Thursday, September 27, 2012

Why Should We Be Good, When Being Selfish Is More Rewarding?

Why be good? In a world where greed, corruption and dishonesty dominate, what will we gain by being good? Why must we do good to others, when being selfish is a whole lot easier and often more rewarding?

These questions are immensely pertinent, especially in the times that we live. So if you ever desired to know the answer, here is a powerful explanation that will not disappoint!

The answer comes from Swami Vivekananda, one of the greatest teachers of Advaita Vedanta and a sage who had realized his own soul. It was given in response to a question posed by a disciple, over a 100 years ago.

However, before we proceed to his answer, let us first visit some key ideas, that will make it easier to understand Vivekananda’s point-of-view:

Contrary to what modern biologists tell us, there is a purpose which governs our existence. The highest aim of life, of knowledge, of work, of all religions and spiritual paths is one, and that is self-realization – to discover our true identity, to know who we really our, to uncover our Atman or Soul.

Within each of us lies this divine soul, the source of all goodness, whose presence often goes undetected, because it is obscured by our ego, selfishness, greed and other base instincts, which form a hard shell around it.

To read the complete article please click the link below: