Live In Joy
Swami Chidananda
The earth is nice and marvelous. It is rich with so many natural resources and we are blessed with its bounty. There is enough to fulfill all the needs of humanity. Unequal distribution of course has left problems of hunger and other deprivation unsolved. Yet, despite all the problems we face here, human life is full of great opportunities and endless possibilities. Its unexpected turns of events and unpredictable future add their own charm in a sense. It is happy school days all the time, where we learn and grow continuously. With the development of right outlooks, even the hard times give us moments of feeling privileged and blessed.
The joy of living is immense when we learn and enjoy the “journey” and not bother too much about the “destination”. Plan we must- a destination, a goal. But then we ought to enjoy the ride whether it is smooth or bumpy. Anxiety about the destination—whether we shall reach it or not – can rob us of the fun if not cripple us. To put our heart and soul into the work on hand without any dissipation of energy in worrying about the future is the essence of right working. This is what Shri Krishna calls Karma Yoga, as brought out in the famous line, “karmani eva adhikaaras-te”. He means to say, “ Focus on giving your best. I will handle the final results.” A Chinmaya slogan goes, “Do the best, leave the rest.”
Our mind surely is a double-edged sword. It can make or mar our life. It can make a mountain of a molehill or the other way round also. Much joy is ours in life, when we befriend our own mind and make the most of life’s situations. Educating our mind for better living is the foundation of all spirituality. When our mind is imbued with noble values, we first become better human beings. Thereafter we can move towards discovering the divinity within ourselves, spoken of by many saints. Swami Vivekananda is known for his defining education as the discovering of the perfection which is already in us and for his describing religion as finding the divinity that is already within us.
Here are three tips for joyous living……………
[excerpt from the book Equanimous Mind, chapter 28 Live in Joy]