February 5, 2018, 10:41 PM IST Economic Times in The Speaking Tree | Edit Page, Spirituality | ET
By JANKI SANTOKE
The world troubles you not because there is something wrong with the world but because you don’t know how to contact it.
Here are some Vedantic principles on how to contact the world:
Unselfishness: Our attitude to the world is self-centred. Hence the world agitates us. We are more interested in what happens to us rather than the welfare of the community. This attitude causes stress and tension.
Non-attachment: Attachment is an excessive liking towards some aspect of the world. A refusal to be happy unless things are exactly the way I want them to be. This changing world can never constantly cater to the individual.
Intellect rules: The body performs actions. These actions can be propelled by either our mind or intellect. The mind is the seat of emotions, likes and dislikes, impulses. The intellect is discrimination, reason, judgment. We must endeavour to make all our actions emanate from the intellect.
Goal: Without a goal, life becomes a feather in a summer breeze. The higher the goal, the more unselfish it is, the greater the energy it will generate and the greater the fulfilment.
Swadharma: Whenever we take up any field of action, we must ensure that that is in alignment with our nature. We must ensure that the work we take up is something we will enjoy. This will lead to both material and spiritual growth.
Solitude and study: How well our life proceeds depends much on what is the knowledge or theory that supports it. If this theory or understanding is wrong, life is destined to go awry
