ARE
WE GOOD OR BAD?--An angel and a demon both reside in us
(Compilation
for a discourse by N.R. Srinivasan, Nashville, TN, USA, February 2019)
Swami Chidananda in a discourse on “ An angel and
demon reside in us” based on the discussions between Lord Krishna and Arjuna in
Chapter 16 of Bhagavad Gita cites a Native American fable, an old Cherokee tale
tells of a grandfather teaching life principles to his grandson: “A fight is going on inside me,” he
says to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is
evil – it is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed,
arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment,
inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other
is good – it is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence,
empathy, generosity, truth,
compassion and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside
every other person too.”
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality describes
someone with a double personality, each distinct and totally opposite. One side
of a split personality may be amicable and easygoing, while the other side can
be withdrawn or even violent. It is a myopic mindset of confining someone to
being one or the other, good or bad, that has made it difficult and almost
impossible for prisoners to be properly rehabilitated for re-entry into
society. There is no perfect person in the world, even the celestial and most
sacred person has his/her faults. Everyone is a mixture of good and bad
choices. But these are the things which form us as people.
Hinduism says, but for a rare few all are born
with both demonic and divine nature based on their karma in their last
birth. The manifestation of these
qualities within us is based on the proportionate mixing of sattva (Virtuous),
Rajas (egoistic) and Tamas (ignorant) characteristics called Gunas in them. In divine people sattva dominates while in
demoniacs Rajas and Tamas dominates, sattva being almost extinct. Rare few are
born with sattva guna only with some sanchita karma (left over karma).
Hindu way of life
believes in Garbhadana Samskara about which I have spoken at length. By
performing Garbhadana Samskara parents wish a child to grow with the divine
qualities to practice in life. But that depends on one’s past karma as well as
one’s own pursuit in this life. The conditions for having good progeny in
society are that the husband should be disciplined in religious and regulative
principles and the wife should be faithful to the husband. In Bhagavad-gita
(7.11) it is said that sexual intercourse according to religious principles is
a divine act. Krishna says Bhooteshu kaamosmi-- I am lust (Kaama)
among beings. Lust with proper application was a virtue and not a sin and that
is what Krishna means. Before engaging in sexual intercourse, both the
husband and the wife must consider their mental condition, the particular time,
the husband’s direction, and obedience to the demigods. According to Vedic
society, there is a suitable auspicious time for sex life, which is called the
time for garbhadhana; personalities like Ravana and Hiranyakasipu
were actually born of Brahmanas (those who meditate on Brahman), but they were
not accepted as Brahmanas because their fathers did not follow the regulative
principles for their birth. Such children are called demons, or Raksasas.
Raksasas in the previous ages were few and far between.
During the age of Kali there is no discipline in sex life. How, then, can one
expect good children? Certainly unwanted children cannot be a source of
happiness in society, but they can be raised to the human standard by spiritual
outlook and up-bringing. Vidura though born as an illegitimate unwanted child
was brought up with discipline who later became a legal expert on social
matters.
“Good’’ means a lack of being self-centered. It means the ability
to empathize with other people, to feel compassion for them, and to put their
needs before your own. It means, if necessary, sacrificing your own well-being
for the sake of others’. It means benevolence, altruism and selflessness, and
self-sacrifice towards a greater cause - all qualities which stem from a sense
of empathy. It means being able to see beyond the superficial difference of
race, gender or nationality and relate to a common human essence beneath them.
All of the ‘saintly’ people in human history have these qualities in
abundance.
‘Evil’ people are those who are unable to empathize with others.
As a result, their own needs and desires are of paramount importance. They are
selfish, self-absorbed and narcissistic. They can’t sense other people’s emotions or
their suffering, can’t see the world from other people’s perspective, and so
have no sense of their rights. Other human beings are just objects to them,
which is what makes their brutality and cruelty possible.
Empathy - or goodness - is a quality that can be cultivated. This
is recognized by Hinduism, Buddhism,
and most other spiritual traditions. As
we practice meditation or mindfulness, and as we
become less attached to materialism and
status-seeking, we become more open and more connected, and so more selfless
and altruistic.
