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“The value of sacrifice is known not by the object but by heart.”
Saint Shri Prabhudutt Brahmachari
What are the factors that influence the learning and development of a child? Research explains that parental genes and the environment where a child grows affect a child’s learning abilities. Harvard’s research on child development defines ‘epigenetics’ as an emerging area of scientific research that shows how environmental influences—children’s experiences — affect the expression of their genes. Epigenetics explains how prior experiences can have a long-term impact on one’s life. For example, positive experiences such as supportive relationships and opportunities for learning, or negative influences such as environmental toxins or stressful life circumstances can affect the expression of genes. Our childhood experiences can affect our life decisions, learning abilities, and behavioral traits at later stages.
Recent research shows that there may be ways to reverse specific negative changes and restore healthy functioning. During my spiritual development, I resolved my inner conflicts.
I believe that any sincere and curious spiritual seekers can resolve their internal disputes and experience inner joy and love. However, it depends on how we perceive our success in life.
Mr. Perfectionist is a nature lover. He takes an interest in learning about nature. One day, he went to a park and sat on a bench. He took out his smartphone to capture pictures of some beautiful flowers. Later, he glanced at a group of ants carrying tiny bits of food. Imagine if you were to ask Mr. Perfectionist if he could learn anything from the ants. What would he say?
Let us look at a few of his possible internal thoughts.
● What do I have to learn from these small creatures? It is a waste of time!
● I prefer to study complex and advanced topics. What knowledge can I receive from these creatures?
● This seems to be a good question. Every creature is a part of the ecosystem on the earth. Let me see what I can learn.
He observes them again and smiles. He says, “I can learn to live a disciplined life”.
Our mental attitude affects our learning experience. Humility is a powerful tool that helps us to remain grounded with life’s realities. Success without humility is like honey with no sweetness. One who develops humility can create a positive and significant difference in others’ lives.
According to the psychologist Maslow, the need for self-worth is one of the basic human needs. Humans strive towards a goal by which others would recognize their worth. For example, an employee stays in an organization not only for salary and rewards but because others also acknowledge his effort and worthiness. In some regions of life, we may seek self-worth in our achievements and competencies such as in our professional life.
However, what if we continue to seek self-worthiness from other people? What if others do not respond according to our expectations? In the absence of any validation of self-worthiness, we may either lose self-confidence or try to gain control over other people. Such a situation leads to psychological violence.
According to research, we have a ‘pleasure center’ inside the brain. Any reward signal from an external stimulus creates a brain circuit and releases dopamine. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that contributes to feelings of pleasure. The repeated reaction to the external reward signals creates habitual behavior. Similarly, if we continue seeking self-worthiness from an external environment over a long period, we might develop compulsive or self-destructive behaviors. The pain and pleasure in life help us gain the wisdom of experience. They also help us understand the profound nature of our minds and develop a robust human character. A person who evolves to the higher intelligence of life, such as love, discovers self-worthiness in the purpose of life.
Mr. Smith was the chief executive officer of a mid-sized company at thirty-five. Being an ambitious person, he remained on his toes to gain a competitive edge in his business domain. His friends and subordinates treated him with respect. He was happy with his success.
He worked hard to achieve the company's targets. The company made a profit in a few years. Everything was going well until the day he fell unconscious during a team meeting. The employees rushed him to the nearby hospital.
Soon, a doctor attended to him and took him under his observation. After several hours of clinical examinations, the doctor concluded that Smith was suffering from a brain tumor. The doctor shared his medical report and strictly suggested an operation.
He advised him at least a year's bed rest for a full recovery. Mr. Smith felt devastated and grieved at the condition of his health. On his way back home, he imagined and thought of all decision outcomes, but he remained restless in vain. He worried about his prospects.
He felt relieved when he shared the updates with his wife. She listened to him patiently and asserted that both of them would overcome this life challenge together. After an intelligent discussion, they decided on the operation and availed support for post-recovery.
