Totality is the key which can open the lock of success in any area. It works in spiritual dimension as well as in the materialistic world. If you are total and passionate about your work then it just multiplies your chances of success.
One of the most important and revered books of Hindus is Ramayana which is an inspiration as well as a guide to Hindus for thousand of years. One of the reasons for this is the quality of totality which you can imbibe from the central characters of Ramayana.
E.g. Lord Rama (Incarnation of Lord Vishnu) always tried to fulfill his duties (or dharma) as a son, brother, husband and ruler of the state. He is considered as the most righteous man who was walked on earth.
Lord Hanuman is an ideal in term of your devotion to your guru or spiritual master. People who practice celibacy (Brahmacharya) also worship him. Lord Hanuman is a celibate, as his whole energy is directed towards serving his master.
Laxmana was an ideal brother who always supported his elder brother. Ma Sita (incarnation of Goddess Laxmi) was an ideal wife. She is also considered as one of the five ideal women in Hinduism.
Even the other characters of Ramayana like Vibhishana, Meghnath, Kumbhkarna shows a lot of integrity and totality in their decisions. So if you want to imbibe any quality like devotion to your spiritual guru, father, husband, wife, brother then you have a perfect example or idol in the famous epic of Ramayana. Study the Ramayana with your heart and you will slowly start attracting these qualities inside you.
Also, check these post – How to read a spiritual book and How to be total in spiritual journey.
The whole search in spirituality is to find your inner center and get rooted to it. Whenever we work totally, we act from our center. When we are at our center then we are whole and there is no fragmentation inside us. The mind does not exist in that moment and we are here now. The pseudo personality or the ego which the society has given to us also ceases to exist. Because now we are in touch with our inner source of bliss, creativity and relaxation.
How to be total in life:
1. Do one thing at a time:
Choose one task and give your totality to it. Don’t do multi-tasking because it never helps the brain and also lowers your performance. Never divide your attention into two tasks. However, it does not mean that you cannot do different things in life. You can do them but do one thing at a time. E.g. Enlightened Mystic Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa perfected many spiritual sadhanas but when he was doing one sadhana then he gave his totality to that practice and didn’t mix it with what he has done or learned for doing other sadhanas. Take another example. Many people drive and talk on phone simultaneously. So they are not able to give their 100% to any of the activity. Their attention is split between driving and talking on phone. Do one thing at a time and do it with your totality and you will see that your act has some grace, beauty and creativity.
2. Don’t judge the tasks:
When you are total in your work then the quality of the work changes. It becomes more graceful and perfect. So the quality or type of work does not matter. What is important is the quality of energy or totality you bring to the task. You can make any mundane task look divine with your totality and you can even make a holiest of task impure when you bring your mind into it.
E.g. Saint Kabir was a weaver and even after getting enlightened he kept on weaving. So don’t judge the task as mundane, spiritual or ordinary. Use every task as an opportunity to bring your total energy into it.
3. Bring totality in daily activities of life:
Now this is the trickiest part “How to be total in your real life situations”. Because it is easier said than done. I have spent time with few people who are total in their work, no matter how small or mundane the task is. The time I have spent with these people has helped me as I have seen the totality in action. But still I am not total in my tasks. Because it needs a lot of practice to bring this quality of totality in your day to day life. It also needs totality in your approach towards life. Like how you deal with people, situations and your internal issues. Slowly as our energy becomes integrated and there is less fragmentation inside us, we start becoming total in our daily life. So you have to keep on practicing totality in your tasks as well as the decision you make in day to day life. E.g. Don’t compromise on key issues of life. Don’t travel in two boats. Be firm and clear about your life priorities.
The criteria to test whether you are total or not is very simple. When you give your totality to your task then your mind won’t be there. You will be totally absorbed in the task. The task will not drain you. Instead, you will feel content and fulfilled from within. The ego won’t be there. It will be like working in a timeless zone. It will give you a feeling of being whole or fulfilled. Creativity is the by-product of totality. So it will bring creative ideas in your work.
If anything tires you or makes your feel split from within then you are going away from your being (center). So be on guard when you see yourself getting split in work, relationships and in everyday moments of life. Avoid the tendency to compromise.
Be yourself. Listen to your inner voice and make the decisions of life. The key to succeeding in any field whether spiritual or materialistic is to put your soul into your work. Be total and one with your energies. When you are total then you are in the present moment and in those few minutes you live the life which many people live in few days. Remember, the time is relative and the key to living the life totally is to be total in your daily activities of life.