Aspiration is an indicator of health of society

(Cont'd from last week)

Normally aspiration or ambition is not consistent with our thinking of Dharma.  We are taught that ambition or competition is unhealthy for spiritual growth.  However, I see it differently.  Aspiration to me is an indicator of health of a society.

What does an individual in society want to become?  What are his aspirations?  This applies to a society and a nation as well.  The bigger the country's problems, the bigger it is bound to grow.

This needs to be understood deeply.  What do you want your son to be depends on the society you live in.  A young man growing up in Pakistan may want to be a suicide bomber.  That may be his life time goal.  A young girl Sania in Hyderabad may want to dream of becoming a tennis champion.  She may even come close to it.

It is ok to dream.  A society which has dharma in abundance may provide different dreams to its citizens compared to those where Dharma is not respected at all.  The dreams differ vastly between the two situations.

Abhimanyu was brought up in a happy and harmonious situation.  Pandavas were not rich at the time.  They did not have the kingdom on their side.  They were spending their time in jungles.  But, there was general happiness and harmony in his growing up. 

Arjun was a great father and uncle Yudhisthir was called Dharmaraj.  Contrast that with the Kaurava camp.  Things were always in doldrums.  Suspicion and distrust abounded in that camp.

I live in USA and every one dreams of a house, car and a happy family.  Bill Gates started his computer business from his garage and became one of the richest men in the world. 
A dream to become big has made the whole country a superpower in the world.  I was once driving in the countryside of the state of Michigan.  I saw a small restaurant.  There was a sign on the restaurant which said, "The best chicken dish served in the world."  The owner has not compared all the chicken dishes in the world, yet he is brave enough to dream and show his dream on the sign board.

Atjun wanted to be the best.  It was not easy to be the best in his times.  Bhishma and Drona were his teachers.  Karna was one of the best of his times.  The war of Mahabharata was real.  The war was a matter of life and death.  The question was survival of the fittest. 

Arjun had a dream.  He represented the dream of all the Pandavas.  He lived his dreams.  He worked for his dreams and made many of them come true.

Now comes the time when he has to learn to transcend his dreams. The ultimate that can be reached with aspiration, ambition and dreams has come to a head.  Arjun did not know it.  Krishna could see it through Arjun.

Arjun is in the battlefield and he gets caught in emotions.  He goes numb because of his attachments.  Krishna does not tell him to forget his relations or friendship.  Krishna takes Arjun on a different path, a path where Arjun has to drop all his desires, aspirations and ambitions. 

Then and then only can he be free of his emotional attachments; these have become a bondage for him in his progress further.  It is not actually a progress for Arjun but a cause for entire existence. 

Arjun's presence in the war was needed by existence, the infrastructure and the system of existence needed an overhaul at the time and Arjun was to be the chief instrument in the process.  Arjun had to work for the system; he had to work for Parmatma; he had to work for Dharma; Arjun did not need to work for Arjun any more.

(To be continued)