Day: February 17, 2024

Swami ji said…

All of us have been on some journey or another – while going to our hometowns or to some new places – by trains, planes, buses etc. And, as a result we come across various fellow travellers ; some who are constantly complaining about something or the other. Their incessant complaints can be heard by one and all. All they need is one ‘inconvenience’ to pop-up and their complaints start pouring out immediately !
In fact, there are some, who take off even before the journey begins.They complain about the unearthly hours of their travel time ; about their inability to have packed properly.To our amazement they can go on and on. There is no stopping them.

Would we like to sit next to such a fellow traveller? Would we like to lend them our ear?Absolutely not ! And, even if we were somehow seated next to such passengers, we would try our best to change our seats ! But, why would we do so? Because it would ruin our journey !

On the other hand, we would love to travel with someone who is self-assured, calm and has an ever ready smile in all situations. We would trade places to sit with someone who has jokes to make, great insights to give and never breaks into a sweat in the worst possible
scenario.

” जीवन भी एक सफर है…” Life too is a journey. There will be scenic spots to see and appreciate, and , there will also be bumps and accidents and hiccups. And, mind you, not only will we have fellow travellers in this – like our friends and family – but we too will be a fellow traveller to them. Would we not like to be akin to that ideal traveller we just described? Someone who is calm and contained – स्थिर , who is always looking for reasons to smile and laugh. Aren’t they the ones who are truly enjoying life? They are so focussed on seeing and finding the good in life, that they barely feel the pains of the bumps and bruises they get along the way.

One cannot deny the fact that – Life is the way you look at it ; the way you approach it ; your attitude towards it ; your mindset with which you would want to ‘live’ through it. Do we make a clear – headed attempt to
understand that life is and has always been a bitter – sweet mix of tears and smiles ; of joy and unhappiness ; of success and failure ; of heartbreak and cheer ? No one can change the unpredictable nature of life and the earlier each of us assimilates this – the easier it would be for us to live life.

Attitude truly is everything ! If we are determined to make the most of every second we have here ; discover and extract any and all of the treasures that life has to offer us – finding fault with life will only seem like a waste of effort. The ups and downs of life will only bring us excitement and thrill – as we will gear up to confront the challenges. What could be passed off by others as the ‘uncertainty’ of life – would be looked upon us as opportunities and new horizons.

What we need to understand is that – “अपने जीवन की परिभाषा हम स्वयं ही लिखते हैं…” If we are determined to smile through all our struggles and suffering ; then we will do so with courage – but, on the other hand, if , we can only shed tears , cry and weep at the first sign of turbulent and difficult times ahead – then that is all we will do through out – without doing any good for ourselves. Why do we adopt a defeatist attitude and cry out to all who are willing to listen to us that -” मेरा जीवन तो बिल्कुल ही बेकार है…” and , strangely, appear to derive some morbid satisfaction while saying so ! How sad would our Creator feel on hearing us speak in such a pessimistic,
ungrateful
manner ! Life is extremely precious ! Every living moment – priceless.

How can we think of living a happy life – if , the only thing that we can do, all the time is – complain and criticise – about how unfavourable and unfair life has been to us?
“जो जीवन की
आलोचना करते रहते हैं “- they only make life miserable for themselves. Our existence in the world must be celebrated by us ; enjoyed while taking His name ; talking about His mysterious ways ; His
unending Grace. But , then, there are some of us who love to analyse ‘life’. Too many – ‘whys’ and ‘whats’ can make life difficult for us. Life is the best for those – “जो
जीवन का आनंद ले ते हैं…”

For the spiritual seeker, honing one’s viewpoint – दृष्टिकोण – is very crucial for him to escape from the trap of becoming a ‘victim’ in life. In failure, he must learn – to learn from his mistakes – instead of living in regret. In uncertain times, he must prepare himself for any outcome – by focussing only on his immediate
actions and by finding refuge in the knowledge that he has done his best. It is only by doing this – can he begin to focus on God, and, not be disturbed and distracted by the unpredictable nature of life.