The ‘fluidity’ of goodness is also recognized by the process of
‘restorative justice’. The goodness
in human beings emerges when we are connected - when we spread out into empathy
with one another. Goodness expresses something fundamental about human nature,
even if it might be sometimes difficult to see. ‘Evil’ is an aberration, a form
of pathology, as the psychopathic personality shows, which only emerges when we
are broken off into disconnected fragments” says Steve Taylor PhD is a senior
lecturer in psychology at Leeds Beckett University, UK.
“An
old Cherokee1 told his grandson, “My son, there is a battle between
two wolves inside all of us. One is Evil. It is jealousy, greed, resentment,
inferiority, lies and ego. The second is Good. It is joy, peace, love,
hope, humility, kindness, empathy and truth.” The boy thought about it and
asked, “Grandfather, which wolf wins?” The old man quietly replied, “The one
you feed.” [Well-known story, author unknown]
If
you hear Prof. Sapolsky2 of Stanford University, you will know that
this “feeding” might have taken place in not only the past few days or some
years but during tens of thousands of years! We the human beings have evolved
over the millennia, and parts of our brain like the amygdala have been
conditioned by unbelievable amounts of influences and impressions. We have
inherited both violence and compassion, for example, from countless generations
of our ancestors3.
All
religions talk about the need for developing virtue and shunning vice. A whole
chapter in the Bhagavad Geetā4 is devoted to elaborate on the characteristics
represented by the ‘two wolves’. Shri Krishna lists attributes like
fearlessness, ‘purity of mind’, ‘engagement in study and practice’ etc. as
“divine estate5” and declares behavioral patterns like hypocrisy,
arrogance, conceit, (destructive) anger and harshness as “demoniac estate6”.
Both
of the above two sets of qualities are in every one of us in different
proportions or ratios at the time of birth itself. Strong likes and dislikes
reside in individual souls at the time of creation itself, says Geetā7.
That points to bias and prejudice in our mindsets, with which we began our
journey long ago! Vedānta asks us not to bother about their genesis but to
focus on reducing them and, eventually, rising above them. Reduction in forms
of bias constitutes “purification of mind” (chitta-shuddhi) and
rising above all prejudice is nothing short of enlightenment (moksha).
All
of us are a mixture of ‘good’ and ‘bad’. Both the wolves certainly reside
within us. Starving the evil wolf and feeding the good one is, therefore, what
our spiritual practice is all about! Opportunities come our way every day to do
this sādhanā. May we stay alert and take the opportunities!
Swami
Chidananda
Notes:
1 The
Cherokee are one of the indigenous people of certain areas in today’s USA like
(parts of) the two Carolinas, Tennessee and Georgia.
2 See YouTube – TED talk “The biology of
our best and worst selves” by Robert Sapolsky.
3 This is the
view of modern science which perhaps can be synthesized with the ‘karma’
theory of Hinduism.
4 Chapter 16 – daiva-āsura-sampad-vibhāga-yoga
5 Verse 16.1
6 Verse 16.4
7 Verse 7.27”
The divine and demonic qualities are described
in chapter XVI of Bhagavad Gita. Hell is easy to enter and it has three
gates—lust, anger and greed. The three Gunas are useful aids. The concept of
three Purushas is excellent. But what matters really are the divine or demonic
qualities in the individual which makes him significant and distinct.
