Sanathana Dharma is actually easy to follow - Just understand the process.

Recently, my husband and myself were watching the movie Sam Bahadur, in OTT. The actors and actresses did their best and had really built a greater amount of interest in the character Sam Bahadur. Well, being a content creator, my attention was on the movie's dialogues and I was impressed with the dialogue between the roles Indira Gandhi and Sam Manekshaw. During one of the conversations between the then PM Nehru, the then Congress President Indira Gandhi and the  Army officer Sam Manekshaw. PM Nehru was worried about soldiers' lives and Indira Gandhi mentions "Soldiers duty is to die for the country" and Sam Manekshaw replies "I beg your pardon madam, Soldiers duty is to kill the enemy for the protection of the country." I personally feel, this is the best dialogue from Sam Bahadur movie.

His clarity of thought is what impressed me. Infact, I did a detailed research about the Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw and his contribution to the nation. During the process, I found a video documentary of the conversation between Sam Manekshaw and his grandson Jehan Manekshaw  in Brut. I highly recommend to go through the link to know what the winning attitude is like in Mr. Sam Manekshaw's own dialogues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzlM7gM9Cks

Well, being an emotional intelligence content creator, I naturally look at the character's emotional being. Mr. Sam's emotional wellbeing is stable and constant through out his career and infact, till he died. He fought 5 wars, right from pre-independence time for world war - 2 till the east Pakistan war. He lived for 94 years and had nearly 40 years of army career, contributing for making India stand for herself and also for her neighbours. Through out his life and career, his motto was to win and his emotion was compassion. He planned the wars so strategically to win. He is like Krishna to the army of Arjunas. But, the question is, such compassionate man, strategically strong man, who fought for the country, did he escape criticism?  Well, not at all. Even after his death, critics who do not understand the strategies of leadership and winning, criticise him in their writings. But I am glad , the criticism was taken care of by some of his army followers through some public articles

 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-edit-page/1971-those-who-undermine-sam-manekshaws-role-are-off-the-mark/

Sam Manekshaw's attitude, his words, his actions, his works were not just live lessons to army personnel, but to the great Abdul Kalam as well. Mr. Kalam admires Sam Manekshaw and mentions him as "a great son and friend of India". A wonderful example how leaders get inspired by leaders. Why are they so special?

Over the years, since childhood, we must have heard from our parents and grand parents about the way we have to conduct and behave, to be good and to do good. Thinking that we might harm anyone or we might be getting the bad name, many a times, we have dilemmas in taking a step forward and following our heart or mind. We don't want to get into unnecessary troubles, don't want to risk ourselves , because we might land up in gaining a bad name rather than a good name.

My question is, if we do the right thing, do we still get a bad name? Who decides what is bad and good? Who judges that this is the right thing at this right moment.

The key takeaway for an MBA student by the end of the course is to remember to do the right thing at the right time. The employee of the company has to be a good person in the eyes of investors and their co-employees, team members, customers. So, what is the right thing that the employee has to do so that the impression always remains "good". The problem that many people face in their journey because of this thought process is "We cannot say NO to anyone and to anybody". Because we remain in the assumption that "if we say no, we might become bad, or we might not earn the "good human" tag." Hence, we end up working more, we end up not taking risky tasks, we end up suffering with personal and professional problems. 

Well, so the implication to be good became synonymous to saying yes to everything, not because we want to but because of many other obligations that are in the path way. There is no wrong in this approach. But how do we make this approach effective? How do we remain good , do good every time? Is there any definition for "Good" which is valid at all situations?

Lets clear out what our ancestors want us to be. How they want us to lead a good life.

Krishna says in Chapter 16 what are the qualities of good in 3 shlokas.

श्री भगवानुवाच

अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिः ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः।

दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम्।।16.1।।

śrī bhagavānuvāca

abhayaṅ sattvasaṅśuddhiḥ jñānayōgavyavasthitiḥ.

dānaṅ damaśca yajñaśca svādhyāyastapa ārjavam৷৷16.1৷৷

Meaning - Fearlessness, pure heart, a systematic learning and following of knowledge and a balanced lifestyle, art of giving, art of control of senses, art of sacrifice, self-study or self-realisation, discipline, straightforwardness.

अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम्।

दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम्।।16.2।।

ahiṅsā satyamakrōdhastyāgaḥ śāntirapaiśunam.

dayā bhūtēṣvalōluptvaṅ mārdavaṅ hrīracāpalam৷৷16.2৷৷

Meaning - Harmlessness, truth, absence of anger, sacrifice, peaceful ness, not blaming someone or something, compassion on the creation and creatures, gentleness, humility and modesty, not unstable or not fickle.

तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता।

भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत।।16.3।।

tējaḥ kṣamā dhṛtiḥ śaucamadrōhō nātimānitā.

bhavanti sampadaṅ daivīmabhijātasya bhārata৷৷16.3৷৷

Meaning - Active and vigorous, forgiving, standing strong even in situations of pain, without any internal ill feelings, absence of hatred, absence of self-pride, are the great divine qualities a noble man obtains.

These might sound like a dictionary of adjectives. Yes, but, lets choose one, just one. Like Sam Manekshaw chose to be compassionate. Every other quality is interrelated, so our chosen quality helps us think in that chosen way and makes us follow rest other qualities. This is the secret of being good. Through out his life he was stuck to his quality. Following that one quality , compassion, lead him to be generous, justifiable, winning, wise, charitable, and the adjectives go never ending.

All that we need to act on is to choose on one quality and stick to that quality, work around that quality. Self-question whether the work taken or the thoughts for the work are around your chosen quality. That's it. Rest everything is assured. 

The real sanathana dharma is really easy to follow...all it says is just observe your thought and belief behind your action, rest everything is assured. 

The whole point is what you think and do and how you think and do. Your thought and your belief is the priority.

Krishna mentions in Chapter 17 about our faith.

सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत।

श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः।।17.3।।

sattvānurūpā sarvasya śraddhā bhavati bhārata.

śraddhāmayō.yaṅ puruṣō yō yacchraddhaḥ sa ēva saḥ৷৷17.3৷৷

Meaning - The faith of everyone, is in accordance with his internal organ (Antahkarana like mind, intellect). Man consists of faith. Whatever his faith is, that verily is he.

Is desire to win bad? No. But, desire to win for oneself is bad and is rajasic. Desire to win for country is saattvik, only if accompanied by saattvik means.

Killing the enemy is not bad. But killing the enemy for protection of the country under assumption and doubt is thamasic and rajasic. But killing the enemy for protection of the country only if the enemy proves to be harming the country is sattvik. 

Every thought and action is determined and the result is showered as per the requirement. So, just follow the right process, the right thought-process, believe in your right thought, and you can take the criticism with a pinch of salt and you will become what your faith is.

Krishna doesn't leave us there, to make the 3 qualities even easier for us to understand, He describes them in detail. We shall go through each quality to make our lives dilemma-free and action packed with self-confidence. 

My next blog would concentrate on these 3 qualities. Till then lets understand our thoughts, our belief, our faith and make our lives simpler.