The Techniques of Success – a series of three talks Swami Chinmayananda addressed the students of Somaiya College, Bombay.

Story: DONKEY CARRYING GOLD

Going along the road, a donkey is carrying half a maund of gold. The donkey thinks, ‘Why is this gold unnecessarily on my back?’ To the donkey, it is of no use. It cannot enjoy that gold. It is only a useless weight. But if it were given to us, we would be in seventh heaven. Similarly, however much knowledge we may have in our intellect, it is an unnecessary load.

We cannot make use of it unless we know how to digest that knowledge and make ourselves great in the world. There are mighty men of knowledge giving discourses from all platforms. They cannot become Vivekanandas. They cannot become great men.

Some of the pundits know more than Sankaracharya, but there is no greatness in them. There are people who have studied the Upanishads, but they are not great. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was illiterate, but how highly people around the world esteemed him!

Technique 1: Assimilate the Knowledge

We should make our life worthwhile. It is not merely education or the marks that we get in the classroom which make our life worthwhile. We must be able to manifest those desirable acquirements in our contact. Such a person we dramatically respect, him we revere. There is music wherever he works, there is a joy, a beautiful fragrance of personality, which attracts us to him.

We are talking of the decency, the culture and personality of a truly great man. Mahatma Gandhi was in no way good-looking. He, who was not a vain individual who can attract a larger number of people towards him, is viewed as the most successful man.

Christ could. Vivekananda could. Ramakrishna could. Our Buddha too could attract great multitudes of people. Similarly, we find that mighty thinkers and politicians also gather around them admiring flocks of people. They are all successful men. 

We are preparing now to enter into the world. When we go out of the university, we want to be successful in society; we yearn to achieve something. Many of you may become big businessmen. Maybe, you will be serving other people. You may even become rich. But if people are not attracted to you in spite of your knowledge, wealth and readiness to serve, you cannot succeed. Even in your small world of college, there are  some people who attract other students, while there are others who put us off.

Some people attract others like a centrifugal force. Some repel others with the same force. Those who attract seem to have a special quality in them. It is something we can all develop. A person who has this quality is known to have a dynamic character. It is in this sense of the term I am using the word. I am not using the words ‘moral character’. It is also necessary, no doubt, but I am using the term in the larger sense the quality or attitude of mind. Character here is not the external appearance.

It is not the house or the courtyard or garden or imported artifacts that attract people. People are attracted by character. Those who can cultivate such a dynamic character are the mighty men, moulders, the makers of the world. To the extent we develop ourselves, to that extent, we can achieve things in the future.

The word ‘Krishna‘ means: one who can attract everyone towards Him not because of His beauty, not because of His little buttered hand, but because there is something tantalising in Him, something magical about Him. It is this that attracted the gopis. They could not forget Him. He wove a magic spell of love around them.

We find such character in all successful men everywhere. If such a person were to be in business, people would collect around him and invest money in his business. There is something in his inner nature, an inner fragrance, which makes him irresistible to other fellow beings. A woman with such a dynamic character will be the favourite of the whole household, including the mother-in-law. 

Technique 2: Reconstruction of Personality

How do we develop such a personality, such a dynamic character? I want you to understand that it is important to develop such a character; it is more important than your studies, more enduring than your certificate, more valuable than your job. All these things will come automatically if you have character. In order to develop this, you must cultivate a certain attitude in the world. A typical example is a friend of mine, whom I have known since childhood.

I like him, but if he were to come into this room, I would tell him, “I am busy, we will meet tomorrow.” He is a nice man, no doubt, I don’t dislike him, but he has developed certain unpleasant traits of character. He looks miserable and if you ask him what is wrong, he launches off into a long list of complaints about life. Some people distribute sorrow wherever they go.

There is another boy, who also has his share of problems we all have. He is not very rich. But he wears clean clothes, and as he walks in, he brings in a ray of sunshine. He has laughter in his heart and a smile on his lips. Always self-confident, he wants everybody to smile.

Have you ever seen a picture of any God weeping? Even the Elephant God is smiling. This is because our real nature is to be happy. If you happen to see two or three students holding their bellies, laughing away, will you not stop to ask them, “What is the matter?” You also want to share their joy. You, too, want to laugh. But my friends, on the other hand, if you see someone weeping under a tree, you may turn your face away. You may think, “i have no time to weep, I must go to college.”

Successful people also have troubles. Everyone has his share of trouble, but the person with character has the ability to rise above sorrow. He is self-confident. He always draws people towards him, because they come away feeling that they have gained something from him. When you attract others, your success is assured. Such an attractive personality naturally leads to success. This can be cultivated by a habit of correct thinking.

The removal of negative mental habits is called personality reconstruction or character building. It cannot be done by your father or mother, nor by your brother or sister. Each one of us will have to develop ourselves by ourselves. Your brother may be popular, but you are not. You may have the same blood, eat the same food, yet one is very popular, while the other is very unpopular. If it is an inherited quality, then you and your brother must both be successful. Therefore, it is not inheritance. 

It is a mental habit. Some of us, from early childhood, through various pressures, have developed wrong channels of thinking. Perhaps, at that time your mother was ill. Auntie came to look after you. You wondered why your mother is not helping you. You may have been frightened by the auntie who told you ghost stories or upset you by a pressure of emotions. There could be a thousand and one reasons. At that tender age, you had not grown up enough to discriminate.

Today, each one of us can watch for different weaknesses in ourselves and remove them. As vigorous youngsters, you have got the will power now. Tomorrow, when you go out, you will have to face a lot of challenges. You will have to earn your livelihood. You will have to shoulder a lot of responsibilities and your will power may not be available to you fully. If you are sincere, it is possible for you to change your mental habits right now. You can strengthen positive habits and learn this technique of self-unfoldment. Read about Positive Thinking – Make it a Habit.

Technique 3: Build Character to Build Nation

Today we have seen how a man with knowledge is like a donkey carrying gold. Mere knowledge is useless. We must learn to use that knowledge. We must have an attractive personality to ensure our success in life. In order to court success, we must develop good mental habits. This is the secret power of attracting people. Once this power is acquired, your future is assured.

Remember, in your future, lies the future of your country. Therefore, national character is more important than national wealth. If character is there, you can create wealth!

It is not only your personal development, but it is a national development. Ultimately, we are trying to develop the nation by developing each individual. Thus the glory you wrest from within yourself will be reflected in the whole world around you.

Reference: Chinmaya Tej January/ February 2015