How an Ideal Person is to live?

The subject of today’s discourse is, “How an Ideal Person Should Live.” Human beings do not come on the earth for a very long period of time. They live for a certain period of time, perform some actions, eat and drink, and do some service to others. Sometimes they become angry, sometimes they complain against one another; and thereafter the drama of life comes to an end – they fall into eternal slumber. That is, in short, human life, full of pains and pleasures, hopes and aspirations. In spite of all these, human beings must follow a fixed code of conduct; they have to maintain a particular rhythm in their lifestyles, and nothing should go against that rhythm. When human beings come onto this earth they know that they will not live forever; whether they live in honour or dishonour, they will have to leave the earth one day.

Málá bat́e shukiye mare
Ye jan málá pare
Seo to nay amar;
Tabe duhkha kiser tare?

[The flower garland no doubt withers, but the person who wears the garland is not immortal either. Then where is the scope for grief?]

As human beings do not live forever, then how should they live their lives? Some people suggest, “Go on doing good deeds. By your noble actions you will get self-satisfaction, and besides, those good actions will produce good relations as well.” But the question is: why should one perform good deeds? It may be to obtain good reactions and mental peace but why does one get mental peace? Is it from the expectation of those good results? In this regard Lord Krśńa says,

Karmańyevádhikárast- e má phaleśu kadácana.

[You have the right to actions, not to the fruits thereof.]

In the same way, the Tantra also declares,

Ná bhuktaḿ kśiiyate karma kalpakot́ishataerapi
Avashyame- va bhoktavyaḿ Krtaḿ karma shubháshubham.

or

Yávanna kśiiyate karma shubhaḿcáshubhameva ca
Távanna jáyate mokśa nrńáḿ kalpashataerapi
Yathá laohamayaeh páshaeh páshaer svarńamayaerapi
Tathá baddho bhávejiiva karmábhishcáshubaershubaeh- .

An original action begets a certain reaction, and simultaneously brings one within the bondage of actions. Unless those bondages are broken, the microcosms will have to keep moving in a cycle of action and reaction – they will have to be reborn again and again on this earth. Those who are the followers of Jaimini’s school of Miimáḿsá philosophy and who believe in the concept of hell, assert that those who perform good deeds to go to heaven, and after a certain period of time when their reaping of the consequences of their good actions is over, they are reborn as human beings on this earth. Of course, philosophically we do not subscribe to this view, because we do not believe in the existence of heaven. But it is true that the good reactions of good deeds will certainly come to an end some day. What will happen then? King Yudhiśt́hira once said,

Karma kari yeijan phalákáuṋkśii hay
Bańiker mata sei báńijya karay;
Phal lobhe karma kari lubdha bali táre
Lobhe punah punah paŕe naraka dustare.

[Those who convert the fruits of their deeds are like tradespeople. We call such people greedy, who perform actions in expectation of good reactions. Certainly these people will go to hell again and again.]

He further said:

Ámi yáhá karma kari phalákáuṋkśii nai,
Samarpań kari sarva Iishvarera t́háiṋ.

Now, those who advocate the supremacy of the doctrine of action should remember that only the performance of good deeds is not enough: one will have to be ready to undergo the reactions of good actions. After undergoing the reactions one will again have to come down on earth. And one will not always do only good deeds: bad deeds may also be performed. So one has to keep grinding along the cycle of actions and reactions, which seems to have no end. Yudhiśt́hir once said, “When I perform some deed, I do not expect any result: I surrender everything to Parama Puruśa.” That is, “I perform the deeds but I do not expect the results thereof – I immediately surrender the results of my actions. I am prepared to undergo the bad reactions of my bad deeds, but I do not wish to enjoy the good fruits of my good deeds: I offer those to Parama Puruśa.”

To be continued