New Year Happiness

One of the impacts of globalisation is that it transforms every person to a market, having unlimited jurisdiction. The market in a person need not be an external one but it always can be an internal market, which tempts everyone to consume the maximum. The most negative aspect of the internal market is that it conceals the inborn potentiality of every person to make a difference between what is essential and what is non-essential to oneself. The result is the ‘unquenching’ greed of every one to possess and enjoy the maximum, leading to the propagation of consumerism. Consumerism is capable up to believe that a better human being is the one who consumes more. Hence, a consumer who is under the control of internal market becomes a helpless prey of market economy. The market, both internal and external commands us to compete with the rest to accumulate the maximum goods for the enjoyment of maximum pleasure. Unfortunately, since there is no limit for the maximum, a person who aims at the maximum is driven by the tides of displeasure. A world that is led by the spirit of competition results in the formation of subaltern groups of persons belonging to the weaker sections, who have been mercilessly defeated by the stronger. A society that generates subaltern groups cannot maintain peace, harmony, growth and development. A society that justifies the formation and sustenance of subaltern groups justify centralisation of wealth, power, positions etc. Whatever be the type of centralisation, it always believes in exploitation and resulting conflicts, crisis and destruction. Therefore, the process of marketisation, both internal and external has to be regulated. Such a regulation can be effected only by revealing the inborn potentiality to apply the power of discrimination to take what is essential for ones’ existence and to give up everything other than that. This process is technically termed, ‘nityaanityavasthuviveka’. Nitya means eternal; anitya means non-eternal; vasthu means any occurrence in space and time and viveka means the inborn potentiality of every person to make discrimination between nitya and anitya. Therefore, the need of the hour is to nurture the inborn potentiality of every person to make discrimination between the eternal and the non-eternal and to take the eternal by giving up the non-eternal. Otherwise, our new year cannot be happy, because greed never provides happiness to any.