Day: July 17, 2021

Swamiji said…

” A common recurrence in the stories of great heroes and figureheads of history has been the awe inspiring commitment and dedication with which they took vows and oaths to achieve the impossible. In fact, it was the oath or ‘संकल्प’ taken by them that was the driving force that propelled these great personalities to unimaginable heights in their lifetime.”

“An oath or ‘संकल्प’ is a promise that one makes to achieve something, to reach a specific goal , irrespective of the time, effort or cost involved. And, it is the ensuing struggle – both internal and external, that one goes through to keep this promise, that is a great teacher.”

” Infact, if one has to truly give wings to the desires of one’s heart ; if one wants to achieve the success and glory one dreams of, it is important to take a decision that – ‘This is what I will achieve, no matter what !’ – ‘हम एक दृढ़ निश्चय लेते हैं, एक मुकाम या लक्ष्य तक पहुँचने का |’

” ‘संकल्प’ हम अपने मन से लेते हैं और उसे पूरा करने के लिए हमारा हृदय हमें शक्ति देता है! हमारा ‘संकल्प’ अगर नेक है तो वो हमारे जीवन में एक बदलाव लाएगा !’ ‘ Aur yeh बदलाव … a change that we decide to bring in our lives, in whichever field it could be ; to better, improve or skill ourselves, will be a positive one, and enable our self-confidence, self-belief and self-reliance to grow in leaps and bounds. The deadline that we set to fulfil our oath re-energises us with a renewed interest, focus and determination to achieve it within the time duration that we had promised ourselves.The heart, too, for a change, switches off from its constantly changing, needless desires, and, guides us sensibly, by directing our flow of thoughts and energy towards our ‘sankalp’, motivating and edging us in the right direction – towards its attainment.”

” Yes, we will certainly face obstacles in the fulfullment of the vows that we have made to ourselves. Thus, very often we are tempted to give up, when the period of struggle begins to drain us. Yet, the thought of giving up would mean that we are admitting to ourselves that we have a weak will, that we do not have what it takes to stand committed to our word. On one side lies the easy way out – of giving up, but , living with guilt and shame in our heart ; and, on the other lies a torturous path ahead , but , with a sweet and fruitful end. This is the struggle that ensues in the mind. We have to ignore and overcome the hundreds of excuses that we can think of – to give up. And this struggle, this war against the mind is what makes us stronger,everytime we choose the higher, challenging and demanding path.”

” Yet, we should not be afraid of this struggle and make the mistake of retracing our steps.“हमारे ‘संकल्प’ की आवाज को ईश्वर भी सुनते हैं…” and on seeing the purity of our ‘sankalp’, ‘He’ in His inimitable silent manner stands by us like a pillar of support, removing obstacles and difficulties, that will inevitably come in our way, ensuring that the ‘कार्य’ or task on which we are set, with single-minded dedication and focus, is achieved by us. Seeing us worship our ‘work’, ‘He’ erases all traces of self-doubt, insecurities and diffidence and provides us with the strength needed the most – our inner strength, which at times, proves to be more rewarding and stronger than physical strength.”

” For those on the spiritual path, at the end of the tunnel, lies spiritual enlightenment. Well, that is what they hope for. Contrary to specific, concrete goals in the physical world, spiritual practitioners do not even fully know what exactly will be achieved by them at the end of their spiritual voyage. Yet, they remain steadfast, committed to their spiritual oath, their ‘संकल्प’. ‘What do you achieve by living a ‘God seeking’ life? ‘ – is a question put by many to them. They achieve the ‘strength’ to control the wandering of the mind; the ‘strength’ to control their emotions and desires; the ‘strength’ to abstain; the ‘strength’ to detach themselves from their physical being and focus only on the purification of their soul. Is that not a reward most divine in itself ?”