Life-success and Spiritual success must go together.
WORK
It is an open secret that work, attack, persistent application, is the secret of success. Without work we can never succeed. Now, the question is: What is work? Work is rest. All true work is rest where credit seeking little self is absent. e.g see the hero fighting in a war. The body works automatically, as it were, the mind is absorbed in the work to such a degree that "I'm working" is entirely gone, the small enjoying ego is completely lost. Let the body and mind be continously at work to such a degree that labor may not be felt at all. All work is nothing else but the burning of our wick and oil, in other words, all work is nothing else but making our body and illusions, practically nothing from the standpoint of our own consciousness. Rise above them and that is work. Now, in what mood and mode does successful work become natural for us? There is something higher which puts all our working powers at their best. That higher is nothing else but being in perfect harmony with the universe, being in tune with the divinity, practically living in the true Atman or God within us and being raised above the little ego or selfish desires. In order for our work to be success, we should not care for the results. Follow work for the sake of peace and nirvana connected with it. Do our work selflessly and skillfully.
e.g[ A employer will give promotion to its employee only when he is satisfied that whatever work is given to employee, the employee is doing it happily, selflessly, and skillfully. Same way GOD wants us to just do our work. ]
UNSELFISH SACRIFICE
Let our work be for work's sake; we must work. Worry not about the results, expect nothing from the people, bother not about favourable reviews of our work or severe criticism thereon. This way we have to free ourself from desire, and not from work. Feel no responsibility and ask for no reward. If we deserve, by an irresistible Divine Law every thing will come to us.
e.g[ If there is a lamp burning, the lamp need not send any invitation to moth; moths will flock to the lamp of their own accord. When there is a spring, people will be drawn to it, the spring need not care a straw for the people. Everyone wants to be white; What makes White color white: because it absorbs nothing, claim nothing, they renounce. Basically the secret of whiteness is just reunication, nothing more. It don't try to keep selfish possession. ]
Never feel that anything belongs to our little self, it belongs to God. We should learn the secret of fullfilment of desires. It is only when we let go the desire that it fructifies.
e.g[ How are arrows shot? As long as you strech the string, the arrow is still with you. You need to let it go in order to reach the other party. ]
e.g[ 2 monks were travelling together: one of them maintained in the practice of accumulation; and another in the practice of reunication. One day they reached a bank of river at evening but only one monk has the money in order to cross the rivew by boat. Upon reaching the other shore the monk who provided the money for boat said to other that: "See what if I had not kept money, we both would have been killed by wolves during the night on the other shore. Therefore it is advancategorye to keep money and you should stop preaching renucation". But the other monk having no money answered: "Had you kept the money with you and had not gave it to boatman, we would have been killed. Thus it was the giving up the money or renunication that bought us safely. he continued If I kept no money in my pocket, your pocket becomes my money. My faith kept money for me in that pocket, I will never suffer. When I am in need, I am provided for.". This story indicates that as long as you keep desires in your pocket, there is no safety or rest for you. Renounce your desires, rise above them and you'll find double peace - immediate rest and eventually fruition of desires. ]
e.g [ There was a quarrel between pond and river. The pond addressed the river: "O river, you're very foolish to give all your water and all your wealth to the ocean. The ocean is ungrateful, the ocean needs it not. If you go on pouring into ocean all your accumulated wealth, the ocean will remain as salty and bitter as it is now. Do not throw pearls before swine. Keep all your treasures with you." Now, the river responsded: "No the consequences and results are nothing to me; success or failure are nothing to me; I must work because I love work and I must work for my OWN sake. To work is my aim, to keep in activity is my life.". The river went on working pouring millions of gallons of water into ocean. The misery pond become dry in 3-4 months; it became putrid, scategorynant , full of festering filth, but the river remains fresh and pure, its perennial springs did not dry up. Silently and slowly was water taken from the surface of ocean to replenish the fountain heads of the rivers, monsoons and trade winds invisibly, silently and slowly carried water from the ocean and kept the river source fresh as ever. To GIVE is very important; nature gives; and we should be in harmoney with nature. ]
LOVE
The third principle is love, harmony with the universe, adaptation to the circumstances. Love means practically relizing our oneness and identify with our neighbour, with all those who come in contact with us.
e.g[ A shopkeeper needs to relize the interest of his customers to be one with his own, otherwise he would not succeed. ]
e.g[ If Hand thinks that why should I share my hard-work fruits with other organs, then our body would have been dead and eventually hand would also been dead for his selfish desire. In other words, the hand must feel and realize that its self is not confined within the small area beyond the wrist, but must practically feel itself as identical and one with the Self of whole system. ]
Unless we realize this fact and live this truth, that we are one with the universe, that I and God are one, we cannot succeed. Whenever a man falls out of harmony with Nature he suffers, the very moment we realize our unity with fellow-beings, all prosperity is ours.
