Is this a better way?

Have you wondered what causes pain? While problems are in everyone's life. There is not a single person who doesn't have any problem, yet only few people go through pain. Why is it so? You must have heard this saying: Problem is inevitable, suffering is optional. Why. Why suffering is optional?

There is only 1 word that causes pain in your life. Only because of this 6 letter word, you go through the suffering. Want to know what that word is. Its EXPECT. Suffering/Pain is what? When you lose your composure, when you are not centered, that means you are suffering. Why does this happen? You expect things to be in a certain way. You expect a person to behave in a manner, you expect things to happen your way... you expect this.. you expect that; and when it doesn't happen the way you want, you suffer!

Now what to do if you don't want to suffer? Its very simple. Just change the 6 letter word with another 6 letter word - ACCEPT. Instead of expecting, start Accepting! You lose your composure, because you are not ready to accept things/people/situations as they are! Once you accept, you are free. You should say: Ok this is how I wanted it to be, it didn't happen. Its ok! Then work towards it. This way you will be in the right frame of mind, centered and will be able to deal things well.
If you ask me what is the magical word in our life. I would say its Accept. If you ask me what is the other name of GOD, I would say its 'accept!'

There are 2 ways to stop the suffering in your life:
First is: Don't expect at all. Don't expect a surrounding to be quiet. Don't expect someone to love as much as you love them. Don't expect a person to behave in the manner you want! Once you don't expect, everything comes to you as a surprise! But once it comes, accept that too. If joy comes as a surprise, accept. If problems come by surprise, accept. Accept and move ahead.

Second is: Expect, but Accept too. I expected this to happen as I wanted. It didn't. ok. Now what. Accept and move ahead.

Any method is fine. But only Accepting can remove your problem of expecting!
Once you have accepted this piece of knowledge, your life will be free from suffering! :)


I came across this very nice write up probably from a friend’s forwarded email. It is very well written but it made me think. Life would indeed be simple if we do not EXPECT but ACCEPT whatever comes our way.
I would like to tweak it a little bit and say EXPECT GOOD THINGS for yourself. EXPECT that you will get that promotion, EXPECT that your spouse will always understand you, EXPECT that your children will be obedient and ‘model’ citizens and EXPECT that you should have no enemies, only friends and well-wishers surrounding you; simply EXPECT that all good things will reach you automatically! You only need to ‘simply EXPECT’ that means EXPECTING wholeheartedly, without even a shred of doubt.
Try this out as an experiment; you will find that your enthusiasm soars and the contentment you feel will be inexplicably high!
Of course at every point of life we learn to ACCEPT the people and situations around us; most of the time we do ACCEPT things/people after a long internal battle and after pondering over the evasive question WHY ME? This phase of ACCEPTANCE involuntarily lures us to a wrong sense of fatalistic attitude, albeit even temporarily.
For those situations which seem insurmountable in terms of people who may behave incorrigibly we need to take clues from the ‘divine’. Just remember the golden words of Sri Krishna:
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
“you only have the right to do your duty, never on the results”
Just execute your part in the situation and forget about the result. It is not your job to get exasperated about ‘how incorrigible’ someone may be. Such type of thinking only leads to frustration. Instead do your bit, with a clear heart and mind, fully anticipating good things to accrue to you. That way you win over the fatalistic attitude, your mind and heart will brim over with enthusiasm which is the single most pertinent thing for a human being.

॥अगस्त्यकृतगणेशस्तोत्रम्॥

नमस्ते गणनाथाय सर्वविघ्नहराय च।
सर्वदा सुरसेव्याय सर्वाभीष्टप्रदाय च ॥
ब्रह्मरूपाय देवाय नमस्ते ब्रह्मचारिणे ।
प्रज्ञां विद्यां देहि मेध्यं(?)सर्वसंशयवर्जिताम्॥
पार्षदाय च विष्णोश्च विष्वक्सेनाय ते नमः।
नमस्ते विष्णुरूपाय चाष्टलक्ष्मीप्रदाय च॥
नमस्ते रुद्ररूपाय सर्वभूतगणाधिप।
सर्वपापविनाशाय पापं मे नाशय प्रभो॥
प्रणवाकारवक्त्राय भक्तवत्सल ते नमः।
प्रसीद परमेशाय पार्वतीनन्दन प्रभो॥
नमो मोदकहस्ताय नागयज्ञोपवीतिने।
नारायणप्रियायास्तु वारं वारं नमो नमः॥
नमस्ते शुक्लवर्णाय शुक्लाम्बरधराय च।
सुमुखाय नमस्तेऽस्तु सुन्दराङ्गाय ते नमः॥
नमो गणपते तुभ्यं नमस्ते ब्रह्मणस्पते।
सर्वसिद्धिकरोऽसि त्वं नमो मूषिकवाहन॥
विघ्नं कुरु सदा देव लोकेऽस्मिन् पापकर्मणाम्।
अविघ्नं कुरु विघ्नेश लोकेऽस्मिन् पुण्यकर्मणाम्॥
_+_+_+
एकदन्तं गजमुखं शूर्पकर्णं कृपानिधिम्।
लम्बोदरं पद्मपीठे निषण्णं मोदकप्रियम्॥
गौरीपुत्रं गणेशं तं प्रसन्नं ब्रह्मचारिणम्।
विष्णुप्रियं च वरदं सर्वदेवनमस्कृतम्॥
विनायकं नमस्कृत्य मुष्टीकृत्य करं तदा।
अपराधं क्षमस्वेते बाष्पपर्याकुलेक्षणः॥

