Belief🔗

❖ Have belief in whatever work you start to do; life will help that belief.

Based on such beliefs man is able to live with a clear state of mind.

It is only the confusion in these beliefs which spoil the mind of man and make him become mad.

If such beliefs disappear from the mind and life leaves the body simultaneously, then the man dies.

❖ The quality of our life depends upon the quality of our beliefs.

For some of us, we want everything to happen immediately. Such things can happen only in the story of Aladdin and the wonderful lamp. But life is not a story, nor is it a cinema. To achieve success in life, we have to wait.

So much revolution has occurred in agriculture. Still, we have to wait for about three months for the paddy to grow and be ready for harvest. Likewise, we will have to wait for about nine months and a few days for a child to grow and be born after it is formed in the mother's womb.

Ernest Hemingway was a Nobel Laureate. He won the Nobel Prize for his book, "The Old Man and the Sea.' The old man in this novel is belief personified. The basis of belief is patience. If a man has no patience, first of all, his belief is put to test.

Belief is life. Have belief. Believe in yourself. In whatever you believe, you become that. There are lives which die due to ordinary bacteria. There are also people who have bullets in their chests and still carry on their lives! The only difference existing between life and death is belief.

A small story: A deep ocean. There was a mountain in its middle. In a crevice on the top of the mountain a bird had built a nest and there were a few hatchlings in that nest. One morning the bird had flown out of the nest to fetch food for its young ones, but it did not return for a long time.

The young birds became very hungry. There was hot sun on one side and there were huge waves rising below the sea.

‘I am going to jump down below,’ said one hatchling. ‘If you jump, you are sure to die by drowning in the sea,’ said the other young bird.

After hesitating for a while, the first bird gained some courage and simply jumped down into the sea water below. Only after jumping, did it come to know that it is impossible for it to get drowned in the sea (because of its very light weight).

It was nicely floating on the surface of the water and picked up some small fish and ate them. On seeing this, the other hatchlings also jumped out and fell into the sea. They came to know that they could only float on the surface of water and could never get drowned.

In this story, if only the first hatchling had not had the belief, then that one as well as others in that nest would have died due to hunger. It is only belief which made them survive.

There is no harm if belief is born out of knowledge. But if belief is born out of heart, then it is rewarded immediately. Mere knowledge questions every thing; it won’t believe anything. There is no harm in questioning. But life should not be with questions alone.

Every man sees other men die. Still he carries on his life as though death will never happen to him. Even though this is a wrong belief, this belief only remains as a driving force for a man to carry on with his life.

Why does a man patiently wait for a long time after throwing away his fishing hook in a big lake? Who will go near the lakeside if disbelief comes to him that he can’t catch any fish with his fishing equipment? The basic stepping stones for success are: waiting for something to happen with due belief; planning, working hard, wisely, etc.

Man does not live simply by breathing air; he lives because he breathes belief also. If the air we breathe is polluted, deterioration of our health is for sure. Likewise, if our belief is polluted, deterioration of our life is also for sure.

It is only one’s wrong belief which hurts him, causing an inferiority complex by thinking ‘I am bad.’ It is also one’s wrong belief which causes superiority complex by thinking ‘I am big.’

One’s belief is the very basis and an axle for the functioning of his behavioral nature and mental set up. If there happens to be a defect in this axle of belief, then the movement of the wheel of life gets affected and the man begins to struggle.

The functioning of his mind and the revealing of his nature, which are formed entirely due to the pollution of the mind for reasons of: believing the imaginary as real, false as truth, wrong as right; all these depend upon the extent to which the belief is polluted.

Only depending on these, it will be decided whether the movement of the wheel of life is one of enthusiasm or one full of inward grief.

If we recognize the wrongs and understand them correctly, all pollution surrounding the belief will simply vanish. Solutions to life’s problems can be obtained.

If the belief is strong, life becomes strengthened. If belief is correct, life also becomes all right.

The quality of our belief decides whether our life is good, or problematic, or solved. We need to make our beliefs rich and fertile, and then our life will also be enriched!

❖ False belief is a HIV virus (Happiness Insufficiency Virus) which has entered our minds. It will spoil peace of mind and decrease happiness.

❖ It will hide till the end, the truth that one is a fool. False belief is an illusory curtain of the mind.

Belief is very essential for a man to live. One's life will depend upon the nature of belief of that person. Beliefs are of various kinds, lack of faith, blind belief, false belief, belief due to fear, fear due to desires, etc.

Everybody is trying to keep the wheel of life moving, having some of these beliefs as the axle.

Have you ever thought about how such a huge elephant is controlled by such a small chain in a circus? If the elephant could think about it then it could easily run away, breaking that chain tied to just one of its legs, as if it were a weak thread. Yet it never happens. It is only due to the deep-rooted messages in its mind.

When the elephant is very young, they will tie its leg with a chain. Instinctively it will try to go about here and there to play. Being very young, it will not have enough strength to do so. The fact that it cannot break the chain is natural for the young elephant. The message that it cannot break the chain and run away gets deeply implanted in its brain. The elephant does not know that it can break the chain and go away.

