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CREATING HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS
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gone beyond its limits by relentlessly showing scenes or events that intensify desire. How can we think that the society and the individual will be free from crimes if the youth are not able to spare a few moments to assess the significance of non-attachment (vairagya), while they have all the time to imbibe the idea of attachment to pleasures (raga)? Economic temptation is at the root of crass commercialization. Corporations want to earn unlimited wealth by cashing in on the human weakness of desire. Attachment to sensual pleasure is a human weakness. The media knowingly or unknowingly nurtures this weakness. We cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that in the name of religion, some people collect money and indulge in physical comforts. A new alliance between wealth and Dharma is emerging. Who will save the boat from the boatman who is bent upon sinking it?
There are two fundamental entities on this planetsentient and non-sentient, or, in other words, soul and matter. We realize that the interest of people in spiritual knowledge is diminishing. They are now inclined more towards materialistic things. The reason is the absence of an antithesis. The antithesis of materialistic inclination is contentment (santosha). It is the upsurge of interest in materialistic objects that is responsible for the accumulation of wealth and consumer goods and intensification of a hedonistic outlook. On the other hand, the directions one receives from within are: forsaking wealth, restricting consumption and living a life of austerity.
The situation is rather grave. In the visible world, it is the matter which governs and hence plays the role of the party in government pushing soul into the opposition. The irony is that matter is non-sentient. It is neither able to think nor speak nor feel. And the effects of giving this attribute precedence can be seen everywhere. The air and
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