144 - The Danger of Materialism | Swami Tattwamayananda

Bhagavad Gita | The Essence of Vedanta

The 16th chapter does not just give a list of dos and don’ts. It makes us understand the subtle differences between the characteristics. For example, one of the Asuri traits that is described is Dambhah, big show of one’s status. In relation to it, it describes Darpah as another Asuri trait. Someone who may be humble and calm, may assure himself of his superiority and feel that he does not need to display that. That is a kind of arrogance, which is included in the meaning of Darpah. When we deny the possibility of a positive trait in others, that trait in us becomes a negative trait.
6th verse: “There were two types of beings at the beginning of creation. O’ Arjuna, I have described the divine ones. Now let me describe the other.”
From the 7th verse onwards, Lord Krishna describes the external manifestations of those endowed with Asuri Sampat.In the 7th verse he says: “They do not know what do and what not to do, they have no sense of purity or impurity, they do not have a sense of propriety or impropriety, and they do not have a sense of truth or untruth. They have a natural disposition towards doing the wrong things.”

Samsara refers to the cycle of birth, death and rebirth – our actions leave a residual effect on our mental system, which then become strong attitudes that prompt us to do further actions (karma-vritti-samskara-chakra). We carry these mental tendencies with us from life to life.
Every individual should evolve further by acquiring Daivi Sampat. Asuri Sampat brings one down in evolution. Daivi Sampat helps us get out of Samsara and eventually attain liberation.
When we live in this world, we should be guided by dharma, a self-regulating mechanism and a sense of self-restraint. This self-restraint helps us enjoy the world without harming the mind with worries and anxieties. It also helps in our spiritual evolution.
8th and 9th verse: Those endowed with Asuri Sampat say: “There is no such thing as Truth or morality. The idea of spirituality is without any meaning. All human beings are the result of biological union and the underlying basis is lust.” The 9th verse says that such misdirected people arise as enemies of the world and threaten its destruction.

Charvaka was the school of Indian materialism. They taught: “Might is right. We should not believe what we cannot see with our own eyes. Don’t think of yesterday or tomorrow. Don’t think of anything other than giving pleasure to this body.” The 8th and 9th verses provide a picture of this crude materialism and the commentators discuss the dangers of following such a path.
The Bārhaspatya sūtras (derived from the name of the author Brhaspati) is a text on the Charvaka school of materialist philosophy. It was written to help people avoid falling into the trap of materialism.
The Charvakas used wonderful words on superficial ideas of comforts without deeper meaning of life. They were speaking what we want to hear not what we need to hear. According to them: “One should enjoy life as long as one lives. It is okay to even steal money as long one can avoid punishment. This is because life is only one chance and this body will not come back.”
There is great danger in this philosophy. If society follows such a philosophy, there won’t be any self-restraint. In such a society, people’s body may be healthy but the mind will fall sick. In such a society, people have no interest in higher transcendental value.

Shankaracharya says that it is okay to enjoy things in this world if the conduct is not opposed to dharma. It is also important to stay connected with a higher transcendental ideal. Without such as an ideal, one cannot say no to the wrong temptations.
10th verse: “Filled with insatiable desires, hypocrisy, pride, arrogance and evil ideas – such people work with impure resolve to accomplish their evil ideas and goals.”
Ambitions and goals are good. Our attempt to achieve these goals should not violate the universal principles of morality and ethics.
All good qualities and hard work should be accompanied by Daivi Sampat. Otherwise, there is a risk that they can make human civilization more evil. Ramayana and Mahabharata have examples of mythological figures such as Ravana and Hiranyakashipu. They lived in forests and meditated to become more evil.
In the last few verses, Gita gives us a list of problems that we face in modern life and warns us of the danger of falling into the trap of materialism. Vallabhacharya said: “If people think that they don’t see anything good or permanent in this world, then their only destination is darkness.”
Some chapters and verses of Gita are chanted with great spiritual significance. The 12th chapter and the 2nd chapter are some examples. The 24th verse of the 4th chapter is chanted before taking food. Some verses of the 2nd chapter that deal with the eternal nature of the Atman and the perishable nature of the body are chanted at the time of death.