Even after it has grown up, the elephant never gets the thought that it can now snap the chain and run away freely.

Truth is always truth whether one knows it or not, whether one understands it or not.

Like this elephant, many of us, when we were young, we may have faced some small or even big failures, due to our incapacity or due to the then prevailing circumstances. But those failures are not the end. Those unfortunate failures get implanted deeply in our minds. If a person has struggled and failed in his maiden attempt at public speaking, he will begin to believe that he does not possess the skill of public speaking.

That belief will change into incapacity to do public speaking forever. But each and every person invariably possesses all the skills necessary for public speaking. This is a fact. This fact will go unnoticed. Even if they come to know of this by chance, such people cannot believe it.

Beliefs are of various types. However, one problem which has grown in this century particularly is pseudo belief, self-cheating in nature. It is getting deceived by oneself.

‘I can read only this much; more than this is not possible.’ ‘I can work only this hard, no more than this.’ ‘I can remain only this happy, no more than this is feasible.’ People have started drawing limiting lines and erecting fences concerning matters such as their nature, capacity, lifestyle, inter-personal relationships etc.

Just as in a young elephant’s mind, the thought that it cannot snap the chain gets firmly imprinted. Likewise, each one of us plants the negative idea that ‘we cannot’ based on our first negative experience in each and every matter.

After growing older, even when the required amount of energy and the possibilities are available our false belief prevents us from acting.

In today’s world, all those who suffer are affected by these false beliefs. And all those who have been successful and are happy are people who have realized their true strengths and believed in them.

Do you wish to succeed, too?

Believe. You have all the skills and the necessary strength in you.

Once, Nithirajan was traveling in a train. The ticket-checking was going on. Nithirajan searched for his ticket but could not find it. Then he opened his suitcase and pulled all his clothes out and searched for it; still he could not find it.

Next he turned his bag upside down and searched but could not find the ticket. The passenger next to him, who saw that Nithirajan was desperately looking for his ticket, asked him: ‘Sir, did you check in your pant pockets?’ to which Nithirajan replied: ‘Oh, No! I’ll only see it in the end! My whole hope and belief is in my pant pockets.’ The passenger asked ‘Why you are confusing me?’

Nithirajan replied calmly, ‘Now, I cannot find my ticket in all these places. I believe that it should definitely be in the pant pocket. That’s why I’m searching it in all places without any frustration.’

Like Nithirajan, lots of people waste their time and energy holding on to false beliefs, thinking they are true.

The human mind does not record successes and appreciation with the same intensity that it records failures and insults. So, let’s not dwell on our failures, instead look at our successes and believe that we have the strength to achieve!

Solely based on a few instances of failures, we and our strength cannot be fairly judged. Due to a few failures, don't judge yourself as a failure, misfit etc.

We must throw out false beliefs like these! Just jump into the ocean of life! Discover your strengths and talents! When false belief disappears true belief will be born!

Success is for sure!!!

❖ Living things with only five senses, try to derive satisfaction from four things: food, sleep, sex and play. They cannot move even one step beyond these.

❖ Reason: A Deeply inquiring human mind is not present in them. In spite of possessing an inquiring mind, if man also finds pleasure in food, sleep, sex and aspiring for status, and feels he is satisfied, that is only a false satisfaction.

❖ On the other hand, what is derived after attaining love, peace of mind and joy, that alone is real and deep satisfaction.

Yayathi was the king of a country called Gandharva. He became 100 years old. He was a man who enjoyed all pleasures and joys of life to a much greater extent than what one can normally aspire to.

One night, suddenly Death came and stood before him. ‘Your time has come. I have come to take you away,’ said Death, who never fails in its duties.

Yayathi was a great warrior. In spite of that, he became nervous on seeing Death. He begged, ‘You have come so early to take away my life.’

‘Is it early? You are now 100 years old. Your first son himself is 80 years old now. Do you want to live still?’

‘Oh! Death! I have 100 wives. So I have 100 sons. Would you leave me if one of my sons is willing to die in my place, and willing to come away with you?’ Yayathi began arguing.

‘I will surely leave you. But, when you yourself, want to live further, how will your sons be willing to give away their lives?’ Death asked Yayathi.

Yayathi summoned all his sons and asked, ‘Who is willing to die for my sake?’

Silence was the answer for his question. But his last son, who was only 16 years old, got up and said, ‘I am willing and ready.’

Death was shocked to hear this response and said, ‘You are a small boy. You don’t know anything. You have not really enjoyed life. Your old father and all elder brothers have enjoyed life well. When they themselves are hesitating to come, how is it that you say you are prepared?’

That boy began to speak without any hesitation, ‘Even after living 100 years, my father is not able to acquire satisfaction. Neither are my brothers.’

‘When nobody is satisfied, why should I want to live? There is no point in living in false satisfaction. At least I am able to give my life for the sake of my father. That deep and true satisfaction itself is enough,’ said the boy.

