Self Development: Path Of Self Progress
We all are masters of our glorious soul. Throughout our lives we tend to win a few battles whereas lose rest. However, no other glory can stand and shine in front of our glorious soul. No one can measure this glory. It is important that we come in our real sense and then there is no looking back. To come in original form, we need to come over the delusional state we have created around us and know the real us. Once we shed all the external covers we have embedded us with, our real sense itself will get revealed. These external covers are the layers which we tend to cover ourselves in our life time. All these are pseudo layers and beneath these pseudo layers we can find our original form shining and sparkling brightly.
No other happiness or contentment can give the sense of complete fulfillment as contentment of one's soul. Once soul is satisfied and contented we need not worry about any other wishes to get fulfilled. Throughout our lives we run behind materialistic comforts and consider them to be the master key of satisfaction which in turn will become happiness. Since we seek happiness in materialistic comforts or make it dependent on other human beings, we will always be in search for it. If others survive our Everest of expectations, we become happy. If they do not meet our expectations then we will tend to keep ourselves miserable for a long time. Same goes with materialistic comforts. If we get what we have desired, we will cover ourselves with pseudo layer of contentment for sometime which we will vaguely name as happiness and if we fail to achieve our targets, we will be miserable for a while.
No other contentment is as promisingly satisfactory as contentment of one's soul. To make our soul content, we need to sharpen our thoughts and this can be done by gaining knowledge. It is said that one who understands who they are, will understand importance of their life. Knowledge can only help us to raise above everything. We are masters of our senses but due to lack of knowledge, we act as if they are our masters. Irrespective of how distracting these senses can be, knowledge will help a person to rise above all these distractions and focus on the things which we need to focus. We need to work in the direction of our development and constant progress.
If we have decided to work in the direction of helping others then we should put in our complete effort, no matter how difficult the path is. However, just feeding the poor or lending a helping hand is not enough. We need to first serve ourselves before serving others. We can only give others what we have. We cannot help others before helping ourselves. We have to serve our senses, mind and soul first. Thus, we cannot help others until and unless we bring our mind and soul in better state and help them rise above everything. As high as we raise our soul from this delusional world, our greatness will increase side by side.
Self contentment can be reached by a gradual process of self development. Knowledge helps us to reach this stage. For self development we need to work on several factors. Most important one is good health. If a body is sound and healthy, so will be soul. Unhealthy body is always a distraction in the progress of development. Bad health always seeks attention. Each and every one of us today is in need of good health but rarely we work to gain the same. Lots of patience, knowledge and a strict disciplined life which is free from stress and tension promotes a healthy life. Impatient lifestyle, irregularity in everything leads to unhealthy body.
Second important factor essential for self development is to raise oneself above all emotions and greed. One has to make himself so strong that no emotion can shake his soul. One should completely be determined to raise himself above all senses which in turn will make him their master. Once he becomes master of his senses it will not take him much time to get control over his anger, lust, greed, ego etc..... It is important that we concentrate our mind on Supreme Soul. Once we connect with Him, detachment with everything else becomes easy. Once soul gets attached with Supreme Soul, there is no looking back. This is the stage when soul receives complete contentment. It is not possible to achieve this stage in one day. It is a gradual practice and requires lots of efforts. The more one will get near Supreme Soul, less he will care about worldly pleasures. This is a stage when a person will become soul conscious instead of being body conscious. One who is more attached to worldly pleasures and is bound by his ego where he is in a state of body consciousness, will require more time to come out of it and one who is ready to bring changes in him and wants to see himself landing in a state of soul consciousness will require less time. Thus, knowledge and determination will always play an important role here. Initially one has to put a lot of efforts. After a few days, the whole practice appears natural and easy and thus effort is not required. It is essential that we become masters of ourselves. We don't have to let go everything we do. Examine our deeds carefully and let us correct them. We are too liberal in our case and too strict for others. Right thing is that we should let go others and forgive them. This will increase our greatness.
Third important factor for self development is to gain knowledge. Self development is directly proportional to development of knowledge. Just worldly knowledge is not sufficient. We are being taught everything regarding us and world right from our childhood. The course material covers knowledge regarding body. We are more than body. We are soul within the body and this soul is a very important entity that cannot be overlooked. Knowledge of self is essential which will guide us through this path or journey of life. Without proper knowledge journey seems tough, full of hurdles. With right knowledge comes wisdom and wisdom helps to lead a smooth journey. This wisdom only comes when a person is in pursuit of seeking knowledge and wants to do it with complete dedication. This kind of motivation is essential for self development. Need of self development helps a person to change himself, modify himself completely for seeking truth and knowledge regarding God and oneself. Stability is a stage one will reach when wisdom follows. This stability will help a person to remain calm during hindrances. Irrespective of whether he is facing good times or bad times, he will remain calm and patient. Later, these good and bad times will not even get noticed by him. Everything and every moment will be the same to him. Such is the importance of knowledge.
Next important factor for self development is to become firm within one self, within one's soul. He should fully become aware about himself. Instead of thinking that he is a body and working accordingly, he should come in soul consciousness stage. This is known as gaining knowledge regarding self. Soul is immortal and everything around soul present in nature is mortal. Everything that is changing and is in constant change is mortal. Immortal soul is the one who rules as well as experiences this change. The more we are addicted to mortal things, more we fall back from the path of wisdom. Greatness is to overcome our weakness and overpower them. Failure is in getting attached to them. Weakness makes us angry, greedy, tensed etc..... In absence of them, it is easy to gain self contentment. It is very difficult to get constant happiness from mortal things. This is because mortal things are associated with constant change. Thus, they cannot be with us throughout the time and give same amount of happiness. On the other hand, it is easy to gain happiness from immortal things. One who does constant efforts in gaining mortal things and does not care about immortal elements, they will never achieve complete attainment of self satisfaction, even if they have achieved success in whatever they were wishing. Complete attainment, complete self satisfaction, complete happiness only lies within immortal soul.
Soul itself is contented, happy and peaceful. It does not have to search for anything outside. For understanding this, knowledge is essential. Knowledge regarding one's own real self will lead to wisdom. This wisdom will bring with itself lots of changes and the most important will be shift from body consciousness to soul consciousness. Soul will then become fully contented and will progress in the field of development. No other development will be as glorious and full of victory when compared with the development associated with oneself. Thus, one has to work in this field of gaining victory over ones senses which will ultimately work in the progress of soul.
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