Might is right. Who is mighty? Mighty is a person who is more powerful and stronger than us. They are people who can go unchallenged even if their action is in fact unjustified. Woe betides anyone who questioned them. I have observed this in the confrontations which happen in my balcony. I love cats; however, I stopped keeping cats as my cats became like dogs. Since we always had a dog, our cats came later, and they would follow us on our walks. Outcome was our cats were killed by strays. They became fearless. Now we have cats visiting us on our balcony and they are wild.

They have their kittens there and consider it a safe space. They follow the law of the jungle which is the strongest wins. Once I became attached to the mother and son, others came and tried to harm Lulu and Moti Lal. There were fierce battles daily and the cats know that I would not hurt them. I find that they all outstare me, and even when I wave my walking stick at them, they are standing. Lulu is petrified and her son would be cowering. Moti Lal got run over by a car and Lulu is alone. Now the cats come in gangs and try to oust her. She has disappeared for the last two days. It is a clear case of bullying and gang warfare. Power is might.

What can one do when it happens to us in our life?

The world is a violent place, and everyone is not physically strong and powerful. There are somethings it is possible for one to do. It is to make our will power strong. Our will power can guide us, and this happens when we start a daily practice of Yoga. Yoga induces us to become harmonious and gain balance. Daily practice strengthens our will, even if we are weak willed. Next step is how to handle one’s fears. Here again a sadhana is required. One can start with the simplest practice, breath awareness. Become aware of the breath flowing in and out of the nostrils.

It is easy, visualize the breath going in through both nostrils, and coming out of both nostrils. The breath when one inhales is cool and when one exhales it is warm breath. Do this twenty-seven times. After this visualize the breath, when inhaling going to the lungs and from the lungs going to each and every cell in your system. Pause. Then exhaling, visualize the breath being eliminated from each and every cell in your system, coming out of your nostrils. Pause again. Do this fifty-four times. What happens here is that one is focused on the breathing process, one is visualizing the breath travelling through one’s lungs to one’s cells and then being eliminated from the cells and expelled through the nostrils.

This is our normal process of respiration. When we are consciously engaged in the practice, our thoughts are hushed. They cannot tax us and reinforce our weaknesses. The prana in one’s breath is rejuvenated, and our negativity is expelled. One is not doing anything forcefully; one is aware and detached. Imaginary fears will disappear, and one’s mind will become clear. Last, keep company of persons, who do not wish to harm one. That is why all Gurus say, attend Satsang, listen to chants. It is possible to make right as might.

You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. – Marcus Aurelius.

Through sadhana we can accomplish this.

Abraham Lincoln, described it in another way. In his Cooper Union campaign address (1860), he reversed the phrase:

Let us have faith in that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.

Aim Hrim Klim

Photo by Miguel Bruna on Unsplash