"Divine birth leads to Moksha and anti-divine to bondage". Deva
literally means one who knows how to give and share. The other word which is
used for deva in Sanskrit is Sura, one who is consciously in tune with the
Supreme Spirit. Asura means the one who is not consciously in tune with the
Supreme Spirit. Devas are endowed with divine traits that are 26 mentioned in
slokas1-3. Asuras are endowed with demoniac traits and their behavior expresses
the conscious misalignment with the Supreme Spirit. The nature of the divine
good is marked by an acme of inner security and fearlessness. “By placing this
quality of fearlessness at the head of the list, with the unsung music of sheer
suggestiveness, the divine Guru, Lord Krishna is indicating that true
ethical perfection in one is directly proportional to spiritual evolution attained
by the individual” says Swami Chinmayananda. “When divinity dawns, the human
weaknesses vanish of their own accord as petals drop off when the flower
develops into the fruit” says Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
Abhayam
sattva-samsuddihr-jnaanayoega-vyavasthita-h | daanam damascha yajnascha
svaadhyyaayas-tapa aarjavam|| (16-1)
Ahimsaa satyam-akroedhas-tyaaga-h shaantir – apaisunam | dayaa bhootaeshv -aloeluptvam maardavam
hreer-achaapalam || (16-2)
Teja-h kshamaa dhritihi saucham-adroehoe
naati-maanita | bhavanti sampadam daiveem-abhijaatasya Bhaarata || (16-3)
Fearlessness, purity of heart (inner psyche),
steadfast in the discipline leading to wisdom, inclination towards sacrifice, studious in sacred
learning, loving austerity, upright in conduct, not hurting any living being,
truthful, patient (free from anger), ready to give up ones possession,
peaceful, averse to talk ill of people, compassionate towards all beings,
unruffled by desires (not wavering; fickle), ardent (earnest), forgiving,
enduring (courageous), clean in body and mind, un-treacherous, and devoid of
arrogance—the above twenty-six
qualities are of those endowed with divine virtues, says the Supreme Lord. He
one that is born to divine destiny is distinguished by these qualities.
Abhijatasya means one who is born of transcendental
qualities or divine virtues. By performing Garbhadana Samskara parents wish a
child to grow with the divine qualities to practice in life. But that depends
on one’s past karma as well as one’s own pursuit in this life. Garbhadana Samskara becomes fruitful in rare
few cases as we see in this world. Such people become Jnaanayoga vyavasthitah--getting
engaged in the cultivation of Knowledge. Such rare people also turn Sanyasis
(recluses) like Swami Chidananda who is in our lime-light in this discussion.
Sanyasi life is meant for distributing Knowledge to householders and others
like us that have forgotten their real life of spiritual progress. Supreme
spirit is always attainable by truth, austerity, inner wisdom and celibacy says
Maandukya Upanishad. MNU says such sanyasis attain Immortality while living on
earth merging the individual self then and there, at the time of death, into
the Supreme Spirit without leaving a trace of separate individuality. “Aatmanaa vindate veeryam”--one gets the
strength by turning inwards. This strength in Vedanta is Ichchaa sakti, Jnaana sakti and Kriyaa sakti-- strength to control
your thoughts, strength to develop Intellect and strength to act right even
under worst circumstances.
Vedantavijnaana-vinischitaarthaah
sanuaasayogaad-yatayah suddha-satvaah | Tae brahmaloke tu paraantakaale
paraamrutaah parimuchyanti sarve
||MNU ||
Having attained the Immortality consisting of
identity with the Supreme Spirit, all those aspirants who strive for
self-control, who have rigorously arrived at the conclusion taught by the
Vedanta through direct knowledge, and who have attained purity of mind through
the practice of sanyasa-yoga and steadfastness in the Knowledge of Brahman at
the dissolution of their final body.
This may not be possible for all of
us and we may not have been born with a clean chit with divine qualities only.
But we can certainly progress spiritually exhausting past bad karmas as much as
possible. Dr. Ramananda Prasad, founder of the International Gita Society in
his Bhagavad Gita written in simple English informs us that this whole chapter
16 deals with worldly Advise that would enable us to spiritually progress in
this life if not become a Jeevanmukta like Sanyasis. His Bhagavad Gita written
in simple English, helps us immensely in understanding Gita Doctrine
philosophically rendered by Lord Krishna to his enlightened student Arjuna
unlike us at kindergarten level. The same is attached to
this discourse as an Appendix.
Bhagavan gives a long list 26 divine
traits in slokas 1-3 while briefly touching on
demoniacal traits in the next sloka. They are essentially shad-ripus, the six enemies that makes us bad in society and harm
us hindering spiritual advancement--Kaama (lust), Krodha (anger), Moha
(Passion), Lobha (greed) and Maatsarya
(Jealousy, hate etc.). He knows we are naturally inclined to listen to the good
and virtuous qualities first and then get cautioned about our short comings
that stand in our way of progress. By adopting good qualities with receptive
attitude, we can easily and spontaneously
abandon our bad qualities.
