Many of you might already be aware of Chanakya, for those who don’t know; Chanakya, a.k.a. Kautilya or Vishnugupta, was a Hindu Brahmin philosopher who wrote the classic text called Artha-shastra (“The Science of Material Gain”) which is a guide on succeeding with discipline at subjects like property, economics, or material success. He was also a professor at the famous ancient and colossal university ‘Taxila or Takshashila,’ with one of his most significant students being Chandragupta Maurya.
This blog is inclined towards some teachings from Chanakya that might inspire you to remain consistently disciplined.
- A man is born and dies alone. He experiences the good and bad consequences of his own KARMA: Your success or failure depends upon your own effort, commitment and sincerity. No one can take that super power away from you. No one can walk your path for you, you are born alone, you walk your journey alone.
- Before you start some work, always ask yourself 3 questions – why I am doing this, what the result might be & will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find suitable answers to these questions, go ahead: Do not make false commitments and promises and do not indulge in any activity with half the passion and will. If you commit to something, give it your 100% or don’t commit at all, in your case your lessons to be prepared.
- People who work sincerely are the happiest: Working sincerely each day will keep you away from guilt, anxiety, stress and any form of pressure. Working sincerely (studying with passion in your case) will rather give you a sense of contentment and in turn more motivation and self-confidence.
- Education is my best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats beauty and youth: It is your education that brings you insurmountable success when accompanied by passion and humbleness. A humble student fueled by passion can go places and conquer all competitions.
- A man is great by his activities only, birth has nothing to do with it: Your ancestry or the identity you get through your place of birth is no guarantee for your success. It is your own actions that do that for you, not your blood-line or geography.
- Humbleness is the root of self-control: Humbleness keeps you away from unnecessary pride and anger and that acts as a catalyst in enabling self-control. Self-Control is the ultimate form of discipline. A humble human is a student forever.
- Learn from the mistakes of others: It is always better to learn from the mistakes of others, that’ll save you a lot of your valuable time and effort. It is expensive to repeat the same mistakes time and again. Keep in touch with your seniors, they can let you know about the things to be wary of.
- As soon as the fear approaches, attack and destroy it: Fears can only be gone by facing them. Better late than never, clear all your doubts on any subject, study the subjects that scare you more than the other subjects. That’s how those subjects will stop intimidating you.
- Do not be a servant to your desire: Do not give your remote control to your desires. Keep away from your distractions, conquer the allurements and study for some time each day.
- Time does not stop for anyone, time once lost never comes back: Time is transient, it waits for no one. Stop delaying your lessons.
We hope the age-old teachings of Chanakya sparked a little inspiration in you…!