CHEERFULNESS
It is difficult to remain cheerful, calm under all circumstances. We cannot be cheerful just by knowing that we have to be cheerful or we cannot do anything by artifical rules. We feel moody and cheerless only when we desend to the plane of body, the little self, and craving desires.
e.g[ We feel our stomach only when we are sick, we feel our nose only when we are cold, we feel arm only when it is aching. So, we feel our personal ego, little self, or body only when we are spiritually out of order. ]
We can recover our balance and be cheerful the moment we rise above the body, above the little self, petty clingings. So, always remember one thing: I am Absolute Divinity. All relations are mere illusions and this world is like a playing drama where someone is father, mother, brother, sister, wife, children, friend, and foe etc. Every actor should well perform his role in the play; but he who takes to heart and applies to his real Self the dramatic part of love or hatred is nothing short of insane. We should not bother ourself about our surroundings and circumstances. If we go on doing our duty, if we are faithful to our work, bother not ourself about the outside aids and helps. They are bound to come to us, must come to us.
e.g[ If there is any itching sensation in any part of the body, the hand automatically reaches that region to scratch. Just so, bear in mind that the Self (God) in us is the same as the Self in the surroundings.
When we run after our shadow to catch it, the shadow will never be caught, the shadow always outrun us. But if we run towards the sun, turning your back to shadow, then the shadow will follow you. Similarly, the moment you turn towards these outside matters and want to grasp them and keep them, they will elude your grasp. The very moment we turn our back upon them and face the Light of lights, your inner Self, that very moment favourable circumstances will seek us. ]
We serve our own will and of nobody else. Our present surroundings and relations are created by ourself. The future will be our own. We are master of our destiny. Remember this and be cheerful.
FEARLESSNESS
Fear comes to us when we feel ourselves to be the abode of fear, or body. The body is always liable to be eaten by worms of anguish, it is vulnerable to all kinds of sufferings. The very moment we rise above the little body, we are free from fear. Live as Divinity, and who can harm us.
e.g [ When a cat comes pigeons close their eyes; they think that the cat does not see them because they do not see the cat, nevertheless the cat eats them up. If we are afraid, the cat will eat us up. It is by hesitation and fear that we bring ourself into sad plight. In other words, incoming danger is only an indication that something is wrong and we should take appropriate action but if we act like pigeon by being afraid and ignoring the incoming danger, we are sure to get lost. ]
e.g[ When we are puring liquid from one vessel to another, if our hands waver ever so little, the liquid is sure to split. If you've love in your mind, we will find love; if we entertain hate, we will meet hate. If we are afraid of detectives, then they won't miss you; if we expect selfishness and deceit, we shall not be disappointed. Thieves break in the house only when it is not guarded. If the house is kept lighted all the time, they dare not steal into it. Keep in your mind the light of truth, no devil of fear or temptation will approch you. ]
SELF-RELIANCE
This is Self-trust. Don't say that we cannot do something. Think ourself as a God and God we are. So long as we go on relying and depending upon outside powers, failure will be the result. Trusting in the God within, put the body in action and success is assured.
e.g[ Elephant is much bigger physically than the lion; but lion has such a spirit that it can kill elephant. Most of the time elephants remain in large numbers and whenever they take rest, at-least of the stronger elephant remains awake as a guard. Elephants don't that a single elephant can kill lion easily.]
All our world being but our own creation, our own ideas, why think of ourself a low, miserable sinner.
e.g[ Once there was a man who was very hungry and he imagined that he is eating curry. After some time, he opened his mouth feeling that there was hot chillies present in the curry. Now, if you have to live on imaginary food, why not choose something sweet? As it was your own creation, you own doing, why did not make a better choice. ]
The law of Nature is that whenever a man believes practically in the outside objects and wealth he must fail. Trust in the Divinity (Inner-Self/God) and we will be safe. Be not dupes of senses.
PURITY
It is true that "Thought is another name of fate". But if we start thinking impure, with the fullfilment of selfish desires, then the distracting sarrow shall be forced upon us in bargain. Grief shall prey upon our soul. The law of karma retaliates and baffles us when we want to abuse it for selfish ends. Do not dictate our will on God. Let God's will be done in reference to bodily wants. In earthly requirements, let God's will become our will. The craving for light keeps us in dark. Realization is not a thing to be accomplished, we have not to do anything to gain God-vision, we have simply to undo what we have already done in the way of forming dark cocoons of desires around us. Even our bondage is imposed by our freedom.