The human mind should be open to positivity and confidence, to harness intelligence and knowledge

Two thousand five hundred years ago, a prince from the formidable Sakya dynasty, in the quest for reality and truth, discarded his monarchical apparel to adorn ochre robes and went on to become Gautama the monk. He and his mind incessantly wandered till the attainment of truth and insight. Upon attaining enlightenment after performing arduous tapas, Gautama the monk became Buddha the Enlightened and Compassionate One. The mind of the prince turned Bhikkhu had become hollow and empty from within and without realise the pristine verisimilitude.There is also the story of Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu.

Once a young evangelist who cast away the traditions and rituals of the Catholic order, only to serve the poor and infirm (particularly those afflicted by leprosy), she was first to become a sister, then Mother Teresa, after rendering selfless yeoman service to the populace of Kolkata (then Calcutta) and humanity at large. She was the fourth Indian to be canonised on September 4, 2016, and was set in stone as St Teresa of Calcutta by Pope Francis for the phenomenal work and the miracles that have taken place. Buddha and St Teresa were not confined to monasteries and convents respectively to live their lives as ascetics in contemplation, meditation, chastity and poverty. Both were prototypical individuals who transcended boundaries to carve a niche for themselves by providing an alternative ideology.

Meanwhile, way back in the year 1943 a young Swedish national, Ingvar Kampard set up a company called IKEA. IKEA is an acronym for Ingvar Kampard Elmtaryd at Agunnaryd. Today it is one of the largest ready-to-assemble furniture companies in the world. These are individuals, who with their mettlesome moves hold the ordinary traveller’s gaze in askance. What differentiates them from the rest of the pack? It is not the opacity of their thought process, but looking for out-of-the-box solutions. While IKEA sets up furniture in our households, and Jio and WhatsApp provide the necessary seamless connectivity in communication, it is intriguing to decipher the letters of the acronym IKW.

I stand for Intelligence, K signifies Knowledge and W represents Wisdom. Intelligence, Knowledge, and Wisdom need to be harnessed by humans in ample measure to metamorphose our minds and lives to become true achievers. In the wired world today, we are girdled with far superior technology in comparison to a few decades ago and are surrounded by a plethora of gizmos at our disposal. The product and service should necessarily be flexible, adaptable, and positively meant for the public good. Only in such a scenario will the longevity of the article in question be ensured and assured.

Siddhartha with his superior intelligence grasped that he was encumbered by misery and suffering; he gained knowledge through the various techniques of pranayama and meditation and ultimately wisdom dawned on him in the form of enlightenment.Today a seeker without living in the monastic order, living like any ordinary individual could attain and experience bliss and enlightenment by practising the technique of Vipassana.

Similarly, in the Art of Living, through the regular practice of the Sudarshan Kriya, a seeker can live in the present moment by banishing antipathetic thoughts. St. Teresa of Kolkata too possessed enormous intelligence, knowledge, and wisdom to establish the order of the Missionaries of Charity to serve the distressed sections of humanity. The human mind should be developed into a sacred place, which is malleable to embrace positivity and confidence to harness the skills of intelligence and knowledge so that the Gods bestow us with a bounty of wisdom.

(The writer is the CEO of Chhattisgarh East Railway Ltd. He is a faculty of the Art of Living; views are personal)