After a successful operation, Mr. Smith gradually recovered. He had all the resources and support that helped him to recover at home. However, nothing gave him inner peace. He felt a deep void within, a strong feeling of loneliness. He didn’t wish to look for any external stimulus to fill his loneliness. However, he started feeling comfortable in the silence after a few days. All the wonderful memories from his childhood crossed his mind.
He chuckled and pondered on his prior life. He felt nostalgic about his joyful days. As he reflected on his life, he arrived at a life event by which he felt captivated. He remembered that he used to get lost in reading science fiction stories. He visualized himself as a storyteller and a writer. He instantly felt an inner joy.
As a child, he spent many school days with his science fiction books. However, he lost himself in the rush of competition. When he grew up, he observed that he was a part of a competitive society. He shared the common belief of the community that he could only achieve happiness if he was successful. So, he learned to push himself to prove his success. He gained knowledge, skill, and wealth to become successful. Undoubtedly, he achieved success.
While reflecting silently, he asked himself the following questions:
● How long did my happiness last?
● Is it possible to stay connected to my inner joy, irrespective of external circumstances?
● What is the purpose of my life?
In pursuit of success, he lost his connection to spirit. As a result, he did not acknowledge his deep feelings and strength. He realized that all his life; he lived the collective dream of the society and didn’t find his unique expression. This life reflection served as a breaking ground for his transformation. Soon, he bought a few science fiction books. He wanted to relive those joyful moments. When he read those books, he experienced the same joy that he had felt in his childhood. He gave his heart and mind to reading books. In his early days of college, he had taught science to school kids, and the students had enjoyed it. He had also served as a teacher for a short duration. He visualized those days and wanted to give wings to his expression. In his silence, his inner voice said: “Design a new science book for the young mind.”
His curiosity took over his mind, and he didn’t procrastinate. He involved himself in his work. He wrote a few chapters on scientific topics. All he wanted was to listen and act to his inner voice. He completed his work and shared it with his wife and close friends. To his surprise, he received authentic feedback and appreciation. He received insights and inspiration to turn his effort into an endeavor. He had no fear of judgment.
He concentrated his mental faculties and used his creativity to shape his vision. He used all his experience and skills as a chief executive officer to make this vision into a workable item. He aligned his heart, mind, and action to design a unique science curriculum for school kids. He gave his best effort and didn’t worry about the result. During his work, he stayed in touch with his bliss. Eventually, he completed his work. His marketing and social skills worked in favor of him. He launched the first draft of his book and offered it to parents and kids for their response.
At last, he saw an opportunity to make a difference in others’ lives through his unique expression of spirit. He discovered his life’s purpose in educating young minds. He learned a valuable life lesson and thanked the universe for showing him the path.
How would you define success in your life? Healthy competition is necessary to progress in the mundane world. The theory of evolution by natural selection explains that an organism changes over time according to heritable and behavioral traits. The changes that can be adapted to its environment, determine the ability of the organism to survive and reproduce. We know this theory as ‘survival of the fittest.’
However, I believe it limits human evolution. Extreme attachment to success gives birth to pride. Pride hinders our spiritual development. It doesn’t allow the higher intelligence of life, such as love and devotion, to work within us. I believe ‘love fits all.’
The eminent authority on Yoga, Sage Patanjali explains that the real secret of evolution is the manifestation of the knowledge of perfection available in every human being! The understanding of the true nature of self reveals how we can free our minds from conditionings.
He described the significant aspects of the mind and its systematic eightfold path to realize our true nature. Similarly, all other yoga paths such as Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Hatha Yoga work under the same principle: to create harmony between body, mind, and spirit which serves as the foundation for self-realization.
Every human being seeks love and wants to live a purposeful life. However, most of us find love in the external world and lose connection with the spirit. Thus, we need to turn inwards to connect with the spirit’s power and discover our purpose.
