Certain rules of behavior and conduct are absolutely essential for the smooth running of our daily existence. Without these guiding principles it is impossible to lead our life happily. These principles have yielded good results through practice since centuries. As such principles have become a part of our code of conduct, they are called by the name Discipline. There have been in the past persons who were the embodiment of personal discipline that astonished many. Their behavior and conduct has added lustre to discipline to a great extent. Not only that, they have adapted the principles according to the needs of changing times! Discipline consists in the strict observance of rules and regulations and directions. It is only when discipline is observed that any act or duty can yield the desired result. At present production of food, building homes, and manufacturing cloth and other materials are at their peak. Modern society is in dire need of tolerance, humility, brotherhood and compassion!
A life without discipline is a ship without a rudder. It loses its direction and drifts into unknown waters. Discipline is the need of the hour to combat the flood of hate and derision and when those shy away on whom you have placed your trust. One without a disciplined mind is a wild elephant in a rut. It is not as if discipline can be inculcated all of a sudden. It has to catch the young very early so that the principles are practiced regularly. Discipline is absolutely essential for success in every field of activity whether it is economic, social, educational or material and mundane. Discipline is all the more important for success in the spiritual field! “ The sages have discovered the disciplines that will keep you unaffected by defeat or victory, loss or gain. Learn them, establish yourself in unruffled peace.” Says Bhagawan Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba. Unfortunately discipline is significantly absent in almost every walk of life. There is much cause for concern in the educational field. Students have no respect for the teachers. Malpractices in examinations have become common! A few violent attacks on teachers are also reported! Veneration and love for the teacher is missing very badly. Even in society there is no regard for discipline! Fraud, cheating, robbery, murder, lust and rape have become too common to be wondered at! Society has become one of loose morals mainly because of lack of discipline!
There is discipline in creation. As William Wordsmith said, “ Let Nature be your teacher” we can lessons from Nature that is the best example for strict discipline. The sun rises and sets regularly in the morning and evening. The sea beats its waves continuously against the shore but never crosses it. Seasons change regularly and smoothly. Is this not discipline? Who is controlling all activities of Nature? It is because of the strict discipline exhibited by Nature man is able to live happily and peacefully. Imagine what will happen if the sea or ocean crosses the shores. We know what catastrophe occurred when the tsunami struck! In the same manner, the world will suffer if there is a change in sun rise and sun set. God has commanded Nature to adhere to discipline strictly. While Nature is a strict follower of discipline, it is man who has no discipline and breaks the laws of Nature! Man has to be ready for the dangers that ensue whenever he breaks the laws of Nature. Life is not a bed of roses. It is a veritable jungle full of bushes and brambles, dense impenetrable trees and rough and dusty paths. In order to wade through the wild forest you need a pair of proper shoes. Likewise one should have strict discipline and sense regulations to come out of the forest of life unscathed.
Man by nature is undisciplined. He wants no inhibitions. He wants to drink life to the Lees. He prefers to move with a gay abandon. That is why he resists discipline. This attitude is detrimental to man and his future. Discipline and other regulations are laid down for the good of man. Regulations are the very essence of creation as explained earlier. Wind and fire respect their limits. There is discipline, unnoticed, in our body! Our body temperature is kept normal without our effort! Otherwise we will be unhealthy! Our cardiac muscles are involuntary and the heart has to maintain the number of beats per minutes to allow us to live! Is this not discipline? Why discipline? It is discipline that helps you to put up with dis appointments. Life is one of ups and downs. There is no rose without thorns but man wants a rose without thorns! Life cannot be for sensual pleasure. Society can never progress if each one cares for his own pleasures! Lack of discipline has led to this state of affairs and man’s greed has reached to such an extent that he wants to possess everything including God! He says “My God , not yours! “ Your God, not mine!”
Desires destroy discipline! There is no end for the desires that man has. Every desire fulfilled leads to fresh and more desires rooting out the edifice of discipline. Therefore one should have a ceiling on desires to maintain discipline. Lot of money is wasted on needless things. Money is also being misused for selfish reasons. That should be avoided. The lure of money is irresistible for man and he is ready to do anything for it. Too much of money is dangerous. There should be discipline in using it for good purposes. Discipline is of Paramount importance in managing time. We know the proverb: “ Time and tide waits for no man.” If we kill time, time kills us! Time is said to be God! Every second is precious and can never be wasted! There must be discipline in using food. Food or Annam is called the embodiment of Brahman or the Supreme Self in the Upanishads. Wasting it is an unpardonable sin and crime! Many people have not even a single meal a day and the poor suffer for want of f food. Extra food may be donated to some charity but not wasted. Energy is another field where strict discipline is badly required. Man should not fritter away his energy in pursuit of useless things! It is a precious commodity to save and be kept in reserve. Natural fuels like petrol, diesel should be properly utilized as we do not know for how long we can get them from mother Earth. In spiritual matters Discipline is of utmost importance and yields peace and bliss in proportion to the discipline enforced!
