Why This Running After the Shadow

Why This Running After the Shadow

by Swami Sivananda

Some people say: We should direct all our energies in gaining political freedom and economic betterment of the masses. If we do not waste time and energy in propagating spiritual ideas, Gita studies and Sankirtans, and devote that energy to the above ends, then we shall get freedom and economic betterment earlier, after which those who wish can pursue philosophy and religion.
How can the masses and the middle classes who have nothing to eat assimilate these teachings before their physical needs are satisfied?

It is too much stress on spiritual life that has brought our downfall and slavery. Hence we are still a poor and a backward people. We have neglected material progress in the past, hence others overpowered us. We should therefore develop our material and physical powers and get to the same peak of progress, power and comfort as the Western nations, before we can dabble in philosophy and the like.

No nation, in the history of the world, has gained freedom or economic welfare by study of scriptures and leading a divine life, or by Bhajan and Sankirtan.

We must have a balance between spiritual and material life. by stressing the spiritual aspect too much, we have reached this stage. Hence it should be relaxed and the need for material and industrial progress should be emphasised as far as the Indian youths are concerned.

These people have no religious inclination. They have no knowledge of higher, transcendental matters. They have a gross and a limited vision. Even after political freedom is attained, they will continue to remain in that same condition, and argue in the same manner. They have neither religious Samskaras nor piety. They are a sort of destructive critics of the type mentioned in the Gita Chapter XVI.

Two types of workers, social and religious, are necessary in this world. Social workers will work in their own fields of activity. Religious workers will carry on special propaganda and dissemination of Knowledge. A carpenter has his own field of work and an electrician has his own field. You cannot ask a carpenter to do the work of an electrician and the electrician to do the work of a carpenter. Social, economical, political and industrial development and constructive work in this direction are very necessary. These should not be ignored.

But religion only can save people. Without religion man is nowhere. Even those who work in the political and other fields cannot turn out good work without disciplining themselves, without having a spiritual basis, without under- going a religious training, without practising Ahimsa, Satyam and Brahmacharya. Leaders, who are selfish and corrupt spoil the society. They fight for their own superiority and power.

Political freedom cannot root out the miseries of the world. You can have a little more comfort through political freedom. Bread, butter, jam and nice biscuits cannot give you everlasting peace. Comforts are enemies of spiritual life and peace. They pull a man down. After all, man wants very little on this earth. You will think of God only when you are in adversities. What is wanted is spiritual wealth which is inexhaustible.

That work which removes ignorance of man and gives him happiness can eradicate human sufferings in toto and give him eternal happiness. That work is spiritual propaganda. That work is the dissemination of Bhakti and knowledge of Yoga and Vedanta. It is the crowning glory of human activities. This is the greatest Yajna or Yoga. This is the Jnana Yajna, the highest of all Yajnas.

India alone possesses the supreme divine wealth. Even the richest people of the different parts of the world come to Himalayas to practise Yoga, to seek the guidance of Rishis, Seers, Yogis and Sages and to acquire this imperishable wealth.

No one can rob India of this wealth. India is ever rich and will be ever so both materially and spiritually. Her resources are vast and limitless. She was invaded and plundered by several people and yet her resources are abundant. She is ever free and will be ever free. Her culture and civilisation rank foremost in the whole world.

Happiness does not come from wealth. The Western nations are quite restless despite their enormous wealth. From this we can infer that spiritual life alone can give real, everlasting peace and happiness.

It is very difficult to convince these people as their minds are filled with wrong Samskaras. The fight between political and spiritual propagandists, between dualists and non-dualists, between Sannyasins and householders as to which is better is going on from beginningless time. Those who work in the religious field should not enter into discussion with these people. It is only wasting of time and energy. They should go on with their work with unabated vigour.

May true discrimination and light dawn on those people who are too much attracted to this world and politics, who have ignored the spiritual side of life altogether, who are thinking too much of body and its comforts, who have forgotten all about their essential divine nature, who are running after the shadow and who have disregarded the priceless Atmic Jewel that is hidden in their hearts!

Why This Running After the Shadow – Illusion, Desire, and the Search for Real Happiness

Why This Running After the Shadow is a deep question for every seeker of truth. Human beings spend much of life chasing things that appear attractive but do not give lasting peace. Wealth, pleasure, praise, power, beauty, status, and worldly success may look like sources of happiness, but they are only shadows when compared with the real joy of the self. They promise satisfaction, yet leave the mind restless again and again.

