Be The Master of Your Own Destiny

In Swami Sivananda’s teaching about being the master of your own destiny, he tells us that bliss is our right; happiness is our heritage not sorrow, peace not restlessness, health not disease.  True everlasting ecstasy belongs to us; Immortality is thy birthright, but not mortality.  Strength not weakness.  Pain, sorrow and ignorance are illusory.  Bliss, joy and knowledge are true and they cannot die.  He tells us that we are the architects of our own fate and that we are the masters of our own destiny, that destiny is our own creation.  So where do we look for this everlasting happiness and bliss, where do we find it how do we create our own destiny?

We maybe think if I could have a bicycle my life would be easier, then I would be happy.  If I could get a promotion at work I would feel more important, then I would be happy.  If I eat that chocolate and that delicious piece of cake, I will definitely be happy.  If I go to Paris or this country or that country I will see so many wonderful things, I will be happy.  We seem to always be looking on the outside for our happiness, to external objects and places or events.  But this happiness is not lasting it is impermanent and fleeting.  It binds us and brings us added desires that lead again to pain and sorrow.  Once we get the bicycle we see a scooter and oh how much easier that would be, but with it brings added stress as we have to maintain it, buy petrol and what happens when we see the car!  We get the promotion at work, then we have added pressure and no time to relax and see our families, definitely more stress is coming with the promotion.  We eat the chocolate and the cake and what happens when it is gone?  It was a fleeting moment of happiness then we feel sad we don’t have the chocolate anymore plus we weigh half a kilo more and we have polluted our body and mind.  Moving country to country, yes there are so many wonderful things in Paris, but if real happiness resides in Paris why are not all Parisians happy?

These things bring an unlasting happiness.  Everything around us is constantly changing, the world, our bodies our emotions, who we are, one minute we are the mother, then a wife, then a daughter, a yoga teacher, it is constantly different in relation to whom we are speaking.  So if this is all fleeting and unreal, where do we find what is not changing and real?

To find this we have to look into our hearts, which is an easy thing to say but how do we actually look into our heart?  Swami Sivananda says that to do this we have to exert ourselves in our practice, to clear the dust from a dirty mirror to see our true nature and find our inner well of joy and bliss.  We have to still the chatter of our mind to be able to see clearly into our hearts.  And to do that you must practice practice practice!  Do your pranayama, your asanas and your meditation and then do it more!  Swami Sivananda tells us to have courage to stand up like a lion and self exert look inward not outward, have faith and control your destiny, choose differently, make a change, self exert and you will find your happiness and your well of peace; which is your birthright.  So roar like a lion and do your practice!  

Om shanti

mangala / nicky