It helps us face problems courageously and can be enhanced by connecting with God and strengthening the bond by regular practice, says AJIT KUMAR BISHNOI

So much is talked about inner strength, even more than mental strength. Yes, some people confuse the two as same but it is not so. Inner strength, also called atmabala, is the strength of the soul. It is the core strength of a person, while mental strength is simply the strength of the mind. And we know that we, souls, are different from our minds. We have minds, which we use for feeling, thinking and willing.

Strong inner strength gives us immense benefits. It gives us patience, a lot of it, which is required at all times due to our being very small entities. Aren’t we very small cogs in a very large wheel, which the whole creation isIJ Courage is essential for doing our duties and inner strength contributes directly to it. Good inner strength gives us self-confidence. It also gives us determination, tolerance and enthusiasm — all necessary for leading a quality life. People with great inner strength are compassionate and they take pains to purify their existence, which makes them very high class individuals. All these are extremely rare qualities.

If inner strength is so important for us, then how can this be enhancedIJ God is the only source of it, therefore, it has to come from him only. There is no other way. Yes, austerities (tapasya) help as does purity. Spiritual knowledge and spiritual consciousness also contribute, but a strong connection with God is a must if we are serious about gaining inner strength.

And once someone is connected with God, he or she not only enjoys great inner strength but also reaps many other benefits. We really do not need to fear anything because God takes personal care of those who have God consciousness. lord Krishna states in Bhagavad Gita that he helps in getting what one does not have and provides security of what one has. (9.22)

Consequently, one gets peace of mind, which is really rare in this turbulent world. Practically, everyone is looking for answers to his or her problems; God provides the perfect guidance. He promises to not only give the needed knowledge but also memory and relief from getting deluded. Such persons enjoy real happiness as different from temporary sense enjoyments and transient mental satisfaction obtained by gaining material objects.

Feeling of sense of security descends on the psyche; one feels protected. Another rare realisation is of sense of satisfaction, which is not so common. One feels complete and satisfied not helpless or hopeless. The connection with God fills one with sufficient courage to enable one to face the inevitable challenges of one’s life. One becomes patient for good things to happen in one’s life. Another quality, which is crucial to exist in this painful world, becomes part of one’s nature, that is of acceptance of reality; one does not live either in denial or delusion. One begins to evolve spiritually; his or her existence begins to get purified.

Such persons realise their identity of being souls — parts of God. They understand that they need to remain connected with God in order to become complete, ie a part must link with the whole to become complete. lastly, such persons develop enough tolerance to go through changes/setbacks without breaking down; their core strength prevents such an occurrence. In conclusion, I can only state that it is the inner strength which helps us in facing any present or future problem courageously, and this can be enhanced, as stated earlier, by connecting with God and strengthening the bond by regular practice. Then, we are set for a quality life and a great next birth.

Bishnoi is a spiritual writer and can be reached at spiritual@ajitbishnoi.com