A shadow has appearance, but it has no substance. It moves, changes, and disappears according to light and position. In the same way, worldly pleasures are unstable. They depend on time, place, body, mind, people, and circumstances. What gives joy today may become a cause of pain tomorrow. What appears valuable in youth may lose meaning in old age. Still, the mind keeps running after changing objects.

Why This Running After the Shadow teaches that ignorance is the root of this restless chase. A person forgets the real source of happiness and seeks it outside. They think, “If I get this object, this position, this relationship, this praise, then I will be complete.” But after one desire is fulfilled, another rises. The mind creates a new shadow and begins running again. Thus, life becomes a continuous pursuit without final satisfaction.

Desire is never fully satisfied by enjoyment. Temporary pleasure may silence desire for a short time, but it soon returns with greater force. This is like drinking salty water to remove thirst. The more one drinks, the more thirst increases. The wise understand that peace cannot come from endless indulgence. Peace comes from self-control, discrimination, and knowledge of the inner self.

Why This Running After the Shadow also points to the mistake of confusing appearance with reality. The body appears to be the self, but it changes every moment. The mind appears to be the master, but it is full of changing thoughts and emotions. Possessions appear to give security, but they can be lost. Social praise appears sweet, but it depends on others’ opinions. All these are uncertain, and dependence on them brings fear.

A person may spend life building identity around external things. They say, “I am rich,” “I am successful,” “I am respected,” or “I am beautiful.” But these identities are shadows because they depend on changing conditions. When conditions change, the identity shakes. Spiritual wisdom asks the seeker to discover the real “I” that remains beyond all outer labels.

The shadow also represents ego. Ego wants recognition, superiority, control, and possession. It runs after admiration and becomes hurt by criticism. It compares itself with others and never rests. Even spiritual practice can become a shadow if ego uses it for pride. A seeker must be careful not to chase the appearance of spirituality while missing its inner truth.

Why This Running After the Shadow is a call to turn inward. The real source of joy is not in objects, but in the self. When a desire is fulfilled, the mind becomes temporarily quiet, and in that quietness, a little inner happiness is reflected. The object seems to be the cause of happiness, but actually peace comes from the temporary stillness of desire. Vedanta teaches the seeker to find that peace directly within.

Discrimination is necessary to stop this blind chase. The seeker must ask, “Is this permanent or temporary? Will this give lasting peace or only momentary excitement? Am I seeking truth, or am I following habit?” Such questioning slowly weakens attachment. It does not require hatred of the world. It requires clear understanding.

Detachment is another key. Detachment does not mean abandoning duties or rejecting life. It means using the world wisely without becoming enslaved by it. A detached person can work, love, serve, and enjoy simple things, but they do not depend on them for inner completeness. They hold life with wisdom, not with blind clinging.

Meditation helps the seeker see the difference between shadow and substance. When one observes thoughts, desires, fears, and emotions, one discovers that they arise and pass away. The awareness that observes them remains steady. This witnessing awareness is closer to reality than the changing movements of the mind. Resting in this awareness brings true peace.

Selfless service also reduces the chase after shadows. When a person serves others without expectation, the heart expands. The mind stops circling only around personal gain. Service purifies desire and weakens ego. It teaches that happiness grows when selfishness decreases.

Why This Running After the Shadow should be reflected upon every day. Before chasing a desire, pause and observe its nature. Before becoming proud, remember that outer success is temporary. Before becoming broken by loss, remember that the true self is not lost. Before seeking approval, ask whether the inner conscience is peaceful. Such reflection brings maturity.

The world is not to be hated. It is a field of learning. Its changing nature teaches detachment. Its pleasures teach discrimination. Its sorrows teach wisdom. Its relationships teach love and responsibility. But when the world is mistaken for the final reality, it becomes bondage. When it is understood as a passing appearance, it becomes a teacher.

In the end, Why This Running After the Shadow reminds us to stop wasting life in endless pursuit of temporary appearances. The real treasure is within. The self is peaceful, full, and free by nature. Through discrimination, detachment, meditation, selfless service, and self-knowledge, the seeker turns from shadow to substance. This is the movement from illusion to truth, from desire to peace, and from restless seeking to inner fulfillment.

Work is Worship