Growth is an important theme in Hinduism, which is why the second mantra of Isha
Upanishad says:
‘In the world, one should desire to live a hundred years, but only by performing actions. Thus, and in no other way, can man be free from the taint of actions.’
The ancient sages are affirmative about living long and thus feel we can work out our karmas and pave our way to liberation.
The world is characterised by three tendencies. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Everything that exists is in these three modes.
Sattva in short is the mode of peace, Rajas mode of action and Tamas mode of inertia.
Established in Sattva, close to creation, the individual is self-fulfilled and lives a life of contemplation rather than action. Find sages here. Established in Rajas, close to maintenance/ sustenance/ growth, the individual is expressing, manifesting, growing and prefers action to contemplation. Find all men of action here. Established in Tamas, close to destruction, the individual is either manically over-active or totally inactive, both lacking in proportion. Find all the depressed and destructive lot here.
Now, everything in the world is ever changing. In fact, the very definition of the word world/ jagat is gacchati gacchati iti jagat, that which is constant state of flux is world. In creation, there is no place for rest or poise. Change and movement is inevitable and innate characteristic of the world. Things will change, we will change too- there’s no option here. Even when we think we are not acting, we are acting viz. we are resting, rotting and giving ourselves up to tamas mode. We cannot reverse the process of growth. No one ever went from adulthood to childhood. So, being static is a false notion. We are actually degenerating when we are not growing. A business that will not grow will degenerate, ditto for a human being. It’s like a person who said I won’t use a computer, he was left far behind. Whether he liked it or not, the world got on to using computers. We can’t exercise an option here. We have to hone our business skills, amend the ways we conduct business, find newer products and newer markets. Else we perish. It’s not that we must grow because we have an urge to grow or some rarefied ambition, we got to grow just because that’s essentially the way we are made. WE must grow in order to enjoy better health, physically and mentally. If we don’t, we grow sick.
Sages, after a great deal of life of contemplation, walk out of their cocoons and set out on padayaatra, walking the length and breadth of the country on pilgrimages or whirlwind of discourse tours. They need an occasional dose of Rajas (activity) so that they don’t degenerate into Tamas (sloth). Those established in too much action, simply take a sabbatical, so that they can infuse some Sattva (peace) and those established in Tamas (inertia) need to kick it off by getting into some action. But through all these three modes, we keep growing. Not growing is simply growing negatively, but it’s growing all the same. We can’t freeze ourselves into a limbo when the whole world and our very body and mind is changing/ growing. He who says I don’t wish to grow, can he say that for his age? For his body? Well, no such luck!
Hope this satisfies.
Raj Supe (Kinkar Vishwashreyananda)
Via email from a friend