Virtuous living

Virtuous living

 Adopting noble virtues mentioned in the scriptures can make us more spiritually  evolved and help us sail through the journey of life, says Neeraj Seth 

Growing, in today’s world, is  
associated with climbing the  
social ladder and indulging  
in cupidity. This attitude is  
something that we inherit from the outside  world—it is not our inherent nature. Our  souls are like river beds: clear, calm, and  fertile. They are capable of producing  
good karmas abundantly. The problem  starts when we pollute this river with our  materialistic outlook. Conflict between the  good and the bad always exists. Which of  these two tendencies dominate depends  upon which one gets fed the most. To help  us recognise our true nature, the spiritual  texts aim to feed the good in us and bring us  closer to our inner Self. 

These texts delineate certain universal virtues in the form of moral and social  
obligations, for an individual to live his life with grace and equanimity. Let’s  
explore them. 
Non-violence 
Without doubt, non-violence is the foremost noble virtue. It means not hurting  
people, animals, or the environment to fulfil your needs. Hurt can be either  
physical or mental—both should be eschewed. At a deeper level, it is also  
about not hurting your own self and being at peace with it. When you are calm  
from within, your personality will reflect non-violence. 
Truth 
Truth is another name for infinite consciousness. Anything and everything  
which emerges from truth becomes a permanent source of bliss. There may  
be many sources of happiness in this world but the true genesis of bliss  
(infinite happiness) is only the truth. Some say that truth is bitter. It is never  
bitter; we make it so when we taint it with jealousy, competition, violence, and  
self-interest. When we function from truth, which is our very being, we are  
always graced with humility and respect. It is just like being in love—serene  
and ecstatic. 
Association 
Our basic character is moulded by our associations. Association can be either  
physical or mental. Our mind creates a vast pool of experiences based on our  
associations, to be used according to the circumstances. Just as we reap  
what we sow, similarly, our personality reflects all our associations. While  
painting the picture of life, choose your colours (associations) wisely so that  
your portrait looks vibrant and blissful. Moreover, our associations, whether  
social or spiritual, guide us to our respective destination. 
It is often said a man is known by the company he keeps. Association, here, is  
not only about being in good company but also about keeping away from bad  
company. Also, association is not just about connecting with the outside world  
but, more importantly, with the world within. Association is union—being at  
the same level of consciousness as your own Self. 

Fearlessness 
Being fearless is a state of mind,  
though it needs to be developed  
and practised. However,  
fearlessness emerging out of  
arrogance is not a virtue. It is  
pure, when it mellows out of love  
and diligence. Being fearless  
is synonymous with bravery,  
heroism, and fortitude. Fear  
hinders our growth; it’s like a  
wall between our abilities and  
our dreams and keeps us away  
from happiness. Being righteous  
means being fearless by following  
our inner voice, thus being  
established in our true state.  
We just have to be fearful of one  
thing: hurting others. It is belief  
which makes us fearless; so  
believe in morality, dharma, and  
love to make yourself fearless. 
Silence 
It is said that silence is golden.  
The most effective thing to do to  
end an argument is to remain  
silent. Those who are by nature  
silent, reflect silence in whatever  
they do. Some like tranquillity, so  
they remain silent. Some use it  
to be secretive or reticent. Most  
of us use it to get ourselves out  
of an uncomfortable situation.  
It’s a blessed action as it never  goes wrong. Being silent can be  righteous but, again, it depends  upon the significance of the  moment. One should never be  silent in the face of injustice as  it will perpetuate it even more.  Create moments of silence in  your life. Sitting in silence all  by yourself certainly helps to  overcome your inhibitions and  becoming decisive. Silence  should be used to diffuse our  inner muddles rather than as an  escape route to a haven. 
Stability 
Stability is another important  virtue which needs to be  inculcated in our lives to make  it blissful. Like all the previous  virtues, stability is only a state  of mind. We may sit with our  eyes closed for meditation, but  our mind may not be anchored  as it is always wavering and  impermanent. Our bodies may  be still, but our mind is never at  peace. In contrast, a person who  has realized his Self (a rishi or a  true sadhak) is always at peace.  Although their body indulges in  action, their mind is stable. Self realization is another name for  stability. 

Balance, rationality, lucidity, sanity, and constancy— all connotations of stability, are a mere state  of mind. We just need to align our mind with our soul to achieve an ideal poise for a blissful life. 
Forgiveness 
There is no bigger virtue than forgiveness. We may observe non-violence, fearlessness, truth,  silence, and good association; but all these are of no use if our karmas are not embedded with  forgiveness. A person who does not forgive, stores a cache of negative memories, depressing  thoughts, outrage and uncertain emotions that affect their present as well as future. It is very  rightly mentioned in our religious texts that if you consider righteousness as the highest good,  forgiveness is the supreme peace. We should not only forgive others but also seek forgiveness  for having done wrong. Seeking absolution is not solely verbal; but can be done in the form of  charity, fasting, or meditative introspection. It is something to be realised rather than something  to be spoken about. Another way of looking at forgiveness is letting go of the harm caused by  someone and also relieving the other of the guilt of doing harm. When forgiveness becomes part  of one’s identity, the abused individual stays unaffected and free from outrage.  
Following the above-mentioned principles can help us enact the story called life successfully. 
Be virtuous to be blissful. 
(Inspired by ‘Yam and Niyam’ from the Srimad Bhagwad.)