Points to Ponder: May 21, 2018

A life without structure is a life of chaos. There must be a structure to life. Discipline gives structure to life. However, more often than not, discipline is imposed by force. Hence, our relationship with discipline is not very pleasant. Appreciating the need for structure and hence discipline in life makes one embrace discipline with self interest. Such discipline has the power to make our life productive, valuable and purposeful. We need to understand that I am a human being composing of two parts, the humus and the being. The humus is made up of matter and matter is subservient to the laws of energy. On the other hand, spiritual laws govern the being or the soul. When our actions are in defiance of these laws, we end up being in trouble. It is the duty of every individual to take the pain to educate oneself about both these set of laws and work in accordance with them. This is what we mean by self imposed discipline.

Sometimes, we may not like the idea of a life of structure but what we need to understand is that the question is not whether something feels good or not. The question is also not whether something is easy or difficult. The right question is whether something is beneficial or taxing in the long run. Let us take an example. Suppose there are three roads. One of them takes you to where you want to go but is very busy and crowded. The other two do not take you to your destination but they are not quite busy. Will u take the road which is less crowded even if it does not take you to your destination? Obviously not. Similarly, the destination of life is long term health, wealth and happiness. A life of indiscipline can never lead to this state. Hence understanding that we are subservient to the laws of nature and karma, becoming wise about them, incorporating them in life with self interest and making life valuable is necessary for leading a life of fulfilment and purpose.

In Spiritual Service