According to Indian spiritual texts, a life lived purely for self-enjoyment is a waste. In this article, I examine this assertion.
Bhagwad Gita says that those who live only to satisfy their senses live in vain. Their life is an opportunity wasted.
Strong words. As provocative statements go, this one probably takes the cake. How might one interpret this?
By and large, almost everyone acts to satisfy their senses. Everything a “normal” person does is aimed to, sooner or later, get something back in sensory-pleasure. We cannot perceive the world except through them. Furthermore, we are always looking to get some sensory feedback from them – our eyes, ears, nose, skin, and taste. All our effort appears to be to get some sense feedback – now or later. A student studies so that she can enjoy the trappings of wealth later. A person works in order to earn money, feed his family, or perhaps because he enjoys the experience. A writer writes to earn adulation (and money). A musician performs to win admiration. A mother toils to see her children grow up to be successful. The list goes on. Each time, we are in pursuit of some result(s) that we want to sense. This is how all sentient beings appear to work. Whole lives spent chasing sensory signals.
As mentioned, Gita says that a life spent only chasing sensory signals, as described above, is lived in vain. But Gita is not unique in its direction of thought here. Most religions ask for sense-restraint from their followers. No widely-followed religion encourages sense-pleasure pursuit. Yet, Gita’s pronouncement does seem harsh. It’s saying that almost every person in the world is wasting his / her life.
Let’s for a moment, stay with this thought to see where it is going.
It would appear that all are trapped by senses. Trapped to see what they show us. Trapped to serve them in one way or another through our work. Trapped to crave their drip-feed of signals. But not all are trapped. Gita also says that some try to break free.
Why is just chasing sense-signals a sign of failure while even trying to break free from them a measure of success? There are two reasons for this – one practical and the other experiential.
Let’s start with the practical view. I’ll be happier if I stop craving for sense-inputs because then I do not make my happiness conditional on anything. I would then be in a meditation-type unconditional happiness. My mind would be at peace and not worried about what my senses may or may not relay to it. I would do what I should be doing but I would not worry about what the outcomes are (because that traps me in a senses-driven mindset). Any happiness that I think I would feel when I get what I want in terms of sense-gratification would be temporary. Unconditional happiness that comes from the mind being at peace stays with a person.
The second view is experiential. Even if the above logic makes some sense to a reader, he may not have experienced unconditional happiness. This experience is when the real “aha” moment comes. It is then that we can appreciate that the happiness of sense-gratification is like a mirage that we keep chasing out of habit.
Closing Notes
Experiencing unconditional happiness is important
Overcoming our human nature that seeks sense-based happiness is difficult. It is virtually impossible if we do not raise our level of consciousness. The same level of mindset that guides our daily life will not elevate us from conditional happiness to unconditionally happiness. This is the reason all normal people are trapped in the cycle of “sense-gratification”. Even the most “intelligent” and “accomplished” people we see remain wedded to material and monetary possessions. Overcoming this mindset needs one to transcend the sense-pangs we feel. And transcending needs one to experience what unconditional happiness feels like. For this, I would recommend practicing deep meditation.
Cycle of sacrifice
The original verse that I have quoted at the beginning of this article talks about “sacrifice”. This sacrifice is actually giving up the fleeting mirage of the happiness we usually chase in order to experience the true happiness that comes without any sensory conditional attached.
Recommended Reading
Scientific Spirituality: A scientific, experiment-based approach towards spiritualism and ancient Indian texts could serve us well.
The Advanced Meditation Exercise (TAME): This meditation technique is an incredibly powerful way to keep the mind peaceful. It is prescribed in Bhagwad Gita, the primary book of Indian spiritual heritage. It derives its power by activating three key things in us: detachment, stillness, and transformation.
Why TAME meditation appears to work better than other techniques: TAME meditation appears to be more effective than other meditation techniques because it activates three essential elements of meditation: detachment, transformation, and stillness. Meditation needs all three.
Float above reality …. to remain always happy: Use the TAME meditation technique to keep yourself emotionally detached from ups and downs of the daily grind. This can feel like physically floating above the world. Don’t get divorced from reality, but don’t get drowned by it either.
