Day: January 4, 2025

Swami ji said …

“ज़िंदगी में इतने उतार- चढ़ाव क्यों हैं ?” “ज़िन्दगी- मुझे अब और क्या दिखाएगी ? “मेरी ज़िंदगी में यह क्या हो रहा है?” – are some of the questions put up by many of us to ‘life’ – no matter how old or young we could be. We never stop questioning ‘life’, holding it accountable for the ‘bad’ that is happening in our life and labelling
‘ज़िन्दगी’ as ‘अच्छी’ या ‘बुरी’. Good or bad.

How convenient it is for us to do that! Since we are so efficient at making someone else a scapegoat – it is the turn of poor, hapless ‘life’ – to bear the brunt of our wrong, incorrect choices – when we indulge ourselves by doing what makes us feel ‘happy’ – without giving much thought to the consequences of our actions – and later on, on seeing an untoward outcome – we counter attack ‘ज़िन्दगी’ and declare that – ‘ मेरी जिंदगी बहुत ‘बुरी’ चल रही है …”

Somehow, in a strange way, we tend to bypass the main issue – that we are only blessed with ‘life’ … ” हमें जीने का एक मौक़ा दिया जाता है …” We are provided with a golden opportunity to live a ‘life’. Life doesn’t come to us as good or bad. It is ‘we’ – each one of us – who make it either ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – by living and leading a life that makes it either of the two.The inclination and responsibility of living a worthy or unworthy life rests completely with us. But, rather, than being answerable for our ‘bad’ options – we find it easier to play a blame – game with life.

If we were asked today – ” तुम बड़ा आदमी बन ना चाहोगे या अच्छा आदमी ” – what would our honest answer be ? Our chorus in unison could be – ‘बड़ा आदमी’ – as, so greatly enamoured are we at the very thought of being a moneyed , powerful and influential individual. Maybe, we wrongly feel, that leading a life focussing entirely on creation of wealth and assets is more beneficial – than standing firmly by the values of honesty and goodness that had been our pillars in the past.There is no doubt in the fact that it is essential to do well in life ; to achieve what has been achieved by very few – but, if, we attain our dreams at the cost of giving up our scruples and values – then it is time for us to give importance to the essence of nurturing – ‘अच्छाई ‘ in us – the ‘goodness’ which we have allowed to drift away in the deluge of the greed of materialism. A balance has to be maintained to not let the ‘good’ in us be swept out by the ‘bad’. Let us not forget that it is good to rise in life, but, it is always better to be a good human being.

Similarly, again, don’t we have a choice when it comes to choosing friends and others with whom we want to maintain proximity ?
‘अच्छी’ संगत में रहने से और अच्छे लोगों से मिलने जुलने से हम हमेशा अच्छी आदतें , अच्छे संस्कार और अच्छे विचार रखेंगे …” But, then, again – this is a personal choice and those looking for excitement and adventure might find ‘good’ company boring and unfashionable. In a rush to be ‘known’ by others we are willing to compromise on anything and everything – in order to be accepted by them. Can we really retain goodness unless we exercise some self – restraint on ourselves ? The element of goodness in us can be wiped out within a fraction of a second – if we are willing to submit to the power of ‘bad’.

Don’t we meet people who smartly suggest a way out of a tricky situation in which we find ourselves – by telling us – “तुम ऐसे बोल देना … झूठ है तो क्या हुआ…बच जाओगे ?” – and we obediently follow the direction shown by them – forsaking the path of honesty – just that once – we promise
ourselves, but , find it very difficult to get back onto the path of honesty after doing so – as dishonesty makes us lose our way very quickly.

” हमें यह याद रखना चाहिए कि अपनी ज़िंदगी को अच्छा या बुरा बनाना सिर्फ़ हम पर निर्भर करता है … हम इस के लिए किसी और को दोषी नहीं ठहरा सकते हैं… हमें हमेशा अपनी ज़िंदगी को अच्छा बनाने की कोशिश करनी चाहिए…”