On the international scene, on the very day we were celebrating our Independence Day we found the collapse of the official government in Afghanistan. A lot of theories abound – of corruption, secret deals, etc. Maybe a clearer picture will emerge in the days to come. One thing to be noted is the lack of will on the part of the Afghan government and the Afghan army to face a determined Taliban force.
Perhaps the Afghan army was not prepared enough or the American government left them in a lurch – all this may be true. No amount of arms, logistic support etc. will work if there is no strong will to face situations. It is not about the training in arms. It is about how strong the spirit or the will is. We have seen this again and again at the individual and at the collective level.
A small group of people with a strong will can always overcome a larger group whose will is weak. Even if we look at the Indian Independence movement the only thing we had was a strong will – whether one was following Gandhiji’s path of ahimsa or the path of revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Subhash Chandra Bose etc. All of them had a strong will to do or die.
When facing adverse situations one of the greatest things we need to overcome adversity, is a strong will. The lack of will inhibits our motivation and ability to achieve our goals. Whatever one needs to achieve, worldly or spiritual, one needs a lot of dedication and hard work. That is why most spiritual and religious practices are meant to develop this will, whether it is denying oneself food i.e., fasting or spending hours in japa, or meditating. These practices help you to develop a strong will.
In fact, one of the benefits that one derives from sports too, is the development of a strong will especially contact sports like martial arts etc. This indomitable will stands you in good stead in all situations which ensures your spiritual growth as well.
(The writer is the founder of Aarsha Vidya Foundation. You can write to him at aarshavidyaf@gmail.com)
