|
……… A Role
Model is a must for all. It is a great help. Unconsciously we all have one.
It is something which inspires us, it touches the core of our heart. Something
we love to emulate. We want to be something like that. It is
personification of our goal - in flesh. We can touch & feel it. Even
before we learn to think the role model starts talking to us, it starts
channelising our energy in a particular direction. It starts coloring us
and we feel really happy about it.
Role Model & our Goal :
……… Goal is a
must in life. A person without a clear & inspiring goal just drifts and
wastes his or her life without any achievement or joy what so ever. No
goals, no challenges, no achievements & no love. Goal implies the end
which we ultimately cherish, not the means which we initially work hard to
acquire. Something which having attained we would consider our self
fulfilled. Basically the most important thing which touches our heart has
to be one, but as a person is multi-dimensional our list of priorities may
include various other things too. The best of various things at various
levels. Money, relationships, competence, work-satisfaction, recognition,
status, comforts, beauty, dignity, betterment of children, happiness of
spouse, parents, social work, culture, spirituality etc. This at times
becomes a tricky & slippery field. We have a list of aspirations. What
should be our priorities ? What is the most important of them all ? What
are the means for attaining these ends ? How much importance should be
given to the means ? Where should one draw the line ? In these maze of
questions if we find someone who reflects my priorities and has obviously
sorted out the various difficult questions which were bothering me, then
meeting or even knowing the existence of such a person is like a blessing
from the blue. The whole complex issue of goals & priorities becomes
easy to handle. Now we just have to follow someone, get inspiration &
if possible also get some tips & directions from him. Such a person who
fits my bill is my role model.
The 'Upasana' of Role Model :
……… We see
youngsters having posters of their pet sportsmen, artists or even natural
beauty. The dynamic spirit, name, fame, prosperity of those people & at
times their beauty touches the fans heart. They feel good & positive
seeing such dynamic & successful people around and want to be something
like that too. The devotees have their gods & saints around and get the
same feeling. The feeling of goodness when increases to such an extent that
we forget ourselves and just be 'that', is called the state of upasana.
Upasana is a kind of meditation wherein we exclusively bring the thought
& feeling of some inspiring person in our mind and feel highly inspired
& good. There is a loving identification with the role model and
simultaneously there is a temporary forgetfulness of our existing
identity. Such a state is very joyful and regular sojourns in it helps
make our individuality malleable for change, apart from channelising our
energy in that direction very easily & effortlessly. Such subjective
jaunts have far reaching role to help bring about new impressions, deep
down in our sub-conscious & unconscious minds. This in turn is the
singularly most potent thing to transform a personality and thus even the
society at large. As this is the deep rooted & profound effect of
upasanas, the scriptures are very particular that our role model should be
an embodiment of positive virtues & knowledge. He should necessarily
have a holistic personality.
The Ideal Role Model :
……… We are
free to choose any Role Model, but we should be ready to face the music of
their negative impressions too, if any. It is necessary to first understand
that who is it who really deserves to reside in our hearts. Lord Ram
resided in the heart of Hanuman, and this role model helped bring about a
fearless, dynamic, tough & intelligent personality of the son of
wind-god. The essence of the role models provided by our scriptures is that
they are all fearless, dynamic, selfless, and the most important thing is
that they are all awake to their transcendental dimension too. They
literally have an 'out-of-the-world' source of inspiration. This simply
implies that the source of their strength is always within them, and unlike
the worldly things is not perishable. Thus no situation which can ever make
or break these people. Even in the most testing times they are fearless
& highly inspired. These people have the strength to tread the
unchartered paths and give something new to the world. These are very
loving, sensitive & intelligent. They can afford to be like this
because they have no stakes in this perceptible changing world, that in
which they do have stakes is already available, attained & eternal.
They live like kings. Fulfilled, magnanimous & contended. These people
alone deserve to be our role models.
Inspiration & Attainment of
Goal :
Ability to do the upasana of
our role models, will not by itself bring about
the attainment of the goals represented by them. The upasana will certainly
bring about the right inner conditions to work for that goal confidently
& intensely. We will not only have the will & love to do, but will
also have the confidence to attain our goals. We know it can be done
because we have a person right in front of us who has done it. The hard
work which will be subsequently put will also be a great joy by itself. The
very doing of hard work will be yet another aspect of doing the upasana of
our beloved role model.
|