ACT CONSEQUENCES AND RULE CONSEQUENCES.

The theory of consequences is differently perceived by different traditions and different philosophers.  One may say consequences are rule based, and the other may may say consequences are act based.  Dharmik scriptures  give prominent principles.
They do not  necessarily propose rule or act consequences. The scriptures are devised for sustainable existence.  Hence they are more dynamic and flexible, neither rigid nor no rule based.
For Eg:-  violence has to be avoided, therefore non violence is a tool to achieve that.
Truth and transparency are important tools for sustainable relationship.  These are universal principles and  are rule based, but some times we see in emergency and in life threatening situations that our tool box may ask us to use the tools which are rarely used.  If certain tools are part of the tool box, that means they have utility, but may not be used as often as other tools. The  mere fact that the tools are there  indicates that one may need to use these tools sometimes sparingly  and with great discretion .

Lies, violence and other similar tools are dangerous but need to be used  some time for dharma's cause.
Dharma teaches us that it is important to understand and use these tools with great care.   Therefore dharma is rule based and at the same time it is act based, rule  based prominently, act based  in emergency but  either way for dharma.

Therefore dharma becomes the reference point, not a person nor some human qualities. When dharma is not the reference point, one creates one’s own values to ascertain what is right and what is wrong. But  with dharma being the reference point, there is no chance of making  blunders and mistakes.

Dharma and the teachers of dharma always make dharma  the  reference point. When dharma is made the reference point then the rule of dharma and act for dharma can be reconciled.  Hence Krishna on the battlefield followed the rule of dharma and when dharma was in danger he did those acts which were uplifiting the dharmik principle.

Without dharma as the reference point  rule or act becomes  the cause of confusion and conflict.
With dharma as the reference point conflict and  confusion can be turned into coherent and cooperative existence.

GOVERNANCE AND GOOD QUALITY

In his Arthasastra, Chanakya explains about inefficiency. He talks about how it is caused by a number of factors such as the ignorance of the nature of work, apathy or laziness to work, sheer negligence or procrastination due to engagements in sensuality, timidity caused by fear of working with subordinates, corruption, showing favoritism, short temperedness, violent nature, over confidence about one’s capacity, and greed.

As we can tell from the list, the Arthasastra speaks about more than just having good skills. It emphasizes on a certain character that makes for a successful administrator. Administration maybe an external skill but it is deeply connected to the internal administration of a person. On the other hand, one may argue that we can grow with brutality too. Maybe, but is short lived and creates far-reaching consequences; the aftermath of that is very destructive.

The growth that Arthasastra refers to is comprehensive and creates complete circles of life. One who grows his resources without this principle simply abuses his resources and creates a lasting disturbance.

Ravana, in his golden city of Lanka, had acquired wealth by dubious means. That wealth couldn’t make him a refined man, instead bad qualities plus wealth with dubious means translated into his eventual destruction. Bad qualities are bad already but with wealth, they get worse much faster. They’re like firewood and wealth plays fuel while arrogance becomes the fire. The consequences are burning our entire civilizations. Women of Lanka did not blame Ram for the war, but they blamed Ravana’s ignorance and Surpanaka’s instigating tendency for their woes.

Therefore, it is not money or wealth that is bad, but the wrong qualities we acquire that make us inefficient to handle that wealth. It can become a weapon of mass destruction when handled by a person of poor character. So beware of that black gold. It is a powerful fuel and carries the potency of changing one from being savaged or saving the human civilization.

SUBCONSCIOUS SELFISHNESS

Those driven by personal dharma sometimes end up damaging their surrounding environment without being conscious of it, and certainly they aren’t really conscious of these actions.

Personal growth – either material or spiritual has its flip side. Sometimes, it makes one very selfish, and sometimes one becomes more and more self-conscious. Some are so focused on their personal growth for which they are carefully and constantly reflecting upon their actions, and analyzing their growth based on their performances. They are so enterprising to grow better than before that in doing so they forget that there is a family, a society and humanity. Owing to this, their personal growth creates a disturbance to the society in a very conscious way, but the person in concern is blissfully unaware of it.

Therefore, the Gita talks about this from the very beginning – ‘you grow but also help uplift the society’. Both must go hand-in-hand. That is healthy growth.

Some so-called spiritualists deny the realities of the world. They use these sufferings to escape in to the woods and meditate to escape this world and go to the higher realm. On the other hand, we also have materialists who are so absorbed in this world that they neither care about nor believe that there is something beyond this world. They get selfishly soaked in personal gratification. There are also some others who are moved by the suffering of people and actively partake in problem solving; but these people mostly land up becoming atheists because, on their own, they cannot figure out how God allowed this to happen. So they conclude that there is no God.

But those who are conscious of all layers of life plan self-growth in harmony with the society’s benefit on all levels – physical, vital, emotional, intellectual and ultimately spiritual. Therefore the Pandavas represent these principles. As very responsible citizens and eventually Kings, they took care of material affairs flavored with devotion to Lord Krishna, and at the same time, pursued intensely their spirituality, which was not a concept of world-denial.

