“Tulsi knows, has heard, and has understood that Shri Rama is an ocean of mercy because He made jewels and gold expensive, while keeping the most important things like water and grains inexpensive.”  (Dohavali, 149)

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तुलसी जाने सुनि समुझि कृपासिंधु रघुराज।
महँगे मनि कंचन किए सौंधे जग जल नाज ॥

tulasī jāne suni samujhi kṛpāsiṃdhu raghurāja।
maha~ge mani kaṃcana kie sauṃdhe jaga jala nāja ॥

“You really only take notice after having visited other countries; at least that is my opinion. When you see how the rest of the world lives, the standard upon which they settle, the annoying disruptions they put up with and the scarcity that plagues their local areas, you get an idea how lucky people in advanced parts of the world are.

“In the more advanced places, the people have it so easy. I am talking about running water. Reliable electricity. Paved roads. Air conditioning. Artificial heating that can be configured to an exact temperature. High-speed internet. Smartphone devices. Cable television.

“These are luxuries in other parts of the world, but just see how the people are living. It appears to me that the easier people have it, the more miserable they become. They are lazy. They are overweight. They do not adhere to a proper schedule for eating, sleeping, bathing, or working.

“The worst part to me is the addiction to intoxicants. They are always getting drunk or smoking up. It is like this defeatist attitude. They are sad and depressed. But how could that be? They have everything going for them. What is wrong with these people?”

The easy path is to criticize. Look down at others. Mock them for their lack of control over the senses. Make fun of them for living in a degraded way, as if they are homeless, without direction in life, or from a tradition lacking values.

For a refreshing change, we could take the opposite approach. Why are we blaming people for being depressed? They were promised happiness and fulfillment through a certain path. The foundation of that path was sufficient supply of the necessities of life, of enjoying a certain standard.

They have already reached that standard. They have everything they could ask for, supposedly. Can they be blamed for being depressed, now? Is it their fault that they have failed to find meaningful purpose in life? What else are they supposed to do with their time? Just sit there and stare at the wall?

Goswami Tulsidas explains the basics of spiritual life in a single verse. A single couplet of poetry from his Dohavali gives the two principles to implement for a happy, rewarding, peaceful, and fulfilling life. These principles can be implemented by any person, whether they are fully sober or suffering from the depths of depression caused by lack of proper engagement.

The first principle is renunciation. What is the impetus? What is the reason for trying vairagya? What is the benefit to lacking attachment? The status of different commodities teaches us the proper way to live. Comparing gold and jewels to water and grains can put things into the proper perspective.

Gold and jewels are relatively expensive. They are not easy to find; they are rare. Thankfully, we do not really need gold and jewels. They are not a requirement for continued living. If we go countless lifetimes without ever seeing gold, we will not know what we have missed.

On the other side, water and grains are relatively high in supply. They are also much less costly. They are easy to procure. We are also thankful for this situation, as we need water and grains. We need food; we cannot live without it.

The wise person who compares the two situations automatically follows vairagya, as a result. They will think twice before wasting effort on something not needed. As purchasing power equates to the output of work, either for the individual or the ones they are depending upon, money should not be spent on something that is not really necessary.

The second principle is appreciation. Goswami Tulsidas thanks the Supreme Lord, Shri Rama, for making grains and water relatively inexpensive and abundant in supply. It is not that a person merely exploits what is there. It is not that a person drives further along the highway of excess, such that they never see anything else.

Rather, throughout the living experience there are opportunities for appreciation. One day after another, from season to season, even while routinely coming across the blossoming tree in the front yard I can find a way to appreciate everything supplied by the Supreme Lord, who is an ocean of mercy, kripasindhu.

मच्-चित्ता मद्-गत-प्राणा
बोधयन्तः परस्परम्
कथयन्तश् च मां नित्यं
तुष्यन्ति च रमन्ति च

mac-cittā mad-gata-prāṇā
bodhayantaḥ parasparam
kathayantaś ca māṁ nityaṁ
tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca

“The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are surrendered to Me, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss enlightening one another and conversing about Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 10.9)

In this way, any person can enter the path of the saints, of progressing towards an existence that is blissful at every moment. That is what every person is yearning for, after all. That is their ultimate objective, which is a life aligning with their dharma.

In Closing:

Where appreciation to find,
Life with dharma to align.

That even from spotting the tree,
Mercy of Shri Rama to see.

That fruit in time to fall,
And sufficient provision to call.

And not after gold and jewels to chase,
Where valuable time to erase.

Categories: questions

Tags: hare krishna, life, mental health, poem, poems, poetry, tulsidas, wealth