The Story of My Life by Sri. Vethathiri Maharishi Chapter 23 Service And Renunciation Part 1
CHAPTER - 23 SERVICE AND RENUNCIATION Three questions beset me in my younger days. The first was about God; "Who is He? Where and how does He exist? How could one find Him?" The second was about life: "What is life force? Where does it come from? What is its state before birth and after death?" The third was about poverty; "What is the cause of poverty? Is it something natural or is it man made? Is there any way to eradicate poverty? If so, how are we to set about it?" Before I reached my thirty fifth year I had found clear and unambiguous answers to these three fundamental questions. God or Truth is the Reality in all manifestations. Akash or Energy Particle is the first manifestation of Truth in the evolutionary cycle. The other manifestations are the four elements viz., air, fire, water and earth; they are only associations of Akash (energy particle) in varying degrees of intensity. That which is Energy Particle (Akash) in the Universal field, emanates magnetic energy in all manifestations transforming itself into sound, light, taste and smell. The very same energy particles with sensing ability is functioning as life energy in all living beings. Life energy in its projected state becomes the sensing faculty; in its highest development it blossoms forth as Consciousness. Nature is Omnipotent and Omniscient. There is no deficiency in any aspect of Nature. From realisation for leading such a life are known as Religions. Only such men introduced laws through Governments to punish and correct those who stray from the righteous path. Yet Governments and Religions have not so far succeeded in ensuring peace on earth. The reason is not far to seek. It is because men of realisation have not been entrusted hitherto with the responsibility of running the Government. After having discovered the answers to these fundamental questions, I asked myself as to what I should do under the circumstances in which I was placed. Men differ from one another due to variations in physical strength, in intellectual ability, in the colour of his skin, the wealth that he possesses and in the power and influence that he wields. In spite of all these differences, one has to remember that every man is the product of the society and all his capabilities, whether they are meagre or abundant, are a gift of the society. When man comes intro this world, he brings nothing with him. From the moment of birth, the journey towards death begins. The period by which death is postponed from the hour of birth is by known as life. Whatever talents a man is endowed with during this interval between birth and death, all of them are donated to him by the society and hence it is but just that all his life he has to go on repaying this debt by utilising his talents in the service of the society. Such repayment is known as selfless service or Nishkamya Karma, for when one is engaged in such a service, he desires nothing and expects not return. But when an individual looks upon his service as an investment, calculates and expects a return for the service rendered. it is not at all real service; it is only a selfish act which can never bring him abiding peace. When one performs Nishkamya Karma and thus serves the society in a spirit of detachment, it is known as Renunciation. Those who practise this noble type of service are the real servants of the society, the ideal social workers, the perfect sanyasins or ascetics. If an individual's sphere of service is confined to the limited circle known as the family, he is known as a householder. If the sphere of service embraces the whole of mankind he is known as a sanyasin. Hence the real criteria for differentiating a house holder from a sanyasin is not attachment or non attachment, but selfish or selfless service. The correct yard stick should be whether the sphere of service is limited to the individual's family or extends to the entire human family. In both cases, whether the individual is a house holder or a sanysasin, service has to be selfless, without attachment and should be performed in a spirit of renunciation. Such renunciation is the perfect state of Consciousness achieved by the Actualisation of Self which is otherwise called Realisation of Truth. Visit Website: ****** ****** ****** ******
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CHAPTER - 23 SERVICE AND RENUNCIATION Three questions beset me in my younger days.
The first was about God; "Who is He?
Where and how does He exist?
How could one find Him?"
The second was about life: "What is life force?
Where does it come from?
What is its state before birth and after death?"
The third was about poverty; "What is the cause of poverty?
Is it something natural or is it man made?
Is there any way to eradicate poverty?
If so, how are we to set about it?"
Before I reached my thirty fifth year I had found clear and unambiguous answers to these
three fundamental questions.
God or Truth is the Reality in all manifestations.
Akash or Energy Particle is the first manifestation of Truth in the evolutionary cycle.
