Acharya Chanakya, known as Vishnugupta and Kautilya, was a phenomenal statesman, philosopher, jurist, teacher, and economist. Chanakya gave many lessons on life and politics, which have guided generations after generations and hold even to this day. Under his mentorship, Chandragupta Maurya, a commoner by birth, became the emperor of the Mauryan Empire. His famous works are Arthashastra and Neeti Shastra. These principles written by him hold even today.
Here are a few lessons as told by the master himself that will guide you in life.
Never Share Your Secrets With Anyone
We have moments when we share our secrets, but there are times when we share them with the wrong people, and often it leads to our destruction. You never know when a close person becomes your worst enemy, and by sharing a secret, we might be giving a weapon to that person to use at a particular time. This fits so well in today’s world when everybody tends to lose credibility at some point. It would help if you did not share your weaknesses or your strengths with anyone. So that no one can attack upon your shortcomings and no one can trick your strengths in any way.
Do Not Try To Change The People In Your Life
This means that one must not try to change the people in their life just to be with them. It also means that you should not also change yourself for the sake of someone else in your life. Chanakya says so because all of the frustration and dislike towards changing yourself which will be piled up inside you will eventually erupt and destroy your bond be it with any person. You cannot expect someone to be happy, or even yourself to be happy for that matter when you expect or are expected to behave or act in a certain kind of way you are not comfortable with. The harmony created through such acts does not last long and is soon faced with retaliation. Accept people for who they are and be with those who grow with you and do not change you to fit according to their lifestyle.
Time Is Unbeatable
Time perfects all living beings as well as kills them. It alone is awake when the entire world is asleep. Chanakya uses this beautiful quote to describe how insurmountable and supreme time is. Time plays many roles in our lives; it heals, it mends and destroys us too. Time does not stop for anyone, and lost time never comes back either. If you need to live a meaningful life, a life you do not want to have any regrets about, you need to befriend and respect time.
Education Is The Best Friend
Whatever you’ve acquired through education is the only thing that will stay with you throughout your life. Your beauty will eventually fade away, youth will gradually be lost, friends will part, but education will stay with you forever and help you whenever required. Education will help you achieve your goals, the calmness of a wise mind, and a sense of completeness in life, even if you are alone. Consider it as a long-term investment that will yield results in the long run of life. Education is not confined to schools or colleges but also learning from experiences, learning and growing in life. Read more, get knowledge and keep growing in life. It will keep you busy; it will make you bright and keep you away from darkness in life. Fill your mind with knowledge instead of other thoughts, and you will always grow in life.
Humbleness Is The Root Of Self-control
Chanakya says that being humble untangles many problems in your life. Being humble also helps you develop a sense of self-control, which enables you to control your anger because anger can be the reason for your destruction. Only the person who does not let anger overpower senses can be peaceful in life. Self-discipline or self-control not only prevents you from letting your emotions drive your mind but also stops you from committing any mistake that could destroy the results of your hard work. Keep in mind that when you have control over yourself, you have control of your life and your surroundings.
A Man Is Great By His Karma
This number is an invitation to go forward fearlessly, take steps toward your dreams, and know that It does not matter what our place of origin is, what our status is, do we have wealth or not. The only thing that matters is your work, your dedication to it. You can manifest anything in your life if you strive relentlessly, and your work defines your worth in this world. Success does not judge you with your possessions and class, but it indeed judges you based on whether you deserve it or not. It would help if you built your self-confidence and self-worth so that others and you see yourself worthy of that goal you have set in your life. This lesson of Chanakya gives assurance and support to people who feel they aren’t good enough because they are not born rich or have it big. This motivates all of us to keep at it, be kind, be motivated and make our karma good to be successful in life.
