Swami ji said…
Whenever we go for job interviews, attend a social gathering or prepare for a meeting with someone of significance – we unfailingly put our best foot forward. We make it a point to be punctual ; are well turned out ; revisit everything that we need to take with us. All in all – a picture of near perfection is projected by us to others.We feel that doing so is imperative for us to be successful.
Such occasions, of course, do not come every day in life , and , we begin to ease off from the strict regulations that we had imposed on ourselves for those important days. Some of us could skip baths ; some may oversleep ; some might not adhere to any schedule on any other normal day. All in all, when not under any seeming obligation, we seem to be rather happy in taking a short cut.This is the way we approach life most of the time. In fact, for many of us, life seems to be passing by – just this way. We do only that – which is just enough for us to ‘get by’. Our mind directs us towards a path that is ‘comfortable’ – well drawn out ; plain and smooth. The path of least resistance. Comfort becomes our priority. Everything else – dreams, ambitions, principles – take a back seat.
But, over a period of time, many of us begin to feel dissatisfied in living life in such a way.The heart longs for a sense of purpose ; a sense of achievement. When there is such a disconnect between the heart and one’s actions, one is bound to feel dejected and frustrated…’हम निराश होने लगते हैं… ‘After all, we need to have an ambition in life.
But , even at such a stage in life, one must not get disheartened. Instead of simply giving up and drowning in self – loathing, one must begin the challenging, but, not impossible task of self-improvement. For the spiritual seeker, this is often the first step towards God. It is only when one starts becoming aware of one’s ‘self’ ; it is only when we start reflecting and asking whether we are living life the ‘correct’ way, the ‘right’ way – can we even consider making changes in our actions and the way we live.
The biggest challenge one comes across in this process – is that of changing oneself immediately. After all, old habits die hard. It is not easy to let go of old habits , and , time and time again, we will find ourselves doing exactly what should not be done by us ; should be avoided by us at all cost. The promise made to ourselves – to meditate everyday ; to make it a regular habit – seems to fade away in the face of other distractions – and we might invariably – sometimes quite inexplicably – postpone or cut down on our meditation time – by over a week. Such failures and realisations can be very disappointing and can raise doubts in our mind about our own ability to change. But , one must remember that this is the struggle we have to go through and overcome them ourselves. In the process of self-change, we realise how strong and powerful the mind is, and , how we need to stay vigilant and not give in to its ability of taking us down the path of ‘comfort’ again.
We may often question -‘Why should I choose a life of discipline, of ‘tyaag’ – when I can live a life of comfort ?’ We can barely ‘see’ how could this kind of a life be of any use to us ? But our entire perspective changes once we see an unprecedented ‘change’ happen, take place in us. It is possible that a person – who till recently found pleasure only in partying hard – is able to turn into a new leaf – on experiencing true bliss in chanting His name ; on waking up early in the morning to make an effort to connect with God – as he finally begins to understand that it is He alone who can liberate him from the never – ending cycle of birth and death ; that all other relationships are temporary – except for the permanent relationship that he shares with God. The attachment that he earlier had with every possible thing on Earth – is replaced by detachment – and he begins to regret the precious time that he has wasted on only accumulating material possessions – rather than concentrating on his spiritual growth and upliftment – which would make him truly wealthy – on receiving God’s Grace , love and blessings. We can change ourselves, if , we are determined to do so.
Dedicated to Swamiji Ajay Jain ji 