Turning a New Leaf by Swami Ishwarananda
(Reprinted from the original article in Tapovan Prasad Magazine, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust - Spiritual Monthly of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide, Vol.46, No. 11, Nov. 2008)
“Perhaps I should quit my job – it is only causing constant stress!” declared Rajesh Sharma when he sat down on the chair in front of me. His eyes were moist and face expressed anguish. I have known him for many months and on every visit our conversation would begin with the similar note. It has become customary that I hear him for an hour before suggesting him certain change of perception to take care of his immediate problem. He would assure me that he would change his attitude, only to come back soon with frustration about another predicament!
“No success comes without some dose of stress”, I said looking into his eyes. A mother who does not want the child to slip and fall can never see him walking. Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji said, “We are not created by God to become failures”. Failure is like the condition of a leafless tree in winter – it springs back with fresh leaves within a few months. You cannot avoid stress; you should learn to handle stress if you want success in your life.”
I was not sure whether he heard my words or not. After some pause, he asked “are you a successful swami?”
I was amused by this question and I could not help smiling. “I don’t know. Bhagavad-Gita says that a successful swami is he who neither hates nor loves – he rises above pairs of opposites and easily becomes free of worldly bondage,” I continued, “Success in spiritual life is not determined by any external standard, though in the worldly parlance success is about status, wealth, power and fame.”
“Does this apply to me, a person of the world?”
“Of course, spirituality is not an exclusive practice for the monks only; if it does not apply to a man-of-the-world, it fails to be a tool for transformation. Those who believe that success is all about wealth and fame, remain caught in the whirlpool of desires, ever stressed to retain their status and wealth, feeling insecure in every change in their daily life. Look at yourself as a spiritual being first, before you see yourself as a parent, husband or as an executive. As a parent you will get stressed about your children and their education, health and so on. As an executive you cannot avoid stress that comes along with every project in your hand. But as a spiritual soul you are not responsible for any gain or loss in your life. Neither wealth nor health is perceived as permanent by a spiritual person. For him, handling stress is only handling a particular role efficiently, while he is always aware of the fact that he is not the role that he plays in the world.”
“If I need to be constantly aware of my spiritual self, do you suggest me to become a swami?”
“Your question is no different from what Arjuna asked Lord Krishna. You cannot become a man of renunciation unless you know what it means. Renunciation is not about giving up – it is about growing up. It is entirely internal and therefore others do not notice it easily. I am not suggesting you to renounce. As a man-of-the-world, you first learn to handle the propensities of your mind. Without mastery over the mind, success will be like a short vacation – you enjoy for a while and return to the same world again.”
“What are the propensities of my mind? How do I master my mind?”
“Bhagavad-Gita enumerates three qualities of the mind. Whichever is predominant in your personality creates the relevant propensities in your mind.”
I handed over the following chart to him to glance through:
“You cannot bring overnight change in your personality. It has been formed by various factors such as education, upbringing, culture, environment, parental influences and so on. Some even believe that it is determined by your earlier life too. Medical science believes that your traits are from the DNA. However, the solace is that over many years of spiritual practices you can grow up from Tamas to Rajas and from Rajas to Sattva. In Sattva state, your success is no more determined by the world. It is a state of mind, which remains peaceful and calm in any given situation. This, according to my understanding is true success, where you don’t avoid stress – you handle it efficiently!
“Sattva is most ideal for spiritual growth while Rajas is necessary for worldly accomplishment, as you can learn from the chart above. All of us are combinations of these three personalities. They are not water-tight compartments. Based on the predominance of the propensities you can determine your personality type.”
“Does spiritual growth disturb my family and social life?”
“Your family and social life will not be affected by you shifting to Sattva. However, you must be clear about your priorities. Do you want lasting peace and happiness or just pleasures and short-term success in your life? If your priority is pleasure, you will not find joy in spiritual practices”
“Where do I begin?”
“Begin this at your work, at home, in every one of your interactions and most intensely in your solitude. Start your work with a self-suggestion – to perform everything with cheerfulness without any anxiety about the outcome. In the early stages of your practice your habitual tendencies will create obstacles to change. Do not be discouraged. Begin everyday with a self-created plan-of-action - to be conscious of the change you wish to bring into your life. Try to remain in the company of those who encourage you. Speak about this to your family members and friends with whom you can confide. Learn from those who also practice spirituality in their life. In your solitude, affirm yourself as the spiritual self and do not look at yourself as related to anyone in this world. When you return to the worldly duties, play your role without anxieties.”
“These need so much time and attention. In my busy life, how will I accommodate them?”
