the Divine does not generally override. One has to go through the process of inner struggle until one feels the true purpose of one’s life and starts living it. Until then, the Divine is there to help; in fact, He is always there, but He remains behind and lets us choose whether we want the joy of the pig wallowing in the mud or the joy of the spiritual seeker to whom God is all.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
