10 THE POWER OF DISCIPLINE

           

           Sure I am that this day we are masters of our fate,
      that the task which has been set before us is not above
      our strengths;   that its pangs and toils are not beyond
      my   endurance.   As   long   as   we   have faith   in   our   own
      cause  and an unconquerable   will to win,   victory will
      not be denied us.

                                                  Winston Churchill

Julian    continued    to  use   Yogi   Raman's     mystical   fable   as  the
cornerstone for the wisdom he was sharing with me. I had learned
of   the   garden   within    my   mind,    a  storehouse    of   power   and
potential. Through the symbol of the lighthouse, I had learned of
the  over-riding importance  of a definite purpose in life  and the
effectiveness of goal-setting. By the example of the nine-foot-tall,
nine-hundred-pound         Japanese     sumo    wrestler,   I  had   received
instruction   on   the  timeless   concept  of kaizen   and  the  bountiful
benefits that self-mastery would bring.  Little did I know that the
best was still to come.

     "You will recall that our friend the  sumo wrestler was stark 

naked." 

     "Except for the pink wire cable covering his private parts, " I 

interjected gamely. 

     "Right," applauded Julian. "The pink wire cable will serve to 

remind you of the power of self-control and discipline in building a 

richer, happier and more enlightened life. My teachers in Sivana 

were undoubtedly the most healthy, contented and serene people I 

have ever met. They were also the most disciplined. These sages 

taught me that the virtue of self-discipline was like a wire cable. 

Have you ever really taken the time to study a wire cable, John?" 

     "It hasn't been high on my priority list,"  I   confessed with   a 

quick grin. 

     "Well, have a look at one sometime. You will see that it consists 

of many thin, tiny wires placed one on top of the other. Alone, each 

one is flimsy and weak. But, together, their sum is much greater 

than their constituent parts and the cable becomes tougher than 

iron. Self-control and willpower are similar to this . To build a will 

of iron, it is essential to take small, tiny acts in tribute to the virtue 

of personal discipline. Routinely performed, the little acts pile one 

on   top   of another to  eventually produce  an   abundance  of inner 

strength.   Perhaps   the   old  African   proverb   says   it   best : 'When 

spider webs  unite,   they   tie   up   a lion.'  When   you   liberate   your 

willpower, you become the master of your personal world. When 

you continually practice the ancient art of self-government, there 

will be no hurdle too high for you to overcome, no challenge too 

tough for you to  surmount and  no  crisis too hot for you   to cool 

down.  Self-discipline will  provide  you with  the   mental  reserves 

required to persevere when life throws you one of its little curves." 

     "I must also alert you to the fact that the lack of willpower is a 

mental disease," Julian added surprisingly. "If you suffer from this 

weakness, make it a priority to stamp it out quickly. An abundance 

of willpower and discipline is one of the chief attributes of all those 

with strong characters and wonderful lives. Willpower allows you 

to do what you said you would do, when you said you would do it. 

It is willpower that allows you to get up at five in the morning to 

cultivate your mind through meditation, or to feed your spirit by a 

walk in the woods when a cozy bed beckons you on a cold winter's 

day. It is willpower that allows you to hold your tongue when a less- 

actualized person insults you or does something you disagree with. 

It is willpower that pushes your dreams forward when the  odds 

appear to be insurmountable.  It is willpower that offers you the 

inner power to  keep your commitments to  others,  and,  perhaps 

even more importantly, to yourself." 

     "Is it really that important?" 

     "Most certainly, my friend.  It is the essential virtue of every 

person who  has  created  a life rich with   passion,  possibility   and 

peace." 

     Julian then reached into his robe and pulled out a shiny silver 

locket,  the   kind you  might  see  in   a  museum   exhibit   on   ancient 

Egypt. 

     "You shouldn't have," I joked. 

     "The Sages of Sivana gave this gift to me on my last evening 

with them. It was a joyous, loving celebration between members of 

a family who lived life to the fullest. It was one of the greatest, and 

 saddest nights  of my life.  I   didn't want to leave the Nirvana of 

 Sivana. It was my sanctuary, an oasis of all that was good in this 

world. The sages had become my spiritual brothers and sisters . I 

left part of myself high in the Himalayas that evening." Julian said, 

his voice growing soft. 

     "What are the words engraved on the locket?" 

