Three Principles of My Life This article is a translated version of the one that appeared in the June 1952 issue of Hindi Akhand Jyoti. It was written by Acharya Vinoba Bhave.
I
have set three ethical standards in my life. The first is endeavor (physical and mental efforts) to accomplish my goal in life. A number of people in our country are habitually lazy. This is due to unemployment. Those who are illiterate are naturally far away from pursuing anything, and without an act of seeking, there cannot be any delectation in life. In my opinion, any nation where people do not engage in any activity whatsoever to gain their livelihood is vulnerable to inevitable harm. Living a life without any means of livelihood is of no use.
mental peace because the mind gets engaged in some pursuit, and as a result, grief is dissipated. In one of his poetries, Gaiety narrated the character of a very grief-stricken lady. At last, she took shelter of a spinning wheel to shed her sorrow. The poet has tried to convince that the spinning wheel allayed her grief, and this theory also convinces me.
There must be a work culture in every home. Otherwise, the indolence of family members, especially male members, will bring the family into a state of partial ruin. The world is already full of sorrow. Finding joy in the world is a delusion. Saint Ramdas said – ‘One stupid who sees pleasure in this world is super stupid.’ Many people come to me with different stories of deep mental anguish and suffering every day. After great thought and undergoing experiences of their agony, I am also convinced to perceive the world in the same way. To make this world a pleasing place to live in, there are no other means except to engage in some activity, and the most feasible activity that everyone can execute is hand weaving. Cloth is the need of everyone. Every child, woman, or man can prepare their cloth by weaving. If we honor this culture, the spinning wheel shall become our friend. Attempting to work with it in a depressive state of mind will restore
Weaving is a very useful means specifically for women. Any person should never remain idle. Laziness is our biggest enemy. I don’t criticize going to sleep when needed, but one should not be conducive to idleness when he is awake. This inactivity has impoverished us and subjugated us to bigger powers. We, therefore, must incline towards pursuing something. The second thing which has influenced me is the path of devotion. Any spiritual discipline which has most influenced me since my childhood is the path of devotion. My mother imparted this knowledge to
It is your right to choose what you do and don’t do, to choose what you believe in and don’t believe in. It is your right to curate your life and your own perspective. - Lady Gaga AKHAND JYOTI
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JAN.-FEB. 2022
