What is the Value of Life?

"A man asked Lord Buddha: What is the value of life?
Lord Buddha gave him a Stone & asked him, “Go & know about the value of the stone, but take care not to sell the stone.”
The man went to an Orange seller in the market and asked him about the value of the stone.
Looking at the bright Stone, Orange seller said, "You give it to me & I shall give you 12 oranges"
Further, nearby a vegetable seller saw the bright stone & said, "You can take a sack of potatoes, if you want to sell it to me"
Further in the market he went to a gold seller & showed it to him. Seeing it, Goldsmith said, ”You can take 5 million, if you want to sell it to me.”
When the man refused, Goldsmith said, "Give it to me in 20 million or tell me at what price you want to sell.”
Man said to Goldsmith, ”I cannot sell it as my guru has asked me not to sell it.”
Then he went to a Diamond jeweller & showed the stone.
On seeing the invaluable Ruby, diamond jeweller put it on a red cloth & then moved around the invaluable Ruby in prayer with folded hands.
Then the jeweller said, "This Ruby is invaluable. By selling the whole universe, the whole world, it cannot be bought, no one can put a price on it.
After that the man came back to Lord Buddha & told all the story. 

Now he asked Lord Buddha, "Now tell me, Lord, what is the value of human life?
Lord Buddha said, “You showed the stone to the Orange seller & he declared its price as "12 oranges".
You showed the stone to the vegetable seller & he declared its price as "1 sack of potatoes".
You showed the stone to the Goldsmith & he declared its price as "20 million".
You showed the stone to the Diamond jeweller & he declared it as invaluable.
Now it is the same with human life also. Everyone as per his status, his capacity shall put a different value of life. Don’t worry, You are undoubtedly a Diamond..!!!! Do not worry, this world, will also identify, find your true value one day."

“Durlabham manusyam janma, tadapya dhruvam arthadam” – The human form is reached by many pains, but a life by which God can be attained is still more difficult to get.

A human body is one of of some 8.5 million life forms, up from the unicellular organism, into which a soul can incarnate. It is only achieved when there is a perfect balancing of karmas, and is, in fact, the best form of incarnation for the rapid exhaustion of such karmas. It is because a human life is fraught with so many obstacles, tests, trials, and sufferings, that one can spiritually progress and evolve very, very rapidly in such an incarnation.

kaumara acaret prajno
dharman bhagavatan iha
durlabham manusam janma
tad apy adhruvam artha-dam
                          (Bhag. 7.6.1)

Disparity in human society is due to lack of principles in a godless civilization. There is God, or the Almighty One, from whom everything emanates, by whom everything is maintained and in whom everything is merged to rest. Material science has tried to find the ultimate source of creation very insufficiently, but it is a fact that there is one ultimate source of everything that be. This ultimate source is explained rationally and authoritatively in the beautiful Bhagavatam, or Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Human birth is very precious. Through this human body we can realize our true self, soul & can realize God. We took this birth with the grace of God. The real father and mother of all living beings in this world is the almighty God. The physical body is given by our parents. Soul is given by God! God has given us this chance as human to realize our self. Realize soul and God. So let’s devote this precious life for Self Realization and let’s devote our Life in the service of God. Then only true value of this human life can be realized.

Jai Shri Krishna

When Greatest Sinners became Saints

In scriptures, there are many stories, when robbers and murderers were converted to monkhood and to sainthood. Below are two stories in brief of persons, who were great robbers but were converted to saints by the divine people.

Story of Rishi Balmiki :

In ancient times in India, there was a robber named Ratnakar who lived in the forests. He was a cruel hunter and a robber who did all the heinous Karmas in life. Everyone in the forest, from birds to animals to humans was afraid of him. One day, he was looking for a victim in the forest, when he came into contact with great sage Narada, who was chanting the names of God. Ratnakar wanted to rob him but sage Narada advised him to stop stealing and killing the creatures as it was a very sinful act. He advised Ratnakar to start meditating & chanting the names of Lord Rama. Somehow he could not chant the name of Rama so he advised him to chant “Mara, Mara”, which he chanted but it responded in a reverse sequence like Rama, Rama only. Through reciting the names of Lord Rama he became a great saint who wrote the great epic ‘Ramayana’.

Story of Angulimala :

Similarly in the times of Lord Buddha, there was a deadly robber named Angulimala. He was so cruel that after looting people, he used to cut the fingers of people & take it with him. Once that robber and murderer came into contact with Lord Buddha & got converted to monkhood and later to sainthood. Lord Buddha did not judge Angulimala from his appearances and his external behavior. but saw the potential to reform him & make him a saint & did so by his divine capacity.

