70. Oh! Young lion!🔗

Andrew Carnegie was a very great achiever. His name used to find a place in the list of very rich people of the world. He had made such Himalayan achievements that there was no necessity for him to achieve any thing further.

Once, in an interview, he was asked a thought-provoking question - 'You could have taken rest from earning restlessly; you could have relaxed. Even though you have everything, why are you still running around to achieve more?'

Carnegie replied, 'You have asked rightly. As you said, I could have taken rest. But it was not possible for me. I have forgotten how to take rest, and how to stop running. The result is that I am running constantly.

❖ The wheel of life of each person is different from the others. If it is rolled down from the top of a rising ground, that wheel will lose its control.

The wheel which is running fast cannot stop even if it wishes to stop by itself. It cannot take rest. Some one has to block it and stop it.

Meditation and wisdom truths will direct the wheel of life of persons who are going to begin their lives into a well disciplined and secure path.

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❖ Developing nations are extremely eager to achieve. Developed nations are eager even after achieving.

❖ In America, which is in the zenith of achievement, one third of the people are suffering due to psychological afflictions.

If we say that mere achievements will give happiness and satisfaction, then, there should not be any psychiatric patients in America.

❖ Having begun to achieve some thing, and after achieving it, if there is no relationship at all between that achievement and the desires present deep in your sub-conscious mind, then that achievement itself will become a distress.

❖ Eagerly striving to achieve, eagerly striving even after achieving - which one is pitiable?

Think... With the interest created by the thought, continue to read...

In the worldly life, for those who decide to lead a family life, Ramakrishna has said beautifully:

'As you enter family life, take a little of spirituality with you. You would certainly not get caught and struggle.'

While cutting open the jack fruit, if we do it with bare hands, the sticky substance of the fruit will stick to our hands. The fingers will struggle with that stickiness.

If you dip your hands in the oil and do it, the fingers will not be affected. Cutting the jack fruit will also be easy. There will be no difficulty at all.

Spirituality is also similar to this. If we face life with some spirituality, we can enjoy life still deeper. At the same time we can also escape without getting caught in the whirls of life.

Youngsters should read this article at least twice and assimilate it in their mind and then continue to read the article...

A stage has come now, where all these apply to the lives of almost all persons.

Such youngsters have become rare, who think deeply about the fact that, after marriage they will also have to face all the problems.

Youngsters also do not fully realize that there is 100% possibility that they themselves would have to struggle. Possibilities are high only for such youngsters to become struggling family men in future.

The survey report of a medical research team says, 'Youngsters do not use more than 10% of their energy. It will be enough if they use their energies a little more; then the fate of the world itself can be changed.'

Let the changing of the fate of the world be on one side. If the energy is used more, we can change our fate at least.

If the Samurai warriors lose their awareness even a little, they will have to receive cuts on their bodies. One beautiful samurai statement about this:

'Oh young lion play keenly watching the field; otherwise the ground will become bloody.'

Certainly, for every youth who has an unsteady mind, today's life is only an arena of competition. If they are a little perplexed, or even lie down lazily for some time, one has to face very big consequences.

Without sitting down lazily, those who jump into life with a little awakening get caught in another newly created environment.

The name of that environment is - achievement!

A rat was fast asleep and when it suddenly woke up, it jumped into a group of rats that were running. Next minute, seeing that many rats are running past it, this rat also started running fast.

When the rat was stopped and asked, 'Where are you running so fast?' it seems, it replied, 'Leave me, I have to win; otherwise it will be an insult.'

The same thing happens in our life too. Having spent life playfully until the age of 25, the youth sees the future which stands suddenly before his eyes and jumps.

Only after jumping he comes to know that all are running to achieve something or the other.

Without analyzing and examining as to why and what for, he also begins life with the thought, 'I also have to achieve'.

Even within a few days, the running changes as madness.

Here only the problem starts. Life changes direction. It is not to say that achievement is wrong. Achievement is necessary. Every youth must achieve in his life certainly. He should not waste away his life remaining lazy.

But regarding the matter of achievement,

What to achieve?

Why to achieve?

It is only when one is crazy to achieve without the clarity of 'why and what for' the mental madness – 'must achieve some thing, somehow' arises.

The mind catches hold of some thing or the other, which are apparent, like money, name and fame, status and knowledge. This changes the direction of the entire life.

By achieving some thing, the satisfaction of having achieved may not be obtained. This has also been agreed to by Einstein, who had many achievements to his credit.

