Are Good Values and Ethics Enough for Successful Life?

Kans and Yogmaya

Ethics are principles that you believe in. Their convictions that you hold within yourself, these provide the guide posts and the journey of life. Whenever you have a situation in front of you where you have to choose between alternatives, your values help you to make the proper decisions. They also provide the support system in your journey of life. However, that is not enough. To have good values is not sufficient. There are people who have good values but they are always struggling to live by them. So, we must be able to implement our values in our lives. That is why the first step is to be very clear about our own values.

For example, as an exercise put down in writing. What is it? That is important to you in life. What are the principles that you wish to uphold and the ethics that you wish to pursue? Now, remember that these values will not necessarily remain the same in the journey of life.

Here I will share a story told by Swami Mukundananda.

“Recently while on my way to Rameswaram on the flight to Madurai, my co-passenger was a techie from Boston. He was going back home to meet his parents living in the very spiritual town of Madurai. And he started sharing his sentiments with me. He was saying that he was brought up in a very spiritual environment and he was very religious in his childhood. But then his life in Boston made him shade all his beliefs. And for so many years now he has got no belief in God.”

So, the values with which he grew up did not remain. The influence of our association impacts our values. Our scriptures inform us that Kans when the eighth child he came to kill and Yogmaya was there in his prison in front of Devaki and Vasudeva and he lifted her up in the air to smash her down she rose up in the sky and announced that how can you kill me the person who is going to kill you is already in Brindavan. At that time the Bhagbatam says that Kans repented tremendously. He said, “I have been so cruel I have killed your children like a demon. Please forgive me.” However, when he went back to his assembly of rakshasas Aghasura, Bakasura, Dhenukasura, they said, “What are young doing! He is the Bishnu and he will kill you.” And being influenced by their opinion, again he said, “All right, take Vasudeva and Devaki and put them back into the prison.” So, his values got affected by his company.           

When Bibhison left Lanka and came to Ram, Ram advised Bibhison. He said, “Oh Bibhison, it is better that the creator gives us residence in hell than he is giving us the association of an evil minded person because that evil minded person will influence us, will change our values. On the other hand, there is satsang (being with the truth) that helps us develop and nurture values.”

For example, the same scripture again tell us, “Association with saintly personalities helps us develop good values.” So, to have good values is one thing. To nurture them, to strengthen them, to implement them is a constant process, a constant struggle. This requires three things—hearing, listening, reading to good thoughts, to good knowledge and that is where the scriptures come in. You expose yourself to the wonderful knowledge of the scriptures and the knowledge of the guru (spiritual teacher) by listening and hearing to him. This is called ‘Shravanam’. And then what you have heard you contemplate over it repeatedly so that the knowledge sticks with you. Just knowing is not enough. To be able to leave by it, that knowledge should be strong in your mind.

There is a story in the Vedic scriptures. There was a king. He fell in love with a apsara (celestial nymph). So, the apsara said, “I am shaapit (cursed). The person who marries me, if he ever sees his reflection, he will turn into a frog.” The king said, “That is no problem at all. I am so powerful I will order that there should be no reflecting materials in my kingdom from today.” With that assurance he got married. They lived happily for some time. And then one day the king went for a hunt into the forest. He went here, he went there, he became thirsty. Now, the thirst finished the knowledge in his intellect. So, to take a drink of water, he stooped down to a lake and without realising it he saw his reflection and turned into a frog.

So, our scriptures say, “The moment human being forgets knowledge, that human being descends to the level of an animal.” So, to be able to live by those values, be must revise them consciously and continuously. This is the process of Chintan or Manan (deep thought). And finally there is a step of Nididhyasana or developing a firm belief in them. This belief, these values that we have don’t come by themselves. They are created by a conscious decision from our side. This is what we want. So, that constant decision has to be an exercise from our side. If that is strong and resolute, these values bring about a miracle in our lives.

We can take Mahatma Gandhi as an example. The value he decided to live by is Satya (truth) and Ahimsa (non-violence). And his belief in those values was so strong that no situation could bear him off those. And no matter how strong the provocation was from the British government at that time. He insisted that he will pursue the value of non-violence and that is why he is held in such high regard decades after him not only in India but around the world.

Similarly, you have the God realise saints who lived by that principle of love for God being the foremost value in their lives. The example of Mirabai and saint Prahlada etc. and that is what made their lives shine so radiantly throughout inspiring people throughout the world.

So, if we want our values to bring about that miracle in our lives, we must constantly endeavour to nourish them, to cultivate them and to re-inforce them by this conscious process of hearing, contemplating and then deciding with the intellect.