Which Desires Lead our Life. (KNOW YOUR DEATH - 11)

How human karma is motivated / initiated.

We have seen in a separate article the concept of Sreyas and Preyas. Here we shall try to see the hierarchy of the needs (desires) as felt normally by the human being. Here we refer to the well-known “Maslow Theory of the hierarchy of needs”.

Hierarchy of needs/desires.

Maslow stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled a person seeks to fulfill the next one, and so on. It is quite true that man lives by bread alone — when there is no bread. But what happens to man’s desires when there is plenty of bread and when his belly is chronically filled? At once; other (and “higher”) needs emerge and these, rather than physiological hungers, dominate the organism. And when these in turn are satisfied, again new (and still “higher”) needs emerge and so on. This is what we mean by saying that the basic human needs are organized into a hierarchy of relative prepotency. Maslow stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled a person seeks to full fill the next one, and so on.

1. Biological and Physiological needs -air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep etc.

2. Safety needs - protection from ailments, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc.

3. Social Needs - Belongingness and Love, - work group, family, affection, relationships, etc.

4. Esteem needs - self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, managerial responsibility, etc.

5. Cognitive needs - knowledge, meaning, etc.

6. Aesthetic needs - appreciation and search for beauty, balance, form, etc.

7. Self-Actualization needs - realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.

8. Transcendence needs - helping others to achieve self-actualization.

Please note that it start from the need of the body initially then go to the needs of the mind, elevated mind toward the journey to the status of “Soul”.

Although we are all, theoretically, capable of self-actualizing, most of us will not do so, or only to a limited degree. Maslow (1970) estimated that only two percent of people will reach the state of self-actualization. Which in reality is much, much in lesser proportion.

Holy Gita.

In contrast to Maslow Gita prescribes self-control in a different manner

The self-controlled person, moving among objects, with his senses free from attachment and malevolence (hatred) and desires brought under his own control, attains tranquillity.

A disciplined person, enjoying sense objects with senses that are under control and free from attachments and aversions, attains tranquility.  Peace and happiness is achieved, not by sense gratification, but by sense control. (Gita 2/64)

We have also seen the concepts of Karma, Vikarma  and Akarma in a separate article. Gita also states that though to reach the self-realization state is the highest objective of life very rarely this is met. So in all probability, to attain the total stage of desire-lessness though ideal for highest mind evolution, very few people would be able to reach.

“One in thousand men try to become,

Learned is the knowledge of perfection,

And only one of those learned men,

Really know me (concept of God)  in reality”.                       Gita chapter 7, verse 3.

“After several births, this wise man,

Realizing that everything is the universal godhead,

Reaches me and such a person is rare indeed”.                   Gita chapter 7,verse19.  

Who would lead to Bliss, who leads to re-birth ?

Gita answers this in chapter 8, verses 23, 24, 25.

 Oh Arjuna, please hear from me,

About that period of times in which,

Yogis who depart, return or not return?

Those who die in the light caused by fire,

During day time, during the waxing period of moon,

During northern solstice and are the devotees of Brahmam,

Would eventually attain the Brahmam.

Those who die when there is smoke,

Or during night, during the waning phase of moon,

And during the southern solstice and are,

Well versed in yoga, attain the moon,

And return back to earth.

To explain this in common language Saint Vinoba Bhave says :-

When the hands perform act of service till last breath, when the full moon of Bhavana shines brightly, mind’s sky is free from desire, and the intellect is free and keen – when a man dies in this state, we may presume that he has merged with God. In order to make such auspicious ending, one must watch day and night and wage skilful war. Not even for an instant, should an evil tendency be permitted to enter the mind. And in order to gain strength necessary for this, one should remember His name and meditate on is Truth. (Vinobaji in “Gita Pravachan”).

But if the life departing mind would carry with it some or other un-fulfilled desire, possibility of re-birth looms large.

We shall review in the next article the desires in some of the so-called great people’s mind at the moment of death. The last desire naturally leads to the further journey and destination in the after death stage.

Vijay R. Joshi.

 Knowledge: Most sacred path.

New Way Philosophy delineates the knowledge of Body, Soul and the Mind. Science deals with matter, the spirituality deals with mind, soul. The mission of both is to discover the ‘Truth’ for happiness of the humanity. Since human being is composed both of matter (body) and non- matter (mind, soul), both the missions are vitally important. Swami Vijnananand has endeavored to put together the tenets of science and spirituality in the new way philosophy. The findings are useful in day to day life of common person.

Let us probe further in the details of ‘knowledge’ which is considered as the most sacred path for the progress in the human life.

Holy Gita recapitulates the combined knowledge of the Vedas and Upanishads. This knowledge is helpful to lead successful life.  In our effort to review the concept ‘knowledge’, let us refer to Gita chapter four, verses 38 and 35.

na hi jñānena sadṛśaḿ  pavitram iha vidyate

tat svayaḿ yoga-saḿsiddhaḥ  kālenātmani vindati   (4/38)

In this world, there is nothing so much sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge. Such knowledge is the ripen fruit of all mysticism. And one who has become accomplished in the practice of devotional service enjoys this knowledge within himself in due course of time. When we speak of transcendental knowledge, we do so in terms of spiritual understanding. As such, there is nothing so much sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge. Ignorance is the cause of our bondage, and knowledge is the cause of our liberation. When one is situated in transcendental knowledge, he need not search for peace elsewhere, for he enjoys peace within himself.

yaj jñātvā na punar moham  evaḿ yāsyasi pāṇḍava

yena bhūtāny aśeṣāṇi  drakṣyasy ātmany atho mayi (4/35)

Having obtained real knowledge from a self-realized soul, you will never fall again into illusion, for by this knowledge you will see that all living beings are but part of the Supreme power.