Dambhoe
darpoebhi-maanascha kroeda-h paarushyam eva cha | ajnaanam cha-abhijaatasya
Partha sampadam-aasureem || (16-4)
The one that is born to devilish (anti-divine)
destiny has, as his traits, hypocrisy, pride, arrogance, anger, harshness, and
ignorance(absence of distinction between good and bad). [The devilish or
demoniacal (aasuri) nature is that which excels in rajas and tamas. Six
attributes ascribed to them are of the nature of rajas and tamas]
Asatyam-apratishtam tay jagad-aahur aneesvaram
| aparas-para-sambhootam kim anyat kaama-haitukam || (16- 8)
The devilish people (the folk acting on rajas
and tamas) say that the world is devoid of truth (has no reality ultimately),
that it is altogether without foundation, that there is no master controlling
it, that it has not come about by mutual causation but only by chance, and by
nothing else.
[The devilish people think the world is
unreal, without a substratum, without a god, and without an order. World is
caused by biological functions and nothing else.]
Ahamkaaram balam darpam kaamam kredham cha
samsritaa-h | maam-aatma-para-daehayshu prad-vishantoe-abhyasooyakaa-h ||
(16-18)
These people prompted by rajas and tamas, rely
on their own petty egotism (selfishness), desires, and anger, and are envious
of others; they hate the Supreme Spirit in their own bodies and in the bodies
of others.
Avajaananti maam moodha
maanusheemtanum aasritam |param bhaavam ajaanantomama bhootamaheswaram||9-11||
moghaasaa moghakarmaano moghajnaana vichetasah | raakshaseem aasureem chaiva
prakritim mohineem sritah || 9-12 ||
The ignorant person despises that the Supreme
Spirit has assumed a human form, not recognizing the form beyond it, which is
real and which governs universally all living beings. Those who have devilish
constitutions are overcome by the delusive power of material nature; and their
aspirations, actions, knowledge and intellect will all be in vain.
Icchaadwesha samutthena dvandamohena
bhaarata | sarvabhootaani sammoham sarge
yaanti parantapa ||7-27 ||
All beings as soon as they are born (begin to
exist and operate) are bewildered by the delusion caused by duality, namely
desire and hate. [The expression dvanda-moha
is explained as delusion caused by duality or false knowledge concerning
the pair, namely desire and aversion]
Swami Chidananda in his forthcoming
discourse will talk about divine and
demonic qualities in all of us based on the wisdom of Gita explained in chapter
16 in particular but discussed
throughout in many chapters as explained above. Please go through his introduction of the
subject. To love the unlovable, to be kind to the unkind, and gracious to the
ungracious is really divine. We should treat others in the same manner as we
would like ourselves to be treated (Mahabharata). The manifestation of
consciousness is different in different beings. Values may also create problem.
Good and bad actions are sometimes based on end benefit or harm and not based
apparent value. Therefore we must seek reconciliation with everything in the
universe and everything will become friendly.
Swami Chidananda’s reference to Cherokee fable and Prof. Sapolsky
might surprise us! Here he draws our attention to the famous movie “Dancing
with the Wolves” thereby wanting us to think about how to deal with demoniacs
and put them on the right path. Probably he might have recently come across the
historical reference to Red Indians: “The ancient Bharatiyas settled in America are known to the world
as Red Indians (A name perhaps given by Western discoverers who also invented
the words HINDU and Indian). Generations of present Kaliyuga migrated from
Bharat traveling through frozen sea between 20000 to 30000 years settled in the
continent of America and were called Red Indians when they were found by
explorers say the expert historians. Swamiji is very much alive even with the
problems and Hindu Americans and his practical and worldly wisdom is very much
needed by all.
REFERENCES:
1) Swami
Chinmayananda, An
angel and a demon both reside in us, Spark 51, Arni Series.
2) Ramananda PrasadThe
Bhagavad-gita, American Gita Society,
Freemont, CA, USA
3) Prabha Duneja, Bhagavad Gita,
Govindaram Hasanand, Delhi, India.
