One day a man was running wildly through the jungle, fear gripping him as he was being chased by a ferocious lion. As he was running though the jungle he came to the edge of the jungle where he was facing a depthless pit. As he stood on the edge of the cliff, no where to run, he looked down and saw a root protruding out of the side of the cliff.
He climbed down the side of the cliff and held on to the root just as the lion came roaring to the edge of the cliff, the same spot that he was standing. As he was handing from the root, wary of the lion prowling at the top, he saw two rats, one white and one black, gnawing at the roots. He was in a predicament since there was danger above and danger below; he was surrounded by the inevitability of death.
As he was contemplating his predicament, he looked forward and saw a little nook that hosted a bee hive. He immediately became happy as he realized that the hive was saturated with honey. Oblivious to the impending danger, he pushed his hands into the hive and began to eat the honey to his hearts content.
This Itihaas has multiple meaning and can be considered valuable from many perspectives. Firstly, it tells us that life is fraught with danger and inevitable death. The problem stems when we are unaware of these realities and become lost in the sweetness of life, indulging the senses only.
The two rats represent the passing of time, night and day while the lion represents all the dangers and threats to our existence daily. Time is the greatest force and it waits on no one. Therefore while we indulge the senses, enjoying daily we are sometimes unaware of our responsibilities and our duty to pursue our spiritual nature and goals.
Sanatan Dharma tells us that we have four goals in life – Aarth, Kaam, Dharma and Moksh. Therefore we have material goals (Aarth, Kaam) and also spiritual goals (Dharma, Moksh) and are required to be mindful of both set of goals as we go trough the corridors of life.
The Itihaas may also be looked at from a different perspective also in that there are many negatives and undesirables in this life. We live in a society that is filled with sadness, danger, depression and fear. However in the midst of Kalyug, there are still many opportunities for us to enjoy. Nature and life has many beautiful and sense satisfying stimuli and we are allowed to enjoy life to the fullest, moving our minds away from that which is dark and negative. Good times with family, friends, enjoyment of music and entertainment, enjoyment of Satvic bhojan and accomplishments in life all allow for us to move above the depression of this Dark Age and allow our minds to be happy.
In light of the festive month approaching therefore, be happy and enjoy what the world has to offer. Be mindful however of the passing of time and that the reality of our existence must not be forgotten. Above all, be reminded that in enjoyment and material happiness, Dharma must guide our every action. When we pursue Aarth and Kaam, guided by Dharma then we are on the road to Moksh.
On behalf of SWAHA we wish each and every one of you a very happy end of year and a bight and prosperous new year with the promise of new opportunities, successes and renewed commitment and dedication to ourselves, to our community and most importantly, to our God and Dharma.
