Do not depend on any person or thing!

Dependency will lead to ‘despondency’! So long as one is young, he has to depend on parents, friends and society. Once he become youth, he should reduce dependency on external things and persons and rely more on himself. By this way, one can build confidence and conviction. When one depends on a person, thing or condition is a slave thereof said Sathya sai baba. But most of us always depend on someone or something for our existence! Instead of depending on co humans one can well depend on the supreme! Once, the Emperor Shivaji was visiting his spiritual preceptor Ramadass. At that time, Ramadass was praying to god, seeking something! Then Shivaji thought, why he should rely on his preceptor, when the preceptor himself rely on someone? As a habit, everyone in this world depends upon someone else! This is slavery. None would like to be a slave to something or someone!

If we deeply contemplate on the above, we will realize the futility of depending on something or someone. We need to develop self confidence in order to avoid dependence! Many feel that self-confidence pertains to strength of the body or mind! No! Self-confidence stems from the confidence in the inner self and not on the physical form or knowledge! Once we develop self-confidence, fear will flee! All those who achieved greatness in this world had abundant self-confidence!

Human life itself is imponderable. Why one is born in this phenomenal world? What is the aim of human life? What for human beings are struggling in life. If we look superficially at human life, it may seem that human life comprise of only some four or five normal activities like eating, drinking, merry making, sleeping, and dying. Of course all the species in the world have common activities as above. But the only specialty of human being is his thinking capacity and discriminating faculty. No other species possess mind which is associated with thinking, deliberating, planning, choosing and executing tasks! Even with the special abilities, the present generation is immersed in earning wealth and properties, enjoying paltry pleasures of the senses and not caring about the others who are poor and downtrodden. Man has one noble quality, ‘compassion’. But most of the people today, due to selfishness and greed buried compassion deep inside their heart. They are always after satisfying their manifold desires! Irrespective of the sufferings caused to other human beings, man plunges headlong in sensory adventures and pleasures which are fleeting like a streak of lightning! With each such adventure, he becomes weaker! Pleasures can never rejuvenate anybody! Look at the drunkard who will be laid up in bed or on road corners due to excess drinking! Someone need to pour water on him to bring him back to consciousness! This is the case of all kinds of pleasures!

On the other hand, one who practices self-control gains more and more energy! We can take the example of tortoise. Whenever any danger assails, it simply withdraws its head and four legs inside the strong shell. This is how man need to practice self-control. When sense objects lure him, he should withdraw within himself his focus. Internal focus will increase his self-control. By experience, he learns that all sensual adventures are riddled with unhappiness at the end. Over indulgence in any senses will land one in depths of despair. People will hate the habits of a drunkard, a gambler and womanizer. None will respect him in society! He will be condemned by all including his own kith and kin!

Bad habits are easy to catch but they will not let one free. It is difficult to cultivate good habits and character since lot of discipline and virtue are required to continue to remain a good person. Hence in the scriptures, it is pointed out that cultivating good virtues are like ingesting poison in the beginning but it will become nectar later. At the same time, bad habits are like nectars in the beginning which will turn poison in the end. There are several families ruined due to drunkard husband or parents. Many families lost their resources due to addiction to gambling! The famous Mahabaratha story is a clear example how gambling lead one to miserable state! It was sheer fate that the Pandavas lost their entire properties and in the end they became slaves. They were driven away from the kingdom to forest! It is due to the attachment of dice game, Dharmaraja had!

In many Western countries there are “Casinos” to cater to the people with the instinct to gamble! Even the share market is different kind of speculation. Many countries conduct horse races and many people bet on the horses and lose heavily. Rarely one or two may reap fortune! Many business people thrive due to the sensual attractions of human beings. The fashion industry, beauty shops and many other businesses thrive based on human fascination for beauty! In fact in the West, people spend a lot for makeup and there are many products promoted to enhance the beauty of the face and body! Body sprays, scents and perfumes, talcum powders and soaps abound everywhere in shopping complexes. People spend much for dresses and make up than for food! The advertisement industry mints billions of dollars by showcasing beautiful girls for all the saleable products. Whether there is any connection or not, beautiful girls are exhibited in any advertisement!

People are enchanted by glamor and beauty but they are unaware that beauty never lasts. They look at the external and get attracted. They never think that the beautiful body contains nauseating things inside. Hence we need to clean our face often, apply powder and creams. We need to take bath every day; otherwise none will come near us and interact with us. We need to wear washed cloths daily. Once we get up from bed, we have to clean the teeth, wash the face and comb the hair. These are taught even in elementary school level to the children. First one must be aware of the truth that the body is a mere bubble and it may burst at any time. The mind is a mad monkey and it is dangerous to rely on the mind. Hence do not depend on these faulty instruments. We should depend only on the inner Self which will guide man through the tumultuous journey over the turbulent ocean of mundane existence!