     "Here, I'll read them to you. Never forget them, John. They 

have really helped me when times got tough. I pray that they also 

bathe you in comfort during times of difficulty. They say: 

     Through the steel of discipline, you will forge a character 

     rich with courage and peace. Through the virtue of Will, 

     you   are   destined   to   rise   to   life's   highest   ideal   and   live 

     within   a   heavenly   mansion   filled   with   all   that   is   good, 

    joyful     and   vital.   Without    them,     you   are   lost   like  a 

     mariner   without   a   compass,        one   who   eventually   sinks 

     with his ship. 

     "I   have   never   really   thought   about   the   importance   of  self- 

control,  although there have been many times  I've wished I had 

more discipline," I admitted. "Are you saying that I can actually 

build discipline, the way my teenage son builds his biceps at the 

local gym?" 

     "The     analogy     is  an   excellent     one.   You    condition     your 

willpower   just     as   your   son   conditions   his   body     at   the   gym. 

Anyone, no matter how weak or lethargic they might currently 

be, can grow disciplined within a relatively short time . Mahatma 

Gandhi   is   a   good   example.   When        most   people   think   of   this 

modern-day   saint   they remember   a   man who   could   go  weeks 

without food in the pursuit of his cause, and endure tremendous 

pain    for   the   sake   of   his  convictions.     But    when    you    study 

Gandhi's life,  you will see that he was not always  a master of 

self-control." 

     "You're  not going to  tell me that   Gandhi was  a chocoholic 

are you?" 

     "Not quite, John. As a young lawyer in South Africa, he was 

given   to  passionate   outbursts   and  the   disciplines   of fasting  and 

meditation were  as  foreign to  him   as  the   simple white  loincloth 

which eventually became his personal trademark in his later years." 

     "Are   you   saying   that   with   the   right   blend   of training   and 

preparation, I could have the same level of willpower as Mahatma 

Gandhi?" 

     "Everyone is different. One of the fundamental principles that 

Yogi  Raman taught me was that truly enlightened people never 

seek to be like  others.  Rather, they seek to be  superior to their 

former selves.  Don't race  against others .  Race  against yourself," 

Julian replied. 

     "When you have self-control, you will have the resolve to do 

the   things   you   have   always  wanted   to   do.   For   you,   it   may   be 

training     for  a  marathon     or  mastering   the     art  of   white-water 

rafting or even giving up the law to become an artist . Whatever it 

is you   are dreaming of, whether it is material riches or spiritual 

riches, I will not be your judge . I will simply tell you that all these 

things will be within your grasp when you cultivate your sleeping 

reserves of willpower." 

     Julian   added :  "Building  self-control   and  discipline  into  your 

life will also bring you a tremendous sense of freedom. This alone 

will change things." 

     "What do you mean?" 

     "Most people have liberty. They can go where they want and 

do the things they feel like doing. But too many people are also 

 slaves  to  their impulses.  They have  grown  reactive  rather than 

proactive, meaning that they are like seafoam pounding against a 

rocky shore, going in whatever direction the tide might take them. 

 If they are  spending time with   their families  and  someone  from 

work     calls   with  a  crisis,   they   hit   the   ground   running,   never 

stopping to think which activity is more vital to their overall well- 

being and to their life's purpose.  So, after all I have observed in 

my life,  both here in the West and in the  East,  I   say that such 

people have liberty but lack freedom. They lack a key ingredient 

to   a meaningful,   enlightened  life:  the  freedom   to  see  the  forest 

beyond the trees, the freedom to choose what is right over what 

seems pressing." 

     I   couldn't   help   but   agree  with   Julian.   Sure,   I   had   little   to 

complain about. I had a great family, a cozy home and a bustling 

law practice. But I really couldn't say that I had achieved freedom. 

My pager was just as much an appendage as my right arm. I was 

always      on   the   run .  I  never    seemed     to   have    the   time   to 

communicate deeply with Jenny, and quiet time for myself in the 

foreseeable future was about as likely as me winning the Boston 

Marathon. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I 

had   probably   never   even   tasted   the   nectar   of true,   boundless 

freedom when I was younger.  I guess I really was a slave to my 

weaker impulses. I always did what everyone else told me I should 

be doing. 

     "And building willpower will offer me more freedom?" 

     "Freedom is like a house: you build it brick by brick. The first 

brick you should lay is willpower. This quality inspires you to do 

what is right in any given moment. It gives you the energy to act 

with   courage.   It gives  you the   control  to  live  the  life  you have 

imagined rather than accepting the life that you have." 

     Julian     also   noted    the   many    practical    benefits    that   the 

 cultivation of discipline would bring. 

