Indian to the core

My head was throbbing. I was to appear for my final year exam in next week. I was too worried. No matter how much I studied, I was not sure if I would be able to top the examinations. I had topped the examinations for the past two years and now there was tremendous pressure on me to maintain my track record. The fear of outcome made me close my book. I sat holding my head in my hands. All sorts of negative thoughts were bombarding me. What if I don’t top the examinations? I would lose everything. One bad thought gave rise to another and finally I was doubtful if I would pass my examination. That was when my mother stroked my back and said, ‘Don’t worry child. Do your best and leave everything to God. After all, everything is not in our control.’ 

My mother was not that educated. Yet she knew this philosophy which is ingrained in every Indian."कर्मणये वाधिकारस्ते मां फलेषु कदाचन । मां कर्मफलहेतुर्भू: मांते संङगोस्त्वकर्मणि" ।। Says the Bhagwat Gita which is revered in every Indian household. In simple words it means that perform your duties and actions, but never hanker for the end result. 

It was the end result which I was worried about and once I detached myself from it, a heavy burden was lifted from my shoulders. I studied without any pressure of the outcome, wrote my exams. No wonders I topped the examinations. But I had learnt a valuable lesson. Rather it was always in my genes. Some dust had gathered on it. My mother had wiped it and I was again reintroduced to the greatest philosophy – All things are not in our control.

We Indians have known for thousands of years that we cannot control everything. But we are not fatalistic. We know we cannot control the storm. Instead of wasting energy on how to prevent the storm, we focus on how we can prepare ourselves to face it. Majority of Indians are poor. Yet they have the most beautiful smiles in the world. This is because of the true contentment, which comes from acceptance of things which we cannot change.

Even modern science has classified persons into two categories. Type A are the persons who want to control everything. They are always stressed. They are more prone to heart diseases. Type B people know that everything is not in their control and this acceptance saves them from cardiac problems. Doctors suggest that Type A people should change their personalities to prevent heart diseases.

I was an atheist, but when I learnt that everything is not in my control, I began to believe in God. As told in the Bhagwat Gita, I surrender my actions at His feet. That has made me more relaxed, more open. No wonders Indian influence is increasing in Lufthansa’s TVCs. #MoreIndianThanYouThink