Yogic steps to achieve success

Jul 22, 2009, 12.00am IST
SWAMI KRIYANANDA.


When we say: "Be practical", what do we mean? Unfortunately, the common understanding of what is practical is reflected in the attitude that says, "A chasm yawns between idealism and reality. You can have your ideals, but don't relate them to business matters, or to getting things done in the real world."


Realpolitik is an expression invented in Germany for politics based on a hard-headed and cynical attitude towards "reality" ^ a narrow perception. It is this kind of approach that gives a handle for unethical and inhuman behaviour that disregards the importance of compassion, brotherhood and oneness.


"Practicality" has been waved like a banner to declare that spirituality and high ideals belong in the temple, mosque and church, but not in the "real" world of business. Hard-headed business practices are perceived too often as having nothing to do with ideals: they are purely a matter of making money. Into this thinking there creeps very easily the consciousness that dishonesty in business is perfectly justifiable the sort of consciousness that justifies itself by saying, "One can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs."


In such an environment, a businessman who wishes to live by higher principles could face serious challenges. It was voiced to me recently by a doctor friend in India. "I believe in high principles," he said to me earnestly. "Practically speaking, however, how can I follow them? Life makes demands of me that I simply cannot meet unless, occasionally, I cut a few corners ethically. I have a son to put through college. I want to live by dharmic principles, but if I did so always I couldn't survive."
It was that question which inspired me to write a course of lessons with the theme: Success and Happiness Through Yoga Principles. My personal experience has been just the opposite: To live determinedly by high principles is the surest road to material security, and beyond that, to glowing material success. My hope is to convince all that by giving high ideals the highest priority in life, you could succeed far better at anything you try than if you think ^ in the name of a practicality that by cheating someone today, one has made profit and so needn't worry about tomorrow.


The solution to the friend's question depends first of all on another simple question: What is the so-called practical approach doing for you? The friend's face showed some signs of his inner conflict. The truth is, when people "cut corners" ethically, they cannot help creating a Kurukshetra-like inner war which pits the two selves within ^ the higher and the lower in heated combat.

A more hard-headed materialist might say, "What nonsense! I feel no such anguish!" That is because he has surrendered to the pull of his lower self. Let him ask himself then, instead, "Am I happy?" It is unlikely that he would say "yes".


It is a mistake to equate practicality with greed. One might prevaricate to obtain an unfair advantage over someone; or to cheat a customer by selling him a product one knows to be defective; or to damage a competitor's reputation by belittling his products and services. The truth is, honesty is the best policy.