In our competitive society, we all want to be victorious in our efforts, our pursuits and our achievements. Students want to secure high grades, athletes want the trophy, politicians want high offices etc. There is a sense of accomplishment and happiness after gaining the victory.
In a battle both sides want to be victorious, because we think that victory is progress. There are battles between groups, religious factions, between families, between the law and the criminals, between the polluters and environmentalists etc. But such battles are endless and repetitious showing the individuals and their zeal for the cause seldom changes.
So when do we really declare victory? Is there a measuring unit we should use to declare that we have achieved victory?
All our educational systems are engineered to teach us the art of victory (or psuedo-victory); because the training is only for satisfying our personal urges, power, positions, accumulation of properties, gaining wealth etc. Such victories bring us only fleeting moments of happiness. Most people with power live in fear of losing their influence. The possessions can be taken away due to natural disasters or via legal proceedings. Money is a fungible item and rich people still get sick and die just as the poor, except the rich stress more about their money than the poor. Basically, we can’t take it with us!
Let me suggest that the real meaning of victory is very profound and requires serious investigation.
Victory is gaining power over that which prevents us from improvements in our health, environment, morality, ethics, emotional reactions, thinking ability, and continuous striving. A victory is a true victory only when there is an identifiable progress.
This process requires discipline, focused persistence, genuine efforts and even then the actual progress may not be noticeable for many years. Just like a tree that develops its blooms and fruits only after months and perhaps years. A student gets the diploma after years of hard work. An artist completes the project after many hours of concentrated work. An airplane flies successfully only because many engineers and workers have assembled and tested its systems for many months so that all parts work perfectly in unison.
All worthy decisions are the results of dedicated will power, which in many research studies have explained as power of mind at work. Indeed, the power of mind is immense and limitless. But it must be used to produce the right beneficial and constructive solutions.
Victory also requires vigilance. One must be ready for the right opportunity and cease the moment. Astronomers work day and night to find a star or a galaxy which may be visible for a short period. They must be ready for that moment. For example, a scientist labors to design an apparatus that will help many people purify water; or a farmer grows food that supplies pure nutrients very economically, etc. These are victories. Such victory brings joy not only to the scientist or the farmer but also to the consumers.
A great Sage says, “Pure joy is experienced in a life of labor. Everyone performs deeds of self-sacrifice, and one should learn to gather his best memories. The individual knows in his heart whether he was worthy of humanity.” When we know that we are worthy, we can declare that we are victorious.
A true victory is preceded by actions or discoveries/inventions which benefits a group, a nation or all humanity.
Some people want to achieve small victories over themselves and they often do. For example, they work to achieve victory over their habits. A person knows that smoking is a form of suicide, or drinking or taking drugs etc. Overcoming these vices is a victory. When we commit a criminal act or hurt someone to gain something, we may feel victorious for few moments but we know in our hearts that it was a shameful act even if we don’t want to admit it. That feeling of victory evaporates. Some people get angry over small matters or lose patience just because the work is not done in a particular way, etc. these are examples of physical, emotional and mental bad habits that are embedded in our psyche and cause repetitive reactions. Everyone can point to one or more of their bad habits that can be eradicated. Bad habits expend and waste our energies and prevent us from discovering opportunities for personal growth in our evolution.
A free man is not a slave and therefore should not be chained by habits. However, many are slaves to inanimate things such as tobacco, drugs, alcohol, urges and drives to commit crimes, use greed, fear, violence, revenge and exploitations. Bad habits prevent us from progressing into the future. Tennessee Williams produced great works and it is alleged that he was an alcoholic. Imagine the quality and quantity of his works if he was sober and in full control of all his faculties. Habits produce toxins in our bodies that destroy its harmony and integration.
You can ponder on everyday topics influenced by the power of victory. But let me suggests just a few (of the many) topics which may not have come to your attention.
Carelessness: This causes great harm. It exits in our society. Intellectuals hide from getting into this topic for fear of exposing their lack of ethics. It is much easier to hide behind ideas that are familiar and thus preserve their lack of concern. They may say, “If we have faith, the rest will follow.” This is a cunning way to create indifference while under delusion. Faith by itself seldom leads one to achieve noble goals. Faith with striving and care creates a sound foundation for a victory. Our nation and our world can be a better place if every one cared justly about the welfare of others.
Fear: While many fear their past actions, there are also those who are afraid of achievements. Fear is the result of ignorance. Fear weakens our will and makes us defenseless. But it is the man himself that invites fear by not fortifying his/her knowledge through learning. Only man can overcome his fear. Fear is the most prominent obstacle that prevents victories.
Past History: Historians are either investigators of truth or slave to preconceived ideas. An average person wants to be told printed history and does not want to investigate causes and effects. Our dogmas, doctrines, traditions, beliefs, prejudices and dislikes are the ‘filters’ through which we ingest some or most of our information. Such actions impede human progress. One who is enslaved by the past cannot think about the future and thus does not advance. Just observe the quarrels that have lasted centuries and decades between religious groups, nations and societies. The amount of wasted time, money and energies is incalculable and no one wants to think about it or do anything to stop it.
We must learn to accept the past with a sensible attitude and learn to pursue solutions that will lead us toward the future. However, for some, the past incidents become an excuse for persecution. Humans make mistakes but mistakes should be the building blocks of bridges to go forward and should not be an obstacle to progress. One needs to develop courage to turn mistakes into beneficial deeds.
Ignorance: Advantages of increasing and broadening our consciousness have been stated in previous articles. Learning is the best medicine to destroy ignorance. In some traditions it is called the ‘torch of victory’. Learning requires labor; a constant and persistent effort to learn is the best way to remove ignorance.
The current conditions in politics, education, finance, religion and science clearly indicate that our learning is inadequate, unbalanced and is directed towards selfish interests of individuals, groups and of course all nations.
Conclusion: Now you have a taste of the flavors of the power of victory. The depth and the wisdom that is contained in this article can best be discovered through further thinking and finding ways to apply the results in our daily lives. As we sow, so shall we reap and as we learn & think so we shall grow.
Real victory requires high discipline, true labor and an inclusive attitude. If we let disorder or confusion prevail, we cannot be free to achieve new heights in our quest for happiness, prosperity and joy which is our birth right.
