One's own
mother, the wife of the guru, the wife of a brähmaëa, the wife of a king, the
cow, the nurse, and the earth are known as the seven mothers of a man.
If someone
asks us “How many mothers you have?”, we will most probably reply “What do you
mean? Everybody can possibly have one mother only.” This is a normal reply in
the contemporary world where we are used to minimize our true relationships and
the accompanying responsibilities and to maximize our fun-time.
We like to
use things and people according to our plans. Sometimes we do not even see so
much of a difference between things and people; for us they are rather all commodities.
It is instructive to observe how often people surround themselves with
commodities (in the form of persons, animals, plants, or gadgets) expecting
that this will make them happy, and at the same time complaining that they are
feeling lonely and unable to express themselves. It is only natural to feel depressed
when one’s value system places facilities over relationships. The real happiness
in life is always connected with having deep and meaningful interaction with
other human beings. This, however, is impossible if humans have been reduced to
the status of things at the very beginning. The amount of pleasure in such
dealings is so scanty and its nature so twisted, that it quickly turns into despair.
By now it should
be clear why in the ancient Vedic civilization people accepted that they have
not just one but seven mothers. Acknowledging the relationships with a wider
range of living entities means acknowledging our dependence and indebtedness to
them. This is a sign of a truly advanced civilization.
Of course,
everybody will agree that we are indebted to our parents for all the obvious
reasons. They gave us life, they took care of us when we were helpless in our
early age and they were our first teachers. Our father provided for the family,
endeavored to bring us up as human beings, thought us the difference between proper
and improper. Our mother breastfed us and nourished us with her unconditional
love. But how many real mothers do we actually have?
In our
western society we traditionally paid homage to three of the mothers mentioned
by Chanakya – the mother who gave us birth, the Queen, and the nurse. In
medieval Europe the Queen was supposed to be respected as a model of decency,
example of chastity and perfect behavior, whom the citizens adored and served
with deep gratitude. Traditionally the nurses in Europe were also honored; they
were accepted as part of the family and addressed as “mothers”. They enjoyed
respect and good facilities.
The fact
that ancient Indian and European traditions shared similar values is not
surprising when we consider that in the past they were part of one big family,
known as Aryan civilization. The term Aryan does not refer to a certain race or
ethnic group, rather it denotes a person who is advanced in culture.
According
to the culture of Vedic India planet Earth is also our mother. Ancient European
culture shared this understanding too. Unfortunately we, the modern people both
in the East and the West, abandoned this understanding long ago. For many of us
earth is simply a warehouse of resources we feel we are entitled to exploit. As
a result, human beings are the only species known to science which destroys its
own habitat. Polluting and destroying our home, planet earth, is the price we
must pay for adhering to the slogan of the first world countries: exploit, produce,
and consume. The more the better. One of the problems with this agenda is that
although the desires for gratifying the senses by producing and consuming seem
to be unlimited, the recourses of our planet are limited.
The cow is
also our mother because, just as our real mother, she feeds us with her milk.
According to the Vedic tradition, the cow’s milk is very important because its
regular consumption helps in producing finer tissues in the human brain by
which we can understand the subtle laws of nature and the goal of human life. In
gratitude, after taking her milk for 3-5 years, the cow is simply slaughtered. To
slaughter mercilessly one’s own mother after exploiting her is hardly a sign of
a civilized society. But the problem is elegantly resolved: who ever said that
cow is our mother? (Besides some old-fashioned superstitious believers from the
underdeveloped India.) After all, the cows, just like everything else, are
simply commodities. Thus we whimsically ascribe values to living entities and
things around us according to our plan to use them, instead of accepting them
as they are. Therefore many modern men and women are against the notion that
there exists a God’s design and plan for the Universe. (Unless, of course, this
plan is that He let us control and enjoy all of our survey.)
Opposed to
this consummative and exploitive approach towards anything that can be exploited,
the Vedas offer a sophisticated culture of respect, gratitude and
acknowledgment of our connection and indebtedness to all. Rather than boasting
about our rights, the ancient sages of India put more emphasis on our
obligations, knowing well that society can run smoothly only when everybody
follows their duties properly. For example, in Srimad Bhagavatam, acknowledged
as the ripened fruit of all Vedic scriptures, it is said that from the moment
of birth everybody is already indebted to so many living entities: the great
sages, ordinary living beings, relatives, friends, mankind and one's ancestors.
As a
general principle, we are indebted to anybody who produced something in the
past that we use and enjoy now. For example, if we are, let’s say, students at
a University we are indebted to the University’s founders, the first university
professors, students, sponsors, builders, cleaners, maintainers and everybody
who helped and helps in establishing and advancing the institution over the
years.
We are
indebted to the great philosophers for the wisdom and good instructions
recorded by them in the books of knowledge. This mood was encapsulated by Isaac
Newton when he famously said: “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the
shoulders of giants.”
We are
indebted to our parents and other relatives for all the care and facilities we
received or inherited from them. We are indebted to our friends for the support
they give us in difficult moments, and to mankind for the simple fact that
there exists a human society where we can pursue our goals and have protection
and meaningful relationships. We are indebted also for the sunlight and fresh
air, the pure water that quenches our thirst, for the beauty of nature and for
the very fact that we exist and are able to appreciate all that.
We cannot
always pretend that all these debts do not exist. At one point in our lives we
will have to face the reality that we are indebted to much more entities that
we care to acknowledge. And, needless to say, debts must be paid on time,
otherwise the interests grow.
Acknowledging
our indebtedness to others is connected with cultivation of respect for the
seniors. Just 30-40 years ago our own western culture was paying much more
attention to offering proper respect to all. For example, in my schooldays in
the 1980’s we had to greet our teachers upon their entrance in the classroom by
standing up. It is interesting that according to the Vedic custom, when a
superior person enters the room, he should be honored in the same way. This
culture of offering respect to the teacher (or as he is known in the Vedic
culture - the Guru, or a brähmaëa) is essential for the proper education and
schooling. Showing respect to our teachers proves that we are worthy of their
attention and a fit candidate for receiving wisdom.
In order
to attain success in life we always depend on the good advice and training
received from those who are already successful. They can teach us how to become
like them. This applies to all spheres of knowledge, material and spiritual.
Without cultivating a genuine feeling of respect and service attitude for those
who are superior, we can never attain any type of tangible accomplishment in
life. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita, the world famous Vedic book of wisdom, Lord
Krishna says:
Just try
to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him
submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart
knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth. (Bhagavad-gita 4.34)
