To Find GOD by Goodness
SYNOPSIS: We can reach GOD through moral and ethics. Devotion gives us the prudence to follow the moral and ethical ways in life. READ FULL ARTICLE BELOW -
Living in a scenario of irreligion and following a moral doctrine is a symbol of greatness. Living in a religious scenario and following a moral doctrine is a very ordinary thing. Because while living in a religious scenario it is expected of us that we will follow the moral doctrine. But living in a scenario of irreligion and then following the moral doctrine is truly great.
In Satyug (an era of goodness) the people were truthful and had moral values. For example the businessmen of that era had high moral values - they did not indulge in giving less quantity or adulteration or selling their product by telling a lie. They upheld principles, moral and ethics which was reflected in their practice. It was expected in Satyug that everyone would be honest and upright. But with the change in era to Kaliyug (the present era of evilness) immorality, non-ethical behavior and falsehood had taken a front seat. The businessmen having moral values are considered as fathead. To ignore the morals and to do business without ethics, with falsehood and to earn unscrupulously is the order of the day and the person doing business in such a fashion is considered as clever and successful businessmen.
But the ideology of religion has been just the opposite. A touching example fits in this context. In the SunderKand (a chapter of the Holy Text) of Ramayan (the Holy Text) when Shri Hanumanji (an ardent devotee of LORD Ram) visits Lanka in search of the Goddess and meets Vibhishanji (the younger and righteous brother of demon king Ravana) he describes his living similar to that of a tongue surrounded by teeth. Because he lived with moral values, in a kingdom of evils. He kept his moral values intact inspite of being surrounded by evils. The LORD was pleased with this quality. In this episode the glory of HariHar (Hari- LORD Shri Vishnuji) and (Har-LORD Shri Shivji) is also evident. HariHar is one and the same.The LORD is one in all His incarnations. The fact that the LORD gives fillip in one incarnation and the LORD gives redemption in another incarnation is also evident here. Sri Vibhishanji told his miseries to Har (LORD Shri Shivji's Rudraavatar Shri Hanumanji) and Shri Hanumanji showed him the way of surrendering to GOD and assured him that the Almighty GOD does not take note of the good and evils of the person who comes to surrender but instantaneously gives him redemption and blesses him with fearlessness. Then when Vibhishanji bowed in submission to Hari (LORD Shri Vishnuji's incarnation as ShriRam) the LORD took him instantaneously under His shelter and freed him from all fears. A touching verse of Sunderkand - €Hesitantly the LORD gave€ means hesitantly (the LORD thought that- Is He not giving less) the LORD instantaneously gave the throne of Lanka (by the mercy of the LORD, the kingdom of Lanka was to remain intact for Vibhishan to rule). To get to rule Lanka, Ravana had to undergo a mortification process for long periods. But why did the LORD instantaneously give the same without any effort to Vibhishan. When we go deep in the episode we find that the LORD took the ethical behavior of Vibhishan amidst evil times as mortification. As a result of which He blessed Vibhishan with fearlessness and the undisputed throne of Lanka.
During unethical times, to be ethical is a big mortification and it is very dear to GOD. Like it is said that the test of patience is during distress, similarly the test of ethics is in unethical times. If someone does not have an opportunity for wrongdoing and he says that he is honest, than it has got no relevance. For example if an employee is given a sealed gallon of oil for supplying it to someone and if he delivers it alright and says that he has not indulged in any dishonesty than it doesn't have much relevance because he did not have any opportunity to be dishonest. But if he is given an unsealed gallon of oil which he can easily adulterate or can replace the ingredient with counterfeit and if he does not do so, it is applaudable.
LORD Shri Ramji had put forward a great point in Sunderkand in front of Vibhishanji during the time of his surrender to Him by saying that €Vibhishan, during the reign of irreligion your following of the moral values had made you very dear to Me.€
In today's context, someone taking the devotional path amidst worldly illusions is very dear to GOD. With the advent of devotion in ones life, the mercy of the LORD enables moral in immoral times and enables ethics in unethical times with much ease.
To practice moral in immoral times, to practice ethics in unethical times appears so difficult to the evil persons but for the devotees it is so simple. Meghnath (son of demon king Ravana) did not have devotion therefore his eyes of prudence were not open. In the same place Lanka, Vibhishanji had the devotion and therefore his eyes of prudence were open. He had the prudence to understand what was moral and what was immoral. He had the prudence to understand what was ethical and what was unethical.
These €eyes of prudence€ is the gift of devotion which prohibits us from doing immoral acts and inspires us to do moral acts. In other words it refrain us from earning sin and leads us towards doing noble deeds.
If we save ourselves from the sins and undertake noble acts in life then the doors of the Almighty GOD opens to us as it opened for Vibhishanji. The Almighty GOD gave him the inspiration in one form and gave him the redemption in another form.
Therefore we must strive to bring devotion in our life without any delay. Devotion will change the way of our life. It will imbibe good values in our life. I can do wrong, I can commit a sin, I can earn unscrupulously but I will not do so - this will be the vision of our life. And then we will not indulge in any wrongdoings. This way, we open the gates which will lead us to Almighty GOD.
