All living things in this world of ours are imperfect in one respect or other and this equally applies to Man, the ‘Crown of creation’ with the result he cannot claim full knowledge of anything and everything including his maker and the universe at large. This is not a statement by me but that of the Vedas and we get to know the four main imperfections or defects and possible ways to overcome these handicaps. Perfection has been the spiritual aim of man since the dawn of civilization and in India man’s attempt to achieve perfection begins during the Vedic era and continues till the present.
One may attain physical perfection but not mental or spiritual perfection; in some cases both physical and mental perfections might be achieved but not spiritual perfection.
Man as he is constituted with body, mind and soul has not been able to achieve perfection in all directions and therefore remains imperfect however knowledgeable he may be!
Now, let us see the four imperfections attributable to man.
(1) Man Is Liable To Commit Mistakes.
To err is human and there can be several reasons for that.
Lack of proper knowledge, attachment to things and beings, desire for sense enjoyment, not being able to understand good and bad and so on. Lack of self- confidence also plays an important role in this regard.
(2) Illusion:
Some philosophers have called it “Maya” part of Nature’s working, because of which man is unable to comprehend things in their proper perspective. Because of illusion what appears to him as ‘real’ need not be so and this misunderstanding leads to incorrect thinking, action and consequent results.
(3) Cheating Others:
Why should man cheat others? The simple answer is selfishness. But Vedas talk about it in a different manner. For example, the very first Mantra of Sri Isopanishad proclaims:
“Isavasyam idam sarvam Yat kincha jagatyam jagat Tena tyaktena bhunjitha Ma gridhah kasyasvid dhanam.”
(Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself (for his living) which are set aside as his quota and one must not accept other things (extra than is required), knowing very well to whom they belong.
Craze for material prosperity is one of the main reasons for usurping others’ quota which is nothing but cheating knowingly or unknowingly.
(4) Man Is Endowed By Imperfect Senses
Modern man knows very well that his senses are imperfect in the sense they have limitations to see, hear, feel, smell, movement etc. and also the fact that he is bound by space and time. His constant effort has been to develop scientific and technological aids to free himself from those limitations imposed by Nature. But it has not been possible for him to completely free himself in this regard. Another thing is, his efforts have been more objective than s u b j e c ti ve ; i t i s t h ro u g h i nte r n a l development that man can cross limits imposed by Nature. Transcendental knowledge is needed for such pursuits and it was the concern of Vedic Rishis to acquire such knowledge through meditation, contemplation and other intuitive efforts etc. while at the same time developing attitude of love and compassion including obedience to laws of Nature. Perfection continues to be a goal of humanity in all three branches of life – physical, mental and spiritual.
Physical perfection helps in many ways and add to the well-being and welfare of Man. But it cannot by itself achieve everything. It has to be supported by mental perfection, which involves several things. It needs to be developed on a continuous basis practicing concentration, meditation, contemplation etc. (as already mentioned earlier) so that the mind gets a transcendental dimension necessary for spiritual pursuits. As we know from Vedas, spirituality is the highest goal of Man – it is liberation or ‘Moksha’ from the Sansara Chakra – birth-death-rebirth syndrome.
Natural laws in operation in this world of ours never permit easily for achieving the perfection of the highest order for reasons best known to the Almighty himself!
Transcendentalism to a certain extent helps man to come out of his self-created illusion and desire-prompted actions, besides achieving selflessness etc. and presents an universal outlook in life and living. But it also does not provide full independence to the Jeevatman, so to say, Manhood and Godhood remains two things. In other words the created thing remains ‘created’ for eternity as has been vouched by several Vedantists and others. Blessings of the Lord however lead to ‘Jeevanmukti’ or ‘Moksha’.