 This is why we see Lord Krishna glorifying the life of trees in Srimad Bhagavatam to His friend – for doing ultimate charity. Let us choose to cut the tree of life or sit under it reflecting, ‘can I be useful like this tree for some people at least?’

WAR IS INEVITABLE

A Leader is  one who sees every body in the society as having something to contribute.
He empowers people more and controls less. A manager on the other hand sees everybody as having some short coming and therefore sees people  as making mistakes. A manager is more control centric and less empowering.

A leader has a natural trust in people and he has to cultivate and struggle to find mistakes in his followers.
A manager on the hand has a critical mind set and therefore he has to struggle to trust people.

When a  leader and a manager work as a team they bring tremendous benefit to their organisation. On the other hand  when a leaders and a manager work and use their weak fortes to run an organization, they create disastrous results. When they combine their positive side --- A leader using his empowering and trusting  side and  the manager using his controlling and critical thinking side, it creates a steady growth at the organisational level.

Bhisma was empowering and trusting  and therefore he  did not see anything wrong in crowning  Duryodhana as king of Hastinapura.  He was willing to divide the kingdom and hoping that both the parties the Pandavas and the  Kauravas would work together. Vidura on the other hand was a critical thinker and could envisage the future damages.  Therefore from the very beginning he did not want Duryodhana to do anything with the royal lineage. He in fact very categorically told Dhritharasthra at the time of the birth of Duryodhana to abandon him.

Bhismadeva was hopeful about Duryodhana and Vidura was fearful of giving power to Duryodhana.  This conflict went on for  a long time, till the war broke out. 

When the leader and manager understand each other’s forte and weakness and help each other in seeing from a complete perspective, then the person whom they are seeing gets encouragement from the leader and discipline from the manager. If one gets only encouragement then one has the potential to become over confident, and if one  gets only correction and discipline, one loses the ability to function.

We need both in our life, Bhisma’s side and Vidura's side, then our growth would be real rather than imaginary.
Lord Krishna is a great harmonizer and the greatest encourager, and confidence giver,  He told Arjuna in the Gita, "You are born of divine qualities."  And when Arjuna was losing his composure and making a wrong decision,  the same Krishna was giving him a strong dose of the medicine of chastisement and critically analyzing Arjuna’s mistakes.

Therefore a good leader also has the flavour of a manager, and a good manager has the flavour of a  leader.  Finding such leaders and managers is our good fortune and working under them is the beginning of our success.

Therefore Gita has  a wonderful harmonizing effect of giving us confidence and giving us discipline.

Why not apply the beautiful teaching of gita and make our life more meaningful?

SOME THING TO LIVE FOR

After the incident of the burning of the house of lac  and during the exile in the forest the Pandavas  encountered different situations... some trying testing and some that taught them  lessons.
One such incident was with, Citraratha Gandharava. He narrated many stories to the Pandavas....
Once he narrated  the story of Vashishta, who was unnecessarily being harassed by Vishwamitra.(before he became a Rishi).
Vashishta's sons were devoured by a human turned demon, who was instigated by Vishwamitra. In this situtation after the loss of his sons Vashistha did not find  any reason  to live. He wanted to give up his life, and he tried to end his life many times.Every time he tried, some how or other destiny would not allow him to die. Even death was not willing to show him any mercy.
As he was walking back to his ashram, despondent, finding no reason to live, and being unable to die,he saw his daughter in law, who was carrying the grand son of Vashishta Rishi, in her womb-- Parashara.
Vashishta changed his mind about ending his life ,instead he took a vow  to  live to raise his grand son into a great rishi  even greater than himself.

This Parashara was none other than the father of the great Vyasadeva, the compiler of all the vedic literature. Earlier Vashishta had found it futile  to live, as he was not contributing to some one in life. As soon as he found a purpose his zeal to live increased.

People need to find a purpose for their life, other wise life  becomes burdensome. Someone has said, "those who are suffering for a long time need to pick up their confidence by doing something  that they feel will benefit someone or something.
Something  as small as seeing a plant which they are watering  grow and has the potential to become a large tree is also a purpose"

Interestingly Vyasadeva compared the Kuru family and Pandava's family to a tree. One was a good tree and one was the tree of anger. Both had a purpose to grow, one wanted to grow to destroy the other,  the other tree wanted to grow to give shade to everyone else. When the purpose  of one tree was useless and destructive, it had to come down.  Lord Krishna orchestrated the tree of evil to come down.
Without a purpose one does not want to live, and with a wrong purpose we make other’s lives meaningless as Vishwamitra did for Vashishta. on the other hand people like  the Pandavas become a tree which makes other small plants find their purpose and grow and further gives a chance to many other plants to find a real and meaningful purpose in  life.

