Planning is crucial for us. If we plan each day well, not only does our present become fruitful but it takes care of our future also, says AJIT KUMAR BISHNOI
Don’t we live eternally in different bodiesIJ Do we, souls, ever cease to existIJ We don’t. Then, we must be somewhere in some body at all times. One day is a unit, a very important one. Similarly, the future is also very crucial. What is our concept of futureIJ Are we planning for this life aloneIJ Is that being wise when we know that we will continue to exist even afterwards in another body, another body and so on. lord Krishna makes this exact point in the Bhagavad Gita. (4.5)
This concept matches with conventional wisdom also. Is the present not importantIJ Is future not made by the presentIJ We know in our hearts that we reap what we sow because that has been our experience also barring some unexplained occurrences, which relate to our previous lives.
Don’t we live or can in the present onlyIJ One day is a block of our existence. Every day counts towards making progress or suffering regression. And this happens two ways because we are in two parts: Material, ie our bodies, and spiritual, ie our souls. So we have to plan, if we are wise in five different ways. One is a day as has been mentioned earlier. Then comes short-term planning, maybe for a week or say a month. Next comes mid-term planning. This may span a year or a little longer. The fourth type of planning is to the end of one’s life. This relates to our thinking about post-retirement life. The last is long-term planning, ie beyond the present life. This also has two components: Material and spiritual. All our deeds, which do not come to fruition in this life, do so in future lives both pious and impious. Similarly, spiritual acts get carried to the future. There is one important difference from the material acts; spiritual acts never get exhausted; they just accumulate till we have done enough to deserve liberation.
Having established that planning is crucial for us, let us see who can really help us in this. We may have some knowledge, and we can seek guidance from others but the person who can really help us is God, being omniscient. He knows us both internally and externally. (13.2) He can guide us like no one else. And if we make a good connection with him, God is useful in many other ways as well. He will provide what we need for our maintenance. (9.22) He can protect us, ie provide us security being omnipotent. And in God’s company, we can get peace and bliss.
So how do we make each day the bestIJ What should one day consist ofIJ Maintenance of body has to come first because body is the vehicle by which we accomplish all tasks. The body is best maintained by eating, sleeping, making efforts and entertainment in appropriate manners. (6.17) Then comes maintenance of self, ie we must earn enough to provide for all our necessities. Entertainment or sense enjoyment must form part of our daily routine. Why else will we want to live if there is no peace, pleasures, and happinessIJ
Sleep is important to rejuvenate the body and mind. The brain is busy while we sleep to do what it must in this respect. We, being social animals, must interact with others in order to help ourselves and others like our families. We must be useful. That gives us satisfaction and attention from others, for which we crave. In the human birth, spiritual practices occupy an important place, and must be done sooner than later. Mind control must be a compulsory goal, without which there is neither possibility of peace nor of being happy. We must make progress being the intelligent species, both materially and spiritually.
Bishnoi is a spiritual writer and can be reached at spiritual@ajitbishnoi.com