Chanakya in Daily Life BY Radhakrishnan pillai_clone

Benefit of all Do not look at seniority as the only criterion of capability. Rama, the eldest son of Dasharatha, the king of Ayodhya, was very capable. But it’s not necessary that every elder child is like Rama. Sometimes the youngest child may be more capable. So keep a keen eye on your children to see who has got leadership qualities in them. Chanakya gives a tip on how to identify a leader among your children. ‘Those who see the benefit of all.’ Meaning, the child who is thinking of the welfare of his people is the right leader for your family. Your successor should have a large heart and broad shoulders—a large heart to accommodate the mistakes of other family members, and a broad shoulder to take the responsibilities that comes with leadership. It can be a girl Why is it that only the son can be the successor? That is not fair. There have been many instances in the past where when kings were looking for their successor, they did not find their sons suitable. They, in turn, made the capable women in their family the next leaders. Travancore kingdom, now part of Kerala state, has various examples of female rulers. The queen of Jhansi and Ahilyabai Holkar from Indore are other examples. They were highly successful and respected leaders. Girls should be given the same freedom as boys. They are naturally good at multitasking, which is an essential quality for leadership. And the ability to manage work and family is something that comes naturally to them. Think long term Lord Krishna says in the Mahabharata, ‘While taking a decision today, think what history will talk about you.’ We need to weigh the impact of our decisions on our future. When we do think of the long term, we start looking at our family from a totally different light. Some decisions are tough in the initial stage. Also, others may not understand your logic behind those decisions. But if you have done all your calculations right, then go ahead and follow your gut to choose the next big leader. Do not hesitate. While choosing the heir to the Magadha kingdom, Chanakya carefully chose a boy from a poor family, Chandragupta Maurya. Not many agreed with him at

the time when he started to train Chandragupta. But Chanakya had already seen the spark of leadership in the boy. Today, Chandragupta Maurya is listed among the greatest kings of India, all over the world.

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Private Space A FAMILY IS a group. But that group comprises a set of individuals who have their own independent interests. Let us not forget one important aspect of life—even though we need each other in our lives, we also need our own private space. Offering some their silent time and space is another way of showing your respect to them. To respect one another’s individuality, we must also never compare people with each other. The very fact that one is an individual implies that they are born ‘unique’. When we compare our child with another, indirectly we’re sending a message to our child that they are not as good as the other. So, if your child is not doing well in studies, do not compare him or her with others who are excelling in studies. Yes, you could help your child improve and get better grades. But constantly pressure him and you will end up denting his self-confidence for sure. Instead, try and find out what your child is good at and let him immerse himself in those creative pursuits. So, without mutual respect for every individual member of your family, life will become a living hell. Chanakya goes to the extent of saying that you should quit such a family and go away. He said, ‘A man must quit a religion that does not preach love and kindness. Similarly one should leave a teacher who has no knowledge to impart, a person who has a short temper and relatives who have no love to give.’ (CN 4.16) According to Chanakya, these are things you should quit—a religion or a philosophy that does not preach love, kindness and mutual respect; a teacher who has no knowledge; a short-tempered person. And as for family, quit those relatives who do not love you. The suggestion is a positive one. It’s better to be surrounded by relatives who love you. And the best way to encourage this sort of harmony is to give everyone the space they deserve. How does one develop that?

Do not disturb There are people who keep disturbing others continuously. They talk to you even if you seem disinterested. Such a person is bound to be disliked. So each member of the family should know when another member has mentally put on the ‘Do not disturb’ sign. There is a wise saying, ‘Do not give advice until it is asked for, otherwise there will be no value for the advice given.’ Only reach out when needed. Listen We should develop the habit of listening to our family members. Listening is not just hearing. It is hearing plus thinking. When people talk, it is not necessary they mean what they say. So, try to read between the lines. A person may just have had a very bad day and therefore may be expressing his or her anger. So, do not get upset if they are harsh towards you. It may not be directed at you at all. Be patient with them. By allowing them to express their feelings, you are letting them know that you understand their situation and will be there for them whenever they need you. Let go Often we are over-protective of our children and younger family members because we love them so much. It’s okay to be concerned about them. That’s healthy and compassionate behaviour. But if we start worrying about them all the time, we will end up pushing them away and create a negative atmosphere at home. If you’re worried they’ll fail, let them. Let them learn on their own. After all, everyone has their own life’s lessons to learn. It is always better to let go of our children when they are ready. Remember, you cannot teach them everything. They have to learn some things on their own and from others too. People are like butterflies. If you chase them, they will fly away. If you just allow them to be free, they will come and sit next to you. Remember, true love is always without attachment.

