Speaking Tree - Why A Dead Man Does Not Ever Vote

Speaking Tree - Why A Dead Man Does Not Ever Vote

Generally, we have two distinct schools of thought – the spiritual and the material. A materialistic person explains everything in terms of matter and through scientific process of observation and experiment. For him, the source of every concept, whether conscious or unconscious, would be material principle. Materialistic theory is based on the assumption that existence of anything that does not come under the purview of observation and experiment is unreal. All subjects of social, economic, religious nature are discussed in the light of material concept and gain. On the other hand a spiritualist would base his concepts on the assumption that there exists a spiritual force that is regulating the whole universe.

The nature, behaviour, is of two types – nitya, eternal and naimittik, temporary. For example, water is liquid by nature. Liquidity is the eternal nature (behaviour) of water. When we freeze water, it becomes ice, which is a temporary effect and if heated, it changes to vapour. The chill is the temporary cause that has brought about the effect of freezing of water. Likewise heat caused water to change to vapour. Under a temporary effect, an object tends to change its eternal nature and once that effect is removed, the same object would exhibit its original or basic nature and would behave normally.

Likewise, everything in this world has basic nature. The basic nature or core behaviour of every living being is to serve. Amaterialist scientist overwhelmed with the temporary cause of body and world adopts naimittik nature whereas a spiritual scientist, understanding the temporary cause of body and world, refrains from accepting naimittik nature. That is why there is difference in opinion. Whereas basic nature of ‘serving’ is eternally existent, in the followers of both schools of thought, they are pursuing different interests. Almost everyone accepts the universal message of Bhagwad Gita that all individual souls, living beings, are the outcome of the spiritual potency of Krishna. The real Self of all living beings is spirit, not matter.

In everyday language we say ‘ my hand, my mind, my intelligence’. Nobody says ‘I mind’, ‘I body’ ... You may go to any place or country, a body is considered human till it has conscious principle in it. Once conscious principle leaves the body, it is considered ‘dead’. A body can vote when it is alive. However, a dead man cannot vote – real Self of all is not matter but spirit, and that spirit we call soul.

Minute powers of ‘willing’, ‘doing’ and ‘feeling’ – ichha-kriya-anubhut – exist in all conscious living beings. Scriptures say that all living beings possess minutely in their real Self – existence, knowledge and bliss or satchit-ananda. Therefore, the existence of unconscious material things in the world is perceived by conscious beings. Matter never comes to say like a conscious being – ‘I am matter’. Conscious beings impart materiality to matter. Matter has got no independence of its own.

So spirit is of primary importance and that of mind and body – the apparent selves – is secondary. There is no harm in taking advantage of body and mind for the real interest of real Self. It is quite unwise to sacrifice interest of the real Self for the apparent interest of apparent selves. If necessary, it is wise to do the reverse.