श्रीमद्भागवतम्-ध्रुवस्तुतिः

Prince Dhruva was the son of King Uttanapada. One day, he wanted to climb in his father’s lap, as his half-brother Prince Uttama had. It was afterall a big desire for a small child. When he was turned down by his step mother Suruchi, his disappointment was too much to bear. His own mother Sunithi, the first queen of Uttanapada too was helpless in reinstating that right. Hence she, a devout person advised Dhruva to seek to please Srimannarayana, the Universal father, by penance.
Even though Prince Dhruva was but five years old he decided to follow his mother’s advice in earnest and proceeded towards the forest. Sage Narada, met him on the way and knowing him to be determined to meditate upon Lord Vishnu, blessed and initiated him.
His joy when the Lord appeared before him was beyond bounds -”दृग्भ्यां प्रपश्यन् प्रपिबन्निवार्भकः” “as if drinking in the sight with his eyes”.
He fell flat in the feet of the Lord and proceeded to praise Him:
योऽन्तः प्रविश्य मम वाचमिदं प्रसुप्तां सञ्जीवयत्यखिलशक्तिधरः स्वधाम्ना ।
अन्यांश्च हस्तचरणश्रवणत्वगादीन् प्राणान्नमो भगवते पुरुषाय तुभ्यम् ॥4.9.6
यः — the Supreme Lord who
अखिलशक्तिधरः — possessing universal energy
प्रविश्य — entering
अन्तः — within
मम — my
वाचम् — words
सञ्जीवयति — rejuvenates
इमाम् — all these
प्रसुप्ताम् — which are all inactive or dead
स्वधाम्ना — by His internal potency
अन्यान् च — other limbs also
हस्त-चरण-श्रवण-त्वक्-आदीन् — like hands-legs-ears-skin, and so on
प्राणान् — life force
नमः— let me offer my obeisances
भगवते — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead
पुरुषाय — the Supreme Person
तुभ्यम् — unto You.

भक्तिं मुहुः प्रवहतां त्वयि मे प्रसङ्गो भूयादनन्तमहताम् अमलाशयानाम् ।
येनाञ्जनसोल्बणमुरुव्यसनं भवाब्धिं नेष्ये भवद्गुणकथामृतपानमत्तः ॥ 4.9.11
अनन्त — O unlimited
मे — my
भूयात् — may it become
प्रसङ्गः — intimate association
महताम् — of the great devotees
प्रवहताम् — of those who perform
भक्तिं — devotional service
मुहुः — constantly
त्वयि — unto You
अमलाशयानाम् — whose hearts are freed from material contamination
येन — by which
नेष्ये — I shall cross
अञ्जसा — easily
उल्बणम् — terrible
भवाब्धिम् — the ocean of material existence
उरु — great
व्यसनम् — full of dangers
पान — by drinking
भवत् — Your
अमृत — nectar, eternal
गुण — transcendental qualities
कथा — pastimes

सत्याशिषो हि भगवंस्तव पादपद्मम् आशीस्तथानुभजतः पुरुषार्थमूर्तेः|
अप्येवम् आर्य भगवान् परिपाति दीनान् वाश्रेव वत्सकमनुग्रहकातरोऽस्मान्। 4.9.17
भगवन् — my Lord
तव — Your
पादपद्मम् — lotus feet
हि — certainly
सत्याशीः — real benediction
आशिषः — compared with other benedictions
तथा — in that way
अनुभजतः — for the devotees
पुरुषार्थमूर्तेः — the personification of the real goal of life
आर्य— O Lord
अनुग्रहकातरः — eager to bestow mercy
अस्मान् — upon me
परिपाति — maintains
दीनान् — the poor in heart
इव — like
वाश्रा — a cow
वत्सकम् — unto the calf
The अन्तर्यामी resides in each and every being and rejuvenates the beings with life – sight, hearing, taste and feelings. If the God within were absent, merely the body would become useless. Prince Dhruva firstly thanks the Lord for granting him the things which are “basic” and so taken for granted by many.
His anger and frustration at his younger brother and step mother was long gone or non-existent. After having seen the Lord, Dhruva expressed his gratitude for being and prayed in earnest that he may cross over the dangerous भवाब्धि: by his associations with people devout in His feet. He entreats the Merciful Lord who takes care of all his creations with kindness and thoughtfulness just as a cow would look after her new born calf.