16. How is the human body related to the life force within the body ?

Teachings to treasure, teachings that transform. 

Thirumoolar Thavamozhi

Motivation

16. How is the human body related to the life force within the body ?

After explaining clearly about the impermanent nature of the human body, our saint Thirumoolar moves to explain about type of relationship between the human body and the life force within.

ஐவர்க்கு ஒருசெய் விளைந்து கிடந்தது

 செய் – paddy field; we call them in two categories, wet land for growing food or dry land for grass. ஐவர்க்கு - five persons. Here he refers to the five senses in the human body and calls them five potters.  ஒருசெய் – one field has grown full of weeds – these have grown due to the consequences of past karma. Here the field is the human body that we have in this life – it is the temple that holds the life force.

ஐவர்க்கு ஒருசெய் விளைந்து கிடந்தது

ஐவரும் அச்செய்யைக் காத்து வருவர்கள்

In each of us, our body is the field in which our five senses (namely, the limbs of body, mouth, eyes, nose, and ears) take care of the body.

ஐவர்க்கு நாயகன் ஓலை வருதலால்

ஐவரும் அச்செய்யைக் காவல் விட்டாரே.  

These five senses will get an instruction from the lord who is the master! It is the time of death! Once they get that instruction, all the five will have to leave the field (the human body) and go running away!

Our Saint says that the lifeforce does not stay in our body permanently – the five senses are guarding the body only temporarily until they get the instruction from the lord.

ஐவர்க்கு ஒருசெய் விளைந்து கிடந்தது

ஐவரும் அச்செய்யைக் காத்து வருவர்கள்

ஐவர்க்கு நாயகன் ஓலை வருதலால்

ஐவரும் அச்செய்யைக் காவல் விட்டாரே.  2

Our Saint Thirumoolar reminds us that the relationship between the body and the lifeforce is so impermanent. Therefore, within the limited time that we are alive with this body, we should make every effort to do good acts that take us across the cycle of birth and death.

அவ்வியம் பேசி அறங்கெட நில்லன்மின்

அவ்வியம் – deceiving; அறங்கெட – disregarding the righteous path; நில்லன்மின் – do not stop making progress. He cautions us, that we should not waste our precious life by living against the code of conduct for a righteous path.

அவ்வியம் பேசி அறங்கெட நில்லன்மின்

வெவ்விய னாகிப் பிறர்பொருள் வவ்வன்மின்

வெவ்வியனாகிப் – giving room to bad thoughts; பிறர்பொருள் – others' belongings; வவ்வன்மின் – do not steal or take away.

செவ்விய னாகிச் சிறந்து

செவ்வியனாகி – following a good way; சிறந்து – accomplishing good things in one’s human life.

உண்ணும்போதொரு

தவ்விக்கொ டுண்மின் தலைப்பட்ட போதே

உண்ணும்போது – when you are eating, at least one spoonful; உண்மின் – eat;

தலைப்பட்ட போதே – when you are about you sit down to eat, at least give a spoonful to another person and then begin to eat.

Our saint Thirumoolar,  nicely advises us to cultivate the character of charity.  For this, he suggests start with giving a spoonful of food to someone before you eat. He recommends to adopt the discipline to always give food to another person, either poor, or someone or an animal who is waiting for food. Charity is also a mindset in which one does not get attracted with the things of others!  All good qualities of a person are cultivated by these two dimensions of charity, that is giving and not seeking.  This quality gradually transforms the heart of a person, and fulfills the human values in the person.

அவ்வியம் பேசி அறங்கெட நில்லன்மின்

வெவ்விய னாகிப் பிறர்பொருள் வவ்வன்மின்

செவ்விய னாகிச் சிறந்துண்ணும் போதொரு

தவ்விக்கொ டுண்மின் தலைப்பட்ட போதே.  10

Our Saint ends the song with an emphatic “ஏ” to remind us to always first think of sharing a portion of what we have with others before we enjoy it.

 

To read other translated pages in these posts, see: Thirumoolar

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