10. Habits Have No Value!

We have learned from our childhood to develop good habits. THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM says habits have no value.

Habits have no power over our consciousness. If we decide to be conscious of every thing we do and think of what goes into the habit, we realize that the habit is a crutch. It is just an expression of our conscious choices that have made the habit deeply ingrained in our system. When we decide, our choices can be changed. That is what they usually say that a man decides to become enlightened.

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM uses other words, He says, man chooses to become enlightened. A small story:

Many people come and tell THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM, 'Master, I know smoking is a bad habit but I am not able to stop because it is a deep habit.'

One man told THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM, 'Master, last week I read a book of all the bad things that happen to us when we smoke. Not only first hand smoking, the disturbance and injury caused by second hand smoking. I read a big book about that, then I stopped.' THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM asked him, 'Oh, that is good, so you have stopped smoking?' 'No, no, Master, I have stopped reading that kind of books!

Understand! Many times we consciously understand that something is wrong. But we continue to work on it like helpless beings. We say, we are unable to stop it because of the habit. It is as if the habit is deciding for us from this point forward. Eventually it becomes a habit we are unable to stop. That is why THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM says, habits have no value. Habits have no power over our consciousness. When we decide consciously, our choices or habits can be changed.

A Small story:

Buddha become enlightened on his birthday. Buddha Purnima was the day on which he was born and the day on which he became enlightened, of course years later. Once a disciple asked Buddha a question,'Buddha, how did you become enlightened on your birthday? How did it happen?'

Buddha said, 'When I say I have become enlightened don't think something has happened to me. I decided to live out my enlightenment. That is all. It is just a

conscious decision. So when I decide, I can truly decide, Oh! It is my birthday, it's a good day, let me live out my enlightenment.'

Drop the clutches of habits. Live consciously that alone is enough to put us on the path of enlightenment.