Self-Destruction

In ancient India there was a small boy named Prahlad. “Prahlad” is a Sanskrit word which means “One, who gives bliss to others”. It implies that simply by his presence, others become happy. The father of the boy was Hiranyakashipu, a very powerful demon king. The king had a deep attachment for money, opposite sex and the desire for name and fame. We can easily find such people around us who have these kind of habits. They can do anything for their own pleasure and may not even hesitate to defame or kill anyone for their own benefit. Due to this reason, everyone was fearful of the King. But the boy was of a completely contrast in nature and had no desire to enjoy the world. Prahalad was soon put in school to learn about politics and other things required to become a great ruler, controller and enjoyer. But these teachings could not pollute Prahalad’s consciousness, like a lotus which appears in a pond but remains completely untouched by its dirt. The teachers of Prahlad were pleased by his learnings and saw it as an opportunity to be rewarded by the King. They arranged for a meeting between the father and the son. On meeting, the King asked the boy “What do you think is truth, tell me”. Prahlad said: “What I understand as truth is a person, living in this material world with a restless and uncontrolled mind, lives in a place of self-destruction”.

In this world we are not harming others, but are actually harming ourselves by the restless mind and intelligence. So, what should we do? Do we leave the place, where self is being destroyed? What is that place? A place, where a person is hankering for money and association with opposite sex, or is desperate for name and fame. Such a place is a place of self-destruction. Today, a person who earns 100 euros, starts to work hard so that he can earn 150. The one, who earns 150 struggles for 200, and so on. This desire for wealth becomes a never-ending cycle with no end in sight for a human being. In the name of acquiring this wealth we are actually losing our life. We are actually losing the beauty of this life. And this quest is in itself a place of self-destruction. Similarly, one who has an attraction for the opposite sex is desperate and never satisfied. It is said in our scriptures “kamaturanam na bhayam na lajja” – a person who has lust and the desire to associate with opposite sex has neither fear nor shame. Such a person cannot be peaceful and makes others uncomfortable. That person can never be “Prahlad”, because Prahlad means the one, whose presence gives bliss to others. So Prahlad says, “If you are haunted by these things, naturally everyone will be scared of you. It is not just scaring others, but it is destructing oneself. Likewise, is the desire for name and fame. Today someone will respect you and tomorrow they may not. We try very hard just to earn that respect from others and in the process lose self-respect.There are many cases in this world, of people who have lost admiration and popularity, have commited suicide, as they could not bear it anymore. It is thus a place of self-destruction. So Prahlad says, “You have to quit immediately!” and he says: “Run!” Where to run? To those saints who are pure, and surrender to them.