Effective life management by Amartyanand Swami

"Effective life management" by Swami Amartyanand - Mind control!

This edition of the book was published by Advaita Ashrama, India in 2010 and has 188 pages. 

Book summary

Curricular education does not give you all the education that life demands. If you don't learn Effective Life Management you will end up successful in business but unsuccessful in building happy, fulfilling lives. This book exhorts the readers to imbibe right thoughts using the techniques of Satsanga, Discipline and Meditation (SDM). Material progress has increased stress and resulted in strained human relationships, family bonds and value systems. Our personality is the outcome of our mind and it's various reactions to external stimuli. We have to learn the art of effectively managing our lives with the aim of attaining happiness and peace through all our actions. 

Part I: The essence of life management

The inner quest and ultimate goal of every human heart is unalloyed happiness, uninterrupted peace and immortality. The more we chase material goals the more we suffer. Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha are goals with the ultimate goal of Moksha or uninterrupted peace. Don't find fault with others. Rather learn to see your own faults. Introspection is the art of thinking about one's own thoughts. Diagnosis of mental ailments is known as introspection. Different people see same thing in different ways and same person sees same thing in different ways at different times. Impulse - Thought - Action sequence takes only a fraction. Mastery of mind requires split second decision to prevent wrong actions. Introspect daily, detect diligently, negate ruthlessly, substitute wisely, grow steadily and be happy. 

One's personality is shaped by one's thoughts. For any true student of life management, the eyes and ears must function solely as conduits of positive and ennobling impressions in the mind. The more the thoughts rushing into our mind, the more disturbed and unhappy we are. Two things essential to control quantity of thoughts are discipline and meaningful engagement. When mind is controlled from running in space, it's called dharana, when controlled from running after objects, it's called dhyana and when controlled from running in time, it's called samadhi.

Karma means volitional action or action with intention. Every karma produces two results: one immediate and noticeable and the other remote and not noticeable in its present form, It's in the form of impression in subconscious mind. The collective impressions of our mind are called samskaras. Karma is classified into Agami karma, Sanchit karma and Prarabdha karma. Efforts or struggle to change one's life is known as purushartha. Key to everyone's success is in practice. Will-power is the common factor of success in any work. Will-power is a compound of our self (ego) and mind. It's two enemies are regret about past and worry about future. A change of attitude involves disciplining the minds response to the outside world. 

Part II: Conflict management

Human sufferings can be categorized into: Conflicts between man and nature (We have no control), Conflicts between man and man (We can Avoid), Conflicts within man (Prevention and cure is in hand of individuals). We suffer because we look at life as a fight instead of a game.

We suffer due to unfulfilled desires. We suffer as we are attached to possessions and loved ones. We suffer because we do not consider our suffering as blessing in disguise, because we fail to understand that the world does not move as per our wishes, because we compare ourselves to others, because we can't distinguish between education and knowledge, because we seek peace outside, because we do not understand true meaning of success. Three illusions are source of problem: we think ourselves as physical body, money can give me security, more sense pleasures bring more happiness.

Four reasons of disturbance are: desire, attachment, i-ness and my-ness. Power to discriminate between good or bad, right and wrong can be cultivated by developing keen intellect to discriminate and loving heart to feel. To refine the intellect, one needs to control the senses and the mind.

Practice waiting for 5 minutes before reacting in a fit of anger, leave the place if surroundings are not conducive to anger control, stand before mirror when angry to examine your expressions, think about damage caused by anger before expressing it, convince yourself that world can't move as per your wishes, practice concentrating when angry, stop pre-supposing about the person you are cross with.

When jealous we waste time deprecating others rather than appreciating and emulating. A jealous person is never at ease. Do not give anyone keys to your happiness, stop making prejudiced and negative comparisons with others, learn to appreciate that other people can also be good and important, learn to be content with what you have, balance the use of mind and intellect, practice concentrating when jealous, take action before nature's blows make you mend your ways, practice introspection.

End of Book summary

In the appendix author has provided step by step guidance to the exercise of 'Watching the thought flow'.

This book is all about mind, power of mind and how to control your mind. Katha upanishad compares body to a chariot. Horses are senses, mind the reins, intellect is the charioteer and rider, the self. This book emphasizes mind control to live a happy life. This book also talks about anger management in detail. 

This book concentrates more on spiritual aspect and less on how to practically apply it. So it becomes more theoretical. Had there been guidance for day to day practical application, the value of this Book would have increased manifold. 

This book is heavy on philosophy and talks about a lot of things. Some may find this to be information overload. Moreover, the book has a preaching tone and requires full concentration of the reader. So only serious readers should attempt to read it. A second reading of the book, if you are serious, may make the concepts and ideas clearer. 

This book uses many quotes and anecdotes of The Holy Mother (Sarada Devi, consort of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa) and Swami Vivekananda. Sometimes author starts the chapter with a quote. 

Advaita Ashram, founded in 1899, located at Mayawati - Uttarakhand, is a branch of Ramakrishna math.

Why did I read this book? Curiosity. 

What I didn't like? Lack of practical application guidance.   

What did I like? Logic.

Recommend reading, only if you are serious about the subject.