Influence of “The Iron Chain” on a Person’s Perception and Behaviour
“Don’t give up on your dreams. Keep sleeping.” -Anonymous
Other articles in the series:
1. Why the same event triggers different people differently?
3. Influence of “The Silver Chain” on a person’s Perception and Behaviour
4. Influence of “The Golden Chain” on a person’s Perception and Behaviour
5. Why the same event triggers different people differently? -2
6. Free Will — The Most Powerful Weapon for Transformation
It was June 2006. I was in 10th standard. It was our summer vacation, the most awaited and cherished time. Bored at home, I decided to visit my best friend, Shyam. There I was, at his doorstep. His mother welcomed me with a smile and I went straight to his room. To my surprise, it was 12 o’clock and he was asleep.
“Shyam, get up you lazy cow!”, I shouted.
“I am not lazy!”, he resisted.
“What nonsense? It’s 12 o’clock, you are…”
“Shh… I am listening to Mr Devil and Mr Angel. They are discussing. Do not disturb.”
“Excuse me?”, I responded with a question mark on my face.
“Mr Angel is encouraging me to get up and work hard like everyone else.”
“Then why are you not getting up?”
“Because Mr Devil also has a good point. Why do what everyone else is doing? Be unique and take rest!”
The iron chain, referred to as “the mode of ignorance” as per Bhagavad Gita’s terminology, is considered the abominable among the three.
The philosophy of life of such a person is, “Don’t give up on your dreams. Keep sleeping.”
The inclination of thoughts of a person pulled only by this chain moves naturally towards pessimism. It’s similar to a ball kept on an inclined plane which naturally moves down the incline. Such a person is disempowering pattern personified and can find impossibilities amongst the galore of possibilities.
The decision making of such a person follows the pattern: “let me go with the flow, wherever life wants me to go!” This is similar to the flow of regular tap water which obeys the path of the drain without resistance (for example, if a drain is designed to take right at a certain point, water won’t go left). Because of such behaviour, this person deserves a medal for preserving his brain.
Being heavily lazy and an idle procrastinator, such a person is inactive and counter-productive. Because of inactive intelligence and pessimistic inclinations, any action performed leads to foolishness.
Such a person lives a life full of misery from beginning till the end.
It’s obvious why Krishna calls this particular chain or mode as abominable (Bhagavad Gita 14.18) among the three in His most famous song, Bhagavad Gita.
Curious about the two other chains? Click here for the next article.
Liked what you read? Please comment below and share with friends.
Want regular updates? Like Facebook Page.
For email updates, please subscribe.
To connect, share your contact details.
Want an article on a particular topic? Comment below :)
My personal suggestion: Please read the Bhagavad Gita As It Is by HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada for deeper insights.