“Look into your daily schedule and prepare a list of activities which do not support your personal growth – do not overlook quality time with your family. Cut down spending time in long TV shows, web-browsing, extended conversations over phone, extensive social parties and so on. In the beginning it will be hard to give up. But as I mentioned earlier, slowly grow up – rise above the need!”
“How important is changing my food-habits?”
‘It is indeed most essential. Your thoughts are influenced by the food that you eat. World is same for the ignorant and the wise. But what interests an ignorant person does not interest a wise person. Do you know why? A wise person consciously reduces the tamasic and rajasic influences coming from food. A putrid food such as alcohol influences you to remain attached to laziness and delusion while animal products increase agitations in the mind. For a month, take a vow to eat only freshly cooked food and follow healthy habits. You will see the change in your moods.”
“How do I know that I am progressing?”
“As I mentioned earlier, there are no external standards. As a man-of-the-world, you cannot completely avoid certain tamasic propensities in your daily life such as sleep and procrastination or certain rajasic propensities such as sense-pleasures and desires. But you will certainly see the reduction of their intensity when you start practicing meditation, prayer, self-less work, company of spiritual masters, healthy food and study of spiritual books.”
“Will a person of sattva again revert back to rajas or tamas?”
“Quite possible, if you fail to maintain your spiritual practices. Gurudev often remarked that the mind is unpredictable like a monkey – a constant vigilance over the mind is essential. This is just a word of caution; do not get alarmed by this. As you proceed in your path with inspiration and enthusiasm, you will lose interest in your earlier habits. Spiritual books and company of noble souls will kindle your sattva and expedite your growth. Do not lose an opportunity to learn from the advanced souls. When your rajasic and tamasic propensities show up, be aware and take action at once, do not wait for too long. For, the world does not care for your spiritual growth – you are solely responsible for your own growth.”
Rajesh Sharma got up from his seat and smiled at me. “Now, I feel much relieved. I know that the responsibility is on my shoulders. I realize that I cannot grow by blaming others, much less my own fate! Swamiji, thank you for your valuable advice.”
After seeing him off, I marked the date in my personal diary. He has not visited me for a year now. Will he come back again? I looked at Gurudev’s picture above me – he was smiling!
Spiritual Health is in breaking down the barriers between the inert matter and the spirit within. When Spirit is revealed, Body is no more a burden. Until then you can never truly enjoy the eternal Health! – Swami Chinmayananda
“Perhaps I should quit my job – it is only causing constant stress!” declared Rajesh Sharma when he sat down on the chair in front of me. His eyes were moist and face expressed anguish. I have known him for many months and on every visit our conversation would begin with the similar note. It has become customary that I hear him for an hour before suggesting him certain change of perception to take care of his immediate problem. He would assure me that he would change his attitude, only to come back soon with frustration about another predicament!
“No success comes without some dose of stress”, I said looking into his eyes. A mother who does not want the child to slip and fall can never see him walking. Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji said, “We are not created by God to become failures”. Failure is like the condition of a leafless tree in winter – it springs back with fresh leaves within a few months. You cannot avoid stress; you should learn to handle stress if you want success in your life.”
I was not sure whether he heard my words or not. After some pause, he asked “are you a successful swami?”
I was amused by this question and I could not help smiling. “I don’t know. Bhagavad-Gita says that a successful swami is he who neither hates nor loves – he rises above pairs of opposites and easily becomes free of worldly bondage,” I continued, “Success in spiritual life is not determined by any external standard, though in the worldly parlance success is about status, wealth, power and fame.”
“Does this apply to me, a person of the world?”
“Of course, spirituality is not an exclusive practice for the monks only; if it does not apply to a man-of-the-world, it fails to be a tool for transformation. Those who believe that success is all about wealth and fame, remain caught in the whirlpool of desires, ever stressed to retain their status and wealth, feeling insecure in every change in their daily life. Look at yourself as a spiritual being first, before you see yourself as a parent, husband or as an executive. As a parent you will get stressed about your children and their education, health and so on. As an executive you cannot avoid stress that comes along with every project in your hand. But as a spiritual soul you are not responsible for any gain or loss in your life. Neither wealth nor health is perceived as permanent by a spiritual person. For him, handling stress is only handling a particular role efficiently, while he is always aware of the fact that he is not the role that he plays in the world.”
“If I need to be constantly aware of my spiritual self, do you suggest me to become a swami?”
