The world is an open field where we have to face struggle and battle
in life. This battle started from the womb and in this continual battle
of life the one who stands firm through it all comes out of it
victorious in the end. Even with all power and understanding, if one
gives up through lack of hope and courage, one has failed. What brings
bad luck in this life, in this battle, is a pessimistic attitude; and
what helps man to conquer in the battle of life, however difficult, is
an optimistic attitude.
In this battle, drill is necessary. And that drill is the control
over one’s physical organs and over the faculties of mind. For if one is
not prepared for this battle, however courageous and optimistic one may
be, one cannot succeed. Another thing is to know something about this
warfare; to know when to retreat and when to advance. If one does not
know how to retreat and wishes always to advance, one will continually
be in danger and become a victim of life’s battle.
There are times when one must give in; there are times when one must
relax things somewhat; and there are times when one must hold fast the
reins of life. There are moments when one must be persistent, and there
are moments when one must be easy.
Life is such an intoxication that although everybody thinks that it
is working in their own interest, hardly one among thousands is really
doing so. And the reason is that people become so absorbed in what they
are trying to get that they become intoxicated by it, and they lose the
track that leads to real success. Very often people, in order to get one
particular benefit, sacrifice many other benefits because they do not
think of them. The thing to do is to look all around, not only in one
direction. It is easy to be powerful, it is easy to be good, but it is
difficult to be wise – and it is the wise who are truly victorious in
life.
The nature of life is illusive. Under a gain a loss is hidden; under a
loss a gain is hidden; and living in this life of illusion it is very
difficult for a person to realize what is really good for them. Even
with a wise person, much of his wisdom is demanded by life and its
battle. One cannot be gentle enough, one cannot be sufficiently kind;
the more one gives to life, the more life asks of one. There again is a
battle.
In this battle a battery is needed. And that battery is the power of
will. In this battle of life arms are needed. And these arms are the
thoughts and actions which work psychologically towards success.
For instance a person says to himself or herself every morning,
‘Everybody is against me, nobody likes me, everything is wrong,
everywhere is injustice, all is failure for me, there is no hope.’ When
they go out they take that influence with themselves. Before they arrive
anywhere, at their business, profession, or whatever they do, they have
sent their influence before them, and they meet with all wrongs and
failure; nothing seems worthwhile, there is coldness everywhere. And
there is another person who knows what human nature is, who knows that
one has to meet with selfishness and ill consideration everywhere. But
what do they think of it all? They think it is like a lot of drunken
people. They think they are all falling upon each other, fighting each
other, offending each other; and naturally a sober person who is
thoughtful will not trouble with those who are drunk. They will help
them, but they will not take seriously what they say or do.
In this world of drunkenness a person who is drunk naturally has to
fight more than those who are sober, for the latter will always avoid
it. They will tolerate, they will give in, they will understand; for
they know that the others are drunk, and they cannot expect better from
them.
The reason for life’s battle is often very small when it is looked at
in the light of wisdom. This shows that the knowledge of life does not
always come by battling. It comes by throwing light upon it. They are
not warriors who become impatient immediately, who loses their temper
suddenly, who have no control over their impulses, who are ready to give
up hope and courage. The true warriors are those who can endure, who
have a great capacity for tolerance, who have depth enough in their
heart to assimilate all things, whose mind reaches far enough to
understand all things, whose very desire is to understand others and to
help them understand.
If together with sensitiveness one has not developed one’s
will-power, it is certainly dangerous…There must be a balance between
sensitiveness and will-power. Will-power should enable one to endure all
influences, all conditions, all attacks that one meets from morning
till night. And sensitiveness should enable one to feel life, to
appreciate it, and to live in the beauty of life. It is true that by the
cultivation of will-power one sometimes persuades oneself wrongly; that
there is danger. There is danger in most things but one must acquire
balance between power and wisdom.
What is most advisable in life is to be sensitive enough to feel life
and its beauty and to appreciate it, but at the same time to consider
that one’s soul is divine, and that all else is foreign to it; that all
things that belong to the earth are foreign to one’s soul. They should
not affect one’s soul.
There is no doubt that what we lack most in life is to be tuned with
the infinite and to be in rhythm with the infinite; in other words to be
in rhythm with the conditions of life and to be in tune with the source
of our existence. Our perpetual complaints against all things in life
come from our not being in rhythm with the diverse conditions of life
that we have to face. And then we think that if these conditions would
only change into something that we wish, it would make our Life easier;
but that is an inexperienced expectation.
And now the question is how can one become at one with the rhythm of
life, in other words with the conditions of life? One’s condition of
life and one’s own desire are generally two conflicting things. If
desire gives in to the condition, then the condition gets the upper
hand; and if the condition is mastered, then no doubt desire has the
upper hand. But the condition is not always master when there is a
conflict, a struggle; only one needs caution in fighting a condition in
life. If harmony can be established peacefully it is better to avoid
battling, though it is a fact that those who complain most about life
and those who are most disappointed and troubled with life are the ones
who struggle most with life’s conditions. Therefore in achieving oneness
with the conditions of life one need not always use a weapon; one
should first try to harmonize with a particular condition of life.
A condition as bitter as poison will be turned into nectar if we can get into rhythm with that condition, if we can understand it, if we will endure that condition with patience, with courage, with hope. When there is a favourable condition we are very often afraid that it may pass, but when there is an adverse condition we do not generally think that it will pass; we think that it will last for ever. This comes from fear, from agitation, from the desire to get out of this condition, and thus we lose even hope, the only source that keeps us alive.
The best thing is to go through every condition that life presents
with patience, understanding, open mind, and so try to rise above it
with every little effort we can make.
Tuning ourselves to the infinite is achieved by the way of silence,
by the way of meditation, by the way of thinking of something which is
beyond and above all things of this mortal world; by giving some moments
of our life to the thought of getting in tune with that which is the
source and goal of all of us, realizing that in that source alone is the
secret of our happiness and peace.
The nature of being in tune with the infinite is this: comparing our soul to a string of an instrument, it is tied at both ends; one is the infinite, and the other is the finite. When a person is conscious all the time of the finite then they are tuned to the finite, while the one who is conscious of the infinite is tuned to the infinite. Being in tune with the former makes us limited, weak, hopeless, and powerless; but by being in tune with the latter we obtain the power and strength that will pull us through life in whatever adverse conditions may arise.
The work that one considers to be a sacred task has nothing to do
with any particular creed, nor has it to do with any particular
religion; it is only this simple thing: to be in rhythm with life’s
conditions and to be in tune with the infinite. And when one asks how
one can arrive at being in accord with life instead of being frightened
by life’s conditions, the answer is: by meeting it and observing it
keenly, and then by trying to harmonize oneself for the time being with
that condition, while the next effort is to rise above it if it is an
adverse one.
Never expect that the events of life are favourable all through. You
will have to make a continual struggle and fight with others, whether
you like it or not, whether you love them or not. You will find that
this fight must be encountered on every side. So you must face it
patiently. Do not turn your back to it. Face the conflict with courage
and bravery and tranquillity. Since you know that you are on the path of
truth you can go on trustfully.
Although there is a great responsibility in this worldly life, it is
through this responsibility that you are enabled to evolve spiritually.
In fact your evolution will become much greater even than that of the
saints who have renounced the world.
Finally, the reason for this is that, when you pursue your life’s
journey steadily and with tranquillity through all the struggles and
conflicts you have to undergo, success will surely come in time. This
success will perhaps enable you in your turn to bring great success and
potentials to the lives of many other souls too.
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