Introduction
A Successful Life
Not so long ago I traveled to Toronto, Canada. At the airport, as I approached the passport control officer she asked me, “Why are you here?” For a moment I thought to myself, How long have we got? But somehow I sensed this was neither the time nor the place to pursue the question or play with its deeper possibilities. What is the reason we are here? What constitutes a successful life? More importantly, what are the ‘secrets’ of life – the wisdom that would help everyone live a meaningful, successful and happy life. What do we need to learn and experience to find happiness? How do we acquire this wisdom? The answers to these questions form the foundation of this book. I have drawn on and experimented with ancient Indian wisdom. This was a natural step for me since I was brought up in India. I built this book on wisdom gleaned from the famous Bhagavad Geeta, often referred to as the Geeta. I used ideas from the underlying Sankhya philosophy and practical aspects of the yoga philosophy. This ancient wisdom is a complete philosophy covering our physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual being. Although its roots are in India, its fruits belong to the whole world.
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The original texts are in Sanskrit. Over the ages and up to the current time, various authors have written commentaries on the original works. Some are straightforward translations of the original texts; others are more elaborate interpretations and analyses. If I have managed to look a bit further than some others, it is only because I, as Isaac Newton put it, have stood on the shoulders of giants. Three such giants I must mention are the ancient Indian sages Vyasa and Patanjali and more recently, Swami Chinmayananda, whose translation of and commentary on the Geeta inspired me. The title swami means ‘he who has mastered himself.’ I have had the privilege of meeting a number of such masters, most recently Swami Ramdev. Each meeting has enriched me and contributed to the completion of this book. Of course, there have been more recent thoughts on different aspects of finding happiness and there is no innate reason why ancient wisdom should be better than modern wisdom. However, this wisdom has at least one factor in its favor – it has stood the test of time. Slices of the wisdom are echoed throughout history in quotations of successful and famous people from every walk of life – Einstein to Emerson, Gandhi to Goethe, Hammarskjöld to Huxley. It has maintained its relevance over the last three thousand years. In addition, it makes sense, it feels right and I have found it to work. One factor to consider about words of wisdom, particularly ancient wisdom, is that the written lines of text often are taken to be the whole wisdom. But this does not tell the complete story. There is great wisdom ‘between the lines’, in understanding the context in which it was delivered and the motive i.e., desired outcome it was delivered with. The context includes who it’s coming from, whom it’s targeting, the audience’s state of knowledge, existing cultural and social norms, traditions, etc. These all impact the interpretation and usefulness of the wisdom. Thus, I have tried to read between the lines, to understand the fundamental truths and present them in a useable manner for
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contemporary life. I have departed from the exact original description where I felt it was warranted by the change of context. Some of the descriptions alluding to why we are here make pretty tough reading. So, as a start, I’ve put some of the key points together into a little story . See what you make of it….. Once upon a time, we all lived happily in this great place called Heaven. Life was good. No stress, no wars, no illness, no poverty. We spent our time enjoying each other’s company, telling stories, and having fun. If we wanted anything, we just had to think about it and it appeared. Life had been like this since anyone could remember. Then one day, completely out of the blue, someone stood up and shouted, “This is boring! I’m sure we can do better than this!” Everyone looked at each other in astonishment. What was this guy complaining about? No one had ever said anything like this before and no one knew how to respond. News traveled fast in Heaven. In no time, word reached the Great Council. An emergency directors’ meeting was held. Confusion reigned supreme as everyone waited for the eternal leader, the Great Old Director to arrive! Everyone sighed with relief as God approached. A meditative calm descended on the gathering as he entered. This was a unique situation – completely unexpected and unprecedented. Even God had to take a few moments to think about this one. Angels were sent to summon the dissenting soul. He arrived flanked by two angels holding him lovingly. He wasn’t sure what to expect. He had heard stories of the wrath of God, but he could not deny how he felt. He felt a warmth engulf him as God approached. “My child,” God said, “I could get angry at you for creating confusion for the first time ever among the souls in heaven, but I love you. I understand how you feel. I also know that nothing I say will convince you that you are my most perfect creation and that Heaven is as good as it gets. I want to give you the opportunity to discover your
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own perfection and the perfection of this place. Only then will you be at peace again. So this is what I will do. I will give you a planet of your own – it will be a beautiful planet. I will create waterfalls, mountains, oceans, forests, and flowers for you. There will be an abundance of everything you need to make the most wonderful abode for yourself. I will give you a beautiful and strong body for enjoying the planet and creating what you want. Above all, I will give you a special faculty so you can find your way back home and an instinct to guide you. As you reconnect with your inner-self using this facility, you will rediscover the perfect spirit within you and the confusion you feel right now will be eliminated forever. Then I will welcome you back with open arms. As you embark on this journey of self-discovery, take care of yourself and use your time wisely. Enjoy the life on earth I give you. But do not lose sight of your primary purpose – to rediscover the state of perfection you currently enjoy, and to come back home.” This story captures some of the key points of ancient wisdom and my personal experiences. I like it for a number of reasons. It confirms that life has a purpose. It points out that we are in this current state by our own choosing. Also it hints at the central role of our special faculty, the mind, in this journey. Whether or not you believe there is a reason for us to be here, there is no denying the central role the mind plays in finding success and well-being in life. I have distilled the wisdom into four sets of four aspects, referred to as the 4x4 philosophy. Having said that, this is not a treatise on philosophy or psychology. I use words such as mind, wisdom, and personality differently from some definitions in conventional fields of study. My intention is to create a practical book you can use to improve your life and find happiness. I use examples throughout to clarify the principles. This is probably as good a place as any to state that nothing in this book is intended as a substitute for either common sense or
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professional guidance. Do seek professional advice regarding your specific circumstances before making any major changes. The philosophy and tools here can help everyone in life, regardless of background or beliefs – religious or otherwise. It is a practical philosophy rooted in the concept that anything true should hold up to analysis and experience. It encourages you to evaluate and test the principles for yourself and not accept anything on blind faith. I urge you to interact with the book, to engage with it so you get the most from it. Where there are lists, you can use the square boxes to mark items relevant to you. You can use the boxes at the bottom corners of pages to bookmark those of particular interest, and use the ‘Notes’ pages at the end of the book to create a personal toolkit for future reference in your journey to happiness.
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