Pure knowledge removes all illusions. Feeling of love and compassion towards all living is generated. Devil deeds get redeemed and the stage of self-realization is attained.

How the pure knowledge enables dis-illusion state?

Any allurement gives pleasure is the assumption of a layman whereas selfless duty adherence is the only way to realize the bliss is the belief of a Gita follower. One who dines with delicious tasty food would never want to eat road side junk food. Gita followers never falls prey to materialistic allurement and ego pleasures!

Sounds good! But can one practice this in prevailing hedonist, materialistic way of modern life? We are allured with not a single but several pleasures and attractions. That is the reason we turn blind eye on Gita based knowledge.

Are we averse to acquire knowledge? No, Not at all! The numbers of schools, colleges, universities have multiplied as never before. In fact we are witnessing the state of information explosion due to fast spread of internet and web service. We try to learn so many things from internet. We are acquiring varied degrees in diverse disciplines. What all this learning would be termed as? Can this be termed as ‘Knowledge’?

It can be termed as the general knowledge useful for day to day purpose in managing our daily needs.

We cannot belittle this knowledge as it serves us for so many purposes. Any information which helps us to fulfill our needs, we call it a knowledge. The knowledge category varies depending upon time to time varying needs. You need one type of knowledge for admitting your child in proper school, which would not serve the purpose to select good week-end outing place. The home maker in a large family should be equipped with some specific knowledge which would not serve the purpose to win a fierce competition in sports or business. The skills necessary for success in politics would be totally different than managing a social service center. An individual is constantly engaged to acquire different skills to meet the changing needs in the life.

Human needs –There are endless human needs. In an organized manner, Abraham Maslow (1908 – 1970) classified the human needs in the order of hierarchy as follows.

Physiological needs

These include the most basic needs that are vital to survival, such as the need for water, air, food, and sleep. Maslow believed that these needs are the most basic and instinctive needs in the hierarchy because all needs become secondary until these physiological needs are met.

Security needs.
These include needs for safety and security. Security needs are important for survival, but they are not as essential as the physiological needs. Examples of security needs include a desire for steady employment, health care, safe neighborhoods, and shelter from the environment.

Social life needs.
This category includes needs for belonging, love, and affection. Maslow described these needs as less basic than physiological and security needs. Relationships such as friendships, romantic attachments, and families help fulfill this need for companionship and acceptance, as do involvement in social, community, or religious groups.

Esteem needs.
After the first three needs have been satisfied, esteem needs becomes increasingly important. These include the need for things that reflect on self-esteem, personal worth, social recognition, and accomplishment.

Self-actualizing needs.

This is the highest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Self-actualizing people are moral-conscious, duty bound, self-aware, concerned with personal growth, less concerned with the opinions of others, and interested fulfilling their potential.

Fulfilling all such desires dose require a variety of skills and knowledge. All these put together can be termed as materialistic knowledge. But can this be termed as real knowledge? Let us see how ‘knowledge’ is defined by authorities.

Oxford dictionary defines knowledge:

1. Facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.
2. Awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation:

Wiki:

In philosophy, the study of knowledge is called epistemology; the philosopher Plato famously defined knowledge as "justified true belief." However, no single agreed upon definition of knowledge exists, though there are numerous theories to explain it.

Bertrand Russell (1926) ,‘Theory of Knowledge’:

“At first sight it might be thought that knowledge might be defined as belief which is in agreement with the facts. The trouble is that no one knows what a belief is, no one knows what a fact is, and no one knows what sort of agreement between them would make a belief true.”

The 21^st century is often considered as ‘century of knowledge’. Having entered this century and first decade already passed, in conventional references we find certain vagueness in defining the term “knowledge” itself.

But we find the knowledge clearly defined by eastern thinkers, sages. The definition of knowledge is crystal clear in ancient treaties such as Holy Gita. Some reference from Gita is provided above. The concepts of Dnyana (knowledge) and Adnyana (Ignorance) have been clearly defined in a number of treaties by saints and sages.

-          The vast skills and organized information required to meet diverse life needs, such as ‘14 VIDYA 64 KALA’ is one variety of knowledge.

-          Science; which endeavors to investigate the facts of the matter based on experiment, observation, evidences by the best available method can be considered as another level of knowledge.

-          And the logical, rational objective imagination to foresee the facts beyond the limits of scientific investigations, which can be termed as ‘rational philosophy’ is yet another variety of knowledge.

All these levels have their own vital role and importance to fulfill the needs of human life. In his books “Science and Philosophy” and “ShaktiYoga” Swami Vijnananand has provided information of relevance on this issue. We shall refer to it later in articles to follow.

Vijay R. Joshi.