The Uphill Climb

Over two millennia ago Chanakya gave a brilliant two-line Sanskrit subhashita, that is, a wise saying:

आपदां कथितः पन्था इन्द्रियाणामसंयमः । 

तज्जयः सम्पदां मार्गो येनेष्टं तेन गम्यताम् ॥

Aapadaam kathitah panthah indriyaanaam asamyamah;

tad jayah sampadaam margah yeneshtam tena gamyatam.

This means that being ruled by your senses and impulses is a direct road to ruin. To master them is the pathway to success. The choice of which road to walk upon is entirely yours.

Though Chanakya mentioned this Subhashita nearly 2000 years ago, these lines are a perfect roadmap to navigate the chaos of the modern world. 

Every morning we stand at an invisible intersection. 

On one side is a smooth downward-sloping road. It requires no effort to walk down; this path is paved with instant gratification, endless scrolling, and comfortable distractions. On the other side is a steep uphill trail. This path demands effort before it yields a view. Walking this path also requires us to look at our impulses and move away from them and instead focus on the distant horizon, where our ultimate goal is.

In today's world, we see this easy path everywhere. This is the path of least resistance. It is so easy to hit the snooze button for the third time, close the work tab to open a social media feed and choose comfort over difficult conversations, every single time.

Chanakya used the word ‘asamyamah’ for the undisciplined mind and he goes to the extent of saying that letting our impulses take the driver's seat is not just a detour, it is a definitive path to chaos. 

But we need to realise what Chanakya did even then - that when we live life reacting to our whims, we surrender our long-term vision. The ultimate destination of this downward slope is stagnation and chaos.

Conversely, the path to prosperity is through a singular victory, that is, the conquest of one's own internal faculties.

The uphill climb is definitely difficult because it requires us to trade temporary comfort for long-term goals. It demands that we sit with the discomfort of deep work and maintain discipline, long after the initial enthusiasm has faded. But according to Chanakya, it is this uphill climb that builds the necessary tools for success.

The best part? 

Chanakya does not force us to choose either of the paths. He simply lays down human nature and shows us the destinations of both roads and leaves the steering wheels entirely in our hands.

So every choice we make is towards the version of ourselves that we wish to build and focus on.

So tomorrow morning when you arrive at the same crossroad, choose your path wisely.