The road to self-mastery is long and needs patience and perseverance. Yet it is worth all the efforts since self-mastery makes life beautiful and happy and opens doors to endless possibilities of progress.
The first necessity is to have an aim. An aim is like a compass that keeps us moving in the right direction and prevents us from losing the path or deviating too much from it. Self-mastery itself is a step towards a still higher aim.
Once we have fixed a goal for ourselves, then slowly and steadily we should start discovering all that helps us move towards the goal, and all that hinders it. In this process we need the twin powers of reason and will. Right now, both are limited powers but by using them rightly they increase. Reason begins to be informed with a greater light and will starts getting supported by a greater strength from behind. But if we stop even trying then the difficulty grows further as time passes by. So, it is always good to start as early as we can though it is never too late to start.
Whatever it be, once we have chosen the aim it must be in the background always, like an illumining light that keeps us on track with the will as a steering wheel. The goal must get priority over all else. All our so-called preoccupations with pleasure must slowly give way to a preoccupation with the goal before us. It is not that we have to stop enjoying the things we do but it should not take a large space in our life as it does now. Also, joy must refine itself from cruder to more and more beautiful and sublime forms. Refinement and beauty are very good ways to help us in our march towards self-mastery.
The role of reason is to organise our life in accordance with the aim we have kept before us. With regard to self-mastery, reason helps us to bring moderation and balance, to regulate the constant sting and prick of impulse and desire. This itself is a great thing. Man’s life will be quite happy if he can practice balance and moderation in every sphere.
But for true self-mastery to come about, reason and will must find support in the very source from which they have come, turn towards the Divine Grace and seek help. But the Grace can help us best if we can find our inmost soul, the psychic being. The psychic being then becomes the true self and with its light and power, supported by the Grace there is nothing impossible. As the psychic emerges into the forefront, even before we have discovered it fully, its radiance shows things in a much clearer light than reason can and its gentle but subtly powerful pressure compels all to change in the right way and just measure.
An initial practice towards this great discovery of the soul within us is to learn to stand back from the waves of nature as if we were an impartial non-judgmental witness of all that is happening on the surface without getting sucked into it. This practice reveals to us how foolishly we get affected by things that have no or little real value. By refusing to give sanction to these things, slowly they become weak and drop away.
Along with this we should spend some time reflecting upon the goal of our life, aspiring for it to manifest. Whenever we get a few moments we should take this opportunity to sit quietly and seek the Divine Presence within us, in the center of the chest, taking the help of an image such as a flame or fire and focusing our consciousness on it. We can further assist this process by the help of a mantra such as OM or simply call Peace and quietude to fill our body and mind. Slowly as a result of our persistent efforts something will begin to shift within, initially imperceptible outwardly but felt inwardly. Later its more tangible effects will start becoming visible, at first to us and later to others as well.
These are a few hints on the path to self-mastery.
