ADVENTURES IN ADVAITA VEDANTA...

Adventures in Advaita Vedanta, the philosophy and science of spirit. We are one you and I; are you curious why?..


Resolve To Do...

Hari Om

'Freedays' are the 'gather our thoughts' days; Q&As; a general review of the week so far…

Here we are, already a week into 2016. On many a blog there are posts displaying 'resolutions/ goals/wishes' for the year, in keeping with a tradition that began many centuries ago (according to the great library in the cloud!) in Babylonia. Essentially a spiritual process, the 'resolution' activity has become largely secular; almost all which have been read recently involve health and fitness, finance and contain elements of a desire for improved social involvement.

All good. What has also been observed, however, is that there are marked differences in approach to the  process. Many seem somewhat… numinous, with little chance of fruition. There are a few for which, one feels, many of the 'resolutions' will be achieved, due to the modesty of the goal, the intention behind it and the sense that the writer/s are entirely capable of following through.

This is what needs to be remembered. Quite a few of the posts remarked that they were not 'doing resolutions' because they felt that this implied failure; but it has perhaps been missed that the very word itself means to make a firm decision to alter one's behaviour in order to attain a certain outcome. To have resolve is to be determined in ones' thoughts and deeds. To make New Year Resolutions, then, is to set goals of improved behaviour within ourselves with a personal commitment to carry them out, so that we can expect a raising of our nature and, consequently, a betterment of our circumstances. This process, it must be said, can be carried out each and every day and does not necessarily have to wait for a single point in any given twelve months!

The tradition, related to the threshold of one year into another, is certainly a good marker. Sitting down and making a small ritual at the close of the old year of preparing oneself mentally for the new one is quite a healthy mental activity.

No matter how it is approached, the aim is to make one or more goals which are within reach. Wishes are all good and well and may indeed be for things such as peace and harmony within the family, community, nation… but at all these levels, peace and harmony do not happen by the wishing alone - there must be resolve to be the first one setting the example of the change which is desired.

Someone rather famous said that once… &*>

Peace and harmony begin within the individual. A sufficient number of individuals living out the actuality of these things will result in a peaceable and harmonious existence.

Conversely, if every individual says "I wish…", but then does nothing to contribute to the manifestation of that desire, things will only remain the same - or worsen. How worsen? Many who stay in the 'wish' category are also often those who have the expectation that the external environment ought to change without any effort from themselves and to support them in established, albeit very negative, behaviours. Such hypocrisy is one of the greatest pitfalls of the personality.

One of the best and most achievable of goals is the resolve to learn at least one new thing each and every day. The next goal is to resolve to utilise what is learned by application in life. This can be as mundane as learning that to open a blister pack of batteries, the use of a can opener can save the fingers from damage, all the way up to reading a philosophical passage or some scriptural verses and pondering the wisdom contained therein, then seeking to utilise the increased understanding in our daily interaction. This is the original source of 'resolutions', and arguably, the only kind required for all other goals to come to fruition. It is in the improvement and enlargement of our personality that we become stronger and more focused and, therefore, capable of working through the things which will indeed raise our nature and better our circumstance.



Wishing you all the very best and blessings with your own NYRs!