Jyare Tyare

The book "Jyare Tyare" by Ratnasundarsuri is a collection of observations and reflections on human behavior, highlighting the numerous contradictions and hypocrisies that people exhibit in their daily lives. The central theme revolves around instances where individuals act in ways that are inconsistent with their stated beliefs, values, or the expected norms of behavior, leaving the author, and presumably the reader, "stunned" or "speechless" (સ્તબ્ધ થઈ જવાય છે).

The book uses a series of short, anecdotal paragraphs, each presenting a scenario that exemplifies this theme. Here's a breakdown of the key points and observations made throughout the text:

Contradictions in Action and Belief:

• Financial Behavior: People who waste wealth on frivolous luxuries (hotels, theaters) worry about a beggar misusing money. Wealthy individuals who spend lavishly on themselves engage in petty arguments over small amounts with rickshaw drivers or vendors.
• Spiritual and Religious Practices: Those who consider themselves cultured, devoted, and charitable are often found frequenting theaters. Similarly, individuals who advocate for the importance of sincere religious practice ("Religion without heart has no value") are seen living superficially and speaking trivialities. People who promote spiritual discourse and association are observed to live shallow lives.
• Moral and Ethical Standpoints: The author points out the irony of people who meticulously guard their homes and offices from unwanted elements but lament the intrusion of negative thoughts into their minds.
• Use of Time and Resources: People who acquire modern conveniences to save time end up wasting that saved time on entertainment like TV, internet, and hotels.
• Logic and Spirituality: Individuals who cannot explain basic bodily functions (breathing, blood circulation) or the force that wakes them up demand logical proof for the existence of God.
• Discernment: People are discerning when choosing good produce (vegetables, grains) or furniture, but they often overlook the virtues of others, focusing only on their flaws.
• Education and Its Consequences: The author highlights that educated people are often at the forefront of crime, pollution, deception, scams, and the creation of destructive weapons, yet literacy campaigns are aggressively promoted.
• Politics and Ethics: While principles like non-violence, humility, charity, good conduct, and purity are considered religious values, politicians often advocate for the separation of religion from politics, without emphasizing the need to keep "unrighteousness" out of politics.
• Exploitation of Women: The book criticizes those who exploit women's bodies for profit through media and advertisements, yet organize seminars and rallies for women's freedom.
• Gratitude and Complaint: People readily complain about not receiving the fruits of their limited good deeds, while being surprised and questioning why they haven't faced severe consequences for their numerous sins.
• Friendship and Support: People offer comfort and support to friends in distress but fail to celebrate their successes.
• Growth vs. Decay: Humans readily cut off overgrown nails, trim hair, and treat diseases, but they desire continuous growth in wealth, fame, and reputation without any desire for a decline.
• Positivity and Environment: People who create negative environments (badly placed windows, proximity to sewers, unhealthy diets) complain about not experiencing happiness.
• Greed: Despite experiencing that even half of a fulfilled desire (hunger, thirst) brings satisfaction, humans relentlessly pursue greed, wanting more even when already having a significant amount.
• External Changes vs. Internal State: People change houses, cars, friends, locations, clothes, and even spouses in pursuit of happiness, but fail to change their mindset, which is the true source of happiness.
• Substance Abuse: The author expresses astonishment at people consuming substances that even animals would avoid, such as tobacco, alcohol, and meat.
• Impact of Actions: People rejoice at the thought of a single act of devotion erasing a lifetime of sins but become distressed when reminded that a single sin can erase a lifetime of good deeds.
• Procrastination of Good Deeds: Those who readily postpone enjoyable activities to the next day are also willing to postpone performing religious duties.
• Parental Concerns: Parents worry excessively about their children's physical well-being (weight) but become excessively anxious about their children's intellectual development, potentially to their detriment.
• Attachment and Release: People get annoyed when guests overstay or tenants don't leave, but they fail to let go of negative thoughts and attachments from their minds, even at the end of life.
• Money Management: While people appreciate the flow of wind in and out of a house and the ability to enter and exit a path, they desire wealth to accumulate without any outflow.
• Personal Qualities: We desire qualities like generosity, humility, intelligence, and compassion in others, but upon self-reflection, we realize we are primarily drawn to the results of good deeds (punya) rather than the good qualities themselves.
• Trust and Betrayal: People who readily share sensitive information with friends hesitate to do so with enemies, fearing future betrayal, yet are also hesitant to share with friends due to the same fear.
• Material Accumulation: The author contrasts the worry about finding space for new material possessions with the human desire to acquire all worldly possessions.
• Mind Management: The author finds it astonishing that people struggle with managing their minds, yet fail to prioritize this crucial task.
• Societal Issues: The book highlights shocking societal trends like the breakdown of family structures through divorce, child abandonment, and sending parents to old-age homes, all while mocking traditional values.
• Delegation of Responsibility: People understand the importance of not entrusting crucial responsibilities to unsuitable individuals (e.g., drunk drivers, gamblers) but are willing to hand over "power" to anyone.
• Charity and Generosity: Despite nature's abundant giving (trees, rivers, sun), humans are reluctant to donate even when they have ample wealth.
