Success vs. Joy
- XLIX -
Temptations from Apsara
To become a master of a subject, one needs total dedication. To achieve this mastery, meditation is effective.
There is this famous mythological story about Saint Vishwamitra who was always in deep meditation. Lord Indra, in order to test how steadfast he was, sent the beautiful heavenly nymph or apsara, Menaka, to disturb him.
The story goes that Menaka was successful in distracting Vishwamitra from his austerities for a period of three years.
If you allow yourself to be distracted, there is every reason to believe that your performance as a sportsperson will suffer. Just as Vishwamitra allowed himself to be seduced by Menaka, there are distractions galore – alcohol, clothes, parties, money, travel or even a job – that take one’s mind away from what it is trying to do.
How should one guard against these temptations of succumbing to our own apsaras? How does one achieve mastery over oneself?
My answer lies in obsession. One must have a burning desire to pursue the truth and not deviate from one’s chosen path. One must possess a positive attitude that does not dissipate one’s intellectual and spiritual energy. For me, this happened when I became addicted to the joy I derived from the first ball I hit. All other desires paled in comparison.