We must apply ourselves well in managing our interior if we wish to have a good, stress-free life
We are aware that proper management of any business venture is very important for its success. It is, therefore, not surprising that management practices are widely taught these days. Even on a personal level, we do try to manage our lives. However, that is mostly external; we try to earn enough money; we seek good houses; we choose life partners who we feel suit us well; we are aware of the need to maintain good physical health. Where most of us go wrong is in managing our interior. WhyIJ Because we feel it is not important, or we are not aware that such management is essential for a quality life.
See for yourself why one can’t have a good life without proper inner management. Where is happiness experiencedIJ Of course, in the mind. The externals may be great (that is, one may be wealthy, living in a good house, etc), but if the mind is not peaceful then there can be no happiness. Also, if the mind is disturbed or diseased, the physical health is also compromised, which will negatively affect the quality of life. Accepting that inner management is crucial for having a good life, let us see how this can be done. The first thing we must do is to make sure that our minds are controlled. For example, we are generally fearful/apprehensive about our future. Why should we do thatIJ Assuming that we have done our best, shouldn’t we prepare ourselves to accept anything coming our wayIJ Is there a choiceIJ Frankly, there is no justification for being fearful.
The next part of inner management is thorough overhaul of our consciousness, which is mostly, if not entirely, material (that is, we identify ourselves as material bodies). In this consciousness, we completely ignore the soul, which we actually are. Some of the needs of the soul are: A good connection with God, peace of mind, blissful existence, etc. We must identify ourselves as souls; else, the inner management is not possible.
The third requirement is of gaining spiritual knowledge, which is needed to provide answers to whatever the mind asks. For example, the mind is troubled by uncertainties about a business venture. Spiritual intelligence will tell us that we will get what we deserve. There is, therefore, no point in being tense about it. last but not least, God’s help is crucial. A prayer was formulated by Raja Rammohun Roy for schoolchildren in which they pray to God to give them strength/intelligence so that they do not become proud in good times and disturbed in bad.
We need to understand that no suffering is big enough to burn oneself for long; this must be accepted and tolerated. Fortunately, there are more reasons to be happy. lord Krishna speaks about happiness first and misery second in several verses. We, however, focus on the misery part. It does not make sense to make ourselves miserable if we have to face some difficult situation later. Where will be the strength to face the challenge thenIJ We must, therefore, apply ourselves properly in managing our interior if we wish to have a good life.
The writer is a spiritual writer