“The human brain is a complex organ with the wonderful power of enabling man to find reasons for continuing to believe whatever it is that he wants to believe.”
-Voltaire
Kabir – The couplet
कबीर इस संसार का, झूठा माया मोह ।
जिहि घरी जीता बढ़ावना, तिहि घर तीता अन्दोह ॥
Transliterated:
Kabir Is Sansar Mein, Jhootha Maya Moh |
Jihi Ghari Jiti Badhaavana, Tihi Ghar Tita Aandoh ||
Translation:
Says Kabir – delusion fills this world, fills it with false attraction |
In the house where births increase in number, so naturally do the number of deaths ||
My understanding:
Very simply put, every birth we ask for brings with it an associated death. At a more subtle level, every desire we give birth to have an accompanying death of the same desire that has to be tolerated/dealt with. This extends to thought, speech and action.
At the time of its rise, desire never presents the full or the real picture or the underlying ugliness/darkness that accompanies it. All we perceive is the golden glow of anticipation of all the promised pleasures. However, each pleasure comes at a price, every moment spent in these pursuits takes away from time we could otherwise fruitfully use to extend our state of calm and control, and energy spent in these (ultimately frivolous – because they bring no lasting satisfaction or joy) pursuits take away resources that we have had to work very hard to accumulate.
This is the awakening we need to train our mind toward, so that each desire is seen in its true total form instead of the pleasant façade it wants to present. Then, the decision we make on how to deal with it will be grounded in reality, and we will be able to live with the true consequences of our decision since we are fully aware of ALL impacts of the same.