The very aspiration for greatness comes from a very petty mind. It’s always a petty mind that aspires to be great. And it is always a very ordinary mind that aspires to be special. It is not necessary to aspire to greatness or to being special.
If you make your life the focus of your life, the ambit of your life and the nature of your life well beyond the concerns of who you are, if you take away from your life the question, “What about me?,” you will be a great human being.
How great, how recognised you will be in the society depends on your capabilities. You may be a great man in your street, you may be a great man in your house, you may be a great man in your state or in your nation or in the world — that depends on a variety of situations. Like, for example, historically where are you placed.
If Mahatma Gandhi came today, maybe he wouldn’t be as well known as he was then. Because, then there was a situation — at the right time the right kind of spirit came and things happened. Today if he is here in the present political scenario, his principles may work against him and he may not get elected. So greatness happened to him not because he was seeking to be great, but because his way of looking at life was way beyond “What about me?”
If you drop this one calculation from your mind, “What about me?,” and just function to the best of your ability, in some way you will be great. Once you take away “What about me,” then you’re naturally looking at “What can I do about all the life around me?” And once you’re looking at “What can I do about the life around me,” you will naturally enhance your capabilities because there is so much to do!
I cannot understand how people in India claim that there are so many people who are unemployed when there is still so much to do in this country. It is just that people are too concerned about “What about me.” They are only willing to do a certain kind of job, only work to fulfil certain needs, so they think they’re unemployed. The fact is that there is too much to do in this country, so how can people be unemployed?
Do not aspire for greatness. Aspiring for greatness shows your pettiness. Just take this one calculation out and function to the fullest of your ability, and what has to happen will happen.
People may call you Mahatma, they may not call you Mahatma, it doesn’t matter. But if you live like a Mahatma then you are a Mahatma. Mahatma means you are a great piece of life. And you are a great piece of life the moment you take away this one calculation from your mind, “What about me?” Wherever you are, you will shine. How much you shine depends on the situation and also your ability to do things.
— Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, a yogi, is a visionary, humanitarian and a prominent spiritual leader. An author, poet, and internationally-renowned speaker, Sadhguru’s wit and piercing logic provoke and widen our perception of life. He can be contacted at www.ishafoundation.org
coutesy: Deccan Chronicle, 4th January 2010
coutesy: Deccan Chronicle, 4th January 2010