In Bhagwat Gita also, God assures his disciple Arjuna in many ways & asks him to take refuge in Him & says that He shall emancipate him of sin in all the ways, shall rescue him in his life always. Many times we think that we have done many sins in life & how God shall accept us, but God makes it very clear in Bhagwat Gita that once a person becomes devoted to Him, He does not consider that person a sinner, rather God considers that person to be a Saint as he has taken the right decision in his life to become devoted to God.

Api chet su-duracharo
bhajate maam ananya-bhak
sadhurev sa mantavya
samyag vyvasito hi sah' (Gita: Chapter IX verse 30)

'Even if the vilest sinner worships Me with full devotion, he should be considered a noble soul or saint; as he has taken the right step by worshipping me.'

'kshipram bhavti dharmatma
shasvac-chantim nigachati
kauntey pratijanihi
na me bhaktah pranashyati' (Gita: Chapter IX verse 31)

'He speedily becomes virtuous and secures lasting peace. O son of Kunti, know it for certain that My devotee never falls.'

Through above verse 31, God is telling Arjuna that such a sinful person after becoming His devotee becomes a person of good virtues and always remains in peace & such a peace is not temporary but is ever lasting. God is assuring the son of Kunti (another name of Arjuna, his disciple) that his devotee never falls again in life as He always protects him. So let's all worship the God always so that He can protect us always.



Jai Sri Krishna

Why this Pain in Life???

"Joy & Pain", "Good & Bad", "Attachment & Detachment" etc. are dual characteristics of Nature or Maya. Individual soul or "Soul" is beyond this dual Nature & is of the nature of Bliss. But when this "Soul" gets involved with Nature or Maya, then it experiences dual fruits of Nature like Joy & Pain. In this world when we get involved with material things or people around us then attachment to those things or people happen. It seems to give us joy, happiness when we are with these things or people. But as Nature is of dual characteristics so these very things or people give us equal amount of pain in life when these are not with us or are gone away from our life. It is as simple as that involvement gives joy while separation gives pain in life but both are two aspects of the same coin.

That is the reason that saints ask us not to get attached with the things or people of this world. Even if we have to remain with these things or people in the world then just remain like a drop of water on a Lotus flower, where though it is there on it but it is not attached or touched by it. Basically the nature of our mind is so that it gets attached to some object, place or person badly. In such a state our mind is swayed by the emotions & we always think of that object, place or person & without it, our life seems impossible. So in all such cases if our mind is attached to them greatly then great shall be the pain to the mind during separation from them. Same applies to other material things like your home, car, money etc. So if our mind is attached to these things greatly, so great shall be the pain to our mind during its separation.

As per the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (Buddhism), craving for worldly things is said to be the cause of all suffering that one experiences in human existence. The extinction of this craving leads one to ultimate happiness, or Nirvana. Nirvana means "cessation", "extinction" of suffering. It is also known as "Awakening" or "Enlightenment". As per the teachings of Gautama Buddha, suffering is an inevitable part of life as we know it & the cause of this suffering is attachment to, or craving for worldly pleasures of all kinds. The suffering ends when the craving and desire ends, or one is freed from all desires.

In this world we are getting deluded by the delusive energy of God called Maya. She puts our minds through the pains and sufferings of life & we all our life feel these regularly. Our mind is always full of worries, anxieties, pains of day to day life, diseases and mental sufferings. Sometimes that delusive energy of God called Maya removes a little pain from our life & gives us a small happiness & pleasure. We at that time feel that we have got fully rid of all the problems & miseries of the life & we again rush with more vigor towards the jungle called life. We forget that all those miseries & pains of life are still there & if we do not find the true answer to get rid of all these sufferings then we shall always feel the same way all through life & shall get reborn again to live a life of pain & sufferings. To get rid of all these pains & sufferings permanently, is to know your true self which is your Soul & Supersoul (God). Once you know your Soul & Supersoul (God) then all the miseries of life shall go away from your life.

In Bhagwat Gita Lord Krishna teaches Arjuna that if a person's mind is unattached internally to worldly things then that person lives in this world just like a water drop living on a lotus leaf, which is there on it but is still not attached to it.

"brahmany adhaya karmani
sangam tyaktva karoti yah
lipyate na sa papena
padma-patram ivambhasa" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Five verse 10)

"Sri Krishna said: One who performs his duty without any Attachment, surrendering all the results unto the God, is unaffected by sinful action, as the Lotus leaf is untouched by water."

Below is a story regarding a monk who lived a life of detachment in this world:

"Two monks were returning to the monastery in the evening. It had rained and there were puddles of water on the road sides. At one place a beautiful young woman was standing unable to walk across because of a puddle of water. The elder of the two monks went up to a her lifted her in his alms and left her on the other side of the road, and continued his way to the monastery.

In the evening the younger monk came to the elder monk and said, "Sir, as monks, we cannot touch a woman?"

The elder monk answered "yes, brother".

Then the younger monk asks again, "but then Sir, how is that you lifted that woman on the roadside?"

