| Secret of Sustainable Happiness
-- Vision-inspired Action (Freedom) by Jinendra Swami Last of a three-part series The quality of our actions and reactions depends upon our vision of life. A narrow vision is divisive. A broad vision is expansive. But, the supreme vision is all-inclusive -- and the higher the vision, the greater the mission. Life is a series of perceptions and responses. We are constantly responding to people, situations and events. How we respond depends upon individual perceptions. Different people see the same object, but how each one views it makes all the difference. Perception is, therefore, a vision of life and response, an action or reaction, which depends on that vision. Whatever we see or experience with our gross sense organs is alone considered real. The world of names and forms deludes the mind. Everyone finds the world with its infinite variety and exquisite beauty very enchanting. To understand this world deeply is a difficult task. We see and relate to only superficial objects while the one Truth that pervades the multiple, diverse world remains unseen. A pure mind and a subtle intellect are required to see this Truth. A vision helps one see unity in the midst of diversity and protects one in the face of temptation frustration and fear. We all can aspire to develop this indivisible, immutable, immaculate vision. Most people either have an extroverted outlook, or, an ego-centered approach. A person with an extroverted vision forms mental divisions, such as "I-my," "you-yours" or "good-bad." This person performs actions with either attachment or aversion, and is happy as long as everything is in accordance with his/her likes and dislikes. The moment there is a difference, he/she becomes agitated, angry and troublesome. They inflict sorrow on a number of people in a very short time because of a lack of vision and absence of noble inspirations. A man with an ego-centered vision is even worse. This person is indolent and deeply, fanatically and narrowly attached to a particular object, ideology or cause, with the result that his/her life is full of conflicts. He/she looks for happiness through addictions, greed and conflict. To be able to lead a complete and satisfactory life, we need to develop a Pure Vision. Jinendra says, "You are born, therefore you must die -- but don't die while living, live after you are dead." When we hear of a person's demise we generally ask, "How did he die?" We do not ask, "How did he live?" The focus should be on the kind of life he lived. Was he inspired? Did he inspire others? Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of lives: One is the life of values, and the other is the life of valuables. When people give too much importance to valuables, values are left aside and when values are ignored the person himself gets de-valued. Meaningless activities without any foundation of vision, knowledge or understanding lead to feverish activity. This, in turn, leads to stress. The imbalance arises because people focus on action, paying scant attention to vision. Dynamism requires a combination of great vision and action to produce results. When faced with a dilemma in our daily life, we need the right vision and advice. From the spiritual standpoint, we need a holistic vision taking into account the religious, social and worldly standpoints. "Look at your life as a whole and live a whole life." Vision without action remains a concept; action without vision leads to fruitless activity. As you read this today, let us unite in the spirit of peace, remembering that we are all beings with the power to love Let us take a moment to center ourselves in that place within, where we can feel our divinity. There is a sacred sanctuary within. When we go there we feel free, completely loving and joyful. When we go there we feel divinely connected to each other and to the Universe. This is the goal of JIN Yoga and Meditation. May all of you enjoy Real peace, Real happiness, and Real harmony. Jinendra Swami of ParamShanti Yogashrama, author of Pilgrimage to Self, was born in Mumbai, India, educated in the U.S. He conducts retreats, workshops and meditation awareness programs across USA, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and East Africa, sharing his teachings on how to achieve "Sustainable Happiness" in our lives. He also is proactive in various social, cultural, and spiritual organizations, namely Yoga Allied and Research Institute, Space Time Research Institute, JIN Research Foundation, Human Aura Research Institute, and Shakti Yogashram. Visit www.jinendra.org. Jinendra Swami welcomes all queries from genuine seekers at jinendra@jinendra.org Copyright © Jinendra Swami |
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April 2004 |
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