     "Believe it or not, developing the power of your will can erase 

the worry habit, keep you healthy and give you far more energy 

than you have ever had. You see, John, self-control is really nothing 

more than mind control. Will is the king of mental powers. When 

you master your mind you master your life. Mental mastery starts 

with being able to control every thought that you think. When you 

have developed the ability to discard all weak thoughts and focus 

only on those that are positive and good, positive and good actions 

will follow.  Soon you will start attracting all that is positive  and 

good into your life." 

     "Here's      an   example.      Let's    say   one    of   your    personal 

development goals is to get up every morning at 6:00 a.m. and go 

for a run around that park behind your place.  Let's pretend it is 

now the middle  of the winter,  and your alarm wakes you from a 

deep, restful sleep. Your first impulse is to hit the snooze button 

and   return   to   your   slumber.   Perhaps   you   will   live   up   to   your 

exercise   resolution   tomorrow.   This   pattern   continues   for   a   few 

days until you decide that you are too old to change your ways and 

the physical fitness goal was too unrealistic." 

     "You know me too well," I offered sincerely. 

     "Now let's consider an alternative scenario. It is still the dead 

of winter. The alarm goes off and you start to think of staying in 

bed.  But instead   of being  a   slave  to  your habits,  you   challenge 

them with more powerful thoughts. You start to picture in your 

mind's eye how you will look, feel and act when you are in peak 

physical shape. You hear the many compliments your colleagues at 

the office  offer you as you   saunter past them with  a svelte,  trim 

physique.   You   focus   on   all   that   you    can   accomplish   with   the 

increased energy a regular exercise program will bring. No more 

nights spent in front of the television because you are too tired  to 

do anything else after your long day in court. Your days are  filled 

with vitality, enthusiasm and meaning." 

     "But say I do this and I still feel like going back to sleep rather 

than going running?" 

     "Initially, for the first few days, it will be a little difficult and you 

will feel like going back to your old habits. But Yogi Raman believed 

very strongly in one timeless principle in particular: positive always 

overcomes negative.   So if you continue to wage war against the 

weaker thoughts that might have silently crept into the palace of 

your mind over the  years,  eventually they will  see  that they are 

unwanted and leave like visitors who know they are not welcome." 

     "You mean to tell me that thoughts are physical things?" 

     "Yes, and they are fully in your control.  It is just as  easy to 

think positive thoughts as it is to think negative ones." 

     "Then   why   do   so   many   people  worry   and   focus   on   all   the 

negative information in our world?" 

     "Because   they   have   not   learned   the   art   of self-control   and 

disciplined thinking.  Most people I have spoken to have no idea 

that   they   have   the   power   to   control   every   single  thought   they 

think every second of every minute of every day. They believe that 

thoughts just happen and have never realized that if you don't take 

the time to start controlling your thoughts, they will control you. 

When you start to focus on good thoughts only, and refuse to think 

the bad  ones  through  sheer will-power,   I   promise you they will 

 shrivel up very quickly." 

     "So, if I want to have the inner strength to get up earlier, eat 

less, read more, worry less, be more patient or be more loving, all 

I have to do is exert my will to cleanse my thoughts?" 

     "When   you   control   your   thoughts,   you   control   your   mind. 

When you control your mind, you control your life. And once you 

reach the stage of being in total control of your life, you become 

the master of your destiny." 

      I needed to hear this . Through the course of this strange yet 

inspiring   evening   I      had   gone   from   being   a     skeptical   litigator 

 carefully   studying   a   hotshot      lawyer-turned   yogi   to   a   believer 

whose  eyes had been opened for the first time in many years .  I 

wished Jenny could hear all this. Actually I wished my kids could 

hear this wisdom too. I knew it would affect them as it had me. I 

had always planned on being a better family man and living more 

 fully, but I always found that I was too busy putting out all those 

little brush fires of life that seemed so pressing. Maybe this was a 

weakness, a lack of self-control. An inability to see the forest for 

the trees, perhaps . Life was passing by so quickly. It seemed like 

jus t yesterday that I was a young law student full of energy and 

 enthusiasm.   I   dreamed   of becoming a political  leader or even   a 

 supreme court judge back then. But as time went by, I settled into 

 a routine.  Even   as  a cocky litigator,  Julian used to  tell  me  that 

 "complacency   kills."   The   more   I   thought   about   it,   the   more   I 

realized  that   I   had   lost   my   hunger.   This  wasn't   a   hunger   for   a 

bigger   house   or   a   faster   car.   This  was   a   far   deeper   hunger :   a 

hunger for living with more meaning, with more festivity and more 

 satisfaction. 

