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11. You grieve over those who should not be grieved for, and yet speak like the learned; wise men do not grieve over the dead or the living.
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The primary aim of religion is to teach man how to conduct his life in a world of conflicting truths so that he can overcome his suffering and attain peaceful and joyous existence. In order to achieve this objective religion has to first deal effectively with the subject of human suffering, for grief or suffering is the central and dominant theme of human life. It has to explain and expose the causes underlying grief so that it can safely show the correct way to the suffering humanity. Without dealing with this subject to our satisfaction no religion can satisfy our intellectual need to find a rationale basis for the transformation of our inner nature and the true purpose of human life.
Grief is therefore the first and the most important mystery to be explored, understood and resolved before one can proceed safely and convincingly with the matters of spirituality. The starting point for all philosophical and religious debate, it is the enigma that challenges you for a direct confrontation, sneering at your strength, and finally exposes your weaknesses utterly and hopelessly against the backdrop of a remorselessly merciless world. It is the teacher who teaches you its harsh lesson through the fear of pain and the lure of pleasure. No man is safe from its vicious net and no one can ever escape its powerful tentacles as long as he is earth bound and sense-bound.
Nature has interwoven grief into every fabric of human life so that it would remain forever as a grim reminder of our imperfections, incapacity and inadequacies. Grief is the correction mechanism inherent in our existence which comes to the surface the moment there is a wrong mental or physical movement on our part. It is so deeply ingrained in our nature that it cannot be separated from us as long as we cling to our old ways and to our lower nature.
Grief demands and command for its own destruction wider vision, a deep understanding and unflinching wisdom that can guide a wider and brighter movement of life, a life that is in total harmony with itself and moves in harmony with the divine will and truth towards the ultimate reality. Grief is therefore the central problem of human life which demands undivided attention of all spiritual aspirants.
One can find a similar approach in the construction of the Gita also. The first chapter of the scripture deals with the grief and despondency of Arjuna and the subsequent chapters on the various methods and approaches which can effectively deal with this problem. Lord Krishna has aptly started his dialogue with a direct reference to the subject of grief.
Commentary by Jayaram V
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