A life without discipline is a ship without a rudder. It loses its direction and drifts into unknown waters. Discipline is the need of the hour to combat the flood of hate and derision and when those shy away on whom you have placed your trust. One without a disciplined mind is a wild elephant in a rut. It is not as if discipline can be inculcated all of a sudden. It has to catch the young very early so that the principles are practiced regularly. Discipline is absolutely essential for success in every field of activity whether it is economic, social, educational or material and mundane. Discipline is all the more important for success in the spiritual field! “ The sages have discovered the disciplines that will keep you unaffected by defeat or victory, loss or gain. Learn them, establish yourself in unruffled peace.” Says Bhagawan Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba. Unfortunately discipline is significantly absent in almost every walk of life. There is much cause for concern in the educational field. Students have no respect for the teachers. Malpractices in examinations have become common! A few violent attacks on teachers are also reported! Veneration and love for the teacher is missing very badly. Even in society there is no regard for discipline! Fraud, cheating, robbery, murder, lust and rape have become too common to be wondered at! Society has become one of loose morals mainly because of lack of discipline!
There is discipline in creation. As William Wordsmith said, “ Let Nature be your teacher” we can lessons from Nature that is the best example for strict discipline. The sun rises and sets regularly in the morning and evening. The sea beats its waves continuously against the shore but never crosses it. Seasons change regularly and smoothly. Is this not discipline? Who is controlling all activities of Nature? It is because of the strict discipline exhibited by Nature man is able to live happily and peacefully. Imagine what will happen if the sea or ocean crosses the shores. We know what catastrophe occurred when the tsunami struck! In the same manner, the world will suffer if there is a change in sun rise and sun set. God has commanded Nature to adhere to discipline strictly. While Nature is a strict follower of discipline, it is man who has no discipline and breaks the laws of Nature! Man has to be ready for the dangers that ensue whenever he breaks the laws of Nature. Life is not a bed of roses. It is a veritable jungle full of bushes and brambles, dense impenetrable trees and rough and dusty paths. In order to wade through the wild forest you need a pair of proper shoes. Likewise one should have strict discipline and sense regulations to come out of the forest of life unscathed.
Man by nature is undisciplined. He wants no inhibitions. He wants to drink life to the Lees. He prefers to move with a gay abandon. That is why he resists discipline. This attitude is detrimental to man and his future. Discipline and other regulations are laid down for the good of man. Regulations are the very essence of creation as explained earlier. Wind and fire respect their limits. There is discipline, unnoticed, in our body! Our body temperature is kept normal without our effort! Otherwise we will be unhealthy! Our cardiac muscles are involuntary and the heart has to maintain the number of beats per minutes to allow us to live! Is this not discipline? Why discipline? It is discipline that helps you to put up with dis appointments. Life is one of ups and downs. There is no rose without thorns but man wants a rose without thorns! Life cannot be for sensual pleasure. Society can never progress if each one cares for his own pleasures! Lack of discipline has led to this state of affairs and man’s greed has reached to such an extent that he wants to possess everything including God! He says “My God , not yours! “ Your God, not mine!”
Desires destroy discipline! There is no end for the desires that man has. Every desire fulfilled leads to fresh and more desires rooting out the edifice of discipline. Therefore one should have a ceiling on desires to maintain discipline. Lot of money is wasted on needless things. Money is also being misused for selfish reasons. That should be avoided. The lure of money is irresistible for man and he is ready to do anything for it. Too much of money is dangerous. There should be discipline in using it for good purposes. Discipline is of Paramount importance in managing time. We know the proverb: “ Time and tide waits for no man.” If we kill time, time kills us! Time is said to be God! Every second is precious and can never be wasted! There must be discipline in using food. Food or Annam is called the embodiment of Brahman or the Supreme Self in the Upanishads. Wasting it is an unpardonable sin and crime! Many people have not even a single meal a day and the poor suffer for want of f food. Extra food may be donated to some charity but not wasted. Energy is another field where strict discipline is badly required. Man should not fritter away his energy in pursuit of useless things! It is a precious commodity to save and be kept in reserve. Natural fuels like petrol, diesel should be properly utilized as we do not know for how long we can get them from mother Earth. In spiritual matters Discipline is of utmost importance and yields peace and bliss in proportion to the discipline enforced!
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