The Key to Life’s Purpose
Human life is a saga of learning. Learning connotes realisation through experience. In other words, it is called experiential learning. Our prime purpose behind being ushered into this world is to develop spiritually, for we are spiritual entities in pursuit of total happiness and fulfilment. But during the course of every mundane life, we undergo experiences –sweet and sour. We face challenges galore.
We undergo trials and tribulations. These experiences serve to teach us or make us realise what it takes to achieve success, what it takes to fulfill our earthly desires and what all it takes to reach our definitive goal of salvation or moksh. But the process and path are not easy. Pain, privation and penury afflict many of us in this often torrid and tumultuous journey.
Sanatan Dharma (eternal religion) provides us with a divine code of living. This code needs to be assiduously followed by us for success in mundane life. This very code is to be followed for achieving higher goals that lead to the blissful emancipation of souls.
Lord Manu, an ancient sage, had provided the precise and perfect definition of the above dharma. Patience, forgiveness, mind control, truthfulness, acquisition of true knowledge and regulation of senses are some of the elements of this divine code of living.
While leading our earthly lives, we encounter numerous obstacles to overcome and various impediments to navigate on our journey towards our small or grand goals. Life teaches us about struggle, steadfastness, and perseverance. The principles of dharma encompass all these aspects, offering sublime lessons for our existence.
In theoretical terms, it is easy to pronounce that adherence to the divine code of dharma is the way to success and fulfilment. But observance of this code is easier said than done.
For us humans, the first and foremost challenge is understanding the necessity of following this code. The next step is actual observance of this code in daily life, and this is an uphill task. There are many distractions and temptations outside, and the mind is frail. The senses get attracted towards the outer objects that promise us appeasement and gratification. In the process, we wittingly or unwittingly end up violating the tenets of dharma.
So, implementation of the principles of dharma in life is a tough task. Our sages and scholars have rightly pronounced it as something akin to treading the sharp edge of a sword. We need to be careful, disciplined and patient. “An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory” is a quote that suggests taking action is more important than just having ideas.
Implementing the tenets of dharma in practical life is difficult, but difficult tasks are more rewarding. Keeping the above practical truths, our sages and savants had underlined the importance of yoga in life. Yoga is the discipline of mind, body and intellect.
It is a tool that helps you to take action in line with the tenets of dharma—action that results in the accomplishment of your avowed tasks and develops you in spiritual terms for yet higher goals, which may be mundane or spiritual.
The eternal scriptures, the Vedas, declare for this very reason that the human should be action-oriented throughout his life. Action in consonance with dharma is the way forward. And disciplined action is not possible without yoga. Yoga is a synonym for discipline of our faculties in line with enlightened reason and true knowledge. Yoga is the practice of the prescribed principles of progress.
Practice makes you perfect. And perfection being the natural ultimate goal of every human soul, practice becomes the key.
We human mortals are imperfect beings. That is why we fumble, falter and flounder in our worldly tasks. But self-correction in accordance with enlightened reason puts us back on the path of progress. We often make grandiose plans, setting lofty goals and starting well, but get laid-back and lazy on the way—only to regain the original momentum through the power of practice.
Practice means putting your physical, mental and intellectual faculties in unison to get the best results. So, practice the principles of dharma for your multifaceted growth.
Practice honesty, practice mind control and practice patience. Practice truthfulness and practice giving up anger. Similarly, perform sustained practice of other tenets of dharma—cleanliness of body and mind, forgiveness, regulation of senses, acquisition of true knowledge and application of intellect. This tenfold practice is the gateway to all success, all happiness and salvation, the ultimate prize of human existence.
We human mortals are imperfect beings. That is why we fumble, falter and flounder in our worldly tasks