LIVING A LIFE OF HARMONY AND POISE

We are living in an age of confusion and tension, both external and internal. We tend to feel persecuted by external challenges and so we feel unhappy. Ancient rishis advised man to live in harmony with all situations in life and steadily work to meet them with discretion and constant application. When we live thus for a period of time, a subjective poise develops that gives us inward peace and tranquility, which thereafter remains unaffected by external threats and onslaughts.

In the outer world of bitter competition and strife, each one of us is compelled to battle constantly with situations and people. Deep within ourselves also, we have become helpless slaves to our own uncontrollable desires and undisciplined thoughts. Modern man is torn asunder between two forces: objective tensions and subjective confusions.

We are bound to face external threats and challenges time and again; none can escape them. Hence, the success and joy in one’s life is measured by the extent of control one has over inner subjective confusions. In our experiences in life, we sometimes fall into detestable and distressing environments and circumstances that provoke and enrage us, and we despair for a solution. Such protests and indignation weaken our inner personality. Instead of braving challenges, we render ourselves ineffective by allowing external challenges to crush and consume us.

After carefully analyzing human weaknesses, religious masters advise us to grow in strength and gain mastery over situations by living in harmony with them. A life of harmony can be lived by rising above our limited, egocentric view of things and happenings and expanding our mind to accommodate a constant awareness of the totality of the world, the entirety of the humankind, and the vastness of universal problems.

When you view problems from a purely egocentric and individual angle, these problems assume exaggerated and enormous proportions and so can easily crush you. Such a person is like a musician in an orchestra who chooses to play on his own without falling in line with the general rhythm and melody of the orchestra.

To live a life of harmony is to recognize oneself as a member of all humanity, living in a composite universe, thereby bringing about a melody of harmonious existence from moment to moment. The harmony envisioned by spiritual masters is attunement with the dynamic silence that is the architect of all creation. Expand to realise that “all is the divine self”. Try to find accommodation for everyone in your compassion and in your love for the world around you. Recognize that all things are creations of the divine Self; then recognize that all things are only the divine Self in various forms. As such they are all ‘moving temples’ of the supreme. Therefore, the Supreme Power alone exists.

Ultimately, when the experience is gained that the “Self-in-Me” is the “Self-everywhere”, only then is there total liberation from bondage of the mortal. There is nothing superior to the experience of Oneness in everything; this is the highest experience.

A life of harmony with a wider view of the cosmos brings to our heart an inward peace and poise before which problems and challenges vanish like mist before the rising sun. Religion ought to help us to live a life of harmony and gain this poise. Let us try to gain self-mastery to experience our true Self, and find eternal glory and peace.

Be blissful.

Swami Chinmayananda 

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com