Einstein, who had achieved a great deal in many spheres such as wealth, name and fame, status, knowledge while in his death bed, was asked by one of his colleagues, 'Suppose you are given one more opportunity to live in this world, what would you like to do?'

Everyone expected him to say about his next scientific achievement.

But, Einstein had said, 'I would become a good plumber, connecting water taps in the homes.'

The entire gathering was shocked. The colleague hurriedly asked, 'What Einstein? What are you saying?'

Einstein very calmly said, 'Yes, I had decided to live as a plumber only. Somehow my life changed direction and I became a scientist. Even after achieving in terms of money, name, status and knowledge, I don't have the satisfaction of having lived my life. If I am given an opportunity, I would live as a plumber and get satisfied.'

Even if you jump into the achievement race without clarity of mind, you may achieve. Achievement may be possible. But the satisfaction of having achieved will not be there.

Is achievement important? Or is satisfaction important? If there is clarity about, 'Why to achieve?' and 'What to achieve?' the decision 'Have to achieve this' will be born.

After achieving it, the achievement also will give satisfaction. Reason: That is your achievement; it has been fulfilled as per your desire.

If the clarity has to be born on 'Why to achieve?' and 'What to achieve?' you have to have the maturity to understand the world, and life and yourself. It is only the path called 'spirituality' which gives this understanding in a sweet, short and compact form.

Meditation will easily help in enhancing the power of achieving and also the power of thinking.

Before you jump into life, take some spirituality with you. The doors of achievement will open.

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A meaningful incident.

A note about a strange incident, which appeared in a newspaper:

The psychiatrist is asking a person to tell him about his family. He says, 'My son is a chain smoker, my daughter is a drug-addict. My wife is a big drunkard.' The doctor asked, 'Is there nobody positive in your family?' 'Oh! Why do you ask so? I am a HIV positive person, doctor!' he said.

❖ For that mentally handicapped person, what he spoke was just and fair talk to him. The reason: Lack of mental clarity. In our just and fair talks and actions, our lack of mental clarity will be continuously expressing and exposing itself. Who will find it?

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Meditation chisels. Chisel No. 25.

Life ceases to be a battle-field the moment you have understood yourself!

They say, for growth, sky is the limit because there is no sky at all. There is no end to growth. It is a fact.

If you know yourself you can fight in the world....is not a final truth.

This is not a correct view. In fact, if one has understood himself, thereafter, there will be no need to fight at all. Unlimited independence would have been obtained by then.

All these are encouraging and motivating medicines for those who are very zealous to live. One cannot refute, saying 'No'.

If drugs are in great demand by the people, they will be manufactured in huge quantities. There is nothing wrong in it.

But a true athlete, a sprinter will not take such drugs. He will be only be aiming at utilizing his own intellect and his own energy to the maximum extent.

True achievers do not take such performance-enhancing drugs for their minds.

They give more respect to their own intellect and power than for other's words. They come to know of others through the act of knowing themselves. On account of this, the world does not appear as a battle-field for them.

In the west, some profession based advice is there in vogue and goes by the name Zen Business Management Techniques.

Those groups of people travel globally and teach 'achieving techniques' based on the wisdom truths, which are basic to Zen philosophy.

A revolutionary statement, which they say:

'A sufferer will not achieve. An achiever would not have suffered.' Working very hard is one thing. Suffering is another. Only if you work hard a little... even a lazy man can say 'I am a person who has suffered much'.

Further, they teach through Zen meditation techniques, in what all possible ways the intellect can be utilized to reach the zenith on the path of achievement without unnecessarily wasting even a little bit of energy.

'One who has won his mind is the one who has won the world.'

One who rules the mind rules the world itself. The subtlety of this Chinese proverb is only about 'Achieving without suffering'.

Mind, by its nature, will torture you. It will make you waver...mind itself will waver! It is only when you jump into the achieving path along with the mind, you will have to fight. The world will appear as a fighting battle-field.

We can drive our mind in the same way as a robot toy can be made to move by a remote control. For that, what you have to do is to know your mind fully.

If you utilize your energy and intellect to fight in the world, when your mind is still wavering and uncorrected, you may have to suffer.

After the mind is rectified, if we begin to utilise our energy for fighting, it means that the true and real achievement has arisen.

A man knows about himself because he has learnt the subtlety to handle his mind and the world. Such a person has got the energy and the intellect to perform very easily what all he wants to do.

