Swami Tejomayananda

Sometimes our philosophy concerning our duty is influenced by our relationships with others, as was the case of Arjuna with his cousins. We make excuses and hesitate to do what is right. But no matter what our relationship is, we should act according to our own nature, our svadharma. A person with an aptitude for activity cannot easily become a monk. And a person with a contemplative mind will not be comfortable with constant activity. Lord Krishna points out to Arjuna that from the standpoint of the totality of dharma he must be true to his nature of a kshatriya. He must fight. And from the relative perspective, the sense of doership that he now possesses should be utilised for a nobler cause, which is to serve and benefit others. Arjuna thinks that he will incur sin if he fights, but the opposite is true.
He will incur sin by not performing his duty. Arjuna must fight not only for the good of all, but for the destruction of evil. For a new order can only come when evil has ended.
But how can we decide whether or not we are performing our dharma? Earlier we noted that we are always in a state of conflict and indecision over this question where much discrimination is needed. Following are some guidelines but we must all decide for ourselves. We can ask the following questions to help clarify the voice of conscience.
Take smoking, for example, which we know is bad for our health. We may be allowed to smoke in a permitted area, but does that mean it is dharmika for us?
The science of dharma and all knowledge comes from the Lord. And that Lord resides in our very own heart. We may not listen to the Lord within because our desires may be too strong, but the Lord does catch up with us as there is no escape. For instance, if we are diabetic and our desire for sweets causes us to overeat, we compromise our health. Since we know that the body must adhere to the laws of nature it becomes adharma for us to overlook such guidelines. Therefore, for the good of the whole, it becomes crucial to structure our life according to the divine principles outlined in the scriptures.
There are three ways of testing the correctness of what we say or do:
l Is it the truth?
l Is it fair to all concerned?
l Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

If we consider these guidelines before we act, then our actions will be consistent with dharma. All of these principles come from the same source. Dharma is a vast topic but at the same time, it is simple. It becomes complicated only when we compromise because of our desires. We need to rise above our personal considerations and learn to look at life in totality.
A wise, balanced person naturally and spontaneously does what is right in any situation. He acts without regard for personal likes and dislikes, gain or loss. Such a person will discover what his obligatory duties are as enjoined in the scriptures and will act upon them, avoiding what is prohibited. At the same time, he does not interfere in the actions of others.
Such a person fulfils his obligatory duties without attachment. He does not consider a particular task pleasant or unpleasant. Most of us are willing to perform our pleasant duties, but the unpleasant ones we would like to hand over to someone else. We must be able to say, “If I am supposed to do this, I will do it, and I will not be concerned with the results. I only want to know that this is the right thing to do”.
Such a person does not have any selfish desires. It is important to achieve worldly things, but if the end result is attained at the cost of friends or family, we need to ask ourselves how worthwhile it is. As long as it is the right thing to do and it is for the welfare of all, we should do it willingly. In fact, the lack of personal ambition and desire will make our activities more efficient and successful.
But how does one measure success? In wo­rldly matters, success could be determined by material wealth, power, prestige and so on. But true success lies in the inner results. If an experience enriches us internally, brings pe­a­ce within and without, then that is truly a successful activity. People who have gained that are considered successful even if the material gains from their activity are not that great. They always remain positive and are never disheartened by failure. There is no agitation in them, for their work is their inspiration, which always leads to peace and great joy.

— Swami Tejomayananda, head of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide, is an orator, poet, singer, composer and storyteller.
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