Aim of Life

 

Traditionally indians considered four aims.

One, to attain atma-jnana, realise brahma.
Person involved in such pursuit was brahmana.
Example – Adi Sankaracharya, Ramana Maharshi

Two, to uphold dharma, righteousness in society.
Person involved in such pursuit was kshatriya.
Example – Sri Rama, Shivaji

Three, to produce things, food, objects of utility.
Person having such aim was vyshya.
Example- All those people who made sure that India’s share in world GDP was always greater than 25% till around 1750 when britishers started looting india.The people who produced the Iron Pillar at Mehrauli that has withstood weather without rusting, without help of paint, for millenniums.

Four, to emulate role models. To live under guidance of respected and wise people.
Person having such aim was sudra.
Example- All those people who helped the vyshyas build the Iron pillar at Mehrauli. Those who helped produce materials. Those who fought alongside the kshatriyas to uphold dharma. Those who gave alms to brahmanas.

The above four aims were pursued to actualise karma. nishkama karma.
Actions without seeking to enjoy results thereof.
Such actions sublimated karma, sustained rta in the world.

There is a fifith aim – self-aggrandizement.
To indulge, ‘enjoy’ life. Motivation here is self-interest and self-gratification. Me and mine takes centrestage.
My life, my body, my looks, my wife, my children, my relations, my friends, my car, my bungalows, my achievements, my degrees, my name, my fame, my money, my empire, my needs, my philosophy, my philanthropy, my broad-mindedness, my Power, my God.
Center of the universe is me and what is mine. Everyting else assumes importance in relation with me.

So if the Dodo bird or the whales do not contribute in any way to his immediate needs, they might as well not exist. If the meat of chicken or goat gives sensual pleasure to him, their life purpose is to satisfy his palate. If the Africans can be subjugated and made to slave for him, that is as per the divine dispensations of his God. If the Native Americans lived on bounteous land, they should give it all up for him. This is the mindset.

A person with such aims was mleccha.

Example- The british and other european imperialists. All those indians who collaborated with britishers to administer (loot) india during brutish raj.

Virtually every west-originated thought and attitude is pervaded by this motivation. Including their so-called ‘spirituality’, ‘religion’ and even ‘science’.

Traditionally mleccha pursuits were shunned by indian society because it brought down dharma.

 

 

Postscript

At certain point in time, some mlecchas, persecuted in their lands, who arrived as refugees, were given a place in indian society.

Many of them were industrious and prospered in commercial activities. Further contacts with such people, their involvement in society fostered perhaps, by certain kings under commercial considerations, possibly changed orientation of society. Alliances with Greeks, sometimes even of marital nature, entered into by some kings may have accelerated this process.

Such a society which had left its moorings in dharma, yet had not completely embraced the self-serving mleccha attitude could not give a unified and appropriate response to invading hordes of marauders such as Khilji, Ghazni, Ghori, Babar etc.
Under the influence of resulting mleccha administration of the country for centuries, indian society has acquired many mleccha attitudes, though the core perhaps still remains intact.

 

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This post has been moved here – Aim of Life