HOLLOW SUCCESS
Feed the Body and the Soul
MEN of fortune become subjects of envy to the people around them. They are considered fortunate for having succeeded in achieving worldly power and position. But do those who have managed to come to the top necessarily feel that this is so? Probably not. Wealth is not all that man needs. It can at best serve the needs of the body, leaving the soul to starve. The feeling of something missing disturbs one. They feel as helpless as a common man does. Faced with a vacuum inside—a yawning gap in the soul that has to be filled, one turns to something or the other for a sense of plenitude.
To know the pains of power, we must go to those who have it; to know its
pleasures, we must go to those who are seeking it. —Charles Caleb Colton
This fact is borne out by an article published in The Times of India dated
January 1, 1985. In spite of all the luxuries at his command, Mr. Alfred
Ford, the owner of the famous Ford Motor Company in the USA felt
something missing in his life. His soul was not at rest, it was hankering
after something else. In this state, when he was introduced to the Hare
Krishna movement, he felt attracted to it as it seemed to answer and
satisfy the cravings of his soul. He joined the movement. Afterwards he
married a Hindu girl, Sharmila Battacharya who was associated with
the movement. The marriage ceremony took
place in one of its centres in Australia. On this
occasion, a photograph was published in the
newspapers where he was seen in seamless
clothes. Here is a part of the interview he gave
to the AP correspondent:
“I am not a car. I’m a spiritual soul, just like
anyone else.” he said. “I’m only a Ford by
name.” he further added.
Wealth is not all that man needs. It can at best serve the needs of the body, leaving the soul to starve.
No amount of wealth and fortune can supply the needs of the human soul. Material things do not become part of one’s being. Soul cannot rest in things beneath Itself. That is why, amidst plenty, one is plagued by loneliness. One is always seeking for something which can compensate this loss, which can fill the inner vacancy, which can become a part of one’s being. Often man is unable to understand this, and goes sadly astray. The only true answer to this quest for a sense of spiritual fulfillment can be found in turning to God, the Lord and Creator of everything.