Protect Yourself from Aggression

True Identity of the Self

The eternal light of the soul, the preeminent, absolutely pure source of infinite joy, ultimate peace and supreme enlightenment present in our inner selves is God.  The jeeva or individual self - an ensemble of mana (conscious and subconscious mind), Buddhi (intellect), Citta (unconscious mind) and Ahankaar (sense of self-identity) - is likened to a 'burning wood' then the jeeva is its 'smoke'. Though appearing different (dwait), the latter exists in the former and is hence the same (adwait). The Upanishads and Bhagvad Gita point out the eternity of the soul and the unity of the true self with it.

It is the ignorance, illusion (maya) and devil's trap of passions, that make the jeeva feel its own identity as separate form that of the soul. This delusion is the cause of all sorrows, weaknesses and sufferings. Where there is a feeling of unity of the 'self' with the soul, the aspirations, the thoughts the experience of the individual remain unified with the divine glow of the latter and hence there lies immense joy, absolute peace and beatifying illumination.

The distraction of the self and illusion of its separate identity triggers all confusions and diversions and struggle between the real self and the mind. This is where the vicious cycle of ego, fear, selfishness, cravings, and associated gamut of worries, tensions, anger, jealous, passions, and consequent sinful tendencies commences and shields the true identity of a being. We must come out of this thralldom and experience the real, the infinite, the absolute self (-the soul) that we are……

Protect Yourself from Aggression

Those desirous of excelling in life should be scrupulous in their approach and mature in their conduct. Unnecessary excitement, childish enthusiasm, and shallowness of nature do not let one think seriously on any topic. Wisdom lies in prevention from such habits. Equally important is the protection from untoward excitements and aggressiveness. As the people living near seashore do not get affected by the tides in the sea, we should also remain stable in the ups and downs of life. We should cultivate sportsmanly temperament. Players of a match don't get aggressive or depressed by the results of the game. The defeated fellows smile with a sense of shame or introspective silence and the winners smile with a glow of success and confidence. Apart from that there is no difference in their reaction. They play for the sake of playing……

We are all players on the grand stage of the world. Playing a game is a joy that is enjoyed by both the teams; victory or defeat is negligible as compared to that joy. The same is true of every act of life. Benefit or loss, joy or sorrow, success or failure, all is part of the game of life. We should face them with balanced mind and avoid all kinds of aggressive and depressive moods. This is what counts for happy ascent in life. This is what accomplishes "yoga" in human life.