I have been reflecting on the topic of success for a few years – what is success and how do you get there. I have also been reflecting on Spirituality – inner journey to finding ourselves and seeking the meaning of life. It has been a constant question for me, how to find success in today’s materialistic world by following the laws of spirituality. It is a great ongoing quest for me and I don’t think I have been able to solve this profound question fully. Sometimes, it feels like a futile quest. How do you live with spiritual laws in this material world where self-interest, greed and non-stop politics is the norm. Spiritual path seems to be at loggerheads with the rules of the material world.
Despite the challenges, my belief remains strong that it is possible to find a spiritual balance in today’s material world and achieve material success by following laws of spirituality. [Read, Spirituality and Materialism – finding the golden balance of life, Spiritual Balance – a necessity in today’s material world ]. In this note, I am sharing 11 laws of spirituality that I have experienced and that have been the foundation for whatever success I have achieved. This note is not meant to be comprehensive or definitive because I am not there. It is just a sharing of personal beliefs that are very much work in progress.
- Infinite potential and Unique purpose in life
All of us have abundant potential and are operating at only a fraction of our potential. All of us can do lot more, achieve lot more that what we are currently doing. The key to unlocking our potential is to find our unique purpose of life. All of us are born with some special gift that is unique to us. The great quest of life is to find and pursue our unique purpose of life. Finding our unique purpose of life is unlikely a sudden eureka moment, it is a deliberate journey. The likely starting point are your passions. However, these have to be paired with perseverance and hard-work to sharpen them into excellent skills. And finally and most importantly, these have to be deployed to serving some real needs. I believe it is at this confluence or “sweet spot” of passions, skills and serving needs that you find your unique purpose of life and unlock your true potential. [Read, Achieving your full potential, “Finding your Sweet Spot – the powerful purpose of your life!!” ] - Living in the Present Moment
We keep flitting between ruminating about the past and worrying about the future. We worry so much that we forget to live in the present moment. This is the prime cause of our stress and suffering. The only reality is the present moment, the NOW. It is only by being in the present moment that you find true happiness. So be in the present moment and accept your current situation fully. It is only by accepting situations and people as they are that you find the calmness and wisdom to take the right actions. It is only by living each moment fully that you build a happy and successful life. It is only by stringing together beautiful moments that we make a momentous life [Read, Is life momentary or momentous?]. Being mindful and in the present moment is a mindset and requires practice. The hyper-connected digital world we live in with its information load creates clutter and further pushes us away from mindfulness. Deep breathing, Yoga and Meditation help build the necessary mindset and skills to clear the clutter and be in the present moment (see Point 9 below). - Duality and Law of Intention
Human beings are complex and full of contradictions. We have both good and bad within us. We have divine gifts yet are fundamentally flawed. We have the power to do great good and to cause grievous harm. The aspects of our personality that we focus on tend to grow. So being good or bad is a conscious choice, these are muscles you grow with focus and deliberate use. This logic is also true for situations and people around us. You find what you seek. You can see the same glass as half empty or half full. If you focus on goodness that is what you find, equally if you focus on the negative you will likely see more of it. This is the Law of Attraction and Intention – Inherent in every intention and desire is the mechanics for its fulfilment. Whatever you put your attention on will grow stronger in your life. So be positive, have the right intention and then let nature take its course. - Law of Karma
Our present is a consequence of past actions and our present actions shape our future. Karma stands for both the cause (intent and actions of the individual) and the effect (future of that individual). It is a highly empowering law and a clarion call for moral behavior. You create your own fate, you reap what you sow. Your present situation is because of actions you have taken in this life or past lives. Everything that is happening in your life is happening because of a reason. Equally your current actions will not go waste, results will come sooner or later. While actions and consequences are an immutable law, these do not follow each other in a linear or sequential fashion. This law assumes a continuous cycle of life and death, and that your Karma (effect of your actions) is carried from one life to another. Therefore, you should not obsess about wanting immediate outcomes of your actions. Just do the right action with dispassion and without attachment to the results. Trust this fundamental law of universe, outcomes will happen whether now or later in life or in another life. [Read, Central Messages of Bhagavad Gita ] - Dissolving our Ego
At the heart of Spirituality is the belief around oneness of all creation, that there is a universal spirit that is within all of us and that connects all of us. The supreme objective of the spiritual path is union with that universal spirit. The main obstacle in this objective is our ego. Ego creates a sense of identity and thus barriers between us and others, and at a fundamental level between the universal spirit and us. To progress on the spiritual path we have to dissolve our ego. At a more practical level, ego is the root of our anger, greed, anxiety and most of our human ills. Attention to ego consumes the greatest amount of energy. To have a happy and satisfied life we have to go beyond our ego. This liberates energy, generates love and allows us to see the bigger picture of our lives. Understanding and dissolving our ego is one of the most difficult challenges of our lives. Some of the actions that can help are, inculcating humility, going beyond self and serving others, continuous learning from a master, and dedicating ourselves to a cause that is bigger than our self. - Disciplining the Senses
Senses and desires are inevitable and cannot be ignored (in fact, they are one of the four goals of life in Hindu Philosophy – Kama!). You have to fulfill them at a basic level else they will keep on rearing their ugly head. However, excess of sensual desires is a big problem. They can trap us in a vicious cycle. It is like running on a never stopping treadmill. The faster you run, the faster the treadmill of desires keeps on moving. You can never catch up and it leads to frustration, unhappiness and immoral behaviors. You lose both your mind and health. To lead a happy and moral life it is imperative that you discipline and control your senses. The key to doing so is to understand that all situations and sensations in life are impermanent, that everything in life changes. The vicious draw of senses is short-term. If one develops the equanimity and discipline to understand the changing nature of sensations, you are on way to mastering your senses and yourself. This process of discipling the senses is like training your muscles, one step at a time. It takes time and effort but is totally worth it. It will liberate you to lead a happy and healthy life. - Giving before Getting
