CHAPTER III

The Three Cs of Success

While addressing my managers, I asked them a question: What does religion mean to you? I received over a dozen responses and each of them offered a different definition. The responses were as follows:

1. Beliefs
2. Way of life
3. Guidelines
4. Sets of do’s and don’ts
5. Worshipping
6. Our values
7. Karma or duty
8. Realisation of the Self
9. Fall back system for finding peace
10. Institutionalised way of finding truth
11. Set of values, beliefs and rituals to find the goal of life
12. To achieve the ultimate goal of our atma and become one with the paramatma
13. A framework which enables us to relate to the unknown
14. A prayer to achieve piece of mind

If we surmise all these views, we may conclude that religion encompasses the eternal principles of life and learning. These principles of life have not changed over the years. Religion binds one to his origin.

Religion is not about being a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist or Jain. The moment we look at ourselves as Hindus or Muslims or Jains, we start running away from reality. Religion is universal. It cannot belong to a particular sect.

Vedanta does not belong to any religion

Similarly, Vedanta does not belong to any particular religion. It does not belong to Hindus alone. Veda in Sanskrit means knowledge, while antha means ultimate or the end, that is, culmination of knowledge. If I find certain good principles in Christianity, why should I not adopt them? If my neighbour has some good qualities, why should I not emulate him? Likewise, Vedanta belongs to everybody. Everybody is free to adopt it.

We often speak of being spiritual or non-spiritual. What does spirituality mean? We have been conditioned to believe that to be religious is to be spiritual. Today, religion has become synonymous with Hinduism, Islam or Christianity.

The spirit is the cause which makes us do what we are doing. Spirituality is to practice this cause. We should first believe in the concept of aham Brahma asmi or I am God.

To quote Max Muller, a renowned Indologist: “If people conceive God as a kind of Jupiter, or even as a Jehovah, then the idea can only be considered blasphemous… But after the Deity had been freed from its mythological character, the human mind realises the fact that God is in all.”

Your past has a bearing on the future

Your destiny of today is the result of your past actions. Your present actions impact your future. You have no control over your past actions. But you are in command of your present actions. Though present and future actions are within your control, the rub-off effect of the past cannot be avoided. The past always has a bearing on the future.

Let me illustrate this with an example. Paint a yellow strip on the wall. On this strip, paint red. You will realise that the final colour turns out to be green and not red. This is the rub-off effect of the past. Your misdeeds of the past will haunt you in the future, even if your present actions are good. You reap what you sow.

In the words of the Buddha:

I am the owner of my karma
I inherit my karma
I am born of my karma
I am related to my karma
I live supported by my karma
Whatever karma I create, whether good or evil, that I shall inherit

Every religion or philosophy teaches us about the consequences of our actions. Hence, it is important that we act judiciously.

Watch your thoughts, for they become words
Watch your words, for they become actions
Watch your actions, for they become habits
Watch your habits, for they become character
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny

Yoga is the solution

Human beings may be classified into four classes: those who are highly emotional, those who are highly intellectual, those who are highly intellectual and emotional, and those who are low on both these quotients. We should realise that none is superior or inferior to the other. Only when we realise to which class we belong and accordingly develop our personality, can we reach the state of bliss.

This can be achieved through yoga. Often people relate yoga with asanas or meditation. On the other hand, yoga means to unite with the Self. If you believe in this concept, you will not have any conflict with your own beliefs or faith. These are universal principles which apply to all of us, irrespective of caste.

To attain the unachievable you need to concentrate on the powers within you. Only then will you realise that enormous power that is within you. This can be illustrated with a simple exercise. Plant two saplings in two separate pots. Provide the same treatment to both the saplings—the same light, water and manure. But mentally believe that the plant on the left will grow faster and taller. You will notice that in the next 15 days, the plant on the left actually grows taller. This is the power of concentration.

The key to success

The three ingredients for success are concentration, consistency and cooperation. To quote a philosopher:

The discipline of concentration is to keep yourself focused on your present actions. The natural tendency of the mind is to step into the future or into the past. It hardly stays in the present. It thinks about the past or becomes anxious about the future. This dissipates your energies. You need a powerful intellect to control the mind.

The knowledge of Vedanta helps you to strengthen the intellect and hold your mind in the present, without allowing it to slip to the past or the future. You then become more objective and productive in your field of activity.

The next discipline is to maintain the consistency of purpose by directing your actions to a set goal. Here, your intellect chooses an ideal in life, a cause beyond your self-centered interests. Having fixed a goal, your intellect directs your actions towards it. Through consistency, your actions are rendered more powerful and successful.

The third discipline is to recognise and maintain the spirit of cooperative endeavour. To achieve results in any field of activity, you need to work with your colleagues as a team. You need the support and cooperation of others related to your work. The work performed with such cooperation reaches the height of achievement.

In a nutshell, when we practice the three disciplines of concentration, consistency and cooperation, we can be assured of success in all our activities. While these principles have been successfully adopted in business houses in the West, Indians continue to lag behind. As Vedanta exponent Swami Parthasarathy recently remarked, “Indians are not interested in these management techniques. They will take another ten years to wake up.”