Different is the good and different is the pleasant,
they both, having different aims,
He, who chooses for himself the good, comes to wellbeing,
he, who chooses the pleasant, loses the goal.
The good and the pleasant approach the human,
The wise man, pondering over both, distinguishes them;
The wise one chooses the good over the pleasant,
The fool, acquisitive and craving, chooses the pleasant .
— Yama, Katha Upanishad. Wisdom for the ages, wisdom from the sages. Wisdom deciphered straight from the upanishads. The Katha Upanishad has done an exemplary service to humanity by decoding the nature of the choices that are presented to us humans, the choices we tend to make more often than not & their implications on our life, fortunes and destiny. Needless to say, the good choice asks for sacrifice, will power, pain and patience, but it promises to bestow upon the practitioner peace of mind, material prosperity & the privilege of a good life in the long run. But the common man is blinded by the seduction of all things pleasant. Hence choosing momentary satisfaction and instant gratification, a human chases one pleasant choice after another. And that is where the vicious loop begins. The humans of the 21st century, have a not so straight forward task on their hands. To choose between Good & Pleasant, choose between drugs & penance, choose between lust & love, choose between hard work & laziness, choose between herd mentality & individuality. The choice is ours to make and the consequences are ours to live with.