How to Overcome Challenges in Life?

When a lot of troubles come together in life, know that we’ll certainly get out of it one day! And until then, the most important thing to do is: ‘Firmly resolve that come what may, I shall not get depressed.’ Be strong! Remind yourself of the example of a butterfly being born. To become a butterfly, it goes through various phases — from an egg to a larva, and from a larva to a pupa. The pupa needs to get strong before it can become a butterfly. For that, it is given to face sunlight, heat, wind, water, rain and storms — all on its own. And what’s the outcome of that? A butterfly, with overwhelming beauty and vibrant energy, comes into being, and it takes flight! When a lot of trouble comes together, seek help wherever you can. Our family and friends are there to support us, and with utmost gratitude in our hearts, we welcome that support! But they cannot be with us all the time. Therefore, we must learn to fight our own battle in life, with utmost faith and patience. We’ve come into this world alone and also will have to leave alone, so why fear? When we fear suffering, it multiplies. If we say, ‘I can’t tolerate this’, the suffering multiplies tenfold! — this is a scientific principle. The effect on us happens according to the words we speak. Hence, we shall always say, “Oh that’s no trouble. I’ll soon overcome it!’ Just like the friction of two stones ignites fire, similarly, when our effort and our hope collide, a fire that gives us the courage to face all the obstacles and overcome all the hurdles to come out of the troubles and accomplish our goal gets ignited automatically. It will arise, provided you don’t give in. Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan, an Enlightened being, has always said, “Adversity is a vitamin for the Soul. And comfort is food for the body.” So, when a lot of troubles come together, we must consider them as a good sign. We are rich in the vitamin that is beneficial for our progress on the path of liberation from all troubles. Right understanding gives us the power to combat any kind of trouble. And one of the right understandings is: that whatever trouble comes in our life, it is all due to our own past karma i.e. it is a result of our own wrong-doings in the past. And the result is inevitable; there’s no way we can escape it. We have to finish our karmas, whether with tears in our eyes or a smile on our faces. Then why not face them with a smile? The nature of the Self is such that it immediately becomes that which it envisions. If it envisions, ‘I am happy and calm’, it is happy and calm, and if it envisions, ‘I am sad and depressed’, it becomes so! So why not envision ourselves being happy even amidst many troubles? Isn’t that a good idea?! This is an era of suffering (the 5th aara), so troubles will keep coming. The only way to escape this suffering is to become deserving of ‘Mahavideh Kshetra’. This is a place from where we can liberate ourselves forever. In the current era of the time cycle, one cannot attain final liberation from here (the Bharat Kshetra, where we are present) directly. Nevertheless, here, we can certainly become free from ignorance of the Self. What is the benefit of attaining freedom from ignorance of the Self? We attain a state where we don’t get affected by any worldly suffering. Param Pujya Dadashri asks, “What are human beings looking for?” Freedom from pain and suffering! “The Self (the Soul), by nature, is blissful, and when one is not affected by pain, what else remains (to be worried of)?..” Even the Enlightened Ones are subject to suffering of pain, but they simply ‘know’ the suffering; they ‘know’ it through the Soul and this is how they remain separate and free from the suffering. Here, Param Pujya Dadashri advises: The consciousness is to be kept only in the Soul, the real Self, and not in the suffering or the troubles that come in our life. These are temporary things. When the consciousness remains focused on the eternal, it becomes pure. Thereafter one becomes a videhi (beyond the body complex). Once the energy of the Soul arises, our work is done. To get our work done, we simply have to go to the Enlightened One and tell him, ‘Sir, I have wandered for countless lives but I have not known even a fraction of the Soul (which is the real Self). Therefore, please grace me; do at least this much for me.’ That is all we have to do. The Enlightened One has come here to give us the gift of liberation. So come, let’s go and get it! To read more, visit: https://www.dadabhagwan.org/path-to-happiness/spiritual-science/who-am-i-realize-your-true-self/