Manah Sodhanam -Verse 6

DRIDANISHTHAIKASIDDHYARTHAM  MANASSUDDHIRAPEKSITA

TADARTHAM  SADHAKAH  SARVE  YATANTAM  DRIDANISCAYAH

This line again reiterates the importance of mind purification. Previously, we saw how important abidance to the Supreme Truth was. Here, Swami Tejomayananda says that to have that firm abidance in the Supreme Self, purity of mind is required. Hence, all resolute seekers must strive to purify their mind.

A new year is just around the corner. Even though I may wrinkle my nose at the thought of new year resolutions, somewhere deep inside,  I can't help but feel that "Here is a chance to start afresh. A whole year is stretching ahead of me. I must make good use of the days that God has given me." 2014 has been such a task master. But, I look back with gratitude, because whatever said and done, I was blessed this year with good health. And if the body is healthy, the mind automatically becomes focused.

Personally, I feel that one of the key factors to purify our mind is good health. By good health, I don't mean just absence of sickness. But consciously embracing a healthy lifestyle. For this, we just have to eat right, sleep well and exercise regularly. Sounds simple right? But we all know that the true challenge in having a healthy lifestyle is self discipline. More often than not, we tend to give ourself excuses for eating junk, sitting up late in the night, skipping exercise now and then. There is always this small voice inside our heart that tells us not to eat that chocolate or not to snooze the alarm. Haven't you all heard that voice? Yes, it is that same voice that makes you feel very guilty if you end up doing something that you not supposed to do...and end up not doing something that you are supposed to do.

The voice guides us in all situations right? Be it work, relationships, studies -anything. For example, you want to be mean to someone and you have full justification for why you CAN be mean to that person (seriously. You have such people in your life, right?), this tiny voice keeps saying that you should be good. And when you ignore and end up being mean to that person, you feel guilty. We all have been in this situation at some point of time in our lives. Right? If we just have that will power and discipline to listen and follow that voice, then we are safe.

One of my MBA professors kept saying that we must never give excuses to ourselves and we must never lie to ourselves. How true! If we start compromising with ourselves, then imagine how much more we have to compromise with others. When we start giving excuses to ourselves -for skipping exercise, for not putting full efforts in our job, for being nasty to others -then it is a very slippery slope that we are treading.

It seems so appropriate to talk about resolve on the last day of the year. Whatever we may be seeking in this journey of ours, let us have the resolve to seek the right thing and the resolve to have patience to pursue what we seek. Purification of the mind is not a process that has a definite end. I don't think that at any point of time, we can say, "Yes. My mind is completely purified". But let us start somewhere...in some small way. Maybe we can start with the obvious. All of us are aware of at least one aspect of our lives that need improvement (even if it is the clichéd, "I need to loose weight" aspect). Let us work on that, keep putting small and consistent effort, so that one day, we can look back at our progress with satisfaction. And remember, NO EXCUSES!  Hari Om!