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Feeling of Gratitude ‘THANK YOU.’ It is a simple yet powerful phrase if uttered genuinely. In life one will have many ups and downs, highs and lows. But if one learns to be grateful, then one will always find happiness. What is the best way to develop a feeling of gratitude? The simple answer is prayer. Prayer doesn’t mean begging God for something. It is a way of expressing thankfulness to God at every point of life. When do we pray to God? Only in distress? No. One should pray in good times and bad, in the beginning and also at the end. Chanakya, one of the most intelligent strategists, also believed in the power of prayers. He knew there is an intelligence higher than human intelligence. So, when you invoke the lord, you automatically get blessed with the power and wisdom needed to do any important work in life. Therefore, while starting to write his greatest book, the Arthashastra, the first and the foremost thing Chanakya did was to pray and invoke the great teachers. The first opening line of the Arthashastra of Chanakya starts with a prayer, ‘Om Namah Sukra Brihaspati-abyam.’ ‘Om. Salutations to Sukra and Brihaspati.’ ‘Om’ is not just a word or a sound. It holds within the knowledge of the universe. Om has over a hundred meanings. One of them is a welcome to the gods. Therefore, we start all prayers with Om. Sukra and Brihaspati were ancient acharyas in the field of political science. These two great masters had written their own arthashastras (books) on politics and raja-niti. Chanakya himself, as a student, had studied the work of these two wise men. While writing his Arthashastra, Chanakya remembered them and other teachers who guided him along the way. He prayed to them, expressing his gratitude, and only then did he start penning down his thoughts. Usually, when we write a book or an article—or anything for that matter— many of us do not acknowledge the previous writers who may have inspired us.

This is not good. Give credit to those who rightfully deserve it. Chanakya teaches us this essential value we must all have—to express our gratitude towards those who inspired us and were part of our journey in some way. So what can we all do on a daily basis to develop this healthy attitude? Here’s what: Your family No family is perfect. Every family has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. But instead of looking at what is missing in your family, you should be focusing on what you have. A quick comparison with others and you will realize how blessed you are, compared to a lot of people out there. So, count your blessings. Once, when a person was complaining about his old shoes, he saw a man who had no legs. He immediately started thanking God, for at least he had legs to wear shoes, unlike the other unfortunate man. You may even have fights in your family. Who doesn’t? But remember, at least you have a family to fight with. There are orphans out there who crave for nothing but the affection of a family. You may sometimes have bitter moments with your spouse, but at least you are married. There are many who want to get married, but remain single throughout their lives. You may not agree with your parents’ ideology, but you at least have parents and you are not an orphan. A lot of people realize the importance of family when they’re gone. Don’t wait for that to happen to you. Be grateful each day. Thank you Get up every morning and say ‘thank you’ to God. Walk around and take in the unmistakable beauty of nature and thank the Creator who is as beautiful as his creation. When you sit down for a meal, pray and say thank you to the person who cooked you that meal and also to the farmer who toiled in the sun for this to be possible. By doing so, you will find that your food is tastier. To make this a habit, try a small exercise daily. As you wake up in the morning, just sit up on your bed and start counting ten things from the previous day that had a positive impact on your life. For instance, say you got your salary, or you had a schoolfriend drop by for a visit, or you read a good book. Just count up to ten things and you will feel good at the very beginning of the day itself. When you start doing this every morning, you will automatically start looking out for positive things during the day and making a mental list of them. This will fill your heart with wonder and grace and this is when you will

effortlessly exude a positive energy. Write a book As I write the last pages of this book, my final tip for you to have a fulfilling life is this—write a book. ‘Me?’ ‘What will I write?’ ‘I don’t know how to write.’ ‘Will anyone read my book?’ Don’t worry about all that. In life, every person has their unique experiences. If you do not pen them down, they will be lost forever. If Chanakya had not written the Arthashastra and Chanakya Niti, his knowledge would not have reached us. Similarly, when you write your book, it is an expression of fulfillment. It is your way of acknowledging a life well lived and coming to terms with the good as well as the bad. It is you passing on your invaluable message to others. It is you saying ‘thank you’. If you ever found out that your grandfather had written a book, wouldn’t you want to get a hold of a copy right away and read it cover to cover? In the same way, if you write one, one day your grandchildren will read your book. You will leave a source with which they will enrich their life forever. And they too will finally say those words to you, words that you are probably saying in your mind right now—thank you.