A successful life has its golden rules which are based on the most fundamental laws of nature and existence. We may turn to the latest bestsellers, but if we want to be successful, it is best to follow ancient wisdoms that have been around and effective for thousands of years.
It is the nature of all people to strive for happiness. Success may be of several kinds: material, carreer, or related to self-realisation, but the aim is the same: to feel more, better and happier.
Go your own way!
Even if you perform someone else’s duty perfectly, if you neglect your own, failure is guaranteed.
It may be difficult to decypher the message, but if we know the origin of Bhagavad-gītā and its birthplace, India, then it becomes somewhat easier to understand. People have many duties in life which are called dharma . This is the summary of all the duties that we have to do as a worker, spouse, parent or child. If we really want to be successful, we have to find the kind of work that best fits our nature, in which we can excel, be it education, religious practice, physical exercise. The goal is that you live your own life, not someone else’s which is superfluous.
Be Controlled!
„He who controls his eating, sleeping and activities, will surely be successful.”
This is not the subject of oriental scriptures only, it is that of Western bestsellers as well. Get up early, take a shower, eat fresh, pure and nutritious food, which are vegetarian in most oriental lifestyles. Your work and activites should be regulated, do some exercise but also take rest, start your day with meditation, create order around you, live in goodness. All this will not only help up to better útilise our time but will also help to achieve goodness: such an attitude and mood that will help us make good choices later on as well and will turn our thoughts towards healhier food, positive, constructive activities. To sum up, will help the practitioner.
Know Who You Are!
„The soul is eternal, immortal, inconceivable, invisible; it can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.” – thus the Bhagavad-gītā.
Consider our instinctive, gut-driven actions and their hidden mechanisms: we can see that our deeds are often driven by fear, especially from uncertainty or death as well as by our attachments. The desire of “more and bigger” stems from an instinctive struggle for life, aiming at staying young, beautiful, shiny, fresh forever, because in this way we get more attention, appreciation and love. In fact, our instinctive effort to keep the body in one and alive is derived from our anxiety vaused by our identification with the physical body, instead of the spirit soul. Knowledge about the soul not only helps to get closer to the purpose of life, the hidden knowledge, but also gives a different perspective to our everyday decisions.
Tough in Any Situation
„As a lamp in a windless place does not waver, so the transcendentalist whose mind is controlled remains always steady in his meditation on the transcendent Self.”
The perception of dualities, moods, joy and sorrow observed in the world depends on our personal, individual senses. In most cases, happiness is derived not from external conditions but from an internal vision. We can say that happiness comes from a vision, a state of the consciousness and not from external circumstances.
Our momentary happiness can be disturbed by various sentiments, of course, but these come and go, so they are temporary. One who understands this has attained the proper state of consciousness, proper thinking.
Be the Master of Your Consciousness!
„One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is firmly fixed in perfect consciousness.”
To live a disciplined and organised life, spent as usefully as possible, we need to control our desires. Desires rise from the contact of the senses with the sense objects; in other words, if we have a desire for something, we want to get it immediately, we want to taste, smell or touch the object that rouse lust. This is especially characteristic of the consumer society of our times.
If we do not want to become slaves of our senses: our eyes, ears and mind, we simply have to withdraw our senses from the sense objects like a tortoise withdraws his limbs into his shell. Peace is not won by someone who has no desires, as desires cannot be eradicated, but someone who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires, just like the ocean is not disturbed by the rivers constantly flowing into it.
Release Struggle for Results and Possession!
Fight for the sake of fighting and do not think about defeat or victory!
Whatever is the life task or call of an individual, if he really wants to live a successful life, he has to get rid of the desire for owning the results; one should never claim the fruits of his endeavour. This may sound strange at first, because, for instance, if you bake a pastry, you own it. Still, people often forget that his actions are driven by his desires and the underlying modes of material nature: ignorance, passion or goodness, i.e. abstract qualities. Generally we consider ourselves to be the actor of our deeds and are attached to the results. However, if we are able to act so that we do not desire victory, not even appreciation or fame, if we do not consider ourselves to be the owner and if we only act out of duty, then our life will be undoubtedly successful.
Attain the Ultimate Goal of Life
Real results cannot be measured in material terms. Material success is the side product of spiritual achievements.
OK, but if I should not feel to be the owner, the question automatically arises: who or what is the owner of all that happens in our lives? The ancient scriptures of India clearly state that the owner is God. Man cannot live happily without offering sacrifice and those, who know the ultimate goal of the sacrifice, will be purified and will get rid of the reactions, or karma, which is the melting pot of our former deeds, neglected duties and ingrained inclinations. As long as we are adding to this karma, we have to accept birth in this world of dualities and extremes. If we wish to get rid of the weight of this karma on our shoulders, we should be performing such activities that cleanse our consciousness, such as mantra meditation, spiritual service or spiritually oriented yoga.
The person who is satisfied with the profit that comes on its own accord, i.e. that is due us by our karma and can be obtained by honest means, can certainly live a satisfied and successful life. The more so if we are aware that the ultimate enjoyer of all sacrifices is the Supreme, Who Himself states: „As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly.” Are there any remaining doubts about how one can attain success?
Success is not a material goal that can be achieved by hard labour. Lasting success comes from the inside, but it requires perseverence in spiritual endeavour.
Fodor Kata