We are born to make a difference to this world, to leave it a better place than what we found it. This is how the cycle of life progresses on earth. Without people giving back, we would have self-destructed the human race and our planet long back. So, we should let go of our self-interest and look to contribute to people and situations around us. We should give before we seek for ourselves. Instead of asking “what’s in it for me?”, ask “how can I help?”. And, the most valuable giving is often non-material e.g., understanding, respect, compassion, kindness, emotional support. The beauty of this law is that what we give eventually comes manifold back to us. This is the fundamental law for creating affluence and abundance in our lives – in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our own lives. - Taking Responsibility – increasing levels of consciousness
“Who am I?” is a fundamental question many of us face. We can define ourself at multiple levels. We are defined by what we take responsibility for – self, family, organisation, community, country and the final frontier is all humanity. The more we take responsibility for the more strength we get. We move to increasing levels of consciousness and grow as a human being. Whether it is the organization you work for or the society at large, you would see many chronic problems that can create a sense of helplessness about the “system”. Be proactive and take ownership of the problems around you. Don’t let the problems weigh you down. Just be positive and focus on your Karma. You will be surprised how much power your individual actions can have. As you take action, your zone of influence and the leader within you grows. Slowly, the change you start with your actions can come to a tipping point when the ‘system’ also starts changing. [Read, Take personal responsibility and change the world!!, Evolution of leadership – “Leadership by Consciousness” ] - Inside-out Wisdom – Yoga and Meditation
One of the core tenets of Indian philosophy is that there is infinite, eternal wisdom within all of us. For wisdom and happiness you do not have to look outside but should look inside. However, noise at the level of both mind and body prevents us from connecting with that inner core. Yoga and meditation help still the different layers of our existence, get us to silence and thus connect with our inner core. Yoga is often misunderstood to be just a physical process. It is a comprehensive science that operates at all layers of our existence, progressively going from the gross to the subtle. It’s philosophy is that the path to salvation lies within the framework of your body. Starting point has to be a certain discipline and control over the body so it is ready to go deeper. The crucial link between the body and the mind is the breath, so lot of focus in Yoga is on breathing practices or Pranayama. Meditation is a process of letting go, of dropping your self and its desires. As you enter a meditative state, you get access to infinite wisdom and happiness. I have seen through my personal experience that after meditation all problems seem small, you feel both calm and energised, and seem to get intuitive clarity on questions that are troubling you the most. [Read, My first Vipassana Meditation course, Wisdom from “Autobiography of a Yogi” ]. The most beautiful journey you can take in life is the journey within. So, start it now!! - Understand the flow
Human nature is to make effort, to shape our destiny with our own hands. However, whether it is nature or situations in daily life, there are natural flows. Wisdom is in understanding that flow and then aligning oneself with it. Blind effort is wasteful and paddling against the current very difficult. It assumes that you can control and change any situation. That is a mistake. Most breakthroughs in life are not planned, they are happy accidents. Do not seek to control everything in life. Be comfortable with uncertainty and to let go. Let nature play its role. We need to have the humility and wisdom to understand that there is a higher power and it gives signals. Nature is its most visible manifestation. Respect it and seek to understand it with calmness. Let go of your fears and trust nature’s design for us. Once you do that, solutions will follow naturally and you will find the path of least effort. By understanding, trusting and aligning with the signals universe is giving, you will reach a better place than with blind self-effort. [Read, Understand the flow, Shape the future or Follow the flow]. I have talked about silence earlier. Noise and clutter in our mind stops us from listening to the signals nature is giving us. Declutter and get to silence and then listen to your heart, it will help you find the right path. - Daily habit of Dharma
You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of success is found in your daily routine. The 10 laws I have talked about above are interconnected and are part of Dharma, the path of doing good. Dharma are the right behaviours and the universal law that make life possible. Doing good is not easy. [Read, Life Lessons from Mahabharata] The twin forces of Ego and Senses will create temptation, envy, fear and other negative emotions that will constantly pull you back. Therefore it is imperative that you live and practice the path of Dharma on a daily basis. I have talked about building muscles a few times in this note. I will reiterate it here. Dharmic behaviours and practice of spiritual laws are like muscles that have to be built step-by-step. It is only by making the right choices & decisions and taking actions on a daily basis that the spiritual laws become become real and powerful forces in our lives. So be disciplined, build good habits and live your Dharma on a daily basis.
Finding success in the material world with spiritual laws is a fascinating and noble quest. It seems difficult because the fundamentals of the material world seem so different, but is a necessary journey. Renouncing the material world and taking sanyas can be the path for only a few. It is only by living and learning in the material world that we have to make progress on our spiritual journey. The material world continuously provides us challenges, ‘moments of truth’ that test us but are also a great learning opportunity. Applying spiritual principles for facing daily life situations and challenges is a tremendous opportunity for spiritual development and growing in life.
This is where I believe Indian philosophy and spiritual wisdom has got so much to offer to the world. I believe ancient Indian philosophy has investigated the fundamental life questions very deeply and has provided the most practical answers and methods. I look forward to continuing to understand them more deeply, applying them in practical life, and sharing insights with you. Please read below few of my blogposts where I have shared insights and experiences from different aspects of Indian philosophy.
All the best!!
