Three-pronged Strategy for Life

Be strong - take everything else easy - believe in an almighty external force. Life involved you on one side and everything else on the other. Life is an interaction between these two entities. Certainly this is not fair - yes, life is not fair. So, the best approach to surviving this imbalance is to be strong - physically, mentally, doing whatever it takes to be able to handle tough situations. The next best is remove the prejudices and pent-up fears about the other side and taking the other side easy. Action = reaction, so take it easy and act less. The other side will automatically weaken their force on you. The third aspect is to have faith in an external force and believe that this almighty force will take care of you. Faith works wonders, beyond all rationale. Observe carefully and almost all of the successful approaches in this world fall into one of these 3 categories. Vishnu Pendyala

Thoughts and Senses are our Most Valued Tools

Knowing how and when to withdraw thoughts and senses from this material world is more important than engaging them, just like an army general handles his troops. Mahabharata teaches us what happened to Abhimanyu because he did not have this important skill and could not withdraw from the padmavyuham, when he had to. Vishnu Pendyala

Expanding Lifespan

Getting consumed by happenings is the primary characteristic of mortals. Pursuing immortal, divine qualities like happiness, yoga, and purity prolongs life and reduces wear-and-tear on the body. Vishnu Pendyala

Conscience

Conscience is the built-in correction mechanism in the righteously inclined. However, like all correction mechanisms, it can be manipulated and even destroyed by a corrupted value system and vices like arrogance and apathy. Vishnu Pendyala

Thoughts and Senses are the Weapons of the Warriors that we are

Knowing how and when to withdraw thoughts and senses from this material world is more important than engaging them, just like it is important for an army general to know when and how to engage and disengage his troops. The Mahabharatha epic teaches us through Abhimanyu's war strategies that it could be fatal if one does not know how to withdraw, however mighty the person is. Vishnu Pendyala

Best State of Mind

The most gainful mind-set is internally the least agitative: anticipating, receptive, and surrendering. Most stable position of an object is that of least energy - on the ground. Vishnu Pendyala

The Ultimate Analytical Skill

The most needed analytical skill of detaching the thinker from the thought, the actor from the act, and the self from the selfish world is also the most difficult to acquire. Vishnu Pendyala