Starting the New Year

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the
really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” - Mark Twain

Like it or not, the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions is perpetual. What’s new for
2010? Most of our resolutions are meant to change something in our personal lives. Have we ever
considered making a New Year’s resolution or two to uplift our moral and spiritual standards?

2009 was a tough ride over the economic slush. Signs of an economic sparkled and we are
optimistic for the 2010 prospects. We have limited the resolutions to our physical welfare,
globalisation in terms of economics – profit maximisation and loss diminution.

We need to adopt daring attitudes: reboot our systems, spring clean our hard drives and leapfrog
into the new challenges that await mankind! Globalisation would be a success only if we follow the
Vedic edicts, amongst others – the following:
 A no bhadra kratavoyantu (May noble thoughts come to us from all sides);
 krinvanto vishwamaryam (May all be noble by character, actions and conduct);
 Mitrasyāham chakshushā sarvāni bhutāni samikshe (May we pledge to look towards all
living creatures with an eye of friendship, where Dharma / virtuousness pervades the entire
being);
 Mitrasyā chakshushā samikshāmahe (May we to look towards each other with an eye of
friendship thus shun hatred / animosity / violence.)

New Year is time to re-evaluate our unique spiritual position. Why not start realigning some of
our character, actions and traits on the path of Dharma? We all want to stand out to get noticed. The
chances are real only if we succeed in re-packaging / re-bundling our position by tenaciously
standing on the path of virtue (Dharma) while striving to gain wealth (Artha), to enjoy such wealth
in tranquillity (Kama.) The onwards progress toward salvation (moksha) would be the next step on
the ladder of spiritual growth. This path requires of every one of us to abandon the dual personality
attitude (a cover-screen façade to stand on public platforms and a creatively strictly shaky / shady
private life.)

Remember the rule!! We should pay even more attention to the initiatives that we know are
working and to changes in our lifestyles that we know are productive towards the uplift of the
physical, moral / spiritual and social standards of all. Interaction with our inner self / conscience,
GOD, with our kith and kin, and people around us, is even more important.

How about offering them a special gift? A way of welcoming the New Year together! May we
start things off on a good footing by re-establishing in the mind of all that we would resolve (i) to
rise above rituals and seek higher levels of spirituality (spiritual + reality); (ii) to pursue personal
ideals so long as they are not in conflict with common welfare; (iii) to value our brethrens on the
basis of Guna (character), Karma (actions) and Svabhāva (conduct) and shun discrimination based
on colour, pedigree, creed, etc.; (iv) to be merciful, just, and compassionate.

The best guide is our inner self!

An action is a good one when the mind and the heart are delighted, peaceful and satiated
before and after doing that action, and when we do not have any feeling of guilt of having promoted
our self interest to the detriment of other individuals, the family, the society and the nation.
Conversely, an action is a bad one when the mind and the heart are unstable, nervous,
doubtful and frightful, and we have a feeling of guilt that such action will do the slightest harm to the
individual, to the family, to the society and to the nation, then that would be a bad action.
 The last century failures are due to our neglect of the importance of sound human
relationships. Yet we are continuously ignoring this fact at our peril – world wars, genocides,
exploitation, etc. The paradigm shift within our hearts and minds would be the best ally for a better
society as we move into the new decade. The technology for inner re-engineering has a starter pack
which reads: Life does not work for us unless we do the right things!

Yoga and introspection are potent tools to rid of unwanted and excess indulgence in personal
pursuits. These spiritual tools lead to a triumphant overall re-engineering of the self, the family, the
society, the country and ultimately the whole world and the universe. Let us not only resolve, but
work to make our experience a better one!

Bramdeo Makoonlall
Project Manager & Arya Updeshak, Arya Sabha Mauritius
Email: b.mukundlall.arya@gmail.com
Tel: +(230) 2122730 (office); + (230) 7950220 (cell)