The elder monk smiled at him and told him "I left her on the other side of the road, but you are still carrying her."

So remain in this world like the one who is not attached to the things & beings of this world. Don't say to yourselves, 'I have money, home, I have a son, I have a daughter, I have numbers of men and maids for my service, I have precious gold etc; do not cling to these things with craving and desire. Simply do not get attached to anything very much that you cannot leave it. Again, just live your life like a water drop living on a lotus leaf, which is there on it but is still not attached to it.

Jai Sri Krishna

Attachment & Gautama Buddha

Nature of our mind is so that it gets attached to some object, place or person badly. In such a state our mind is swayed by the emotions than the intellect. We always think of that object, place or person & without it, our life seems impossible.

"Gautama Buddha" was born a Prince but he left his kingdom, family etc. in search of the truth. In the "Jataka Stories" there are many accounts of Gautama Buddha's previous lives in which he was born among humans, as well as, animals kingdom. Here below is a story from Jataka's in which Gautama Buddha teaches that too much attachment in life is not good.

"In olden times there was a Potter and he had a wife and family to support. In their nearby place, lay a great natural lake & next to that lake was a great river. When there were rains & there was much water, river and lake used to merge into one; but when the water was low, river and lake used to be apart. Water born fish and tortoises know by their own instinct, when in the year there shall be rain and when there shall be a drought. At one time, the fish and tortoises which lived in that lake knew that there would be a drought; and as at that time lake & river were one water, they swam out of the lake into the deep river. But there was one Tortoise that would not leave the lake & go into the deep river. He said, "As I was born in this lake, and because I have grown up here, and here is my parental home, so I cannot leave this lake. That Tortoise lived in that lake only"

Then the hot season came & all the water of the lake dried up. That Tortoise dug a hole in the lake and buried himself, just in the place where the Potter used to come to fetch the clay for making the clay pots. One day the Potter came to get some clay & he started digging the dry lake with a big spade. His spade cracked the tortoise' shell & turned him out on the ground as though he were a large piece of clay. In the pain & agony the Tortoise thought, "Here I am, dying, all because I was too fond of my home in the lake & never wanted to leave it!. As I was born in the lake & I lived here in the clay but now the same lake & clay are going to take my life. If I would have thought properly & have went with the other in the deep river, I would not have gone through this pain & agony."

So he went on and on, talking to the Potter, till he died. The Potter picked him up, and collecting all the villagers addressed them thus: "Look at this Tortoise. When the other fish and tortoises went into the great river, he was too fond of his parental home to go with them, and buried himself in the place where I get my clay. Then as I was digging for clay, I broke his shell with my big spade, and turned him out on the ground in the belief that he was a large lump of clay. Then the Tortoise called to his mind what he had done, lamented his fate and expired. So you see he came to his end because he was too fond of & deeply attached to his home. Take care not to be like this tortoise. Don't say to yourselves, 'I have money, home, I have a son, I have a daughter, I have numbers of men and maids for my service, I have precious gold'; do not cling to these things with craving and desire. Simply do not get attached to anything very much that you cannot leave it.

**** In the above story Potter was Gautama Buddha himself in his one of the previous births & the Tortoise was his disciple Ānanda in that birth."

Too much attachment to anything is also called Infatuation & it is the cause of most sorrows. Infatuation is something that we get attached to some object, place or person very badly. We are always thinking of that & without that thing, our life seems impossible. Due to such Infatuation our mind always wanders about that & forgets other important things in life.

We too find our self in such situations many times. Say you have very lovely children & you love them very much. You always think of them & little separation of them from you worries you a lot. But say one day your son gets admission to some foreign university & he has to leave you for quite many years. You find yourself so much attached to him that your mind gets troubled at just thinking that he shall go away to such a faraway land & you shall not be able to meet him. Similar thing happens when your daughter gets married. So in all such cases if your mind is attached to them greatly, great shall be the pain to the mind during separation from them.
Same applies to other material things like your home, car, money etc. So if your mind is attached to these things greatly, so great shall be the pain to your mind during its separation.

Bhagwat Gita also teaches us to live in this world like that without getting attached to anything or any being. Just like a drop of water on Lotus, where though it is there on it but it is not attached to it.

"brahmany adhaya karmani
sangam tyaktva karoti yah
lipyate na sa papena
padma-patram ivambhasa" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Five verse 10)

"Sri Krishna said: One who performs his duty without any Attachment, surrendering all the results unto the God, is unaffected by sinful action, as the Lotus leaf is untouched by water."

So we should not attach our mind greatly to any material thing, place or human being, as one day we shall have to leave these or these shall go away from us. On that day, if you have great attachment to these, you shall feel great pain, otherwise it shall be a normal life for you. So let us not allow our mind to be INFATUATED by any thing, which can lead us to sorrow.

Jai Sri Krishna