You make your life

We generally ascribe our failures to Fate;
the sanskrit aphorism: यत् भावं तत् भवति yadbhaavam tat bhavati (as one conceives, so things happen) contradicts
this assumption, reminds us that we are responsible for the consequences of our actions, and advises us to remember that -

Life is a do-it-yourself job:
We build our lives in a distracted way,
reacting rather than acting,
willing to put up with
less than what is best.for us in the long-term.
At important points
we do not give the job our best effort.
Then with a shock
we look at the situation we have created
and find that
we are now living in the house we ourselves have built.
If we had realized earlier,
we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter
Who builds your house.
Each day you hammer a nail,
place a board, or erect a wall.
Build wisely.
It is the only life you will ever build.
Even if you live it for only one day more,
that day deserves to be lived graciously
and with dignity.

The plaque on the wall says,
"Life is a do-it-yourself project"
Who could say it more clearly?
Your life today is the result
of your attitudes and choices in the past.
Your life tomorrow will be the result
of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

The Ramayana story illustrates this very well. Dasaratha acted to make Rama his successor, ignoring ghis promise to Kaikeyi that her son will succeed him as King. He suffered the consequences of his action - his own death, exile of Rama for fourteen years, abduction of Sita and battle with Ravana. None can escape the operation of this rule: "Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today".(See the Post: "On Kaikeyi" 22 June 2008)
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If you find travelling the correct spiritual path difficult, help is always available: from the Wisdom of the past contained in the scriptures or
the experienced, wise and competent teachers who are willing
to advise and guide. Life's path is like the razor's edge, dark
and difficult to tread - as explained in Kathopanishad:
kshurasya dhaaraa nishitaa duratyayaa
durgam pathastat kavayo vadanti
and therefore:
praapya varaan nibodhata
get the know-how from competent sages.
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There is an another, easier path to liberation from the sufferings of failures: the ego's surrender to Krishna
and resting in his hands as his flute. He himself has advised: मामेकं शरणम व्रज maamekam sharaNam vraja .
This theme is lucidly brought out in the song "kuzhaloothi":

குழலூதி மனம் எல்லாம்
கொள்ளை கொண்ட பின்னும்
குறை ஏதும் எனக்கேதடி? ...........
kuzhaloothi manamellam
koLLai konda pinnum
kuRaiyethum enakkEthadi ..............
Link to the music: Flute Vocal
Audio_Flute

Audio_Vocal


I am safely resting in His hands
It is He who blew the first breath of life into me and
it is He who will determine the last breath of my life.
I should rest my self in His hands as His flute
and let Him play the sweet song of my life.

Tired of this stressful life and senseless pursuits?
Come; let us surrender to our dear Lord Krishna!
Let us place our ego as the flute in His hands.
Our every action will then becomes a note
in the music that He will gladly play through us.
Then, where will there be place in our mind
for regrets about failures, or for unfulfilled
wants and wishes that ceaselessly haunt us?

We can blissfully chant thenceforth
in harmony with His divine music:
குறை ஏதும் எனக்கேதடி
I am wanting in nothing;
I am full; I am full; I am full.
OM! Poornamadah Poornamidam!

Full text of the song: Kuzhaloodhi Manamellam

composer: ooththukkaadu venkatasubbaiyar
raagam: kaambodhi thaalam: aadhi

kuzhaloothi manamellaam koLLaikonda pinnum
kurai ethum enakkethadi sakiye
(kuzhaloothi)
(miga miga) azhagaana mayilaadavum
kaatril asainthaadum kodipolavum
agamagizhnthilavum nilavoli thanile
thanaimaranthu pullinam kuuva
asainthaadi miga isainthodi varum nalam kaana oru manam naada
thagumigu ena oru patham paada thakita thathimi ena nadamaada
kanru pasuvinamum ninru pudaisuuzha
enrum malarumuga iraivan kanivOdu
(kuzhaloothi)
(kannan) makara kundalamaadavum atharkErpa
makudam oliviisavum migavum ezhilaagavum
(thenral) kaatril milirum thugilaadavum
(agamagizhndhilavum)
(kuzhaloothi)

குழலூதி மனமெல்லாம்
composer: ஊத்துக்காடு வேங்கடசுப்பையர்
ராகம்:காம்போதி தாளம்: ஆதி

குழலூதி மனமெல்லாம் கொள்ளைகொண்ட பின்னும்
குறை ஏதும் எனக்கேதடி சகியே
(குழலூதி)
(மிக மிக) அழகான மயிலாடவும் காற்றில் அசைந்தாடும் கொடிபோலவும்
அகமகிழ்ந்திலவும் நிலவொளி தனிலே தனைமறந்து புள்ளினம் கூவ
அசைந்தாடி மிக இசைந்தோடி வரும் நலம் கான ஒரு மனம் நாட
தகுமிகு என ஒரு பதம் பாட தகிட திமி என நடமாட
கன்று பசுவினமும் நின்று புடைசூழ என்றும் மலருமுக இறைவன் கனிவோடு
(குழலூதி)
(கண்ணன்) மகர குண்டலமாடவும் அதற்கேற்ப மகுடம் ஒளிவீசவும்
மிகவும் எழிலாகவும் (தென்றல்) காற்றில் மிளிரும் துகிலாடவும் (அகமகிழ்ந்திளவும்)
(குழலூதி)
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The sound of Krishna's flute is the divine call to ecstasy;
it is His call advising us: "Give up attachments and follow Me."
Happy are those who can harken to this call and
commence living in eternal Bliss:
yasya brahmani ramate cittam
nandati nandati nandatyeva
He whose awareness rests constantly in Brahman-Conciousness,
his mind is ever in the supreme Blissful state.