Most valuable & desirable thing!

Maharaj Yudhisthira asked: Since time appears to destroy everything, what is it that should be sought after?

Bhisma replied: Renunciation of desires for material gain is better than the cultivation of them. This wisdom should be sought at all times. I will tell you a story related to this

There was once a man named Manki. Even after making numerous attempts to acquire wealth, he simply ended with disappointment. Finally with the little money he had, Manki purchased two young bulls & a yoke, and began training them how to Plow the fields

One day after yoking his bulls, as Manki was leading them to the agricultural field, they came upon a camel lying in the middle of the road. Seeing the camel, the bulls became frightened. As they ran helter-skelter, the bulls fell down when the yoke got stuck in the camel’s neck. At this, the camel angrily got up & quickly ran away taking the young bulls with him

When Manki saw the bulls dangling from either side of the camel’s long neck & thus on the verge of death due to being dragged along the ground, he exclaimed: Oh! If one is not destined to become rich, he will not be able to, even with the greatest exertion. I can now understand that what appears to be an accident-the bulls being dragged by the camel to their deaths-is actually the work of destiny. To say that something happens by chance is no better than claiming that the falling of an over-ripe fruit from a tree was caused by a crow that happen to be perched on the same branch

After coming to this conclusion, Manki gave up all material aspirations & commenced a life of meditation for the purpose of attaining self-realization and ultimate liberation

Bhisma said: My dear Yudhisthira, material hopes are very strong & they agitate one’s heart. On the other hand, the renunciation of such false hopes brings about genuine peace & happiness. For this reason, wisdom is said to be the best of all acquisitions

uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet

ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ

One must deliver himself with the help of his mind and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well

The mind must be so trained that it can deliver the conditioned soul from the mire of nescience. In material existence one is subjected to the influence of the mind and the senses. In fact, the pure soul is entangled in the material world because the mind is involved with the false ego, which desires to lord it over material nature. Therefore, the mind should be trained so that it will not be attracted by the glitter of material nature, and in this way the conditioned soul may be saved

One should not degrade oneself by attraction to sense objects. The more one is attracted by sense objects, the more one becomes entangled in material existence. The best way to disentangle oneself is to always engage the mind in Kṛṣṇa consciousness

Thoughts? #gameoflife

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