Friday, October 31, 2014

Will power: it is not about winning


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Here is a beautiful definition by Ramana Maharishi on will power. We have been taught it wrong by our care-taker generation that was ahead of us --  our parents, our teachers, our leaders have made it out that will power is about succeeding always. Ramana says it is actually about trying, come what may. And also, it adds up to equipoise whatever the result.
 How elegant that definition is.. how sophisticated. The way we have been taught about will power -- it is aggressive, competitive and conflicting and leaves us dissatisfied at having tried, if we did not succeed. Our definition of will power is designed to makes us restive and unhappy!

Here is Ramana's definition:
"Your idea of will power is success insured. Will power should be understood to be the strength of mind which makes it capable  of meeting success or failure with equanimity. It is not synonymous with certain success. Why should one's attempts be always attended with success? Success develops arrogance and the man's spiritual progress is thus arrested. Failure on the other hand is beneficial, in as much as it opens the man's eyes to his limitations and prepares him to surrender himself. Self surrender is synonymous with eternal happiness. Therefore one should try to gain the equipoise of mind under all circumstances. That is will-power. Again success and failure are results of prarabhdha and not of will-power, "
 

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