Mathew Chapter six ......continues 4

We have been discussing what Jesus taught in the session known as ‘The Sermon on the Mount’. That reveals the fact about the non-material side of life, the opposite and inevitable pole of material life, which is possessed only by human beings. What we have to do with this side in order to get the right welfare for our life? By satisfying material side only, a perfect welfare is not possible (The important welfare is after this life). So, to a certain extend we have to be away from material world and proportionally close to the non-material world which is known as ‘Kingdom of heaven’ in this book – Gospel According to Mathew. To become away from that much distance which is needed to close to this Kingdom, we have to maintain a particular attitude, mentality or state of mind. That is explained in different way here in Gospels. So, when we examine closely each verse, we can see each of them tell us the attitude or mentality we have to maintain along with each office or deeds. We will feel them very much bitter because we so close to material world and an intense desire to enjoy the pleasures peculiar to material side of life, thereby our hearts (desires or emotions) adopt even this spirituality as a tool to enjoy that pleasures, which ultimately lead us to a hypocritical life that gives no satisfaction and any kind of welfare.
So when Jesus teach us about what we have to practice, he very clearly pointing out the other side which our hearts may lead us to, saying ‘don’t be like hypocrites’. Most of us become mad when we hear this because we are like that hypocrites. So forgive me, I know you become mad some times reading my studies as I become often. Follow Jesus doesn’t mean starve and die. If anybody want to know secrete of what Jesus teach us, read the portion of a story given below which is from an Indian classic.
Once one scholar who was a devotee had to encounter with the divine one, and to test the devotee he asked some questions and the devotee answered as follows.
“What is happiness?”
“Happiness is the result of good conduct.”
“Who accompanies a man in death?”
“Dharma (Righteousness). That alone accompanies the soul in its solitary journey after death.”
“What is that, abandoning which man becomes loved by all?”
“Pride – for abandoning that man will be loved by all.”
“What is the loss which yields joy and not sorrow?”
“Anger – giving it up, we will no longer be subjected to sorrow.”
“What is that, by giving up which, man becomes rich?”
“Desire – by getting rid of it, man becomes wealthy.”
Hearing these answers the divine one pleased and told the scholar to ask any boon.