For Success and Peace

All actions that are undertaken can have four parts, not necessarily in sequence. These are: focus on the action at hand; discrimination between right and wrong to help us act appropriately; devotion to objectives of the action; and insulation from results of the action, not allowing it to affect the doer. The four parts form a wonderful combination of mind and body to the one performing the action. To focus means not allowing diversions and distractions to interfere in the action. This means application of Raja Yoga, that helps hone a meditative focus on the job on hand. To discriminate between right and wrong and take the right path is application of one’s knowledge, which is the practical side of Jnana Yoga. To be devoted, as it were, to the objectives at hand is Bhakti Yoga. Not to allow results of the action to affect the doer is Karma Yoga. To disallow positive outcomes getting into one’s head, one has to give credit to others involved in the action and God. If the result happens to be negative, the other three parts help the doer to take course corrections to achieve the objectives. If this doesn’t work, at least the doer will be happy with the efforts and not lose morale. The four-parts approach helps us to handle success with humility; failure with creative course corrections. With practice, the approach improves one’s chances at success in one’s endeavours, and it provides peace of mind, and amplifies one’s scope for further prosperity

Source: Economic Times, 12/11/2018