Is it alright to aspire for success and show it off to others?

[We often aspire to be successful so that we can show to the world, especially our relatives and friends. Hey Swamiji! Is it ok to think this way? (This question is part of a Mahā Satsaṅga or grand spiritual discussion between Swami, Shri Parikshit, Smt. Bindiya and Dr. J. S. R. Prasad.)]

Swami replied: It is okay as far as worldly life is concerned. Such an aspiration gives rise to the appropriate effort necessary to achieve the goal. But you should not concentrate much on the aspiration, because if you spend too much energy on the aspiration, it will weaken you and reduce your efficiency in achieving the goal. Whenever you feel any such aspiration, you should immediately leave it and concentrate all your energy on the work needed to achieve the goal. This can be understood from the first law of thermodynamics. Applying the law to this context, we realize that the energy spent on the mental tension arising out of your aspiration for the goal, will reduce the energy available to do the actual work. If this aspiration-based tension is minimized, almost all the energy will be available to do the work. The same concept is told in the Gita as “Karmaṇyevādhikāraste” which means that you should concentrate all your energy only on the work required for achieving the fruit instead of wasting it on aspiring for the fruit and the resulting tension.

| Shri Dattaswami | karmanyevaadhikaaraste

★ ★ ★ ★ ★