      I started to daydream while Julian continued to talk. Oblivious 

to what he was now saying,  I saw myself first as a fifty-year-old- 

 and then as a sixty-year-old-man. Would I be stuck in the same job 

with the same people, facing the same struggles at that point of my 

 life? I dreaded that . I had always wanted to contribute to the world 

 in some way, and I sure wasn't doing it now. I think it was at that 

 moment, with Julian sitting next to me on my living room floor on 

 that sticky July night that I changed. The Japanese call it satori, 

 meaning   instant   awakening,          and   that's   exactly   what   it   was.   I 

 resolved to fulfill my dreams and make my life far more than it had 

ever been.  That was my first taste of real freedom, the freedom 

that comes when you decide once and for all to take charge of your 

life and all its constituent elements. 

     "I   will   give   you   a   formula   for   developing   willpower,"   said 

Julian,  who  had   no  idea  of the  inner transformation   I   had just 

experienced.  "Wisdom without proper tools for its application is 

no wisdom at all." 

     He continued. "Every day, while you are walking to work, I 

would like you to repeat a few simple words." 

     "Is this one of those mantras you told me about earlier?"  I 

 asked. 

     "Yes  it is.  It is  one  that  has  been  in   existence  for  over five 

thousand years,  although only the small band of Sivanan monks 

have known about it. Yogi Raman told me that by its repetition I 

would develop self-control and an indomitable will within a short 

period of time. Remember, words are great influencers. Words are 

the verbal embodiment of power. By filling your mind with words 

 of hope, you become hopeful. By filling your mind with words of 

kindness, you become kind. By filling your mind with thoughts of 

 courage,   you   become   courageous.   Words   have   power,"   Julian 

 observed. 

     "Okay, I'm all ears. " 

     "This is the mantra I suggest you repeat at least thirty times 

 a day: 'I am more than I appear to be, all the world's strength and 

power  rests inside me.' It will manifest profound changes in your 

 life. For even quicker results, blend this mantra with the practice 

 of creative envisioning I spoke of earlier. For example, go to a quiet 

place.  Sit with your eyes  closed.  Do  not let your mind wander. 

 Keep your body still, as the surest sign of a weak mind is a body 

 that   cannot   rest .   Now repeat   the  mantra  aloud,   over   and   over 

again. While you do so, see yourself as a disciplined, firm person, 

fully in  control of your mind,  your body and your spirit.  Picture 

yourself     acting   as  Gandhi     or   Mother    Teresa    might     act  in  a 

challenging situation. Startling results will surely come your way," 

he promised. 

     "That's it?" I asked, astonished by the apparent simplicity of 

this formula. "I can tap the full reserves of my willpower through 

this simple exercise?" 

     "This technique has been taught by the spiritual teachers of 

the   East   for   centuries.   It   is   still   around   today   for   one   reason : 

because      it  works .   As   always,    judge    by   results .   If   you  are 

interested, there are a couple of other exercises I can offer you to 

liberate the strength of your will and cultivate inner discipline. But 

let me warn you that they might seem strange at first." 

     "Hey,   Julian,   I'm    absolutely   fascinated   by   what   I've   been 

hearing. You're on a roll, so don't stop now." 

     "Okay. The first thing is to start doing the things you don't like 

doing.  For you it might be as simple as making your bed in the 

morning or walking rather than driving to work. By getting into 

the habit of exerting your will, you will cease to be a slave to your 

weaker impulses." 

     "Use it or lose it?" 

     "Exactly. To build willpower and inner strength you must first 

use   it.   The   more   you    exert   and   nurture   the   embryo   of   self- 

discipline, the more quickly it will mature and give you the results 

you desire. The second exercise is a favorite of Yogi Raman's. He 

used to go an entire day without speaking, except in response to a 

direct question." 

     "Kind of like a vow of silence?" 

     "Actually that's exactly what it was, John. The Tibetan monks 

who popularized this practice believed that to hold one's tongue 

for an extended period of time would have the effect of enhancing 

one's discipline." 

     "But how?" 

     "Basically,  by keeping  silent for  a   day,  you   are  conditioning 

your will to do as you command it to do.  Each time the urge to 

speak arises, you actively curb this impulse and remain quiet. You 

see, your will does not have a mind of its own. It waits for you to 

give it instructions that will spur it into action. The more control 

you exert over it, the more powerful it will become. The problem 

is that most people don't use their willpower." 

