Alka Vishwas Mulki is a revered Art of Living faculty member with over 30 years of dedicated service. Born and raised in the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, she seamlessly blends her roles as a businesswoman, family anchor, and spiritual guide.
Through her column, Alka inspires readers with reflections on selfless service, conscious living, and transformative leadership.
“REAL STRENGTH LIES IN TURNING INWARD—NOT AWAY FROM LIFE, BUT TOWARD ITS DEEPER TRUTH.”
Sant Kabir, the mystic weaver-poet, once became so immersed in the divine name—Ram Naam—that chanting it became his breath. Eventually, he stopped. Feeling he had merged with the Divine, Kabir rested in silence. Seeing this, his disciples also ceased their practice. Kabir, sensing the error, wrote:
Naam japan kyon chhod diya? Krodh na chhoda, lobh na chhoda, Satya vachan kyon chhod diya?
His message The journey inward is not complete until inner transformation—freedom from anger, greed, ego— has blossomed. The practice must continue until the mind truly becomes still.
Whether dieting, meditating, or committing to a virtue, we often ease off at the first sign of progress. The mind loves comfort over discipline. But real growth— spiritually, physically, mentally— demands consistent effort.
THREE WAYS THE MIND SABOTAGES PEACE
• Negativity Bias: You hear 100 compliments but remember one insult.
• Small Mind Syndrome: It compares, complains, fears lack.
• Silence Avoidance: True silence reveals suppressed fears and hidden wisdom—but it’s where real answers live.
MYTHS ABOUT MEDITATION
Some believe meditation weakens ambition or leads to renunciation.
Not true. The Sikh Gurus lived amidst the world yet remained rooted in spirit. Their guiding principles: • Nam Japna – Constant remembrance of the Divine
• Kirat Karni – Honest earning
• Vand Ke Chakna – Sharing with others True spirituality is not escape—it’s deeper engagement. Walking the spiritual path takes inner strength. It means confronting ego, letting go of control, surrendering to a higher wisdom.
As Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says: “A student gathers information, a disciple seeks transformation, a devotee dissolves in love.”
Devotion is not weakness—it is strength guided by surrender. A meditative mind doesn’t cling to the past or fear the future—it lives fully now. Science affirms what our sages knew: meditation improves focus, reduces stress, enhances immunity, and rewires the brain toward compassion and clarity. In the lanes of Varanasi and the chants of saints, India has carried forward a timeless wisdom. Today, as the world embraces yoga and meditation, it echoes India’s age-old heartbeat. Not just rituals, but deep spiritual aliveness.
BECOMING SANT SIPAHIS—WARRIOR SEEKERS
The world needs Sant Sipahis—people who live actively yet remain inwardly anchored. Let us raise a generation that meditates not to retreat from life, but to master it with grace and presence. The Final Reminder: Kabir’s question still calls us… Naam japan kyon chhod diya? Why did you stop chanting the Name? As Sikhs, as seekers, as humans—the journey inward must continue. Not until we shed anger, greed, and ego can we truly say we’ve arrived. Let India lead not just in technology or economy, but in awakening a new humanity—rooted in love, anchored in truth, alive with consciousness.
“A MIND TRAINED THROUGH SILENCE DOESN’T SURRENDER IN DEFEAT—IT SURRENDERS IN FAITH.”
