Key to the treasure of life

A group of Red Indians found a treasure box. As they were uneducated, they did not know how to unlock it. They tried all kinds of crude methods, but failed. They used magic spells, jumped on it, and put many curses on the box, but couldn’t open it. Finally, someone claimed that the box had an evil spirit. The Red Indians went to the top of a mountain and dropped it. Some African soldiers, who were passing by, spotted the box. They knew that there was some treasure inside. Being educated, they knew that they needed to make a key to unlock the box. They created one and opened it to find incredible treasures inside.

We are similarly placed. Aren’t we all like this treasure box with something wonderful within each of us? We can be like Red Indians jumping on the box or creating a key to unlock it. The key may seem to be unconnected to the treasure. Still, it will unlock the box and reveal the treasure. Life is a treasure box and our scriptures are the key. It’s up to us to use it properly.

Lord Krishna says, “Antah sukham (there is joy within).” People come up with different excuses. Some may blame it on their bosses; others on their spouses. They claim that their ananda will become nirananda due to their situations. This is because our mindset makes us believe that situations affect our quality of life.

Our mind relates problems to unhappiness. Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita that every time we encounter a difficult situation or problem—without perception of the problem—it equals to unhappiness. No problem equals to happiness.

We will face problems as long as we live. We may conclude that this is not good news, but it indeed is. Whether we are married or not, we face problems. Employment brings one set of problems, while unemployment brings in another. While the rich may face fear of kidnappings, the poor have other issues. Celebrities face the problem of having everything they say edited and audited. Everyone has problems.
A mechanic was removing the engine of a motorcycle when he saw a famous heart surgeon in his shop. He called the surgeon and said, “Look at this engine. I opened its heart, took the valves out, repaired and put them back. Why do I get a small salary and you get a huge sum?” The surgeon smiled at the mechanic and said, “Try the same when the engine is running.”

We have the choice to look either positively or negatively at a problem life throws at us. If we relate to it wisely, we will not be victims of our problems. The problem is not the problem; we tend to suffer from our problems, which are subjective, and the subjectivity should be shunned.

Troubles are inevitable, but suffering is optional. It is the state of our mind, and not the situation, that causes difficulties. We should learn to make our mind our friend. This is our greatest asset.

Swami Sukhabodhananda is an international management, spiritual & corporate guruJoin him for an online workshop on Spiritual Warrior, starting November 20. 
Email: [email protected]

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

<br /> A group of Red Indians found a treasure box. As they were uneducated, they did not know how to unlock it. They tried all kinds of crude methods, but failed. They used magic spells, jumped on it, and put many curses on the box, but couldn’t open it. Finally, someone claimed that the box had an evil spirit. The Red Indians went to the top of a mountain and dropped it. Some African soldiers, who were passing by, spotted the box. They knew that there was some treasure inside. Being educated, they knew that they needed to make a key to unlock the box. They created one and opened it to find incredible treasures inside.</p> <p>We are similarly placed. Aren’t we all like this treasure box with something wonderful within each of us? We can be like Red Indians jumping on the box or creating a key to unlock it. The key may seem to be unconnected to the treasure. Still, it will unlock the box and reveal the treasure. Life is a treasure box and our scriptures are the key. It’s up to us to use it properly.</p> <p>Lord Krishna says, “Antah sukham (there is joy within).” People come up with different excuses. Some may blame it on their bosses; others on their spouses. They claim that their ananda will become nirananda due to their situations. This is because our mindset makes us believe that situations affect our quality of life.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad200503 " id="quads-ad200503" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="1823845571"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Our mind relates problems to unhappiness. Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita that every time we encounter a difficult situation or problem—without perception of the problem—it equals to unhappiness. No problem equals to happiness.</p> <p>We will face problems as long as we live. We may conclude that this is not good news, but it indeed is. Whether we are married or not, we face problems. Employment brings one set of problems, while unemployment brings in another. While the rich may face fear of kidnappings, the poor have other issues. Celebrities face the problem of having everything they say edited and audited. Everyone has problems.<br /> A mechanic was removing the engine of a motorcycle when he saw a famous heart surgeon in his shop. He called the surgeon and said, “Look at this engine. I opened its heart, took the valves out, repaired and put them back. Why do I get a small salary and you get a huge sum?” The surgeon smiled at the mechanic and said, “Try the same when the engine is running.”</p> <p>We have the choice to look either positively or negatively at a problem life throws at us. If we relate to it wisely, we will not be victims of our problems. The problem is not the problem; we tend to suffer from our problems, which are subjective, and the subjectivity should be shunned.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad200503 " id="quads-ad200503" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="1823845571"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Troubles are inevitable, but suffering is optional. It is the state of our mind, and not the situation, that causes difficulties. We should learn to make our mind our friend. This is our greatest asset.</p> <p>Swami Sukhabodhananda is an international management, spiritual & corporate guruJoin him for an online workshop on Spiritual Warrior, starting November 20. Email: support@prasannatrust.com Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp<br />