4) Prabhupada AC Bhaktivedanta,
Bhagavad-gita, The Macmillan Company, New York, NY.
5) Swami Vimalananda,
Mahanarayana Upanishad, Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, India.
APPENDIX
Divine and Demonic Qualities - Chapter 16
(By Dr. Ramanada Prasad, American Gita
Society, Freemont, CA, USA)
MAJOR DIVINE QUALITIES THAT SHOULD BE
CULTIVATED
Lord Krishna said: Fearlessness, purity of the
inner psyche, perseverance in the yoga of Self-knowledge, charity,
sense-restraint, sacrifice, study of the scriptures, austerity, honesty;
nonviolence, truthfulness, absence of anger, renunciation, equanimity,
abstinence from malicious talk, compassion for all creatures, freedom from
greed, gentleness, modesty, absence of fickleness, splendor, forgiveness,
fortitude, cleanliness, absence of malice, and absence of pride---these are
some of the qualities of those endowed with divine virtues, O Arjuna.
(16.01-03)
There are five distresses in human life according to yogic scripture (PYS 2.03):
There are five distresses in human life according to yogic scripture (PYS 2.03):
1. Ajnana (lack of Self-knowledge),
2. Asmita (or ego: considering oneself
separate from Brahma),
3. Abhinivesha (fear of death and rebirth),
4 and 5. Raga and Dvesha (likes and dislikes
for pair of opposites).
The fear of death
is the greatest distress in human life. Ajnana
creates ego that causes fear of death, likes and dislikes, selfish desires
and all other demonic qualities. Self-knowledge (Jnana) gives rise to divine
qualities mentioned in verses 16.01-03. Lord abides in the heart of persons
with divine qualities as wealth abides in the heart of a greedy person. From
the practice of virtue comes dispassion; from the practice of austerity,
spiritual wisdom that bestows liberation---so declare the Vedas.
One must not
condemn or commend anybody including oneself (MB 3.207.50). We should treat
others in the same manner as we would like ourselves to be treated (MB
12.167.09). The dualities of friend and foe, joy and sorrow, good and bad,
likes and dislikes, are but effects of Maya, not eternal reality. A person of
demonic nature needs to be dealt with and controlled differently than a person
of divine nature (MB 12.109.30). No one is perfect. People do things because
they don’t know any better, so we should not censure them. We all pay the price
for those who act out of ignorance. Speaking ill of others is the most heinous
sin. Do not see others’ faults; improve your own shortcomings until you
yourself become enlightened.
One should not
talk about, listen to, or even think about the faults and shortcomings of
others. When we think about the defects of others, our own minds become
polluted. Nothing is gained by finding fault with others; therefore, find your
own faults and correct them. To love the unlovable, to be kind to the unkind,
and to be gracious to the ungracious is really divine. It is said that we will
have to account for how we treat others.
Values may also
create problems if one forgets that people have different values; my values
will be different from yours. A conflict of values between individuals ruins
relationships. In practice, sometimes two values of the same person also
conflict. For example, if telling a lie saves a valuable life, one should not
tell the truth. One should not be blindly attached to values because a value is
not absolute. We should neither sneer at any ideal nor judge others by our own
standards because basic unity in variety is the plan of the creation.
All kinds of
people make up this world. You want to change others so that you can be free,
but it never works that way. If you accept others totally and unconditionally,
only then you are free. People are what they are because they have their own
backgrounds, and they cannot be otherwise (Swami Dayananda). You can love your
spouse, unconditionally, and not like the way he or she acts. Your enemy might
become your friend if you allow him or her to be who he or she is. If you want
to make an enemy, try to change someone. People will change only when it
becomes more difficult to suffer than to change. No one is in a position to
disqualify another’s way of life, thinking, or ideas. Evolution on the ladder
of perfection is a slow and difficult process. It is not an easy task to get
rid of latent Karmic impressions (Samskara) of the past, but one must try.
Changes come by one’s own effort and when the season of the grace of God comes,
not a day before. Also, the manifestation of primordial energy, consciousness,
is different in different beings. Therefore, seek reconciliation with
everything in the universe, and everything will become your friend. Ramakrishna
said: When divinity dawns, the human weaknesses vanish of their own accord just
as the petals drop off when the flower develops into the fruit.
