Spiritual powers are not something we need to acquire – the powers already exist within each soul; we only need to learn to use them.
The first power is the power to withdraw from situations, to not get entangled in them. The tortoise illustrates this well. What does a tortoise do when it encounters danger? It withdraws into its tough shell, and remains unharmed. The ability to do this is very much needed today. Some of us would have seen what happens when someone’s car happens to brush against another vehicle on the road. The two drivers get into an argument, which sometimes escalates into violence. Nowadays, when something similar happens, those travelling in the car tell the driver to let it go and not confront the other driver, because it is just not worth it.
That is about avoiding a physical fight, but in our daily lives we so often get caught up in verbal and mental battles with other people. Someone gets angry with us, or taunts us, or is rude, and we respond in similar fashion. It is like a tug of war and it consumes the energy of both people. The easiest way to end it is to let go of your end of the rope. When someone in a low state of mind confronts us, getting tangled with them can drag us down to their level, and if this happens repeatedly, our mental energy is depleted. Disengaging from such situations keeps us unaffected by them, and we can respond in a positive manner that will help the other person regain their composure and self-respect.
The next power is the power to pack up – to keep the mind under control and our thoughts to the point. When anything happens, do we do what needs to be done or do we get into questions – Why did this happen? How could they do it? What will happen now…? All these are waste thoughts that drain our energy. Having the power to pack up means avoiding unnecessary expansion and creating only thoughts that are useful and will bring benefit.
When we learn to do this, we develop the power of tolerance. Today people get upset over trivial matters. They take offence if someone does not respond quickly to their Whatsapp message. We need to tell ourselves daily that our tolerance power is at 100 per cent. If we repeatedly think, ‘I cannot tolerate this…’, we are reducing our power to tolerate. Tolerance does not mean putting up with something under compulsion – doing that brings sorrow.
Right tolerance comes from understanding that each person has their own nature and destiny, so there are no questions in our mind about the way they are and their behaviour.
Next comes the power of acceptance. When we come to know of a weakness in someone, instead of keeping it to ourselves and having good wishes for them so that they can overcome it, we talk about it, rather broadcast it. This creates a karmic account. Merely relaying gossip makes us complicit in creating negative vibrations. We need to be careful not to spread any message, joke, or news that is tinged with negativity, because by doing that we spread mental pollution. Going a step further, we can stop consuming such content, to keep our mind clean and calm.
Strengthened by the above practice, the mind develops the power to discern what is right and what is not. The definitions of right and wrong have changed over time. What used to be wrong some decades ago is now considered normal. But there are some boundaries of right and wrong. When we are able to discern them correctly, we can take the right decisions.
The ability to take the right decisions fosters a valuable power in us – the power to cooperate. Cooperate in what way? Having good wishes for everyone is the best form of cooperation.
B.K. Shivani is a well-known motivational speaker and Rajyoga teacher.