Greed and Fear- Eliminate
They are the root of all miseries: greed drives you to any lengths to fulfil your desires, while fear compels you to go to any extent to protect what you have achieved.
Greed is an uncontrolled desire that causes numerous problems for individuals and society. When those in power gain control over all resources, it leads to widespread grievances and discontent within the community. As Krishna Says in Bhagwat Geeta,
त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मन: |
काम: क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् || 21||
Meaning:
There are three gates leading to the hell of self-destruction for the soul — lust, anger, and greed. Therefore, one should abandon all three.
As the verse states, there are three gates to hell: lust, anger, and greed.
Lust is simply desire; if unfulfilled, it leads to anger. If fulfilled, it leads to greed, as we continuously seek to accumulate more. This insatiable greed can drive individuals to engage in unlawful activities, ultimately leading to the destruction of both self and nature. The relentless pursuit of more can push people towards many harmful actions. It is a continuous process, trapping us in a cycle of greed that ultimately leads to the demise of both the soul and the individual.
Desires are unlimited; once an individual achieves some of their desired goals, they are consumed by the fear of losing them. This fear, one of life’s greatest miseries, can drive a person to extreme lengths to protect their accumulated possessions. The constant anxiety of potential loss overshadows any sense of fulfilment, leading to a cycle of relentless pursuit and protection. This can result in compromised ethics, strained relationships, and a perpetual state of unrest. Ultimately, the fear of loss undermines the very happiness that the fulfilment of desires was meant to bring.
There are solutions to both Greed and Fear.
वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया मामुपाश्रिता: |
बहवो ज्ञानतपसा पूता मद्भावमागता: || 10||
Being free from attachment, fear, and anger, becoming fully absorbed in Me, and taking refuge in Me, many persons in the past became purified by knowledge of Me, and thus attained My divine love through devotion.
Lord Krishna explained that those who truly know the divine nature of his birth and pastimes attain him. He now confirms that legions of human beings of all ages became God-realized by this means. They achieved this goal by purifying their minds.
This world of Maya consists of the three modes of material nature — sattva, rajas, and tamas (goodness, passion, and ignorance). All objects and personalities in the world come within the realm of these three modes. When we attach our mind to a material object or person, our mind too becomes affected by the three modes. Instead, when we absorb the same mind in God, who is beyond the three modes of material nature, such devotion purifies the mind. Thus, the sovereign recipe to cleanse the mind from the defects of lust, anger, greed, envy, and illusion, is to detach it from the world and attach it to the Supreme Lord. Hence, the Ramayan states:
prema bhagati jala binu raghurāī, abhiantara mala kabahuñ na jāī
“Without devotion to God, the dirt of the mind will not be washed away.” Even the ardent propagator of jñāna yog, Shankaracharya, stated:
śhuddhayati hi nāntarātmā kṛiṣhṇapadāmbhoja bhaktimṛite (Prabodh Sudhākar)[v13]
“Without engaging in devotion to the lotus feet of Lord Krishna, the mind will not be cleansed.”
By remaining unattached to both success and failure, believing in oneself, trusting the natural process, and consistently doing good without obsessing over the outcomes, one can achieve true success. Faith in a higher power and maintaining a positive mindset will lead to a fulfilling life. This approach not only enhances personal well-being but also contributes to making the world a beautiful place to live.
