Guiding Light: In A World Of Misery Stay Afloat With This Life Jacket

The nature of the mind is such that it wavers. Joy is only there when the mind is stable. With knowledge and dispassion, the mind becomes stable. Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom, is depicted sitting on a rock or on a white lotus. Knowledge is always rock solid. It isn’t tensile. Once you gain wisdom, it stays with you, it completes you, and brings happiness that lasts. Where there is misery, there is no knowledge. For example, when your stomach is full, you don’t feel hungry. If you feel hungry, it means you need to fill your stomach.  

If you are unhappy, soak your mind in knowledge and examine your life. Where are you headed in your life? You have come here many times, took birth, cried, and died. Now wake up and look around-life is a celebration. Grow in knowledge and celebrate life. It is food for your soul. 

With wisdom your pleasantness and enthusiasm increase and overflow, benefiting the whole of mankind. 

Misery isn’t your nature. Don’t think that misery is deep inside you. This is the biggest myth propagated by psychologists. The truth is deep inside you are a fountain of joy and bliss, and misery is only peripheral and superficial. Sit quietly and reflect on the words of knowledge that you have listened to. You wil see your mind becomes light. Why do you attend satsang? Although you may not understand all that is being sung, whatever you listen to, washes impurities away. The mind feels relieved and happy.

Spiritual knowledge brings awareness and allows you to honor your emotions and manage them well. If you lack knowledge, emotions can carry you to disaster. It is the knowledge that not only keeps emotions under control but also elevates them. Events give rise to both emotions and lessons. Often, we hold onto emotions and don't learn. Wisdom is to drop emotions and move on with lessons.

With the strength of knowledge, happiness is sustained. Sorrow is bound to come to all of us. Tell me one person who hasn’t had sorrow? Jesus Christ, Lord Rama, and Lord Krishna-they all went through pain and sorrow in their lives. But they had the strength of knowledge, and hence, sorrow didn’t touch them. True education, I believe, is that by which an individual is strengthened and can sail through sorrow. Only strong people can take criticisms boldly, and vice versa. You also need mental strength to share criticisms with patience and confidence, without hesitation. There should be no timidity. The person should be equanimous- this is knowledge.

Published on: Monday, August 31, 2026, 06:55 AM IST