What  kind of tree are we?  Life producing....
Life generating..or making others lives lifeless?

PAIN OF TOLERATING

Bhima’s personality epitomises the pain of tolerating the intolerable.  When Dushyasana offended Draupadi, the law of justice called for immediate action against the culprit. But Bhima was bound by respect towards his elder brother and  he could do nothing. This pain of tolerating was more acute than the physical pain that Draupadi experienced.
He had to wait  for thirteen years before he could give  her justice.
He personified the quality of being affected by the pain of the weak, helpless, and abused, and at the same time being  unable to take action against them, even though  he had the power to punish.

If we are helpless and we lack power to punish  it is one thing but to be helpless when we have the power to help some one who deserves the help and  is desperate for it, and not able to help because of some sensitive reason, like order not coming from some one whom you respect is quite another thing.
In another situation the surrounding was unfriendly -- Once Kichaka, commander of King of Virata, was lusting after Draupadi he kicked Draupadi infront of Yudhishitra, Virata and Bhima. When Draupadi pleaded to King Virata to help her Virata, said “I do not now what must transpired between you and him". This insult infuriated  Bhima, he was ready to strike both Virata and Kichaka, by uprooting an entire tree, but Yudhisthira said to him, "what are you looking at the tree, there are many more trees in the forest which are dried, you can uproot them for your use.”  Yudhisthira was worried, that Bhima would kill them and their identity would be revealed before the incognito period was over and again they would be sent back to the forest for 12 years by Duryodhana.  Again Bhima was ready to help but helpless due to the unfavourable surrounding.

Usually real life is many times like Bhima’s situation, we have the power to give justice but the surrounding seems  to be unsuitable and one is forced by the power of time to wait for the right time to give justice. Sometimes power is right but the time is not right, some times, time is right but power is not there, power and time are right but surrounding is not favorable. Such situations create an extreme degree of pain, as Bhima  went through. Therefore when he saw everything was right in terms of time power situation and the culprit was in his presence, inviting his own brutal death Bhima,'s punishment was severe , whether it was Kichaka, Dushyashana or Duryodhana, he struck them like a volcano and a  hurricane.

Time is such a factor that it comes back to the shameless culprit, who go on with their nastiness, as if no one has the power to punish them, and time factor is also like Bhima who has the power but helplessly waits to punish.
Choice is ours whether to make time a factor like Bhima, which can be brutal or respect the time factor at all  times, and avoid being shameless like Dushyasana and Kichaka.

MONEY MEAN OR MEANINGFUL

Money is very closely connected to Laxmi, the "goddess of fortune"-- consort of Lord Narayana.

In many spiritual traditions money  is  considered as a  root cause of all evil. It is also considered to be an intoxication greater than an intoxicating drug, a cause of all conflicts....

Certainly Dharmik scriptures talk about wealth, however they despise making wealth as a goal of life, at the same time do acclaim that money is a tool for stability in life.

A challenge with anything in this world is to find out whether we are making something which is supposed to be a tool into a goal.

In the  Mahabharata there is a constant discussion to bring out this understanding  in the forefront of our intellect so that we can  act according to that wisdom.

Action many times conflicts with wisdom, consciously and more dangerously, unconsciously, most of the time. Unconscious activity which makes us slide towards making money as a goal is adharma.

Conscious adharma or unconscious adharma, the effects are the same. Like fire burning knowingly or unknowingly.

Therefore many people feel  that wealth abnegation is a safe road to  tread and others feel it is impractical and life denying. So they indulge  in wealth hoarding. Both are easy paths to escape or covet. Of course both are not user friendly rather imaginary friendly. 

Therefore when Arjuna was hesitant to fight, Krishna gave a wealth of wisdom to Arjuna in the form of the Gita, which would guide him to win and not lose to covetness.
Krishna also made Arjuna alert about the sin of abnegation.
About  losing to weak heartedness and making adharma win such that squandering would be  made into a legacy by adharmik people.

Wealth has to be with some people . Good  people avoiding it, only helps the bad to misuse it. Therefore mahabharata says making money is one thing. But how does  one make it?  One does not create new wealth. Rather wealth changes from person to person, community to community and country to country.  In Sanskrita, Laxmi has another name "Chanchala," meaning flickering one. She does not stay constantly in one place. So increasing is another challenge with money. Thirdly it is more difficult  to protect it.  Most  important is utilizing. So at all the four stages there is war. In making, in growing , in protecting and finally using it.

Therefore money creates two kind of struggles the Dharmik struggle and adharmik struggle and there is no third stage that money has , if someone claims  that stage exists then it is a  myth.

Money,  therefore forces us to achieve but  we have the choice---
to make  money useful or abuseful
to use it for right reason or might  reason
and lastly to make it a tool or a goal.

In conclusion in mahabharata Rukmini asked Laxmi, "where do you  reside? ". Laxmi said "the only place I stay permanently is with Lord Narayana".
Choose wisely  when you make money  or spend money.