Mortals are helplessly tied like cattle by the rope of latent and residual desires born of their Karmic footprints. This rope can be cut only if we use the God-given knife of intellect that animals do not have. A tiger is controlled by the instinct to kill and is helpless in this regard. Human beings are endowed with intellect and power to reason by which they can slowly and steadily cut the rope. We fail to use our power of reasoning and intellect due to ignorance. One’s enemy is none other than the other side of oneself. Sometimes intellect is taken away by the trick of divine illusory energy (Maya) before the dawn of fate-born adversity. One must use intellect, the precious divine gift to human beings, to analyze the situation. There is no other way to get out of the vicious circle of Maya.
Mortals are helplessly tied like cattle by the rope of latent and residual desires born of their Karmic footprints. This rope can be cut only if we use the God-given knife of intellect that animals do not have. A tiger is controlled by the instinct to kill and is helpless in this regard. Human beings are endowed with intellect and power to reason by which they can slowly and steadily cut the rope. We fail to use our power of reasoning and intellect due to ignorance. One’s enemy is none other than the other side of oneself. Sometimes intellect is taken away by the trick of divine illusory energy (Maya) before the dawn of fate-born adversity. One must use intellect, the precious divine gift to human beings, to analyze the situation. There is no other way to get out of the vicious circle of Maya.
No one can hurt
one who does not do violence to others by thought, word, or deed (VP 1.19.05). Even violent animals do not harm
those who practice nonviolence by thought, word, and deed (MB 12.175.27). One
who does not do violence to any creature, gets what one wishes and becomes
successful in all spiritual disciplines without too much effort (MS 5.47).
The higher form of life uses the lower form of life as food for sustenance (MB 12.15.20). It is impossible to practice nonviolence---or any other value---in an absolute sense. Even farming operations involve violence to insects and earthworms. Practicing nonviolence towards all creatures is meant for our own evolution on the ladder of perfection. A minimal amount of necessary violence in the day-to-day practical life is required. Determination of minimum violence is, of course, very subjective. Violence should never be used in service of a personal grudge. It may be used to defend the weak or to uphold Dharma (order and justice).
DEMONIC QUALITIES SHOULD BE GIVEN UP BEFORE NIRVANA
The higher form of life uses the lower form of life as food for sustenance (MB 12.15.20). It is impossible to practice nonviolence---or any other value---in an absolute sense. Even farming operations involve violence to insects and earthworms. Practicing nonviolence towards all creatures is meant for our own evolution on the ladder of perfection. A minimal amount of necessary violence in the day-to-day practical life is required. Determination of minimum violence is, of course, very subjective. Violence should never be used in service of a personal grudge. It may be used to defend the weak or to uphold Dharma (order and justice).
DEMONIC QUALITIES SHOULD BE GIVEN UP BEFORE NIRVANA
O Arjuna, the
marks of those who are born with demonic qualities are: hypocrisy, arrogance,
pride, anger, harshness, and ignorance. (16.04)
It is the
universal practice to return the favor---in one way or another---to those who
have been helpful to you (VR 5.01.113). An ungrateful person is the worst
person. One must abandon such a person (MB 12.168.26). There is no atonement
for ungratefulness in this world (MB 12.172.25). It is said that even carnivores
do not eat the flesh of an ungrateful person (MB 5.36.42). One must feel and
express genuine gratitude if one accepts something from another person. Real
happiness is in being grateful to God for what we have, and control the desire
for what we want.
Divine qualities lead to salvation, the demonic qualities are said to be for bondage. Do not grieve, O Arjuna---you are born with divine qualities. (16.05)
Divine qualities lead to salvation, the demonic qualities are said to be for bondage. Do not grieve, O Arjuna---you are born with divine qualities. (16.05)
Habits of sinful
activity are very difficult to get rid of; therefore, one should always avoid
sinful acts and practice good deeds (MB 3.209.41). Fundamental morality is the
backbone of spiritual life. Self-knowledge without moral virtues is incomplete
and is hypocrisy. The world seems good to the good and evil to the evil.
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