Living in a scenario of irreligion and following a moral doctrine is a symbol of greatness. Living in a religious scenario and following a moral doctrine is a very ordinary thing. Because while living in a religious scenario it is expected of us that we will follow the moral doctrine. But living in a scenario of irreligion and then following the moral doctrine is truly great.
In Satyug (an era of goodness) the people were truthful and had moral values. For example the businessmen of that era had high moral values - they did not indulge in giving less quantity or adulteration or selling their product by telling a lie. They upheld principles, moral and ethics which was reflected in their practice. It was expected in Satyug that everyone would be honest and upright. But with the change in era to Kaliyug (the present era of evilness) immorality, non-ethical behavior and falsehood had taken a front seat. The businessmen having moral values are considered as fathead. To ignore the morals and to do business without ethics, with falsehood and to earn unscrupulously is the order of the day and the person doing business in such a fashion is considered as clever and successful businessmen.
But the ideology of religion has been just the opposite. A touching example fits in this context. In the SunderKand (a chapter of the Holy Text) of Ramayan (the Holy Text) when Shri Hanumanji (an ardent devotee of LORD Ram) visits Lanka in search of the Goddess and meets Vibhishanji (the younger and righteous brother of demon king Ravana) he describes his living similar to that of a tongue surrounded by teeth. Because he lived with moral values, in a kingdom of evils. He kept his moral values intact inspite of being surrounded by evils. The LORD was pleased with this quality. In this episode the glory of HariHar (Hari- LORD Shri Vishnuji) and (Har-LORD Shri Shivji) is also evident. HariHar is one and the same.The LORD is one in all His incarnations. The fact that the LORD gives fillip in one incarnation and the LORD gives redemption in another incarnation is also evident here. Sri Vibhishanji told his miseries to Har (LORD Shri Shivji's Rudraavatar Shri Hanumanji) and Shri Hanumanji showed him the way of surrendering to GOD and assured him that the Almighty GOD does not take note of the good and evils of the person who comes to surrender but instantaneously gives him redemption and blesses him with fearlessness. Then when Vibhishanji bowed in submission to Hari (LORD Shri Vishnuji's incarnation as ShriRam) the LORD took him instantaneously under His shelter and freed him from all fears. A touching verse of Sunderkand - €Hesitantly the LORD gave€ means hesitantly (the LORD thought that- Is He not giving less) the LORD instantaneously gave the throne of Lanka (by the mercy of the LORD, the kingdom of Lanka was to remain intact for Vibhishan to rule). To get to rule Lanka, Ravana had to undergo a mortification process for long periods. But why did the LORD instantaneously give the same without any effort to Vibhishan. When we go deep in the episode we find that the LORD took the ethical behavior of Vibhishan amidst evil times as mortification. As a result of which He blessed Vibhishan with fearlessness and the undisputed throne of Lanka.
During unethical times, to be ethical is a big mortification and it is very dear to GOD. Like it is said that the test of patience is during distress, similarly the test of ethics is in unethical times. If someone does not have an opportunity for wrongdoing and he says that he is honest, than it has got no relevance. For example if an employee is given a sealed gallon of oil for supplying it to someone and if he delivers it alright and says that he has not indulged in any dishonesty than it doesn't have much relevance because he did not have any opportunity to be dishonest. But if he is given an unsealed gallon of oil which he can easily adulterate or can replace the ingredient with counterfeit and if he does not do so, it is applaudable.
LORD Shri Ramji had put forward a great point in Sunderkand in front of Vibhishanji during the time of his surrender to Him by saying that €Vibhishan, during the reign of irreligion your following of the moral values had made you very dear to Me.€
In today's context, someone taking the devotional path amidst worldly illusions is very dear to GOD. With the advent of devotion in ones life, the mercy of the LORD enables moral in immoral times and enables ethics in unethical times with much ease.
To practice moral in immoral times, to practice ethics in unethical times appears so difficult to the evil persons but for the devotees it is so simple. Meghnath (son of demon king Ravana) did not have devotion therefore his eyes of prudence were not open. In the same place Lanka, Vibhishanji had the devotion and therefore his eyes of prudence were open. He had the prudence to understand what was moral and what was immoral. He had the prudence to understand what was ethical and what was unethical.
These €eyes of prudence€ is the gift of devotion which prohibits us from doing immoral acts and inspires us to do moral acts. In other words it refrain us from earning sin and leads us towards doing noble deeds.
If we save ourselves from the sins and undertake noble acts in life then the doors of the Almighty GOD opens to us as it opened for Vibhishanji. The Almighty GOD gave him the inspiration in one form and gave him the redemption in another form.
Therefore we must strive to bring devotion in our life without any delay. Devotion will change the way of our life. It will imbibe good values in our life. I can do wrong, I can commit a sin, I can earn unscrupulously but I will not do so - this will be the vision of our life. And then we will not indulge in any wrongdoings. This way, we open the gates which will lead us to Almighty GOD.
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