     "Why is that? " I asked. 

     "Probably because most people  believe they don't have  any. 

They blame everyone and everything except themselves for this 

apparent weakness. Those who have a vicious temper will tell you, 

'I can't help it, my father was the same way.' Those who worry too 

much will tell you, 'It's not my fault, my job is too stressful.' Those 

who sleep too much will say, 'What can I do? My body needs ten 

hours of sleep a night.' Such people lack the self-responsibility that 

comes   through   knowing  the   extraordinary   potential  which   lies 

deep within   every one  of us, waiting to be  inspired into  action. 

When you come to know the timeless laws of nature, those that 

govern the operation of this universe and all that lives within it, 

you will also know that it is your birthright to be all that you can 

be .   You  have   the   power   to   be   more   than   your   environment. 

Similarly, you have the capacity to be more than a prisoner of your 

past. To do this, you must become the master of your will." 

     "Sounds heavy." 

     "Really, it's a very practical concept. Imagine what you could 

do   if you   doubled   or   tripled  the   amount   of willpower   that  you 

currently have. You could get into that exercise regimen you have 

dreamed   of starting ;  you   could  be   far  more   efficient with   your 

time; you could erase the worry habit once and for all; or you could 

be the ideal husband. Using your will allows you to rekindle the 

drive and energy for living that you seem to be saying you've lost. 

It is a very important area to focus on." 

     "So the bottom line is to start using my willpower on a regular 

basis?" 

     "Yes. Decide to do the things you know you should be doing 

rather than walking the path of least resistance. Start to fight the 

gravitational force of your bad habits and weaker impulses just as 

a rocket rises above the force of gravity to enter the realm of the 

heavens. Push yourself. Just watch what will happen in a matter of 

weeks." 

     "And the mantra will help?" 

     "Yes.  Repeating the mantra I gave you, along with the daily 

practice   of seeing yourself as  you   hope  to  be,  will   give   you   an 

enormous       amount     of   support   as   you   create   the   disciplined, 

principled life that will connect you to your dreams . And you need 

not change your world in a day. Start off small. The thousand-mile 

journe y    begins    by  taking   that   first  step.   We   grow    great   by 

 degrees.   Even   training   yourself to   get   up   an   hour   earlier   and 

 sticking   to   this  wonderful   habit  will   boost  your   self-confidence, 

inspiring you to reach higher heights." 

     "I don't see the connection," I admitted. 

     "Small victories lead to large victories. You must build on the 

 small to achieve the great . By following through on a resolution as 

 simple as getting up earlier every day, you will feel the pleasure 

 and gratification that achievement brings. You have set a goal and 

 you have realized it. This feels good. The trick is to keep setting 

the mark higher and raising your standards continuously. This will 

then release that magical quality of momentum that will motivate 

you to keep exploring your infinite potential. Do you like to ski?" 

Julian questioned abruptly. 

     "I love skiing," I replied. "Jenny and I take the kids up to the 

mountains whenever we can, which isn't very often, much to her 

dismay." 

     "Okay. Just think of what it's like when you push off from the 

top of the ski hill. At first you start off slowly. But within a minute 

you are flying down the hill like there's no tomorrow. Right?" 

     "Just call me Ninja Skier. I love the rush of speed!" 

     "What gets you going so fast?" 

     "My aerodynamically contoured physique?" I quipped. 

     "Nice   try."   Julian   laughed.   "Momentum   is   the   answer   I'm 

looking for.  Momentum is  also the secret ingredient to building 

self-discipline. Like I said, you start off small, whether that means 

getting up a little earlier, starting to walk around the block every 

night or even just training yourself to turn off the television when 

you know you have had enough. These small victories create the 

momentum that excites you to take larger steps along the path to 

your highest self. Soon you are doing things that you never knew 

you were capable of doing with a vigor and energy that you never 

thought you had.  It' s a delightful process, John, it really is . And 

the  pink wire   cable   in Yogi   Raman's   magical  fable  will   always 

remind you of the power of your will." 

     Just as Julian finished revealing his thoughts on the subject of 

discipline, I noticed the first rays of the sun peeking into the living 

room,  pushing  away the   darkness  like   a   child   pushes   away   an 

unwanted bedcover.  "This will be  a great day,"  I   thought.  "The 

first day of the rest of my life."