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Aspirations of the human being.

The two aspirations of spiritual nature of the human being have just been evoked briefly. They are: 1/ the moksha, becoming aware of our true nature and integral communion with God; 2/ the dharma, achievement of our duty for pleasing God during our incarnation. To these two it is necessary to add two other aspirations of material nature, which should in no case be neglected as we will see : 3/ the kama, satisfaction of physical and mental pleasures; 4/ the artha, prosperity and power. A topics lengthily discussed in Bhaagvad Gitaa and other Upanishads is the legitimacy to give up any other activity than the research of the Truth by the study and the meditation. A major criticism that one can make of the Buddhist or Jain religions is precisely to put forward a priori that any material activity is vain and source of impurity. According to these philosophies, such activities are even utopian, taken that our existence and that of the world surrounding us have no permanent reality. Gitaa proposes 3 main paths in the research of the Truth ( proper definition of Yoga). One of them, the dhyaana- yoga (of dhyaana meaning attention, care and by extension meditation), is the detachment from the human activities to concentrate on the consciousness of God. Lord Krishna underlines several times that this way is bristling with difficulties and one can lose himself. Another is bhakti-yoga, pure and simple devotion, recommended for the simple spirit with limited understanding. But if God gave to men a material envelope that is to invest themselves in activities (karma) and to enjoy life. If not why would He have invested us of a body? The secret of the release (moksha) is not in the abstinence of any activity but in the detachment of their fruit (karma-yoga). It is written nowhere at my knowledge that the pleasures of life are sins. Is it necessary to point out the fact that God prescribed to Himself activities, with the aim to give the example and to ensure the well being of His creatures:

(Bh.G 3-22 à 3-25) : No work is prescribed for Me in all the Universe, nor am I in want of anything. And however I engage Myself in prescribed duties because if I failed to do that, certainly all men would follow My path.

No, enjoying life is not a sin. Simply if we want to commune with him, it is necessary to gradually learn how to recognize in all equanimity their limited interest, even the pleasure of altruism (yes, that is also a pleasure). A good karma resides in the cancellation of liabilities involved in former activities and in a progressive detachment from the fruit of activities on the basis of the gold rule of dharma. Krishna recalls us, to avoid the dangers of the renouncement of material activities, that a healthy spirit lies in a healthy body. In other words that one can hardly meditate peacefully with an empty stomach, in the cold and the draught, with some other unsatisfied urge below the belt. I wish to add that, even if He had not equipped us with a soul, after all He also created us as intermediate to enjoy Himself the miracles of His universe through our senses. Hum! some dont want to hear about Visnu "dubious activities" at the time of His incarnation in Krishna (see appendix). One of the temporal aspirations of the human being is Kama. Does this word mean pleasure or desire, only sexual or of any nature? If I refer to Bhaagvad Gitaa, kama would be rather passion, purely rajasic activity likely to bind us body and soul all together:

Sangat sanjaayate kama, kamat krodho bhijaayate

(Bh.G.2-62): from attachment to the object of the senses develops the desire and from the unsatisfied desire arises anger (or pain).
Krishna repeats also several times that we should get detached even from the emotional feelings for our close relatives, not only because they draw us aside from our permanent relation with God but also because they cause misery, since they last only some time. God wanted that to reinforce the pleasure of these feelings. Would a day be as perfect without a dawn and a sunset? Could we fully enjoy the colors of autumn and the blossoming of spring if winter did not exist? Aren't our parents closer to us by the memory of them which we keep in our heart than by their physical presence?
On the other hand, how to claim to be detached from the pleasures if never experiencing these pleasures? Such consideration are also true for the fourth human aspiration, the artha. It is about the research of wealth, social position, in other words the power, which is not reprehensible if used advisedly. One can even consider that kama and artha belong to the dharma in this respect that they are necessary for our development and the fulfillment of other goals.

Let us reconsider briefly the basic moral values which constitute the pillars of dharma. As a whole they are the same as those recognized by the believer of other religions or the atheist in any possession of his good sense. However, love is not put forward as in the Christian faith, undoubtedly because it comes after devotion to god and in fact makes part of it (see shloka 6-30 of Gitaa quoted further). Two other values constitute priorities of Hindu behavior, truth and non violence. The later must be understood in a more general sense than usually for westerners, including nonviolence towards oneself and the respect of the freedom of others. One can summarize the principle of nonviolence by do not make to others what you would not like that one makes to you. That includes the respect of their beliefs and such principle undoubtedly justifies the different concept of secularism in the constitution of India with respect to that of France: in former case secularism consists in protecting the practices of all believers and in the second to prohibit the intervention of religion in the legislation and the public life. There exist exceptions, in particular when the svadharma of the warrior implies to kill, as for instance for Arjun in Gitaa (see shloka 2-38 quoted below). The Truth is a so essential value that it is the motto of the Indian State and is written on banknotes: truth will prevail. Let us not forget that the goal of the human existence is above all the search for our own truth, that of our commune nature with God. As a matter of interest, this truth is quite far away from the truth researched by greek philosophers. Now, to renounce to part of our truth to satisfy material pleasures means in some respect to reject God. It is obvious that the point is not only to say the truth but to respect our deep convictions, to be true with oneself as well in thoughts and acts. Two exceptions are conceivable: 1/ when the truth would unnecessarily hurt for example a patient or increase the distress of an individual in danger; 2/ of course for pleasing a woman by saying that she is the most beautiful (dixit Mahaabhaarata- (4). Without long comments I list below some quotations of Mahaabhaarata about dharma and possible conflicts of interests:

maanasan savebhutanan dhamemaahumenishinia
tasmaat savaishu manasaa shivamaacareta

(Mh.shanti. Mh.livre de la paix-vers 193.31): The one who thinks deeply knows that what is accomplished with heart and concentration for the good of others is the dharma. What he does not find pleasant that another makes to him, he will not do to others. He knows that what is unhappy for him is also unhappy for others

tyajeta kulaathre purush graamsyaathra kulan tyajeta
graaman janapadasyaathre aatmaathre puthivi tyajeta

Mh.ughog -vers 37.17): Sacrifice the interest of the individual to that of the family, the family to the village, the village to the country and the whole world to the benefit of "your" soul.
The following verses put forward the conquest of one's self and gives a clear definition of that:

damena sadushan dharman naatyan lokeshu shukruma
damo hi paramo loke prashastan savradharminiaama

Mh.shanti-vers 160.10): There exists in the world no duty higher than the conquest of one's self

ksha maa dhutirahinsaa ca samataa satyamaarjavama
inindryaabhijayaa daakshya maadravan hiracaapamama|
akaapranyamasanramthan santosha priyavaaditaa
avihinsaanasuyaa caapyeshan samudayo daman

(Mh.santi. vers 160.15 et 160.16):The conquest of one's self leads to forgiveness and reconciliation, patience, non violence, equanimity, truth, simplicity of nature, control of the senses, kindness, modesty, generosity, absence of anger, satisfaction, softness of speech and to not seek the fault in others.

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note 4:I already hear the feminists. Ouh! the dreadful machist. I cannot help Mesdames, all these writings date of more than 2500 years. Help us to evolve.

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