The other manifestations are the four elements viz., air, fire, water and earth; they are
only associations of Akash (energy particle) in varying degrees of intensity.
That which is Energy Particle (Akash) in the Universal field, emanates magnetic energy
in all manifestations transforming itself into sound, light, taste and smell.
The very same energy particles with sensing ability is functioning as life
energy in all living beings.
Life energy in its projected state becomes the sensing faculty; in its highest development
it blossoms forth as Consciousness.
Nature is Omnipotent and Omniscient.
There is no deficiency in any aspect of Nature.
From birth to death all the facilities and requirements for all living beings are provided
by Nature.
Therefore Nature cannot be blamed for poverty.
Through his experiences of pain and pleasure, his hard work and intellectual ability, man
learnt to enjoy the natural resources after giving them an artificial shape and artistic
beauty.
Poverty results from man's ignorance of the Law of Nature and dignity of work.
He can lead a prosperous and peaceful life if he understands the nature of God and of
Life and the value of intellect and labour.
All poverty and suffering in this world is due to the majority of human beings living
in ignorance and oblivious of their duty, while only a small minority are duty conscious
and do their work sincerely.
Even though the One Omnipotent Truth has manifested itself as Life and Consciousness, it gathers
imprints of sins because it gets entangled in sensual pleasures and functions in a state
of delusion.
All men are endowed with the reasoning faculty and if only they realise these fundamental
truths, the individual and the community can live happily.
Man is an integral part of the community and is expected to live in harmony with others,
always prepared to help those who are in need.
Otherwise his actions will violate the rights of others
and bring about suffering and sorrow.
If mankind has to live in peace, everyone-whether he has attained realisation or not-must regulate
his life in such a way as not to cause pain to himself or to others, to the body or the
soul in the present or in the future.
The paths chalked out by men of realisation for leading such a life are known as Religions.
Only such men introduced laws through Governments to punish and correct those who stray from
the righteous path.
Yet Governments and Religions have not so far succeeded in ensuring peace on earth.
The reason is not far to seek.
It is because men of realisation have not been entrusted hitherto with the responsibility
of running the Government.
After having discovered the answers to these fundamental questions, I asked myself as to
what I should do under the circumstances in which I was placed.
Men differ from one another due to variations in physical strength, in intellectual ability,
in the colour of his skin, the wealth that he possesses and in the power and influence
that he wields.
In spite of all these differences, one has to remember that every man is the product
of the society and all his capabilities, whether they are meagre or abundant, are a gift of
the society.
When man comes intro this world, he brings nothing with him.
From the moment of birth, the journey towards death begins.
The period by which death is postponed from the hour of birth is by known
as life.
Whatever talents a man is endowed with during this interval between birth and death, all
of them are donated to him by the society and hence it is but just that all his life
he has to go on repaying this debt by utilising his talents in the service of the society.
Such repayment is known as selfless service or Nishkamya Karma, for when one is engaged
in such a service, he desires nothing and expects not return.
But when an individual looks upon his service as an investment, calculates and expects a
return for the service rendered.
it is not at all real service; it is only a selfish act which can never bring him abiding
peace.
When one performs Nishkamya Karma and thus serves the society in a spirit of detachment,
it is known as Renunciation.
Those who practise this noble type of service are the real servants of the society, the
ideal social workers, the perfect sanyasins or ascetics.
If an individual's sphere of service is confined to the limited circle known as the family,
he is known as a householder.
If the sphere of service embraces the whole of mankind he is known as a sanyasin.
Hence the real criteria for differentiating a house holder from a sanyasin is not attachment
or non attachment, but selfish or selfless service.
The correct yard stick should be whether the sphere of service is limited to the individual's
family or extends to the entire human family.
In both cases, whether the individual is a house holder or a sanysasin, service has to
be selfless, without attachment and should be performed in a spirit of renunciation.
Such renunciation is the perfect state of Consciousness achieved by the Actualisation
of Self which is otherwise called Realisation of Truth.
