Welcome to Day 13 of our 40 Day Retreat 2009.
Yesterday, I spoke about the power of the student or seeker in the learning process. Today, I want to continue with another aspect of learning in relation to the student or the seeker and that is the quality of determination or persistence in the learning process.
Sometimes we find ourselves in so much difficulty and so many challenges in the learning process. The tendency is to become discouraged and disenchanted and we want to give up the journey or we may take it personally thinking that the universe does not like us or God does not like us or the teacher does not like us. How do we deal with this in the learning process? This is a common experience for all of us on the journey.
The Mark of a Good Student
The mark of a good student or seeker is to stay the course and to work smart and to become intelligent. There is no force out there that is trying to put us down, we are becoming aware of our own limitations in the learning process and that is important to know.
Actually, we are in a Universe that supports learning, the whole process of life is about learning and growing. We are in charge of that process. As students and seekers we need to take charge of this learning process and do not let it get the better of us when things become difficult. I have seen how discouraged aspirants become, how quick to say that the Universe has something personal against them and they begin to see enemies everywhere. They begin to point fingers everywhere, “This one does not like me, this one is challenging me; I am so deserving because I am working hard.”
We need to use the power of reason to see what is really happening and the truth is that we are becoming aware in this process of our own limitations and our own weaknesses are surfacing. It is never good to point your finger at the Universe because the Universe is always in support and when it is challenging us we need to see the blessing that is there.
There Are Always Tools to Deal With Problems!
In the normal education process, imperfect as it may be, whenever we learn something we are given tests and we are given problems to work out. The better the teacher in the process, the more challenging the problems become. We really have to use what we have learnt. Isn’t that right? In all the examinations we do in the normal education system they are just trying to test us, and put all kinds of problems that may exist. We have to learn how to use the tools that we have been given or taught and put them into practice to solve the problems.
In life, the same way that we have challenging problems, we also have powerful tools. This is what makes life an exciting game of learning. In the same way that we have challenges we have tools to overcome them. When the tendency is there to give up, “Oh this is becoming hard, this is becoming difficult, I cannot meditate properly, my mind is so full of thoughts. I am having so many problems all around me. When I come to this spiritual place everybody seems to be negative. When I go to work the same thing is happening. When I go home the same thing is happening. Wow! This world must really be against me.”
We are not taking the opportunity to really look at ourselves and see what is causing the problems everywhere. If we look carefully we might see where our imperfections are and where our weaknesses are. Then when we see them, we need to think there are tools to deal with this. There are always tools to deal with this!
At that point we have to move away from discouragement and personalizing, thinking that someone is against us or that we are a victim. We need to search for the tools. That makes any game in the learning process exciting. That is where the determination lies, that is where the opportunity is to become determined, “I am going to solve this!”
I Can Solve Anything!
I remember when I was very young, as a young student I never liked math simply because the problems were so difficult to solve, but I decided, “I am going to give this a try.” Then I realized there is a formula for everything, all you need to do is to figure it out. I started learning formulas and started learning how to apply them and soon enough I enjoyed math. I developed so much confidence that I could solve anything. I even learnt how to derive these formulas from first principles and enjoy doing it.
We have tools to solve every problem. There are resources in our Universe to solve any problem. We simply have to open up our eyes to see more and to see differently. All the challenges of life on the learning journey are simply tests for us. They are simply opportunities for us to go deeper into our store of tools and to bring out the appropriate tool.
Learn the Basic Tools
That is why it is important as a student to learn the basic tools, managing the mind, managing emotions, using the intellect well and expanding the awareness to see more possibilities. If you do not do these basic things how do you expect to meet the challenges of life? If you do not manage the mind, if you do not mange the emotions, if you do not lift your awareness to see different possibilities and if you do not become aware that there is a power inside of you that is infinite, how are you going to meet with all of these things? If you think that you are a limited human being and you have limited powers how are you ever going to overcome all of these things?
Be An Adventurer In The Learning Process
In the learning process we need to be smart, to work smart not hard. There is a saying, “when the going gets tough the tough gets going”. You need to be tough on this journey and smart. Do not be a victim, be an adventurer! The student must be an adventurer and an explorer in the learning process, not a victim. You should not go to examinations and tests as a victim but as an adventurer. That is what I did in my learning process, in the normal educational process. It became an adventure to me and life became an adventure to me in learning. I have realized that there is nothing personal that the Universe has against me. It is teaching me.
How To Work Intelligently
There are principles in life that we need to understand and to use and we will realize that it is open for all and it is prejudiced to none. This is a Universe that is governed by laws, the Law of Cause and Effect or what we call the Law of Karma. If we really understand it we will see how in the same way that negative actions create negative consequences so too good actions create good consequences. When we choose negative ways of acting or thinking or speaking we are also welcoming negative consequences.
It is extremely important as a student to be able to look at ourselves; self-analysis and introspection. Whenever we are challenged we need to see what weaknesses are being brought out and we need to look for the tools to overcome these weaknesses.
We need to identify the strengths within us, the resources around us that we can use and the opportunities for learning and to use all of these in transforming weaknesses within us. That is working intelligently and that is working smart. As a student you need to be tough and you need to be determined.
Three Major Qualities That Influence Our Lives
I want to say to you from the ancient wisdom of India that we are told that there are three major qualities called gunas that influence our lives.. They are: tamas, rajas and sattva. Tamas is the tendency to inertia, laziness and slothfulness. Rajas is the tendency to be active and dynamic. Sattva is the quality of balance. These gunas areinfluencing our lives.
When we are caught in tamas, inertia and dullness we need rajas to wake us up and to lift us up from this tamas. When we begin to work the rajas we begin to relax and we find that we really come into balance. We should not feel when we feel inert and dull that it is really a place of sattva because sometimes when we are held in the tamas, we think, “Oh this is nice. I do not need to work I want to rest all day. I want things to happen but I do not want to work hard. Let other people work hard and bring it for me”. Tamas! That is not sattva! Sattva is a dynamic state of peace. It is not a state of peace that has dullness and heaviness. Whenever you are in this tamas mode do something about it, become rajas, become active, become dynamic, stay with it and that will lead you ultimately to a state of balance.
Turiya - Mastery of the Gunas
Those who are free are beyond gunas. They can master any guna. They can act through any guna from a state of freedom. When you become the witness that is in the state of Turiya, you have gone beyond gunas. If the body is in an inert state you can just look at it and be unattached to it. When it is in a rajas state you can look at it and use it and not be so influenced by it that you want to stay in rajas all the time. When you come in sattva you can look at that state of evenness and balance but you are not attached to it. You are beyond all three, you can use anyone of them or combination of any and that is mastery.
Be determined to learn! Be tough! Be smart! Those are the marks of a good student.
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