Creation and Criticism

AZADI KA AMRIT MAHOTSAVA is in full swing. It is time to celebrate our achievements and also time to reshape our future with this belief that we are not going to repeat the same mistakes that we committed in the past. The present that has come out of the womb of the past is now on its journey for future.

‘Body’ and ‘Soul’ have always remained in struggle for having possession. Body attempts to allure man with the intention of making him lost in the materialistic world of Maya. The alluring lights that come out of the body seem to be real ones. Man is so attracted towards these bodily lights that he fails to see the light of the inner diya. In the worldly world, man cares for the body and performs all the activities for its comfort. He persuades his mind to do those things which he needs for the body. He thinks that he is doing the right thing, but forgets knowingly or unknowingly that he has made his mind his enemy. He does not think beyond his body and never follows his inner voice that continues to warn him to avoid the materialistic path. It is true that life is based on material but to be too much materialistic is really too much.

“Appo Deepo Bhava”, said Buddha to Ananda. What Buddha said is true. No one will show this light as it lies in our inner self. The problem is that man is searching for this light in the outer world while it is in the inner world. The need is to look into this inner world. The moment man peeps into his inner self and sees this light; he himself becomes light and begins to see the outer world with this light. This is the balance that he needs. Extreme stage is to be avoided. Conquer the mind and never be a slave of body. A man is a man and can conquer his body through his mind. Mind is man’s friend when he conquers it. The same mind becomes his enemy when he fails to conquer it. In Bhagvad-gita, Krishna says to Arjuna:

bandhur atmatmanas tasya yenatmaivatmana jitah

anatmanas tu satrutve vartetatmaiva satru-vat (The Bhagavad-gita 6.6)

“For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his very mind will be the greatest enemy” (Swami Prabhupada 278).

Life is to be lived in balance. Real Deepawali is in seeing the light of the inner diya and in feeling its radiance within. Knowledge, which shows the inner path that leads to the diya comes out of reading, reflecting and understanding. Start the journey towards the inner diya. Be free; feel free; drink the nectar of knowledge; and then celebrate the festival of light. Best wishes for your journey from Creation and Criticism…

All the best!

Happy reading…

Sudhir K Arora

Editor-in-Chief