Chanakya Niti contd...

Perhaps the best sutra so far-

Flowers have fragrance, oilseeds have oil, wood has fire, milk has butter and cane has sugar. In a similar way, a soul exists in the body and is invisible. It is a mystery that only can be understood through faith and logic.

What I cannot understand though is his constant contradiction to his own thoughts. From the above, we can safely conclude that the man was spiritual and believed in Nirvana (which also he mentions a few times in the book) but at the same times he placed a lot of importance on money, not so much on material things though. His contradiction with money is also interesting – at some places he calls money the "driving force" but at the same time says we shouldn't dwell too much on the material world and be happy with whatever income, food and wife we have.

So is he trying to tell us have a balance of money and spirituality? Perhaps.

The one thing I did like about his sutras is the constant emphasis on education and learning.  I made clear his dislike with morons yesterday but he also goes as far as saying that an uneducated person is a wasted life and people (by people he means men) should always strive for a higher standard of learning and knowledge. Also, knowledge increases when you spread it so consider it your duty to learn and share.

Yes, if he is talking to me, a woman, then I agree with him. But he isn’t! Because he believes women are like cattle who have to be obedient. Another irksome thought – a woman without a husband is a shameful waste.

I’m almost done with his sutras and might pick up another short book to conclude the week with, something I have read at least 3 times so far but every time I read it I learn something new.

Once I finish Chanakya Niti, the suspense shall be divulged!