• Media Influence: The author criticizes the media for providing weak excuses that lead individuals into sin, akin to a wise person not forcing a sick person to eat curd or a financially weak person towards thugs.
• Unrealistic Expectations: People don't expect a mango tree to bear guavas or a cloth shop to sell jewelry, but they expect one person to possess all virtues like humility, charity, and asceticism.
• Personal Control: People don't curse storms but close their windows; similarly, instead of succumbing to the allure of luxury, one should exercise self-control.
• Lack of Transformation: People may eat almonds and not show it, or a beggar might become a millionaire without change, but when someone who has practiced dharma for years shows no change in their nature or behavior, it is truly bewildering.
• Sacrifice for Perishable Desires: People understand that horses need to eat grass, housewives need gas for cooking, and students need to study, but wealthy individuals are unwilling to consider sacrificing some wealth for charity and their afterlife.
• Ignoring Inner Conscience: Just as Vibhishan advised Ravana and Krishna advised Duryodhana, humans receive internal warnings before committing sins but often ignore them.
• Excuses for Moral Failure: People blame external environments for their inability to maintain purity, honesty, or self-control, even when in the presence of religious activities.
• Reaction to Criticism: People who readily criticize others when they witness wrongdoing tend to react with anger and abuse when they are criticized.
• Consequences of Actions: The author draws parallels with how people naturally move away from fire, drains, or snakes, but question how to escape anger despite knowing its destructive nature.
• Nature of Transformation: While snakes turn milk into venom and stone into idols, humans are seen trying to acquire all worldly substances without considering their own capacity or suitability.
• Conscious Wrongdoing: The book highlights the stance of Duryodhana – knowing what is right but refusing to do it – and criticizes individuals who, despite knowing better, do not practice dharma or renounce sin, yet get angry when called out.
• Unending Greed: Even with ample wealth, humans are never content and continue to accumulate more.
• Addiction to Vices: While humans do not chase monkeys or dogs, they readily chase addictions like tobacco, alcohol, gambling, and cigarettes.
• Perception of Justice: People who believe they are righteous complain about less fortunate individuals receiving more happiness, yet fail to acknowledge when others are truly better off than themselves.
• Selfishness in Relationships: While people sever ties with those who don't show them affection, they are willing to dedicate their lives to pursuing wealth, regardless of its impact on their well-being.
• Ignoring Life's Uncertainties: Despite witnessing premature deaths, business failures, and familial strife, people consider themselves exceptions and continue to indulge in harmful behaviors.
• Money as a Prerequisite for Relationships: The author observes a disturbing trend where money, rather than affection or emotion, has become a primary factor in forming relationships.
• The Value of a Smile: The author finds it more astonishing to see a wealthy person living without a smile than one without luxury cars, large houses, or fine dining.
• Lack of Ethics in Business: While people accept the need for referees and judges in sports and governance, they often reject the need for ethical conduct and principles in business.
• Misnaming of Politics: The author is bewildered by the term "politics" being applied to systems that completely lack any form of "policy" or ethical framework.
• Unburdening vs. Accumulating Wealth: Just as clouds release water, trees shed fruits, and the body expels waste, humans should also release wealth, but instead, they are driven to accumulate it endlessly.
• Mental Clutter: While people strive to keep their physical spaces free of clutter, they allow their minds to fill with a vast amount of mental "garbage" and even encourage its accumulation.
• Seeking Easy Paths to Dharma: People are willing to undertake difficult challenges like climbing mountains or passing difficult exams but seek the easiest path when it comes to practicing dharma.
• Envy and Diminishment: The author points out how big things diminish smaller things, but anger diminishes love, and yet people continue to harbor anger.
• Desire for High Standards: People desire high-quality items and a high standard of living but are unconcerned about their own minds being base and lowly.
• Rationalizing Self-Destruction: People avoid food that is poisonous even if it satisfies hunger and avoid medication with bad side effects, yet they continue to indulge in anger, knowing it is destructive.
• False Self-Projections: Birds and animals don't misrepresent themselves, but corrupt individuals falsely present themselves as virtuous in the absence of good people.
• Blind Pursuit of Wealth: People carefully select flowers, furniture, and food, but they indiscriminately embrace wealth without proper discernment.
• Ignoring Spiritual Guidance: People readily seek out pleasant experiences and practical solutions, but they ignore the advice of enlightened beings about keeping the heart filled with pure thoughts.
• Misplaced Blame: A person carrying a burning log under a tree seeking coolness, or taking phones on a peaceful retreat, will not find happiness. Similarly, someone harboring inner turmoil but looking for happiness from a deity's idol is misplaced.
• Embracing Harmful Emotions: People naturally avoid fire, bitter gourds, and unpleasant smells, but they cling to anger despite it being bitter, unpleasant, and foul-smelling.
• Renaming Negative Traits: The author criticizes the practice of renaming negative traits like anger as "controlling power," pride as "status symbol," attachment as "salesmanship," and greed as "investment."

In essence, "Jyare Tyare" serves as a mirror reflecting humanity's inconsistencies, urging readers to examine their own actions and beliefs and to strive for greater sincerity and self-awareness. The author uses the recurring phrase "સ્તબ્ધ થઈ જવાય છે" (one is stunned/speechless) to emphasize the profound and often shocking nature of these observed human contradictions.