Dont Worry, Be Happy

ಕುಸಿದು ಬೀಳಲಿ ಧರಣಿ ಕಳಚಿ ಬೀಳಲಿ ಗಗನ |
ನನೆಸಲಿ ನಿನ್ನೆಲ್ಲವು ಏನಾದೊಡೇನು ||
ಬಸವಳಿಯದಿರು ಜೀವ ವಸಿಸು ಶಿವಸತ್ವದಲಿ |
ಕುಶಲವೆದೆ ಗಟ್ಟಿಯಿರೆ ಮಂಕುತಿಮ್ಮ ||

Let the ground collapse, let the sky fall apart, let what may come, remain unshaken, take shelter of the absolute knowledge of the self (paramata tatva, or pure/ultimate form), there you will be sound, and when you have a solid, brave heart you will be happy oh dull minded dumb fellow.

This is testimonial to DVG's optimistic approach towards life. I remember having heard this somewhere (or may be i am making it up here), that a man's heart is revealed in the way he stands a shaking ground. Ground symbolizes elements that we base our existence on - may be qualification, job, family, friends; when our values are challenged, when our existence is threatened, when everything seems to go out of control. Sky sybolizes things that are beyond our control, may be the economy, the environment, the future. Sky could also stand for authority, that someone else controls us, compelled to helplessness. DVG ushers us to remain happy and undisturbed even when either of these (controllables, uncontrollables) is threatened.

The biggest trouble is our commitments in this world. We have loans for everything these days - house loan, mouse loan, car loan, bar loan, personal loan and so on and are continously worried about fulfilling these obligations. Our sense of insecurity is epitomized by the locks that we use, or the amount of life/health insurance that we invest on. We are systematically becoming slaves to these external controls. Every change outside results in a sense of loss of control.

We have unwanted, unlimited, ever increasing attachments. Lord Sri Krishna cautions about excessive "attachments" in Bhagawad Gita (Chapter 2, verses 62 and after): from attachments comes lust, from lust anger, from anger delusion, from delusion bewilderment of memory, with this intelligence (the ability to differentiate, ability to distinguish "reality" from "illusion") is lost, when this intelligence is lost one gets more entangled. It is this vicious cycle that we are all stuck in, with little knowledge of our spiritual nature, with little knowledge to escape from this whirlpool, the chakravyuuha. We are getting more and more attached and thus severely disturbed by minor fluctuations in life.

Anyway.

ಬಸವಳಿಯದಿರು - do not lament or worry over meaningless things; to stop endless complaints about how things are and how they should be; be satisfied with what you have. But, can we remain unperturbed under all circumstances? is there a way out? It is in a similar context that Arjuna asks: "sthita-prajnasya ka bhasa", for which the Lord answers in the Gita (Chap 2.61): One who restrains his senses and fixes his consciousness upon me, he is known as a man of steady intelligence. This is an extremely difficult state as the Lord acknowledges, that controlling mind is like controlling wind, but in the end he also proposes the best case scenario (the most difficult too):

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah

If we could take complete shelter of the parama aatma tatva, "shiva-tatva", shelter of the absolute truth, the Lord himself, then freedom is assured (so says the Lord).

One needs to take shelter of this supreme knowledge, that which is the king of all knowledge (raaja vidya), the purest and the superior most of all that is known and that is to be known (pavitram idam uttamam), but also the most difficult because it is secretive (raaja guhyam) only known to and realized by a few. Secretive does not mean that it is unavailable to commons, but that commons cannot understand its presence; just as a non-software guy will look at Java code and think that its all absurd, it needs the knowledge of "programming" to understand, otherwise it remains a secret. Sorry for deviating again.

Coming back. We also need to develop a ಗಟ್ಟಿ-ಎದೆ, a rock solid, strong heart that does not beat too hard even during the most trying times. So if we could pad our hearts with knowledge, that we are beyond this material matter, only then there is ಕುಶಲ - welfare or happiness.

Shri KrishnarpaNam.