Day: June 14, 2025

Swami ji said…

From time immemorial, man has always been motivated by a wish to gain name and fame and be recognised as a celebrity. His desire to achieve success is fuelled by the belief that success alone will garner him praise and repute. This desire and longing to be ‘known’ is something we can all relate with. We all want a pat on the back. We all want to be acknowledged for that we have done and achieved. And, in a way, we can’t really say that there is something majorly wrong in being this way. It is when we see sportsmen being rewarded, visionaries being interviewed and quoted in the news, that we too are inspired to work hard and achieve such success.

But , like it is said – Nothing in excess is good – similarly, our desire to be successful and known – should also be within limits. We must realise that we do not exist solely for the sake of impressing others and neither should we make it our sole aim ; as that is not the purpose of life. The purpose of our life cannot be only to be adulated, known and recognised by the world. Being admired by others, being hero-worshipped by others – is not the end all of life. Of course , one feels good on being admired by others. But, unfortunately, In today’s world, this is what we are increasingly seeing. Be it just ‘five minutes of fame’ – that is what everyone is chasing. To be known – is what many are desirous of. Anything and everything is being done from the point of view of how ‘others’ will perceive us ? Every little thing is ‘shared’ with the world for it to admire.

But do we ever question ourselves, is this truly how we want to live ? Is it alright to commit to actions with such a mindset?
Surely, it is not. For vanity makes us chase only material accomplishments and temporary pleasures. Money, houses, cars, positions – all these are used to catch the world’s attention. But, we are well aware, this will only bring us momentary joy. What then? Do we gain ‘permanent’ happiness from any of these?

The real ‘we’ – the ‘soul’ – alone lasts forever. But , what do we do to feel its presence within us ? Our name will be forgotten ; our belongings will turn to debris someday ; the body to ash. All these efforts to please the world will amount to naught. If not tomorrow – then on some other day for sure.

Clearly, it is not the world that needs to be impressed, but, rather it is God whose admiration we must try to capture. The ‘soul’ needs bliss – permanent bliss – that only He can give and not the world. Our actions thus, must also be directed at pleasing Him. And unlike the world, which never truly tells us nor, knows itself – what makes it happy – He is always telling us, through our conscience, through little signs – that true happiness is within us and what we must do to win His Grace.

The spiritual seeker, in today’s world, must also always be careful about what motivates him ; what inspires him ; what does he want to ‘be’ in this lifetime. The world will praise him for being a ‘good’ man. They will even seek his advice, which he might give. They will praise him for his practices and sacrifices. But the spiritual seeker must beware at all times. For his spiritual practice is not for the world to admire, but, to gain God’s favour. The same people who praise him today, will abandon him tomorrow – that is how the world works. In those moments, if , He is not truly motivated to seek God – his ‘sadhna’ will be of no use – as his mind will chase the world and its fickle nature will drag him away from the path to God.

Don’t just long for material possessions and fruition of personal ambitions – long to know Him , to sense Him ; to see Him – and understand – that He is happiest to see our eyes filled with love for all ; our head bowed in respect and gratefulness to Him ; our hands that should always be ready to help others ; our feet that are willing to walk on the Right Path and our mind that refuses to nurture falsehood.