How are You?
In our dealings in the world, we often say and hear others asking, How are you? I‘m sure all of you know the answer. It doesn’t matter what language you speak, what your age is, what gender you are, your caste, nationality, or belief system. All of us have the same standard reply: alright. But are we? How many of us have asked ourselves, “Am I really alright?” Let me share with you in brief Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj’s explanation of what our scriptures say in connection with this.
As individual souls seeking true happiness since time immemorial, we are on the path to realising God, and getting free from the bondage of His eternal power maya, from which this world is created. Our mind and this world are both material, hence our natural inclination towards the world.
Broadly speaking, maya is described as consisting of three modes (gunas) that have a binding effect on the mind — sattva, rajas and tamas or goodness, passion, and ignorance. We are constantly under siege from these modes that fluctuate to infinitum in our mind. The greatness of their grappling has earned them the idiom of the three wrestlers.
The scriptures describe the corresponding emotions these modes generate as being the generals of the army of maya — anger, lust, greed, jealousy and pride. Our temperament is ever changing and there is no guarantee what guna or combination thereof will dominate our mind at any given moment. What we think, where we physically are, and even what we eat influences the gunas. Add to this the ever changing nature of this world and we can begin to sense how all this wreaks havoc in our mind. How then is it possible for anyone to say they are alright?
According to Shri Maharaj Ji it isn’t. In fact, he goes so far as to say that we are all wrong. It is only God and the Saints, being beyond maya, who can truly say that they are alright. The rest of us suffer endlessly from this mental disease. However, our scriptures and great masters say that there is a way out of this cycle, and that is to engage our mind in devotion to God. Shvetashvatara Upanishad (3.8, 6.15) says,
tameva viditvati mrityumeti . . . “Only by knowing Him can the individual soul overcome material afflictions.”
Seek the guidance of a God-realised soul. Understand the true nature of this world — who you are, the workings of your mind, where true happiness lies and the path to attain it, etc. Practically follow their instructions and practice devotion in your daily life to completely purify your heart. Only then, with the grace of God and Guru, will you be able to reply in all sincerity, Alright when asked, How are you?
Kripalu Bhaktiyoga Tattvadarshan, Vedic knowledge revealed by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj and presented in English by Dr Vishakha Tripathi, president of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat.
https://www.jkpliterature.org.in/en/product/spirituality-in-daily-living-set-of-4
