We all desire to have a stress free life. We all pursue unceasing happiness in our life. Yet, we do not get a stress free life; do not get that eternal, everlasting happiness that we all aspire to. Because we need to understand that a permanent solution to attain that everlasting, eternal, happiness that could not be robbed off, that could not be destroyed, that could be maintained with simplicity; can be possible only through SPIRITUALITY. If we become spiritual in our perspective, in our attitude, we will become natural and unaffected free from pretension, artificiality and complexity. One who live life in a natural and flawless way, is the one who has achieved joy and abundance. If there is a strong desire for happiness and an exalted, elevated life, an aspiration for superiority and fulfillment in life; and wish to eliminate scarcity and any kind of diseases and illness, spirituality is the only possible and practical way.
Spirituality means attain to one's own natural, flawless, perfect self: We suffer because we don't want to be natural. When we are unnatural, pretentious; we are uneasy and uncomfortable. When we become innocent and guileless, when we become child-like, no accomplishment is bigger than this. Make your life as simple as possible. Don't make it an unachievable dream like the peak of a mountain. Don't see dreams of an improbable or far-fetched life that seems to be impractical and contrived since 'to Fall' is easy but 'to Rise' is not easy. This world has many attractions to accumulate, to gather; to show oneself superior, to show one's achievements and to hanker for constant excel from others. These temptations astray us. No 'mantra' is needed to 'fall off', to become misled, to astray from our natural self. But if you walk and lead a simple natural way following a spiritual experiment with restrain on sense perceptions, you will reach the goal.
Temperance or self-restrain over Mind, Speech and Action is the Key to the beauty and joy of life: Where lies the beauty and joy of life; the accomplishment of life? It is hidden in the exercise of temperance over the senses, it lies in the self-restrain, sobriety, pertinence, chastity...if you want to be dynamic, competent, accomplished; if you want to live life with utmost joy and happiness, then there is only one formula that is self-restrain. Learn to restrain your sense. Learn temperance over your senses. There are three superior restrains : over MIND, over SPEECH and over ACTION. When you practice restrain over speech, restrain over thoughts, restrain over action, you will get connected with a bigger COSMIC BLISS.
Speech must be your analysis, experience and carry respect towards others: Vedas says this life is too tough just like walking on the edge of a sword but at the same time, it also says a very beautiful thing that a self-restrained, austere and sober person can attain everything in life. Practicing restrain in speech, you must know how much to say and what to say. Your speech must be your analysis; your own experience. It must be limited, balanced, respectful and decent towards others. Your language must be adorned and graceful. It must be a mindful speech. Then our speech, our expression is a decisive, pivotal, conclusive and crucial dialogue.
Think before you speak and do conscious thinking by introspection: Before speech and expression, one must practice temperance over thinking or moderation of thoughts. In other words, it must be a conscious thinking. Decide the direction of your thought process as it is said by a psychologist that when you decide the direction of your thinking, you will go on thinking in the same way and will be getting result in the same nature. Further, if you have worries, doubt, illusion, distress, frustration, irreverence, you would not be able to think appropriately. All these negative emotions, will only bring hopelessness, inactivity and lethargy. This lethargy would not allow creativity in you. You would not be able to do anything new. Your expression, your creativity, your thoughts, your imagination will be stale and rotten because you lack reverence, enthusiasm, exuberance towards life. Thus, think before you speak and that could be possible only through analysis and possible only in the company of great personalities. It could be happened only through introspection and self analysis. All this is possible only in the process of spirituality because only a spiritual person can think better.
Exercising self-restrain brings time on your side and increases your defensive power against odds: The day you start exercising self-restraint, temperance, patience over mind, speech and action; time will be on your side and you will develop intensity and desire to make it valuable; to utilise it properly. When you practice restrain over your sense organs, you will save your time. As a consequence, you can utilise it for study, for contemplation, for writing, for developing good habits. The day you start exercising self-restrain, you will identify your self; you will get acquainted with your self. And the day you will get acquainted with self, you would try to make yourself fulfilled and perfect. Many times, people don't have defensive power to guard against the odds. When you have patience and temperance, your defensive power will increase. Any type of catastrophe or difficulty will not break you. One should practice good habits of writing and reading. This helps to develop an independent thinking, an independent discretion or consciousness. People who don't have independent consciousness, they remain impure always when get in touch with impurity. They will indulged only in the sorrow, they will only have complaints for others and life. Therefore, it is very important to have an independent thinking, consciousness.
From the excerpts of Swami Avdheshanand Giriji Maharaj.
Translated by Pranati Saikia.
