(Below is a continuation of the post Are You Perfect?)
See, the world is like this, there is pleasure and there is pain. This is the nature of the world. Some or the other reason will always present itself for you to be upset. Sometimes it could be the behavior of the family, or the behavior of a friend. If the family is okay, then it could be neighbor who is causing problems. And if the neighbor is also good, then it could be the dogs on the street who keep barking all night, not letting you sleep. And if that is also not there and you have no problems, then also you are not satisfied. Then you start interfering in the lives of people who have problems, and you try to solve their problems.
So this life is very mysterious, that is why it is called maya (illusion). In some way or the other it gets you entangled into things, which then brings you frustration and fills your mind with negativity. That is why it is said, 'This world is maya (an illusion), don't get caught up in it'; because this is what happens, you get caught up in all these different situations and unnecessarily fill your mind with all kinds of negativity.
If you have made it a habit to get frustrated then no one can save you. You will have to get out of it with your own self-effort, and with the help of knowledge.
No matter how good a place you are at, you will still be unhappy if you are caught up in negativity and frustration. And if you have made it a habit to be frustrated then no one can save you. You will have to get out of it with your own self-effort, and with the help of knowledge.
If you live in society, then it is only natural that sometimes you will be praised and sometimes blamed.
Suppose you are working in a company, you cannot expect your boss to behave in a way that is convenient to you. How can you expect perfection from your boss?
Suppose you have a taunting boss who has taunted you three to four times, and you label him as 'Hopeless', then you start behaving like that with him or with her. Your perception puts you in a reactive mode.
You need to correct your perception, and understand that there is imperfection in the world. And people have the right to be imperfect, and you have no business correcting them. They have not asked you to develop them or correct them. So you better know that this is how the world is; things are like that!
Now, what happens when you accept that things are like that and people are like that? When you accept, suddenly you find a witness consciousness dawning inside of you that makes you so centered and deep.
This doesn't mean that you should not point out any mistakes of anyone and just accept everything as it is. No! I was driving past Kanakapura road and I saw garbage on the side of the road and I told my secretary to immediately call the Panchyat. They have been given two vans to pick up the garbage and so it needs to be done immediately.
So we have to keep acting in this way, but without getting into frustration - this is the secret. It is very easy to wash your hands and sit in the corner and feel, 'I don't have anything to do with all of this. And let thing run the way they want to run'. And it is very easy to get frustrated and keep complaining. But the finest balance, and the finest path is taking action without frustration.
Don't get frustrated about people and situations around you, and don't get frustrated with yourself for repeating the same mistakes. Neither of this will help you.
Frustration is like somebody just waiting to run in your home, and you have to keep them out. It is waiting in so many corners, just finding a way to enter inside. So keep a guard at all your entrances and prevent frustration from entering into your home.
Now we keep getting frustrated with others, that is a common thing. But sometimes we also get frustrated with our own self; we become dissatisfied with our own self, because of small insignificant things.
So maintaining equanimity is Yoga. Come what may, not letting frustration creep into yourself, then the intellect functions better; the brain functions better and you get ideas on how to handle different situations.
So don't get frustrated about people and situations around you, and don't get frustrated about yourself because you are repeating the same mistakes again and again. Neither of this will help. And this is a very delicate balance: to keep the enthusiasm alive in you, without allowing frustration to enter. And acting when it is needed and where it is needed.
