Jain Spirit 2004 10 No 20

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 42

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FEATURES
acknowledge this great people and their ancient heritage, the resilient religion that has stood the test of time, that has survived invasions by alien cultures, faiths and imposed systems of law and government, that has survived efforts from outsiders to infiltrate, dilute and destroy their religion, culture and language, that has survived poverty, overpopulation and modernisation. It is a faith that lives as proudly and profoundly today as it did perhaps ten thousand years ago. What other culture can make such a claim?
Much of what the weaver writes revolves around the home, which resonates well with today's calls to return to traditional family values. He speaks of the faithful husband and the devoted wife, of the upright children they raise and the joys they experience, of the value of relationship and how to nurture and sustain it. He speaks of age and its merits, of the importance of honouring the elderly, of caring for and not abandoning them.
Nor is the weaver a stranger to difficult issues that still perplex us. He speaks of killing and of the king's duty to execute murderers. He speaks of alcohol addiction, of the debilitating effects of gambling, of adultery and the tragic loss of a life lived in poverty or lazy indifference. He guides us in matters of education, and warns against the lifesapping effect of lack of knowledge. He speaks of a strong military, of spies and of advisors with personal agendas, of fools and their ways and wastes. He knows of the wiles of real enemies and has much to tell modern man about overcoming opposition, about being wise against the antagonists' crafty ways and thus surviving the attacks of foes. He speaks of making money and of how money is squandered and lost. He explores purity, kindness, humility, right thought, right action, friendship and all forms of virtuous living, and he boldly offers stern warning as to the consequence of base, sinful thoughts and actions. With great force, he decries the agonies caused by meateating and commends traditional
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vegetarianism. All along the way we encounter his humour, which he uses to great effect and which makes us laugh even as it points to our most stubborn flaws and comic foibles.
Hinduism's four legitimate goals of human life are dharma, artha, kama and moksha, known in English as virtue, wealth, love and liberation. In the Tirukural, Saint Tiruvalluvar speaks in depth on the first three. Under the heading of virtue, he discusses the ways
of the householder and the monk, focusing on good conduct and its opposite. In the chapters on wealth he speaks of business, government, politics and the building of the nation. In the final twenty-five chapters on love (not included in this edition), he discusses the relationships of men and women. Valluvar also discussed the fourth and final goal of life, liberation from rebirth, especially in the chapters on the way of the renunciate. As the four Vedas outline the path to salvation by
delineation of the destination, the Tirukural carefully explains how to live while treading the path to that ultimate goal. Along with the Tirumantiram (composed by the great Tamil mystic, Rishi Tirumular, during the same period), which explains the means to self realisation, spiritual yogas and liberation, these two classics form a complete whole, covering dharma,
artha, kama and moksha.
The Tirukural is Tiruvalluvar's only known work; though it is relatively short compared to such sacred texts as the Dhammapada or the Adi Granth, it was sufficient to bring renown to a simple and highly observant weaver, making him a venerated sage and lawgiver of the ancient Tamil Dravidian people. The Kural's relative brevity is also its strength, as is its immense practicality. Here is no esoteric doctrine, no other-worldly speculation, but adages for practical daily life in every age, for mankind does not change all that much from era to era. It is my hope and aspiration that this masterpiece finds its way into your heart.
In his work, Tiruvalluvar chose a topic - such as children, friendship or
avoidance of anger - and gave us ten different couplets on the one subject. To properly understand his perspective all ten couplets must be read, for they are like facets of a gem: each reflecting the light of his understanding slightly differently, and the richness of his comprehension. Not infrequently, the subject of one chapter's last verse will serve as the transition to the next chapter's first, like one thread tied to another to continue the weaving. In the opening few verses he tends to focus on the subject at hand, while moving in the latter verses into more specific matters and admonishing against failure to apply noble ideals found in the verses above. In other words, he gets tougher as the verses progress down the page.
It has been explained to us that the saint spent the fullness of his life quietly observing, simply observing, the human condition. Then, toward the end of his life, he was asked to speak out and share the wisdom that others in the community knew he possessed. This book, comprising 108 chapters, was his response. I hope you will allow Saint Tiruvalluvar's insights to spark your own intuition and reveal from within yourself the laws which he, too, discovered within himself. Do not look upon this scripture as something 'out there. Meditation and reflection will reveal that its knowledge lies within, vibrantly alive and dynamically real. It is impossible not to be moved by the broad compassion and the direct discernment of this holy man. Let him enrich your life as you journey along this Eternal Path, the Sanatana Dharma.
The late Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami was founding editor of Hinduism Today magazine. The above article is an extract from his book 'Weaver's Wisdom' which is a collectors item and can be ordered from: www.himalayanacademy.com This article is reprinted with permission from Himalayan Academy. For a selection of quotes from the Tirukural, see the Quotes and Quips on page 50.