Acharya Tulsi
To talk of ethics in this unethical age, commands the attention of only a few. How many of even those who talk about values, have faith in their own principles! Even among these, people who practise what they preach can be counted on finger. One question constantly perplexes the mind. What has happened to man, after all? He knows full well that he cannot fill his stomach with gold or silver or with diamonds, that only bread made of corn can satisfy his hunger. Man cannot even take his money or property with him at death. As regards the succeeding generations, if his successors are capable, they would be able to earn more than enough for themselves; if they are not capable, they would soon lose whatever they inherit. How does it then benefit a man to ignore ethical laws?
His morality is the measure of a man’s humanity. Unless his thoughts are imbued with morality and his conduct mirrors it, no person has the right to be called a human being. Yet a man chooses to be immoral. Why? Three main reasons may account for it:
Desire for luxurious living
Expenditure exceeds income
Extension of artificial needs
Man is a social animal. There are different standards of living in society. It is not incumbent upon any person to reach the highest level. Similarly, it is not necessary for an individual to aspire after luxury in the name of raising his standard of living.
Pleasure—seeking is the curse of wealthiest. It is under the veil of riches that lustfulness grows. A man accumulating means of luxury willy-nilly embarks on the path of immorality.
The second cause of immorality is the wide disparity between income and expenditure. One should cut one's coat according to one’s cloth. Only that man can move freely in the social and family environment that does not spend more than he earns. Religious thought provides an individual with a vision that inspires him to lead a moral life. It is the vision of discipline and simplicity, according to which a man can practise self- restraint by living modestly, minimising his needs, and having only a few possessions. If somehow an individual lacks the energy to proceed further along this path, at least he can reduce his budget, so that he does not have to adopt immoral ways to increase his income. As long as one’s expenditure exceeds one’s income, one would find it extremely difficult to remain upright and pure.
The third cause of immorality is the extension of artificial needs. The bare necessities of life can be adequately met. But when necessity puts on the mask of artificiality, it becomes unrecognisable. Artificial expectations only serve to blunt a man's intelligence. A man without discretion is not only incapable of ensuring his own prosperity, but also he is unable to maintain his social prestige. With the setting of the sun of intelligence, the light of moral values grows dim. As long as man continues to create artificial needs, he will not be able to make any progress towards a moral life.
Morality is man’s ideal, his ultimate goal. To reach his destination, he must adopt the right means and make the right effort. The field of morality is very extensive, but even if we consider the matter from the predominantly economic angle, it can be safely asserted that in the presence of the three causes discussed above, any talk of morality is futile. If a man wants to lead a moral life, he will have to get rid of wantonness, remove the disparity between income and expenditure, and keep all artificial needs at bay; he will have to limit his requirements. Only then will he be able to lead a moral life.
