(These are excerpts from my understanding of Swami Tejomayananda-ji’s talks in Kenya in May 2016.)
If you don’t know the proper use of the latest car, it becomes useless for you. The car becomes (bekaar) useless. You admire a beautiful car, but you don’t mistake yourself to be your car. You admire many animals but would you like to feel that you are one of them? Yes, the body is useful, it has a purpose, it is very admirable, but it is not you, it belongs to you.
People generally use this great instrument for just eating, drinking, sleeping, merrymaking and producing children. What a waste! The dignity of human life is to live for others. The more evolved you are, the more is your duty to take care of others.
The realisation of the rarity and the preciousness of this life and this body will uplift your vision from a mere animal existence.
This human form (Nar Deha) should be used for “sarva bhoot hitey rataha” (for the welfare of all).
Birds, insects, animals, vegetation and the five elements can all live without us, but we cannot live without them. Think. So take good care of them for you yourself to survive.
The world today seems to have forgotten this basic reality. Hinduism preaches worship of all, plants, trees, animals, sun, moon, earth, stars, rivers, mountains, plants, shrubs. Everything is sacred and deserves to be thankful for, and taken care of.
Taking care of your family is a primary duty. An animal level person does just that. Expand your mind in a warm embrace of a much larger world and it will embrace you back.
- Prarthna Saran, President Chinmaya Mission Delhi.
