Discipline Leads to Happiness

All genuine spiritual processes are based on discipline. And even if you strive for material success, you will still need to apply the spiritual principles of hard work, respect, discipline, and a higher goal.

This episode was inspired by Emma Raducanu, the 18-year old tennis star who won the US Open in September 2021, who explained that her success was due to her hard training and discipline at home, inspired by a grandmother who had such a determination that nothing could bring her down. You’ll hear us talk a lot about the role of parents, and how the training should begin in the home.

The fact is, we’ve become so afraid of hurting or offending our kids that we shy away from saying ‘no’ to and disciplining them. Which in the end will hurt them far more. We bring up the example of the so-called leaders of today’s society, who are simply grown up kids fighting with each other for lordship over the sandbox.

Similarly, in spiritual life, following any desire we might have or just “doing what we feel like”—without any authority, discipline or actual guidance on where happiness is to be found—will at best only take us in circles.

Highlights

– 0:00 Real spiritual life means discipline
– 5:05 The story of the 18-year old tennis star Emma Raducanu who won the US Open; spiritual life is based on discipline, something that is missing heavily in today’s society
– 15:28 We need to dare to say ‘no’ to (and discipline) our children. If you want the highest level of material life, you’ve got to apply spiritual principles to achieve it; discipline, respect, hard work, and a higher goal.
– 27:04 The functioning, active members of society are just grown up (immature) kids. When Balakhilya grew up, kids always had had duties to perform, work to do.
– 34:19 How Bhaktivedanta Swami came to the hippie movement and introduced the no-discipline hippies into the world of real spiritual life, happiness and discipline
– 43:48 The ‘Chant Anyway’ writing by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur; there will be ups and downs, and we need to have the discipline to keep chanting anyway
– 1:09:22 In the spiritual world, everything is perfect; every word is a song, every step is a dance. And when we chant, we bring that spiritual world into our life.