Even Death could not dispute what the boy said.

Many of us are living like king Yayathi of this story. Satisfaction does not begin to flower in us so easily.

If a man possesses one million dollars and wants to become a rich man with one billion dollars, then it is desire; even after accumulating one billion dollars and remaining still not satisfied and wanting to make it many billion is a poison of avariciousness, which creates false satisfaction.

We buy mixers; we buy grinders; we sell our black and white T.V. and buy a color T.V.; we buy a washing machine. The list is ever continuing. Why do we not get the feeling of satisfaction? Reason: it is only false satisfaction.

If the imaginary thinking that I am peaceful, and the feeling that I am not satisfied, get mixed up and come out of mind, then it becomes false satisfaction. Not being contented and satisfied with worldly matters and going on ‘what next?’, ‘what next?’ will spoil whatever peace of mind is left in us.

Those who do not get real satisfaction in life may even become mad and may roam about here and there. In realizing the truth there is: Satisfaction! Behaving magnanimously is: Satisfaction! Being compassionate is: Satisfaction! Teaching good things to others is: Satisfaction! All over the vast field of life, lying strewn is: Satisfaction!

Until a sense of deep satisfaction flowers in us, the feeling of ‘contentment’ will not blossom in us. As long as a sense of false satisfaction is hanging on in us, a dull feeling of ‘what is bigger than this’ will always be arising in our minds.

The best way to eradicate the feeling of false satisfaction is to see and feel a sense of real deep satisfaction in each and every incident happening in our life. We need to be continuously using our intellects to attain a sense of deep satisfaction.

Let’s throw away our false satisfaction and begin our travel towards real and deep satisfaction.

Stubbornness

❖ Stubbornness is worse than paralysis.

❖ Paralysis will affect only the human body

❖ Stubbornness is a demon which hides itself within the man and makes its ugly appearance every now and then, and then destroys the man as well as others around him.

‘I have to make him understand who I am.’

‘Is he bigger than I?’

It has become very common nowadays for some people to lose the greater part of their lives, thinking ‘I will lose anything to safeguard my prestige and principles.’ It is rather sad.

Here is a story of a man who lived his life with enormous stubbornness.

In a village, there was man by name Kuppan, who was a big bully. He almost controlled that entire village with terror.

Suddenly one day he had a dirty idea. He ordered, ‘Hereafter, nobody except me in this village should have hair on their heads. All should have their heads shaved off.

Not to antagonize him in any way, all people in the village immediately shaved their heads. On seeing that, Kuppan now became very proud and said, ‘Aha! Now I am the only beautiful man in this village having such nice hair on my head.’

One new man by the name of Paramasivam, who was also a good musician, arrived and settled in that village. He was sporting hair up to his shoulders. He did not know anything about Kuppan.

Having come to know about this new man with beautiful hair in the village, Kuppan came rushing there with anger.

Kuppan asked him, ‘So, you are Paramasivam? How dare you to come before me with hair intact on your head?’

Paramasivam said, ‘It is enough if you apply some oil on your head for the hair to grow well. Why are you confused? What is the connection between hair and courage?’

Kuppan replied, ‘In this place, what I say is law. How dare you argue with me? Come on; let us see whether it is you or me.’ So saying he brought out two swords. (Throwing one at Paramasivam, he challenged Paramasivam to a fight)

‘What is this? Should a man fight just because he has hair on his head? Alright, let us see,’ thought Paramasivam, and then told Kuppan, ‘Before we fight, let me go to my house and return. Then we can start our fight.’

Kuppan got confused and asked, ‘Why do you wish to go home now and return?’ Paramasivam replied, ‘It is possible that only one of us may win in the fight. If I get defeated, my family will be on the streets. So I will go and kill my wife and children first and then come back here to fight. Then I will not bother whatever happens in the fight.’

‘If you think similarly, you can also go and do the same and come back. Then only we can fight with full concentration.’

Both went back to their respective homes. Kuppan killed all the people in the house and returned. Even after fifteen minutes Paramasivam did not return.

After half an hour, Paramasivam returned with his head cleanly tonsured and applied with oil thereon.

Kuppan could not understand anything. ‘You told me that you will fight with me, but you have now come here with your head tonsured.’

Paramasivam calmly said, ‘I went to my house with the sword. After all, it takes just ten minutes to get your head tonsured. I thought, why should I kill my people for such a simple matter. I got my head tonsured with the very same sword you gave me.’

Kuppan was stunned. He did not know what to do. He thought, ‘For such a small thing, I lost a very big thing, my whole family.’

Like Paramasivam, all men change all the time. Nobody is going to remain in the same state of mind always. If we live our lives with all stubbornness and feelings like:

‘What a big man I am, my prestige, my principles, etc.’

What will ultimately remain is only our stubbornness. Due to our stubbornness, we will have to meet heavy losses in our lives.

Stubbornness is a type of disease that occupies our minds. Let us leave this useless stubbornness and escape from our many, many losses!