After that, the world is no more a battlefield for him. He can achieve to any extent. Because there is no mind to inflict suffering, achievement will be possible without any suffering. The world can be conquered because the self has been conquered. Life will become a garden of celebration.

If you make the energy and intellect multiply the above mentioned royal status is possible for you also.

Before tasting your life-time, taste the meditation time. Let the achieving time become meditation time.

71. For mistakes that you make, don't feel sad, correct yourself.

❖ It is not wrong to make mistakes. Reason: Mistakes are unavoidable. Doing the same mistake again and again is only wrong.

❖ We can look at people in two ways:

❖ Sin and holiness change from place to place, religion to religion. Why? Limitations regarding sin and holiness change even between the various sub-sects of the same religion.

❖ Don't suffer, thinking about old mistakes. Don't make others also suffer.

An ascetic was living outside the town. He was a strict disciplinarian. He tried his best to live in a just and fair manner.

One night a stranger came to his hut. He asked, 'Sir, will you please permit me to stay here for tonight only?' The ascetic, in addition to having given him permission to stay, also gave him food for the night.

Before the ascetic got up the next day, the stranger had slipped away without informing him. In the morning the guards came, they enquired in detail as to whether anybody had come there the previous night. At the end of the enquiry, when the ascetic asked, 'Who was he? Why are you making such a detailed enquiry?' They replied, 'He was a thief'.

That just and fair ascetic was lamenting, 'Oh! It is a sin, having helped a thief!' A louder voice, which was also lamenting, was heard. He stopped his laments and asked, 'Who is that?'

The reply came, 'God'.

The ascetic asked, 'Oh God! Why should you lament?' God replied asking, 'If protecting the thief by helping him for just only one day is wrong, I have protected him for the last thirty years, have I not committed a greater mistake? Am I a great sinner?'

❖ The wrong notion about wrong, got broken from the mind of the ascetic that day itself. Find out the wrong ideas about wrong in your mind, break them to pieces and throw them away. -------------

I begin with a beautiful message.

Leaving aside the good deeds done on 99 occasions and taking into account the bad deed done on only one occasion - becoming angry - That is Man.

Leaving aside the bad deeds done on 99 occasions and taking into account the good deed done on only one occasion and blessing with thanks - That is God.

Are you man or God?

Finding fault with those around is an interesting matter like eating sweets for many people.

Going on continuously finding fault with others - is proof that we are living badly!

A man who lives correctly will find, first of all, the good thing only in others. For them faults will appear only secondary.

If we are able to recognize the good in others, it will be visible to our eyes that the whole world is filled with good people. We may come to think, ‘Oh, what a wonderful world!’

If we are finding only faults in others, it will appear that the whole world is full of bad people. We may come to think, ‘Good people are rare in the world. World is itself bad.’

Once, a crowd of people, who lived badly, by exaggerating the faults of others around them, happened to meet Jesus.

Jesus was seated under a tree in peaceful penance. With a loud cry of ‘Save me’, a girl fell at the feet of Jesus.

When the persons who were chasing her, saw Jesus and stood still not knowing what to do.

Without disturbing his calmness, Jesus saw the crowd as well as the persons who came in pursuit of the girl. The crowd spoke, as if they are duty-conscious and respectful men, 'She is a prostitute. We caught her red-handed. As per our law she has to be killed by stoning. That is why we are pursuing and stoning her. You only have to tell as to what punishment should be given to this fraudulent woman'.

The crowd was hugely disappointed as it was waiting for Jesus to give a good judgment. Jesus started playing with the earth.

He was drawing some thing on the earth with his fingers and was writing. The people in the crowd lost patience and began disturbing the silence.

Jesus, without lifting his head, said, 'Amongst you whoever has not committed any mistake so far can throw the stone at this girl first.' That was all.

Each one in the crowd silently dropped the stone and moved away from that place.

The words spoken by Jesus just after this are beautiful; filled with deep meaning.

Jesus said only one line to that girl who was weeping in great fear. 'Hereafter, don't do wrong.'

That created a great mental enthusiasm within that girl. It changed her life itself. Whatever wrongs she had committed so far melted away in the single sentence - 'Hereafter don't make that mistake.'

Her mental burden disappeared entirely with that day. She spent the rest of her life happily without doing again the mistakes she had committed earlier.

The crowd which had chased the girl, appearing as perfect and dignified men, went on finding faults with other people, and spent the rest of their lives, sadly murmuring, 'World is bad; world is filled with sinners!'