Do Not Get Excessively Attached To Any Person
Seeing this number is a sign you need to ground yourself. Noticing the number four all around you can If you ever get attached to a person, that person will ultimately become your weakness, like an exposed wound. Your enemies would know precisely where to strike to let your guard down. Secondly, when you get too attached to others, you start to develop some expectations, which eats your relationship. You can get your heart shattered when the person does not live up to your expectations. You do not have to go out of your way to please people just so they desire to be with you because the moment you stop, they won’t have a reason to stay close, and you would realize that you set your self-respect so low that they found it easy to trample it. It is our sole responsibility to respect our soul first and then satisfy the emotional needs of somebody else.
Grab Every Chance Of Learning Something New
There is not a single being on this planet from whom you cannot learn anything. You can learn something from someone younger or older. You need to be observant of your surroundings. Everyone on this earth will have something to share with you which will guide you in your life. Even our enemies teach us some values and share experiences of their life. It is never too late to learn anything new, nor is it ever too early. Learning is the best thing, and if you keep learning and observing, you will grow and reach closer to succeeding in life. Learning is a friend on a journey, a wife in the house, medicine in your sickness and religious merit is the only friend after death. You just need to look back, and you will get a solution right there.
Never Befriend A Person Who Doesn’t Align With You
We are who we hang out with. We shouldn’t judge anyone, but if we are hanging out and befriending the wrong people who do not share the same morals and thoughts and are bad influences, it will affect our lives. When people engage in such a relationship that requires them to interact with a different paradigm altogether, like other interests, different ideologies, and different goals, they cannot sustain the relationship for too long because problems like misunderstandings and ego clashes arise. It also makes us change who we are, which is not good. Don’t be friends with someone who is not helping you to grow. Keeping people around who are motivated and sowing the same seeds of positivity will make us grow in life and as better humans. So, choose your friends wisely and cut out those who aren’t suitable for your life.
Ask Yourself Three-Questions In Life
There are three questions of utmost importance to ask oneself:
Why am I doing it?
What results will the action yield?
And will I be successful?
Through these three questions, Chanakya wishes us to become far-sighted and choose our actions wisely. If there is no reason for you to undertake any task, you should not do it in the first place. Actions that do not add to the meaning of your life are not worthy of your time. The next question reminds you of the possible consequences of your action. Consider each action of yours as a step in your life, that step might be in the forward direction or backward, and it will all depend on what you do and what you decide to do. Every event has a consequence in life, and the nature of your action will determine the nature of its reaction. By the third question, Chanakya does not ask you to quit doing something that you think is a vain task.
There is no doubt that you can achieve anything in your life if you put your mind to it, but he asks you to choose your goal. Being successful does not only mean acquiring wealth or reaching a top-notch position in any industry, but it also means gaining respect, peace of mind, and living a life with which you will feel satisfied when it’s time to leave everything behind.
Attack And Destroy Your Fear And Never Doubt Your Magic
All we need is courage and the right set of mind to make the best of every situation. But, our fear hides many things from us- our confidence, our strength to act and our abilities. It cripples us and creates a blindfold, and keeps us away from seeing our true potential. Fear is a dark room where only negativity grows, and it is all in your hand to change it. Whenever you feel that fear is rising, keep at it and control your thoughts because it all resides in your head. Remind yourself of your strengths and face the fear and never let fear take control of you. You are powerful, and the moment you let go of the fears and focus on your power, nothing can stop you from growing.
Your Feelings Are Your God, And Your Soul Is Your Temple
While you must believe in God’s higher power, do not find God’s in temples because God is within us and in people. Instead of going to the temples, worship yourself, meditate, and find a way to connect to your inner power. Instead of going to the temples and giving money to a sculpture, buy food for people and serve them to take their blessings. God is present within us as our feelings, and our soul is our temple for that God. Take control of your emotions, become a good human, help others, take care of yourself, and now God is present in everything around you too. Love the environment and be humble and kind.
These lessons work so well in today’s life and are a guide we must use to navigate through situations in our life. Learn from these lessons and know that you will reach your higher state of mind and consciousness and find true power in yourself by using them. We at atoms of universe hope this article made you feel good. Here’s hoping you all are healthy and find ways to reach your true potential and shine bright in life always.
