JOIN USIt is said that the first step towards ridding oneself of the negative human traits is the acceptance of the fact that such traits reside within one’s being. This candid acceptance is the precursor to the desire to improve one’s lot which in turn leads one to take steps for self improvement.
Our ancients too were perhaps aware of this, which is reflected in their various hymns and prayers to the unseen higher power to free them from sinful tendencies. The Rigveda is replete with such prayers for shedding the negative human traits. This text very significantly treats the earth, the bestower of prosperity to men as the very incarnation of the Lord, as a mother who gives her all to her offspring. But, whether the children reciprocate the mother’s sentiments is a question that mankind, especially today, has to ask itself! The Rigveda touchingly says “ may our mother, the earth and our father, the heavenly being save us from reprehensible sin and may they always be by our side to protect us from the sins that make us act crookedly, by making our minds to think properly and goad us towards the right path.”
The Rigveda continues to say that such sinful tendencies are the root cause of all of man’s maladies, the prime one being hate. Hate drives man to do unthinkable things, blinds him to the extent that he finally ends up blinding himself. “Remove the seeds of hate. In our ignorance, if we have done anything to upset your established order, forgive us and guide us towards the light of true knowledge” asks the Rigveda.
‘Established order’ is an oft-used phrase today. Scientists, psychologists, sociologists, environmentalists, philosophers and others quote this, each in their own way to highlight the innate equilibrium, the balance that exists in nature. Any action that upsets this balance will lead to a state of disturbance, where things go awry with deleterious effects of various types. Humanity’s present condition reflects this state of disturbance aptly, where almost all human activities are a disruption of the established order. The profound wisdom of texts like the Rigveda hold answers to mankind’s predicament.