It is time for self inquiry
In this world, people respect you only if you have achieved something tangible in the outer world. Educational degrees, beauty titles, company designations, published papers, bank balances, are all scales that society uses to grade you.
See, first of all, you don't need to be graded by anyone. Place trust in your own intelligence and grade yourself.
But understand that there is a lot to be achieved in the inner world too. The outer world achievements are all incidental. They will get you instant name and fame and money. The real achievement is in the inner world.
Center yourself well with acute awareness and simply take part in the outer world activities like a lotus untouched in a pond. Let the work in the periphery go on undisturbed, but center yourself in your being. You will then be able to perform much better in the outer world, because your inner intelligence will be growing and guiding.
Then automatically, you will stop swaying in accordance with the outer world achievements and feel stability and joy in the center of your own being. Finding your center is the only way out of this whole cycle of comparison and jealousy.
How many successful businessmen today are facing what is known as depression of success? They have achieved everything they wanted. They have realized their own dreams, borrowed dreams,
Center yourself well with acute awareness and simply take part in the outer world activities like a lotus untouched in a pond. everything. But they don't feel fulfilled. There is still a void in them.
They start wondering why they ran so much. This is because they ran without awareness, without stopping to give an appointment to themselves, without any self-inquiry. As a result, when they stop running or when suddenly they can't run anymore, they fall back into themselves and find that they are out of synch or dis-eased with their own being, and this is what becomes 'depression' or 'disease'.
When you fall into depression of success, you can resort to three ways. One is, resorting to drugs – addiction that will lead to further depression. The second way out is suicide, which is escapism. The third way out is meditation – looking inward for the solution. The intelligent ones take the third way out.
Self-inquiry is the way to bail you out of this depression. The problem is inside, while you search for a solution outside. You have neglected your being for such a long time and the depression that you feel is actually the call of your being. That is why again and again, masters have given ever so many techniques to center yourself in
Masters have given ever so many techniques to center yourself in your inner core and merely function in your periphery. your inner core and merely function in your periphery.
When this same thing is told to you when you are at the peak of your career, you will not be willing to pay attention, because you have enough energy. Once your energy starts waning, you will feel that something is wrong somewhere. That something is what masters try to tell you again and again.
Albert Einstein, the great physicist was on his deathbed.
There were some close people sitting around him.
One of them asked him what he would like to be reborn as if ever he was reborn.
Everyone expected him to say that he would like to be reborn as an even greater scientist or something to that effect.
Einstein replied, 'If ever I would be reborn, I would like to be reborn as a plumber.'
He felt that he had achieved all that was to be achieved, but what for he achieved, he had not achieved. He gave the world great truths but felt that his whole life had become a lie.
You see, in this whole process of comparing and running, you actually become a machine. Much of your daily activities becomes unconscious. You are able to drive a car without even being aware that you are driving it. You become a machine just like the car.
Right from brushing your teeth early in the morning to going to bed, you work like a programmed robot, with absolutely no awareness of your Self. You become efficient in all that you do no doubt, but you have lost the humanness in you! You have gone so far away from the purpose of taking birth on planet Earth. You become disconnected from your being!
When you are in continuous awareness, you will not only be able to do things efficiently but you will also do things with totality, with a sense of fulfillment, because you – the microcosm - will be in tune with Existence - the macrocosm - and you will fly with roots on planet Earth. When you fly without roots, you are forever in the danger of hurting yourself any moment. So understand, working with awareness not only increases your
When you are in continuous awareness, you will not only be able to do things efficiently but you will also do things with totality, with a sense of fulfillment. efficiency but also ensures that you don't stray from the purpose of your being.