Governance refers to having authority over someone else, while discipline pertains to having control over oneself. An individual forms a family, and a family shapes a society. When a person exercises self-control, discipline becomes a social virtue. Everyone is encouraged to adhere to discipline, and everyone should indeed follow it, just as soldiers work together in unity and discipline. Human beings possess the freedom to choose their actions, whether good or bad. Culture and civilization are interdependent; culture is self-reliant, whereas civilization is a collective endeavor. Where there is authenticity and seriousness, there is stability. This underscores the importance of strengthening one's roots for anyone aspiring to achieve great heights because life is fraught with challenges and adversities.For instance, Abraham Lincoln had a deep passion for reading about the lives of great men. He would collect books on poverty from various sources and read them. Once, he borrowed a book that accidentally got wet. When faced with difficulties in returning it, he worked for the person to cover the cost of the damaged book and then returned it. This act was only possible due to his own discipline."
"How can one attain godlike bliss while living in a human body?
Deity refers to always giving and finding happiness in giving. However, both selfish and altruistic natures exist in humans. It depends on their personal choice which aspect they nurture. If they cultivate altruism, giving becomes a habit, and it becomes their religion. Dharma signifies actions performed for the welfare of all. Qualities like gentleness, dutifulness, humility, affection, goodwill, and more are easy to hear about, but defining them is not straightforward. The boundaries of religion are boundless, but it commences with gentleness, where individuals detest the sin but not the sinner, much like a doctor treating the disease and saving the patient.Once, a gentle wind said to a storm, 'Sister, wherever I go, people welcome me, and people are afraid of you. Why do you trouble me like this?' The storm replied, 'Sister, you have your place, and I have mine. You provide comfort to people, while I cleanse areas tainted by rot, poisonous smoke, and disorder, which leads to suffocation. People need both of us. Your courtesy and my bravery.' It has also been said that one should hold a spear in one hand and the Bhagavad Gita in the other. A person's behavior is like a thrown ball, rebounding after hitting the target. Thus, how one behaves towards others is how they will be treated. Service begets service, and insult leads to insult. This is why Pandit Shri Ram Sharma Acharya Ji states that true dedication, strong determination, and patience during hard work are keys to success. Those who work with a plan tend to achieve success, enhance their intelligence, and, most importantly, protect themselves from evil influences. For instance, there's a story of a man who tamed a ghost. The condition was that the ghost had to work continuously, and if it had no work, it would attack. When all the tasks were completed in a few days, the man buried a pillar in the courtyard and made the ghost climb up and down in his free time, solving the issue. There's a saying that an empty mind is the devil's workshop. Therefore, one should focus their mind and heart on constructive work and the development of their qualities, which consistently brings a sense of happiness."
"How are cooperation, collaboration, and altruism related to each other?
It is said that no work is accomplished in isolation. No illness, sorrow, or happiness comes alone. No success is achieved individually. Thus, support is necessary for cooperation, collaboration, and altruism because you can only provide help when you possess a sense of altruism.
Swami Ramtirtha Vasudev, while explaining the concept of "Kutumbakam," states that the marvel of the hand lies in its ability to keep its interests aligned with the interests of the entire body. If the hand does not function in harmony with the whole body, it becomes useless, rendering the entire body ineffective. Similarly, the whole world is akin to one body, and the individual is its smallest component.The well-being of an individual depends on staying connected with others because all living beings in the world engage in a life of cooperation by living in groups. As Prince Kropotin illustrated with the story of the foxes, there was a time when a railway line was being laid in a forest. Laborers brought their food, only to return and find it missing. They began to raise the food higher on poles, but it kept disappearing. One day, they witnessed a group of foxes climbing one after the other like a circus act. Once they reached the height, they dropped the food down and ran away with it. This outcome was a result of their cooperation.Processes like the body cycle, water cycle, and nature cycle all operate on the principle of cooperation and collaboration. Just as a single drop of water holds little significance, but when combined with a river, it forms an ocean, our daily needs are only possible through the cooperation and altruism of everyone."
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