Understand this one truth:

In whatever manner you find the mistakes in others and scold them, you will, in your sub-conscious mind, scold yourself also in the same manner, when you do the same mistake.

It is a wrong action to be going on finding faults. It is a foolish act to dig again and again and find out our own faults and repent for them even today.

A Zen statement explaining correctly about wrong:

Yes! Man cannot avoid doing wrongs in his life. Reason: Doing a mistake is a method of life science to learn which is right. But, a mistake once done should certainly not be done again.

It is only for not doing the same mistake again and again, that God has given ‘intellect’ as a gift to man.

To repent for the wrongs done is all right, in the beginning. It is wrong to go on repenting for the mistakes. It is prudent to correct oneself instead of repenting for the mistakes.

If we bring our attention to ourselves it will be possible not to repeat the same mistakes again.

‘Don't feel sad for mistakes of the past! Correct yourself’ – This is the secret when Jesus tells the prostitute, ‘Hereafter don't do mistakes.’

Instead of feeling sad for the mistakes, correcting ourselves is the medicine for ‘self’. This is an easy way for the well being of life.

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A meaningful incident.

Nitti's wife asked,

‘What is it that you like in me?’ ‘The mistakes you commit.’ ‘What is it that you don't like in me?’ ‘The mistakes that you do again and again.’

❖ Hereafter, when you commit a mistake, don't forget to see whether it is the same mistake done again. You will grow. You will live.

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Meditation chisels. Chisel No. 26.

Unless the idea, 'I should correct myself' arises in a person, however exactly you may point out his mistakes, he will not correct himself.

When the thought 'I have to improve' has arisen for a person, then there will be no necessity to find out his mistakes and tell him. To that extent he would himself find out his mistakes and would begin to correct himself.

This is the truth of life.

In whatever way you think about it...

Are you able to understand that when you find the faults of others and tell them about it, it will be of no use either to you or to others at any time?

Do you understand that saying, 'I will correct others'; 'I am going to correct the world' are all worthless acts?

The following are the results that are the outcomes of your finding fault with others:

❖ You may make sad the person who does not want to correct himself.

❖ As a result of making him feel sad, you may yourself create the environment for him to show his hatred towards you.

❖ You may harm innocent persons.

❖ You may make the person become afraid of you immediately after his seeing you, thinking, 'Oh God! Today what fault he is going to point out?'

❖ Pointing out the thorns as the reason and losing the roses - In this fashion, like an innocent person, you may have to be continuously losing out on people and their affection.

Therefore, I say...

It is only sin to suffer and make others suffer.

Correcting ourselves, and allowing others to correct themselves when they can - Both are not only holy acts it is a meditation of the science of life. The person who does this is holy.

In future you will be careful regarding... The times when you may be suffering, thinking that you are correcting them and making them suffer! Undertake all necessary actions for correction instead of letting suffering happen within you, in these times.

Let sin become holy. Let sad times become meditation times.

Man has to blossom.

❖ Bud which has not yet blossomed – Individuality.

❖ Even after blossoming, remaining scentless – Man's personality.

❖ Man blossoming as God – A great wonder of this world, a surprise, and an achievement.

❖ A man who has blossomed. His scent will be humanness. His color will be love. And his beauty will be joy.

The Buddha often used to tell his disciples...

Beyond all these, when the 'you' itself is not there, how can you suffer...no...You cannot. How can you be caught in attachment? It is absolutely impossible.'

'Are you prepared to understand this?'

After asking this, Buddha will say, 'If you are not prepared to accept this, to understand this for the present, don't try meditation.

Find out the truth if you are truthful or not.

Firstly, meditate on: Why you refuse to accept this? Find the answer!

Subsequent things will happen automatically.

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Based on these, can we say man has progressed? Can we announce that he has obtained what he expected?

Here's a story that can answer that question.

A veterinary research scientist got caught by a group of cannibals.

The group dragged the white man, whom they had caught, into the forest with joyous shouts, to roast him alive and eat him.

With the joy of having got a man for their new feast, they dragged the white man to their leader. There was a tribal sitting close to the leader. As the tribal appeared to have a cleanly cut hair and was dressed as a civilized man, the white man had some hope of escape.

He was thinking to himself, 'In case he knows English, I can escape.'

That tribal spoke to the white man as if he had studied in the Oxford University.

He asked the white man, 'What is your last wish? Tell us. If possible I will satisfy that. Those who are here do not know these formalities.'

