” कठिन परीक्षा में ही छिपा है विजय का मार्ग …”

Swami ji said…

Life, in its brief span, shows us something new and unfamiliar – each passing day. No two days are ever quite the same. Yesterday’s rhythm and tomorrow’s melody are always different, even, if, subtly so.Yesterday may have been filled with joy, but, tomorrow might bring sorrow. One day, you stand tall, ready to take on the world, and the next day – you find yourself lost, weary. Such is the way of life. But , to grumble, to complain , to be always critical of life ? That’s not what life asks of us.

Change is the law of the universe. You can be a king, or , a pauper in an instant.Lord Ram understood this to be the natural order of life. He was born a prince, destined for the throne of Ayodhya, yet , in an instant, His fate changed. Banished to the forest for fourteen years, stripped off all royal privileges – Lord Ram accepted His fate with grace. In the Ramayana, we see his unwavering acceptance of life’s changes.

And, so, with each dawn, a new beginning unfolds before us – different from the last. To live – means to accept these changes ; not resist them. Life, after all, is a gift – a precious one. Yet, how often do we let ‘time’ – its moments slip through our fingers ?Wasted – never to return. We cherish the gifts our loved ones give us and tuck them away safely – yet , we forget to treasure the greatest gift of all – this life, this breath, this present moment – gifted to us by God.

We must thus strive to check ourselves when we find ourselves complaining about how the day is going, or , how hard we have been working, and , the number of obstacles we have faced to get things done. We must look at every instance and happening with the view that there is some divine reason behind it, and, accept it with a sense of complete surrender.

Life – is the greatest opportunity – that we have been gifted by both – God and the universe – and to ‘live’ with purpose – should be our aim. To live a life without attachment to the fruits of our actions, but, to find meaning in the journey itself. But, very often we stray from that purpose, losing ourselves in fleeting comforts, or , in despair. The world tells us to find happiness in things that don’t last. But , real peace ; real contentment, comes – when we align ourselves with the eternal ; the unseen.

Life – untarnished and unblemished – it should remain. Pure – like the first rays of the morning sun. Yet, we make mistakes. We are human after all – we tell ourselves , sheepishly. Sometimes we fall. We act – out of anger, out of fear ; and guilt settles in our hearts like a heavy fog. But, one must remember that there is no condemnation for those who keep God in their heart and thoughts. Negative thoughts will creep in – they always do. We start to feel unworthy, overwhelmed by the weight of it all, and, in those dark moments, some may even consider ending – what was so lovingly gifted to us by God – their life.
But , we must remember that the ‘soul’ is neither born, nor does it die. Our purpose, our spirit – is eternal. God created us not to be crushed under the weight of the world , but , to rise above it. We were made for victory, not defeat.

The spiritual seeker too will sometimes feel dejected and unworthy – when he is unable to gauge whether he has been able to make adequate progress in his spiritual journey. He might feel that despite all his effort and the number of hours that he has been devoting to meditation ; he does not sense an increased presence of God in his life. It is during such anxiety filled moments that his mind could question him – whether his spiritual belief and practice – is even worth it. He might be going through difficult times and feel that his spiritual practice has not been of any use. He might feel like giving up on God altogether.

It is all the more important – when one is plagued with such doubts – to remember the instances when we have undoubtedly felt God’s hand in shaping our destiny. This will help us in staying motivated and renew our faith in the spiritual path that has been adopted by us.

Thus, in life, when darkness surrounds us, we must endeavour to let the light within us shine brighter. And, just as Shri Krishna encouraged Arjun – on the battlefield – we must rise – with determination – above fear, doubt and the darkness that clouds our hearts – and fight the battle within. For , greater is the power within us than the forces outside. Yes, life may be filled with trials, but , it is also filled with promise, unlimited possibilities and His Grace. And, with each passing day, we are given the chance to live it fully – to rise, to grow, and to become all – that we were meant to be.