Ravana was a mighty demon king. In his kingdom, there were ferocious, cunning, cruel, violent, and ignorant demons. They brought significant trouble to people. They caused disturbances in the life of holy people and created obstacles for anything good in the communities. They could take any form and deceive others for their enjoyment and personal gain. Ravana practiced intense austerity and rituals to receive divine powers. He conquered many kingdoms and demigods and gained possessions, wealth, and glory across the world. Ravana terrified the world with his power and strength. His armies grew in number. He became so arrogant that he unsuccessfully attempted to lift the Kailash Mountain, the abode of Lord Shiva. He did so to exercise his strength and derive pleasure. He lived in a palace of gold, embedded with several pearls. The castle was well-protected and surrounded by an ocean.
Ravana remained intoxicated by his success and power. He rejected the offer of peace from Lord Rama. So, Lord Rama declared war against Ravana. The armies of Lord Rama gathered on the other side of the ocean. Lord Hanuman wanted to visit Ravana’s kingdom. He took Lord Rama’s blessing and crossed the sea with his divine power. After meeting Sita, he executed his plan. He came into a beautiful garden and plucked fruits. As soon as the caretakers witnessed him, they ran to catch hold of Hanuman. However, Hanuman disappointed them. Some of them ran away, and some turned unconscious with the blow of his hand. When Ravana came to know about this incident, he sent his armies of demons. Hanuman fought and caused severe damage to the demons. He also killed one of Ravana’s sons.
At last, Ravana sent his eldest and skilled warrior, Indrajeet. This time, Hanuman intentionally surrendered. With his own will, he was caught and carried to Ravana’s court. He stood fearlessly in front of Ravana. Ravana became extremely angry. He enquired about Hanuman. Hanuman unequivocally told him about Lord Rama and his relationship. He said, “Lord Rama is an ocean of mercy; he forgives the sin of those who wholeheartedly take shelter in his presence.” He offered peace to Ravana.
Ravana sarcastically laughed and denied Hanuman’s intent for peace. Instead, he punished Hanuman. He ordered his soldiers to burn his tail and showed it to the people of his kingdom. Lord Hanuman took it as an opportunity to reveal his ferocious form. As soon as the soldiers set his tail on fire, he increased his tail long enough to damage the kingdoms’ various architectures. Wherever he went, he burned enormous palaces and caused terror in the hearts and minds of demons. Lord Hanuman displayed the strength of his goodness when it was needed the most. He showed that the power of good is always more significant than the power of evil.
Ravana also denied the existence of Lord Rama and invited his own death and the downfall of his kingdom. In his self-deception and arrogance, he even rejected advice from his family members. He was adamant about his decision of war and boasted about his glory. Mandodari, his wife, objected to his rivalry with Lord Rama and favored the offering of peace. She knew that Lord Rama was a supreme soul in human form, and who was the lord of the entire universe. She knew that Sita was a divinity personified. However, Ravana did not listen to her advice. Instead, he consoled her. He glorified himself as an unconquerable king and told her to remain fearless.
His brother Vibhishana, a man of wisdom and knowledge, advised him to pray to Lord Rama for forgiveness. On hearing this, Ravana reacted with rage and insulted Vibhishana. He kicked him out of his Kingdom. Vibhishana was a devotee of Lord Rama and also a wise man. He happily went to his savior. Lord Rama, with his natural feeling of compassion, sent his mighty army general Angada for reconciliation before the ultimate battle. However, fate was against Ravana. At last, Ravana faced the truth on the battlefield. Lord Rama killed Ravana and made Vibhishana, the King of Lanka.
Ravana remained ignorant and arrogant. He could not discriminate between real and unreal. He lost his life and the people of his kingdom at the cost of his pride.
In life, we need a balance between material progress and spiritual development. Pride is an extreme attachment to success with a feeling of superiority. Any success without humility creates ignorance. If we develop this attitude in life, we breed psychological violence and develop compulsive or self-destructive behaviors. If we stay ignorant, we lose the knowledge to discriminate between real and non-real aspects of life. We must renounce pride to grow towards the higher intelligence of love. Our true self-worthiness lies in discovering and leading a purposeful life.
