Evolve and Elevate: How to find your passion, what is Religion and What to do when everyone around you is doing better than you?

Idea of the Week

Lesson of the Week

Bhagavad Gita says:

The word “Religion” means a belief system that can be changed. 

People with different Religions (Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian) do not mean their Dharma (path of righteousness) will also be different.

It simply means they have different belief systems of living life.

Someone can have belief in one order or way of living and this belief can be changed.

But the word Sanatana Dharma (eternal or absolute set of duties for everyone) is the depiction of that Karma which can never be changed.

For example:

Just like the smoothness of water cannot be separated from it, ushma (heat) of fire cannot be separated from it, in the same way, Jeev (creature) cannot be separated from his/her Nitya Karma (right duty).

Hence Sanatana Dharma is Jeev’s (creature’s) Shashvat Ang (part which stays forever).

We need to understand that Karma cannot be categorized into communities i.e. it is not Sampradayik/communal because it cannot be caged in any sort of boundaries.

Ones who are associated with some communities will be mistaken to believe that Sanatana Dharma is also a Sampradayik (communal).

But if we seriously think over it and with the light of modern science, we can easily see that Sanatana Dharma does not just belong to the people of this World but to every Jeev (creature) of this Universe. 

According to the scriptures, a Jeev is neither born nor does it die.

A Jeev is permanent and even after the destruction of this momentary physical body, it remains alive.

The meaning of Dharma is the padarth (substance) that stays forever in the object.

Just like heat and light always remain with fire, in the same way, we have to search for that most important part of us that will stay with us forever.

And this part of Jeev is called Jeev’s Chir Sehchar (good old friend).

This Chir Sehchar of Jeev is Shashvat Guna (Quality that will stay forever), and this Shashvat Guna of Jeev is called his/her Nitya Dharma (right duty).

When Sanatan Goswami Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu raised a curiosity to understand every Jeev’s Swaroop (truth) or Nitya Dharma (right duty), Parmeshwar (God) answered him by saying that Jeev’s Swaroop (truth) is to serve God.

This means, following the path of righteousness to serve God is our Sanatana Dharma which is our Shashvat Guna. 

So, the Sanatana Dharma of a Jeev is to serve God no matter what Religion he/she belongs to.

Inspiration of the Week: 

What do you do when you start feeling that everyone around you is better than you?

It’s a trap if you don’t understand the game.

Imagine you are a student in 10th grade.

You dream of becoming a doctor.

Now when you have just entered the 10th grade, you see students in 12th grade cracking the entrance exam for the M.B.B.S degree.

But you don’t feel jealous.

You don’t feel insecure.

You don’t declare that you are left behind.

You don’t declare that they are excelling.

You rather feel motivated seeing your seniors Crack the exam.

So why did you not feel that they are doing better than you?

The Mindset!

It’s the conditioning of the mind.

Your mind knows that you haven’t reached the stage where you can be ready and eligible for the exam, so it does not bother you to see the students of 12th grade get enrolled for the degree.

You just keep your eye on the subjects that you are supposed to study in the grade you are in.

You know that you are going to reach the stage only after you qualify your 10th, 11th and 12th grades.

This is what we need to understand in the other spheres of life as well when everyone around us is doing better or excelling in life.

We are not lagging; we just haven’t invested enough to be ready for all that they have earned.

There isn’t any shortage for us, we just haven’t done enough to deserve things that others are enjoying.

The World is your oyster. You just have to start believing in your abilities and then take action.

Until the fruit is ripe, it’s a waste to eat it.

Even if the fruits of the rest of the trees have ripened, you will have to wait until yours are ready.

So, when you haven’t become ready, you will not relish the flavors of things you wish to have.

When you start looking at things from such an awareness, you will never feel left behind, you will never see people doing better than you.

You will rather focus on working on yourself to become ready to receive what you have been wishing for so long.

When people perform better, they are walking a mile more than you.