Ego and selfishness are the notorious viruses in human beings!

Do you relish the present world situation? Of course, majority of people in the world have started disliking it. First of all, there is no amity between various people. There is more number of divisions than the world population. Sadly, people have no harmony with them. Yes, our head and heart move in different directions. When there is no harmony within us, how can we expect harmony in the world?

Why there is disparity between head and heart? The head is concerned about body’s comforts and pleasures. The head denounces pain and grief. The heart is unconcerned about body’s comforts or wellbeing. The heart remains as a witness while the head is involved. When there is involvement, there is binding to the results of our actions. We are all aware that every action results in some sort of reaction or effect. The ego is the biggest culprit. Ego arises from body attachments. Primarily, attachment is the main reason for the downfall of human values. Human values thrives where there is no ego or attachment. Selflessness is the highest virtue. But it is difficult to find even one individual who is absolutely selfless or egoless. Aiming for selflessness is always better than fearing the condition. What our attachments have fetched us? It is mere pain and grief. Remain unattached even with a particular form of god, said our saints. Even the attachment to the form of god will be a hurdle to our ultimate realization. In the case of Sri Ramakrishna, one of the preceptors wanted him to attain oneness with god. But, however Sri Ramakrishna tried, he could not move beyond certain level, since the form of goddess Kali was imprinted in his heart. Hence the preceptor took a sharp glass and pricked his brow with it and advised him to focus on the point. The moment the form of Kali was seen, Ramakrishna could cut that veil. Yes, that is the penultimate veil that prevents the spiritual aspirant from reaching the final destiny.

But, all of us could not reach such highest victory. Throughout his life, Sri Ramakrishna was a great devotee of goddess Kali. He was fully engaged in the worship of the mother and hence he took lot of time to bathe the idol, decorate it, and feed it even. Yes, he used to converse with the idol and begged to partake the little food he offered. As his feelings reached the crescendo, the mother goddess ate the offerings! “As you feel, so is the result! “As is the pudding, so is the belch! We are all mortals with lot of attachments and afflictions of the material world. Hence these events evoke astonishment in us! How an inert idol could respond to the pleadings of a human? We feel that the idol is inert, but the scientists of nuclear research clearly have stated that ‘there is only energy and the matter we perceive is illusion. It is the energy which gyrates at enormous speed, which could not be perceived by our naked eye. Only an electron microscope could catch the movements within an atom! The idol is a conglomeration of minute atoms! There is gyration of electrons even within a piece of rock!

Even the thoughts are nothing but waves of energy. Thoughts are never destroyed. Whether it is a bad or good thought, each one occupies the space. Hence our ancient saints and wise people exhort us to have only positive thoughts always. Thoughts of greed and enmity cause negativity in the atmosphere! How to disinfect the negativity in the atmosphere? It is through potent names of god and holy chants. Thus the holy “Gayathri chant” is honored as the best panacea of worldly attachments. It is not the other species in nature, which vitiates the atmosphere or ecology! It is the greed of man, which spoils the ecology of nature and destroys the beautiful universe! Man has plenty of resources to lead a happy life. But his greed has no limit and he always hankers for this and that. Worldly riches or material goods can never satiate our mind. It is flimsy satisfaction which lasts hardly for a day or two! When one desire is fulfilled, mind is calm for the time being. Soon it desires for some more things. This is like a beggar begging for few coins. Once he gets few coins, he hankers for more and more. It is no wonder that some of the beggars are richest who flaunts few lakhs of rupees, yet continue begging. This is nothing but sheer greed. No wonder we are all in the same category like the street beggars. The requirement of each individual is not much but the greed has engulfed the entire world.

The calamities we witness throughout the globe are caused by man’s extreme greed and selfishness. Leaders are part of society and hence how can we expect them to be perfect and noble? Hence, we can never blame the leaders. If each individual transform himself, the society will transform, so the country and Nation. There is absolutely no difference between individuals when we consider the inner self. It is a common thread which connects all like the thread that connects all flowers in a garland. Only variety is seen externally while the thread is one only! Hence, realize the fundamental unity of beings without focusing on the diverse externals.