The whole world is terrorized by a scarred face. Here it is worth contemplatig on a few lines by a poet:
Man is terrorized by the face of Man
Man fills his house by looting Man
It's the Man who kills and it's the Man
Who is Killed
Wonder what Man is doing to ManAs such, the enlightened say, "Brother, look at your face in the mirror,m if you must. But also alongside delve into your inner awareness and its countenance.
As we enlarge the study of our inner Self, not only will we understand the true meaning of our external appearances, but our inner beauty will also shine brighter. The discovery of inner beauty is a divine rapture.
Man should daily examine ones life and character, and ask if his behavior is animal in nature or that of an evolved person? The life of an evolved person is so pure and serene, and my life is so impure and turbulent! Why should my life also no become so pure and serene? In this garden of existence, fashioning my life also to be rose-like is in my hands. Having been blessed with human form, why should I not earn the blessing of all my fellow beings?
While bidding farewell to this world, will I bear a smile or present a tearful look? For what purpose had I come here, and what am I doing here? From where have I come and where am I going? What is my real nature and today what do I take it to be? Only when such questions arise from the depth of ones heart, does one get a glimpse of ones true nature.
I am a human and I will only live a life which does credit to humans. Only through this body and its acts will I evolve to higher planes. I have been blessed with beautiful human form, a sharp intellect and a sensitive heart. How do I activate these gifts? Blessed with a priceless life, why should I not fill it with compassion for all beings?
We have been blessed with this auspicious moment to purify the heart and radiate the fragrance of good life, all around us. How many great souls have sung odes to the glories of human nature! Why have animals and human beings not been put in the same category? Are not both of them living beings? Of course, both are subject to and have understanding for hunger, sleep, fear and sex. Then why are both as a class so wide apart?
The seers saw in humans the capacity to think and the capacity to be an observer. Man can also take charge of his life and fashion his own destiny. He can also change the course of his life, Man alone can illumine the spirit and that is why human life is so valuable. That is why seers have sung praises to human life.
While defining Dharma in its totality, it has been said-"Mitrasya Chakshusha Pashya." If we stop looking at the world through our greedy eyes, but start looking at it through the eyes of a friend, the world will start looking entirely different to us?
Today, somewhere we see enmity and somewhere poison. But if we see with the eyes of a friend, then we will see faults in others disappearing and the found of praise for the good in others will spring forth in us. The heart of a friend takes the other into privacy and full of love acquaints him with his shortcomings. He will complete each task of his friend to satisfactory conclusion, as if it were his own.
One whose heart is filled with Amity has also one advantage, that while completing the task of another he is not vainglorious. If some one showers praise of him, that "You have done a good job." Then he responds with humility, "It was only my duty."
Without Amity such sense of duty towards others cannot arise. And if the task towards others cannot arise. And if the task is not successfully completed, then that sense of loss is also not possible without a feeling of Amity. He thinks, "I had time but because of laxness, lack of ability or because of circumstances, I could not fulfill the task. It will not happen again."
In this world, the very foundation of reciprocal existence is Amity. Who can keep the compassionate essence of Ahimsa alive without Amity?
Enmity is a thorn. Where the thorn pierces, good health cannot exist. One whose heart is filled with enmity cannot observe Dharma. Since his heart is not filled with Amity, even if he does try to observe the tenets of Dharma, how can he experience good health, happiness or the serenity of meditation? How can the artifices of paper flowers emit the frangrance of samadhi?
On the subject of Amity, I am reminded of an incident with pandit Shri Omkarnathji. One day Panditji came to meet me towards sundown, accompanied by a disciple. I requested him to kindly sing something in Raag Malkauns. He sang a bhajan. He repeated the same stanza a number of times. The entire room was charged with the resonace and aura of Raag Malkauns. Then Panditji said, "I would like to see, if any of the worthy singers present here will like to sing Raag Durga or any other Raag. In this room."
I asked him, why? He said, "Each Raag has a profound effect. When rendered in its totality along with its rhythm, the Raag creates a unique ambience in the room. Then it is difficult to sing any other Raag in the room. If any one tries to sing any other Raag, then he tends to get drawn into the old (Malkauns) Raag mode and he starts singing the earlier Raag." Then I thought, "Amity also has a friendly-feeling, which also has this effect." Bhagavan Mahavir's heart was also overflowing with cosmic Amity. In his presence, born enemies like snake and mongoose, tiger and cow, cat and mouse, etc. used to forget their inborn enmity. The very feeling of enmity in them would not arise. The sweet compassionate breeze of Amity would fill the entire environment. Enmity and opposition would just not find any place there. Darkness has no place where there is light.
Just as a thousand lamps are lit by the flame of one lamp, the Amity within the heart lights up Universal Amity. Similarly, form the spirit of Amity present in our hearts, the great radiant flame of Universal Amity is lit up.
It is only the friendly- feeling within man that makes him the bearer of Dharma. There is no Forgiveness without Amity, and no Devotion without Forgiveness. This is What true Dharma teaches us.
If Dharma is so significant in our lives, then why is it not so evident? Dharma cannot quench our hunger, it cannot drive our thirst away cannot save us from cold, cannot absolve us from our debts, it cannot give us any material help in our business - then why is Dharma so important? The answer to this question is that Dharma is like the roots of a tree. Unlike the fruits, the roots are of no use as food, nor are they visible like other parts of the tree. They are hidden under earth. Still the existence of the tree and its remaining uright depends only on the roots. The tree grows, blossoms and gives forth delicious fruits. All these external manifestations which the mankind sees, are only because of its roots.
Animals are not endowed with this Dharma, and as such their place on the evolutionary ladder is not so high, as compared to Man.
Only because of Dharma is Man so uniquely blessed, called Supreme and only because of Dharma is he gifted with the human form.
Realising this significance of Dharma, very obviously a question arises-among so many religions and philosophies, which are we to recognize as Dharma?
Everyone calls as Dharma, those beliefs and rituals of the family or the community they are born into. They also quarrel, go to war or disturb peace, in the name of their Dharma and they distance Man from his Humanity. Is this what is meant by Dharma?
By enunciating the characteristics of Dharma to the whole of humanity, this question has been answered by Jain philosophy very beautifully. And the secrets of Dharma have been revealed in only few words:
Amity (Maitri), Appreciation (pramod), Compassion (Karuna) and Equanimity (Madhyastha) are the four facets of Dharma, and life driven by these feelings alone is Dharma. This belongs to all.