Ethical &
Spiritual message of three wise monkeys
It is wise to remember
three wise monkeys also called three mystic apes depicting denial of three
evils- see no evil, hear no evil & speak no evil. Mahatma Gandhi saw in this trio the most basic
tenet of practical morality and he not only preserved the precious gift
presented to him by Chinese visitor but practiced its precept throughout his
life. The problem with us is that we are not fully committed or capable of
shunning the evils and fall prey to the evil at the slightest provocation
either individually or worse, in a group.
The corollary is learning seeing
good, hearing good and speaking good. Eradication of evil also calls for
simultaneous cultivation of rightesouness otherwise the space emptied by
removal of one evil will be occupied by some other evil. The famous peace hymns
(Shanti Mantras) of the Upanishadas
offer prayers for acquisition of good. O adorable Gods! With our ears let is
hear what is auspicious and with our eyes let us see what is felicitous. The
indirect (mediate) message emanating from the monkey trio is to practice
righteousness in one’s personal, professional and social life. This is what
constitutes one’s dharma or practical religion.
On deeper introspection, one can
find even subtler message which is very useful in one’s spiritual life. The
monkey trio refuses to actively transact with the world and says “I
have seen whatever had to be seen, I have heard whatever to be heard and
I have said whatever had to be said . The trio represents the matured aspirant
who has performed his worldly duties (svadharma) and attained purity of mind
and intellect (antahkaran). He does not regret when he sees , hears or speaks
less due to age related or other reasons . He has judiciously dealt with the
world while performing his duties in a detached manner. He has realized the
limitation of the world and voluntarily withdrawn from the rat race to focus on
higher realities. He has performed pravritti dharma (karma yoga) and embarked
upon nivritti dharma (renunciation of karma). From objective realities he has
plunged into the realities of subjects, focusing on seer (Drik) than the seen
(Drishya). He has ably attended to three purusharthas – Self efforts in terms
of dharma, artha , kama and is now engaged in the fourth and ultimate
purushartha of moksha (liberation).
Swami Chidananda in one of his
early morning talks at Shivananda Ashram conveyed similar message. Body,
senses, mind and intellect constitute our physical personality and
psychological self and serve as channels for spiritual practice and instrument
of yoga. But except for this fact, they are, by and large, only of nuisance
value, to be tolerated, because they are prolific source of our bondage, our
disharmony, our clash and conflict within as well as with others. They constantly obstruct the awareness that I
am a spiritual entity beyond body, mind, name and form. By that little action
of veiling, they drag us down to the lower plane of body and mind consciousness
and hence they deserve to be negated.
The monkey trio thus gives the
three fold message of eradicating the evil, cultivating the righteous living
and subsequently renouncing these very body, mind, intellect (BMI) equipment.
The first two ensure success in secular (worldly life) and the last one,
evolving in one’s spiritual life.
Jayant B.Dave
Vadodara
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