How to cultivate
the will-power?
How to cultivate the will-power?
We may observe, even in little things how little of what we know to be good for us, to be beneficial for us, we are able to put into practice. On the contrary, we continue to do harmful things. We know it is not good to neglect our studies…but somehow we cannot turn our ears or eyes from the radio or TV especially when a cricket match, a circus show, a fashion show or a movie is going on. If our mind timidly protests, we just give it a thrashing. How can I miss such an exciting thing, for the boring bla-bla-bla my classes? And the consequences of it are too obvious in the ever growing restlessness and dissatisfaction among the youngsters.
Do not people very well know that it is not good to drink alcohol? Still they gulp one or two glasses first occasionally, then more, compulsively. They promise not to drink only to break the promise again. Ultimately they even fail to promise. I believe it was Will Rogers who said, 'Well, it is quite easy to give up smoking. I have done it a hundred times!” But the record of Alcoholic Anonymous shows it is possible to start a new life as it were, by developing a new will to live a different kind of life.
We know that over-weight is a health hazard and we should avoid eating too many sweets and other highly fattening things. But when these things come round, we smile away our mental decisions and opposition of well-wishers.
It is well-known that some of us can resist everything except temptations! There is a great fascination in the prohibited, great attraction in the destructive, great pull in the bizarre and wicked things in this world of Maya. They pull us by the ear and make slaves of us. We do things in a hurry and then repent at leisure and weep in the darkness of our own making.
Now, why do we behave this way knowingly? We do wrong things unknowingly too. But, that apart, why do we do wrong things and fail to do right things knowingly? We must not commit the mistake of thinking that we do such things because we are essentially wicked or because of some kind of original sin in us or because of our being forced by evil powers. Let us know it for certain that no one in this world is essentially wicked. Essentially everyone is divine…because the essence of every being is Atman which is divine. The apparent wickedness of any person is only a fortuity - an outer mask and hence it can be gotten rid of.
No cow tells a lie. A tree does not steal or rob. A stone slab does not commit burglary. Only man does all these. But a cow, as far as we know, cannot think of God. A tree cannot practice spiritual disciplines. A stone slab cannot realize God. But man can.
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