The white man asked angrily, 'You have studied in Oxford University, lived in a civilized modern society, have not all these made any change in you?'

For that, shaking his body, he said, 'Why you have asked me this question? Do you know how much I have changed? I don't behave in an uncivilized manner like these people. Even now, after roasting you, I am going to eat you only with a spoon, a knife and a fork. I will not use my fingers. I have changed a lot.'

In the name of civilization, perhaps the outward show might change. There is no relationship between this change and the change that happens within. This story is only to emphasize this point.

It will be very good to say, 'Man should blossom' instead of saying 'Man should change'.

It is easy to make a little change in the way you dress, walk and behave. By this change only our outward appearance might change at the maximum.

Outward change will make only an ordinary mental change. It will not make a change in the quality of a person's inner space.

By change of mind, methods can be learnt to easily face some circumstances. The fun in this is that life always gives new circumstances as gift.

Even after progressing so much in terms of material comforts, technology, wealth, man still struggles to find peace of mind.

If the quality of his inner space becomes total and full, man himself will blossom. One who has blossomed will get that maturity to approach any sort of circumstance easily.

Thinkers of the West always insist on an intellectual approach focusing on the mind, thought and the like. Its effect echoes throughout the world.

What is essentially needed for today's man is only heart-related approach of feelings such as quality and consciousness.

By an intellectual approach, perhaps some changes may be brought about in regard to the personality. Due to such changes we learn

How to do business well?

How to gather crowds for a public speech?

How to attract strangers?

But, by these things, will the just thirsts be quenched? - If you ask so, psycho-analysts say 'no' to this.

For this also, the solution is only heart-based. That solution is only the blossoming of man's individuality. If the man's justified thirsts of peace of mind, satisfaction and health are to be got in full, individuality should blossom.

For individuality to blossom, this is the solution given by Rishis of Vedic times:

For every thing that happens in life, we should not waste our time in examining it with only a mental orientation, with logic and reasoning. We must begin to respect what is happening inside and outside of us without estimating or judging. Then we will understand as to how to approach things consciously.

There will be a lot of difference between an ordinary man and a poet in enjoying and appreciating a rose flower, an evening breeze, the moon on full moon night.

You will come to know that as conscious approach increases more and more, the joys around you also increase.

Man should enjoy nature, beauty, comfort and all other things, fully and wholly. For this consciousness, the experiencing energy is required.

The capacity to enjoy and experience any thing fully can be obtained only when the individuality of man blossoms. From today, begin to live consciously. Individuality will easily blossom within you.

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A meaningful incident.

A conversation between a poet and Sakkiya Muni:

‘Are you a Mahatma?’

‘No.’

‘Are you an enlightened person?’

‘No.’

‘Are you an Avatar?’

‘No.’

‘Then, who are you? God?’

‘Man, living as a man.’

❖ Man forgetting to live as a man is the root cause for the worldly pain. This is a thing to be rooted out!

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Meditation Chisels. Chisel No. 27.

Genial research department began doing research many years ago saying that man possesses genes in lakhs.

Do you know that this department has now published shocking news that there is no difference at all in the number of genes between a rat and man?

The energy which is inside an amoeba and inside a rat, and drives them, is the same energy present within you also and drives you too! This same energy is within the earth and stone.

If it is said all are same energy, then how is it that there are different shapes, species, colors of beings being created?

Intellect had not united with the energy in the soil. With the same energy together with a little intellect added what came out was a single cell amoeba. It is a single sense life.

Further when the quantum of intellect being added was more and more, single-sense, double-sense....till six-sensed man, and different expressions were created.

This is a wise explanation.

If man's sixth sense has not attained its fullness, it means he is yet an animal trying to become a man.

Though this is difficult to accept, it is a fact.

You might have watched in the National Geographic channel on T.V. where the behavior of animals are photographed and shown - The cunningness of the fox, dullness of the buffalo, poison emitting hiss of a cobra. At all times when such beastly qualities are exhibited by man, he is not a man. He is an animal.

When the quantum of intellect increases, the quality that is the character begins to mature. Observe those moments when the human qualities of love, peace and joy are being plucked away from you.

In those moments find out as to which animal peeps out, and take steps to drive that out.

Let the intellect become full.

Hereafter, make those times in which you lose your control as meditation times. This will shape you into a beautiful person.

Make those times of when you exhibit animal behavior as times of becoming God.