Our chequered interests: a few lines about them.
Have we ever thought why different people have different likings and interests?
Even the members of the same family differ in their interests and likings.
Some like travelling while some enjoy sports. Some people like singing while yet some others like playing.
Some like travelling while some enjoy sports. Some people like singing while yet some others like playing.
Some worship, some don't believe in these activities. Some perform rituals while some go for meditation only.
Some go to gym, some others opt for yoga while mere walking is the choice of many others when we talk about some exercise.
Some prefer tea to coffee, etc. etc.
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The long and short of what is meant to say is that each and every person is uniquely different.
Why is it so, nobody can explain in full or to the satisfaction of one and all.
Even science has not been able to find the exact reasons behind this save some theory based on genetics, psychology or the like.
Some attribute this uniqueness of interests to the upbringing of an individual or the environment or society under which one grows from childhood to a mature individual.
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When we delve deeper into the matter we soon find that all these interests driven activities are the outcome of our endeavours to fulfill the urge (arisen within our soul) communicated through our body, mind and spirit to the outer world.
Thus every interest driven activity has some sort of soul connection.
In other words, interest driven activity which a person is not otherwise duty bound to do, are intended to feed our inner soul's hunger rather than something to make some earning out of it.
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The third point that emerges out of reflection on the matter is that all interest driven activities are like flowing water of all the rivers of the world that find their ultimate refuge in the great sea.
The sooner we realize that each and every action, interest driven or otherwise, ultimately come to rest in His laps when a person is laid to rest.
That is why the Bhagavad Gita says-a person attains liberation/perfection through his actions only.
स्वे स्वे कर्मणि निरत: संसिद्धि लभते नर:
It's this multiplicity of interests that gives rise to chequered actions. However all actions merge to rest in Him just like all rivers ultimately lose its identity by merging themselves in the Great Sea.
In a sea we can't differentiate which water is of which river.
Swami Vivekanand often would sing a shloka-
रूचीनां वैचित्र्यादृजुकुटिलनानापथजुषाम।
नृणामेको गम्मस्त्वमसि पयसामर्णव इव।।
O Lord, just as the ocean is the destination of various rivers, in the same manner you are the destination of all the people who follow various straight or curved paths as per individual different tastes.
~R.R.Prabhakar.
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