Question:

Didi,

I see that people around me do all kinds of corrupt and unwholesome things – lie, steal, twist facts, play games with me, do politics in office as well as at home. These people are very successful and rich. They seem to have a powerful position among friends, family and work.

But Buddha teaches to just be wholesome, truthful, non-corrupt, and generate non-ill will for all people. If being righteous is the way, then how come these people are so successful? Why can’t I be like them and get the same success? Why should I be the single lone good person among devious corrupt ones? it’s hard to stand alone.

Answer:

Yes, it is hard to stand alone. But have you noticed that ‘standing alone in purity’ has some sense of power in it? Just like a lotus stands alone amongst all the dirt and muck, yet remains untainted and pure; the wholesome pure one stands alone amongst the unwholesomeness of corrupt Egos and blossoms.

It is finally your choice dear if you want to be the lotus or you want to be the muck. 

What brings success to an unwholesome one?

An unwholesome person in the present may have been wholesome in the past. He is definitely reaping the fruit from a previous lifetime. Hence, there is prosperity at work, social circle, family as well as the material world. In the scriptures, we call this the act of eating stale food. He has not generated any new good karmas but is enjoying old stale karmaphalam [fruit of old karmas].

Will this kind of an unwholesome success last?

Not very long. As soon as the fruit is exhausted, the success will diminish. Then he will have to start reaping the fruit of his unwholesome karmas dear. This is the Law of Nature. Nobody can by-pass this law, nobody!

How does an unwholesome person really feel within?

Even though outwardly he seems to be enjoying the material world, he is definitely going to feel the ‘pang of guilt’ within every time he does an unwholesome action. The Law of Nature is like an instant Danda [Stick] that hits you immediately at the moment you generate a negative thought/intention. After all, every action first begins as an internal thought/intention. Nature punishes the ‘unwholesome thought/intention’ generating mind immediately.

Such a person is always suffering within, always! The only unfortunate thing is he is unaware that he is suffering.

So how should you be towards a suffering person?

You should be very compassionate dear. When you see a poor person on the street begging for alms, sleeping on the sidewalk, wearing torn clothes, living a lonely sad life which is merely survival, do you get angry at such a person? NO. You are compassionate towards such a person. At the same time, you feel grateful for a better life, right?

Similarly, the corrupt person’s mind is a diseased and poor mind, begging for attention and material things, sleeping on a pile of internal guilt and shame, wearing torn and corrupt values, living a life of inner impurity and unhappiness. Should you be angry at such a person? NO. Be compassionate dear! Be grateful for a wholesome mind attracted to wholesome values.

• Because, only a mind that does not lie, rests well.
• Because, only a mind that does not cheat, feels pure.
• Because, only a mind that does not hurt, remains unagitated.
• Because, only a mind that does not gossip, attains silence.
• Because, only a mind that does not steal, attains inner fullness.
• Because, only a mind that does not play politics, attains equanimity.
• Because only a mind that is not arrogant, attain the softness of humility.
• etc, etc.

Most important question – Will being wholesome bring me material world prosperity? material world success?

There is NO guarantee for material world prosperity or success, dear!

Then what is the benefit?

You are guaranteed:

• a pure heart,
• an easy smile,
• a natural sense of peace within [sukoon in hindi],
• an inner sense of security given by Nature only to the wholesome one,
• an enormous sense of power that is endowed by Nature only on a righteous one.
• will easily slip into the bliss of meditation.
• will have the ability to dance to the rhythm of silence.
• will never know Mr Stress.
• will have people asking you for tips on how to remain happy.
• things will come to you even without desiring [Because desiring diminishes naturally & Nature showers gifts on such a desireless one ONLY].
• blossoming spiritually like a Lotus blossoms alone in the muck and dirt.
• the list goes on.

Gather the courage to not only stand alone dear but also gather the strength to stand out. Don’t blend in with the dirt. Stand out like the Lotus!