“Your question is no different from what Arjuna asked Lord Krishna. You cannot become a man of renunciation unless you know what it means. Renunciation is not about giving up – it is about growing up. It is entirely internal and therefore others do not notice it easily. I am not suggesting you to renounce. As a man-of-the-world, you first learn to handle the propensities of your mind. Without mastery over the mind, success will be like a short vacation – you enjoy for a while and return to the same world again.”
“What are the propensities of my mind? How do I master my mind?”
“Bhagavad-Gita enumerates three qualities of the mind. Whichever is predominant in your personality creates the relevant propensities in your mind.”
I handed over the following chart to him to glance through:
“You cannot bring overnight change in your personality. It has been formed by various factors such as education, upbringing, culture, environment, parental influences and so on. Some even believe that it is determined by your earlier life too. Medical science believes that your traits are from the DNA. However, the solace is that over many years of spiritual practices you can grow up from Tamas to Rajas and from Rajas to Sattva. In Sattva state, your success is no more determined by the world. It is a state of mind, which remains peaceful and calm in any given situation. This, according to my understanding is true success, where you don’t avoid stress – you handle it efficiently!
“Sattva is most ideal for spiritual growth while Rajas is necessary for worldly accomplishment, as you can learn from the chart above. All of us are combinations of these three personalities. They are not water-tight compartments. Based on the predominance of the propensities you can determine your personality type.”
“Does spiritual growth disturb my family and social life?”
“Your family and social life will not be affected by you shifting to Sattva. However, you must be clear about your priorities. Do you want lasting peace and happiness or just pleasures and short-term success in your life? If your priority is pleasure, you will not find joy in spiritual practices”
“Where do I begin?”
“Begin this at your work, at home, in every one of your interactions and most intensely in your solitude. Start your work with a self-suggestion – to perform everything with cheerfulness without any anxiety about the outcome. In the early stages of your practice your habitual tendencies will create obstacles to change. Do not be discouraged. Begin everyday with a self-created plan-of-action - to be conscious of the change you wish to bring into your life. Try to remain in the company of those who encourage you. Speak about this to your family members and friends with whom you can confide. Learn from those who also practice spirituality in their life. In your solitude, affirm yourself as the spiritual self and do not look at yourself as related to anyone in this world. When you return to the worldly duties, play your role without anxieties.”
“These need so much time and attention. In my busy life, how will I accommodate them?”
“Look into your daily schedule and prepare a list of activities which do not support your personal growth – do not overlook quality time with your family. Cut down spending time in long TV shows, web-browsing, extended conversations over phone, extensive social parties and so on. In the beginning it will be hard to give up. But as I mentioned earlier, slowly grow up – rise above the need!”
“How important is changing my food-habits?”
‘It is indeed most essential. Your thoughts are influenced by the food that you eat. World is same for the ignorant and the wise. But what interests an ignorant person does not interest a wise person. Do you know why? A wise person consciously reduces the tamasic and rajasic influences coming from food. A putrid food such as alcohol influences you to remain attached to laziness and delusion while animal products increase agitations in the mind. For a month, take a vow to eat only freshly cooked food and follow healthy habits. You will see the change in your moods.”
“How do I know that I am progressing?”
“As I mentioned earlier, there are no external standards. As a man-of-the-world, you cannot completely avoid certain tamasic propensities in your daily life such as sleep and procrastination or certain rajasic propensities such as sense-pleasures and desires. But you will certainly see the reduction of their intensity when you start practicing meditation, prayer, self-less work, company of spiritual masters, healthy food and study of spiritual books.”
“Will a person of sattva again revert back to rajas or tamas?”
“Quite possible, if you fail to maintain your spiritual practices. Gurudev often remarked that the mind is unpredictable like a monkey – a constant vigilance over the mind is essential. This is just a word of caution; do not get alarmed by this. As you proceed in your path with inspiration and enthusiasm, you will lose interest in your earlier habits. Spiritual books and company of noble souls will kindle your sattva and expedite your growth. Do not lose an opportunity to learn from the advanced souls. When your rajasic and tamasic propensities show up, be aware and take action at once, do not wait for too long. For, the world does not care for your spiritual growth – you are solely responsible for your own growth.”
Rajesh Sharma got up from his seat and smiled at me. “Now, I feel much relieved. I know that the responsibility is on my shoulders. I realize that I cannot grow by blaming others, much less my own fate! Swamiji, thank you for your valuable advice.”
After seeing him off, I marked the date in my personal diary. He has not visited me for a year now. Will he come back again? I looked at Gurudev’s picture above me – he was smiling!
Spiritual Health is in breaking down the barriers between the inert matter and the spirit within. When Spirit is revealed, Body is no more a burden. Until then you can never truly enjoy the eternal Health! – Swami Chinmayananda
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