Activity is the sign of life and any activity involves taking decisions. So, taking decisions is an important exercise that a human being does all through one’s life. Swami Dayananda says “You are what your decisions are.” But decision making is not easy as there are several obstacles in the way like the wavering mind. Let us see now the three main obstacles that stand in the way of decision-making.
First one is wavering mind. People with wavering mind cannot take any serious decision. Even if they take one, they cannot stick to it for long and they keep on changing from one to another without sticking to any decision. Lord Krishna advises Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita (2-41) to act with single-pointed determination with these words:
Vyavasaayaatmikaa buddhir ekeha kurunandana;
Bahushaakhaa hyanantaashcha
buddhayo’vyavasaayinaam.
Ajnashchaashraddhadhaanashcha samshayaatmaa
vinashyati;
Naayam loko’sti na paro na sukham samshayaatmanah.
One who is
ignorant and faithless, and has a doubting mind perishes. Neither this world
nor the next nor happiness exists for one who has a doubting mind.
The
third important obstacle is fear. In this case, one fears to take any decision
as the mind keeps on seeing one risk or another in every step. But the fact of
life is that decisions are associated with one risk or another and the choice
is between wild-risk and calculated-risk where enough precautions are taken.
Added to this is also fear of other’s comments attached to the fear of failure.
In Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna gives some
important guidelines for action to Arjuna and through Arjuna, to the entire humanity as well. Those principles given in the Gita are for
the goal of Moksha but they are valid for whatever goal one wants to achieve in
life. They are; 1) self-confidence, 2) self-integration,
3) self-surrender and 4) self-effort. These four are important not only for
taking decisions, but also for implementing them and achieving success. We
shall see them now, one by one, starting from self-confidence.
Lord Krishna tells Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita (6-5) - ‘naatmaanamavasaadayet (Don’t look down upon yourself)’. For a human being is endowed with Jnana Sakthi, Iccha Sakthi and Kriya Sakthi. Through Jnana Sakthi, one can choose the goal and also the means to achieve it, through Iccha Sakthi motivate oneself to achieve it and through Kriya Sakthi act to achieve it with a will. One should build up one’s confidence through auto-suggestion that one can achieve the goal with these powers. This is also Lord Krishna’s message in the above quoted sloka, where He also says - ‘Uddharedaatmanaatmaanam (One should lift oneself by one’s own efforts)’. While encouraging self-confidence, Lord Krisna also cautions against self-diffidence which He points out in the same sloka – ‘Atmaiva hyaatmano bandhuraatmaiva ripuraatmanah (One’s own self is one’s friend, and one’s own self is one’s enemy (also))’. So, one must have the confidence in oneself that “I can take decision; I can implement, I can achieve everything including Moksha”. This confidence in oneself is self-confidence.
Self-integration involves the coordinated functioning of the various
layers of one’s personality, like the intellectual, emotional, sensory etc. layers.
The ratha-kalpana in Kathopaniṣhad (1-3-3 to 1-3-9), conveys this idea
beautifully through the chariot imagery.
Here the body is compared to a chariot, sense-organs to horses, mind to
rein and intellect to the driver. So,
in the journey to one’s goal not only the driver should be focussed on the
goal, but should also handle the reins with skill. For even with a good driver
the chariot will journey properly and reach the destination successfully, only
when the reins are held with care to keep the horses under control and on the
path. Holding the reins with care means keeping the mind focussed on the path
without distractions. Lord Krishna advises Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita (2-48) as:
Yogasthah kuru
karmaani sangam tyaktwaa dhananjaya;
Siddhyasiddhyoh
samo bhootwaa samatwam yoga uchyate.
Perform action, O Arjuna, being steadfast in Yoga, abandoning attachment and balanced in success and failure! Evenness of mind is called Yoga.
When the goal is decided, the means are also determined and the mind must be fixed on the means and it must not wander consciously thinking about the goal and the result i.e. success or failure in achieving it. All other thoughts, other than on the means, are distractions. This equanimity of mind is called Yoga by Lord Krishna and is emphasised in action. For, if the mind is disturbed or agitated, one cannot learn from one’s experience and all experiences, pleasant and unpleasant, have their own lessons to offer and learning from them refines one’s personality and one must treat failures as a brief stopover for continuing the journey vigorously with further more information and refinement. One can continue the effort if there is an integration that keeps the mind capable of learning and the journey can continue until the goal is reached.
Self-surrender i.e. surrender to God is very important whatever be the
type of goal, secular or spiritual. For through surrender to God, one
cultivates humility which acts as a guard to check self-confidence degenerating
into self-conceit or self-arrogance.
Arrogance is a serious problem and the best way of avoiding it is having
faith in God and surrendering unto Him.
Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita (18-46):
Yatah
pravrittirbhootaanaam yena sarvamidam tatam;
Swakarmanaa tamabhyarchya
siddhim vindati maanavah.
A human being achieves success by
adoring through his own duties Him from whom is the origin of creatures, and by
whom is all this pervaded.
By invoking
God in every effort and seeking His Grace through prayers, one can overcome all
the obstacles including fear of failure.
Even if one fails, one will have the mental strength to bear it and move
forward with more vigour if one has the attitude of surrender to God.
Self-effort is
the main principle and the other three i.e. self-confidence, self-integration
and self-surrender are the supporting principles that help the effort to
succeed. We have many examples in our scriptures that illustrates these
principles at work for achieving success. Let us cite just two of them. One is the Bhagiratha prayathnam;
how Bhagiratha brought Ganges from the heavens to rescue his forefathers. Bhagiratha
prayathnam is an example to show self-confidence, self-integration,
self-effort at work to achieve success. Another is the famous story of Anjaneya crossing the ocean and overcoming
the obstacles in his search for Sita Devi, with prayers to Sri Rama every time
he faced a hurdle. These and other similar stories indicate the importance of
these four principles in achieving success in one’s actions.
(adapted from the talk of Swami Paramarthananda)
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