MONDAY MUSINGS SEASON 2 - Episode 332 - Ultimate Goal

MONDAY MUSINGS SEASON 2 - EPISODE 332

22nd September 2025

#UltimateGoal

Wishing all the readers happy NAVRATHRI, the festival of joy.

आत्मानँ रथितं विद्धि शरीरँ रथमेव तु । बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च ॥ Kathopanishad 1.3.3॥

इन्द्रियाणि हयानाहुर्विषयाँ स्तेषु गोचरान् । आत्मेन्द्रियमनोयुक्तं भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः ॥ Kathopanishad 1.3.4॥

 As per #Kathopanishad, the chariot is the body, the horses the senses, the reins the mind, the charioteer the intellect and the master the soul.

Let us discuss this further and appreciate the relevance of this analogy for life skills.

Training body, senses, mind & intellect

The chariot must be maintained in proper working condition by periodic servicing, or else the chariot will not run. The chariot will require frequent maintenance if it is not operated correctly and is often operated on bad roads. To achieve our goals, it is essential to maintain a fit and healthy body, which can be realised through regular exercise as well as by controlling our senses.

The horses must be robust and focused, else the chariot will not run. Not only powerful, but the horses also must not get distracted when running, and that is why we bridle the horses. Senses must be powerful and must focus on the right purposes.

The reins must be strong as well as flexible and well-connected to the horses. The mind must be well-trained for focus. A 2020 study by Queen's University used brain imaging to track thought transitions, estimating over 6,000 thoughts daily. Good exercises for the mind include mindfulness, meditation, cultivating positive thoughts, spending time in nature, and getting adequate sleep.

An experienced and effective charioteer would be able to steer the chariot even if there are minor issues with the chariot, reins or the horses. Intellect must also be exercised. As the intellect is at a higher plane compared to the mind, the exercises for the intellect are different from those of the mind. Mr Sourirajan Ramanujam asked about the methods for training the intellect in the last episode. They are

1.     A good charioteer requires well-connected reins, powerful horses and a fit chariot. It is essential to keep the body, senses, and the mind exercised to keep the intellect fit. Intellect works well if the body is exercised, the senses are managed well, and the mind is sharpened with mind exercises.

2.     Intellect improves by learning new skills. Strive to learn new skills, learn new languages all the time until death.

3.     Reading regularly and widely

4.     Engaging in positive discussions with friends (including in WhatsApp groups, but only if the talks are positive!!!).

Master Decides

Good chariot, powerful horses, fit reins and an experienced charioteer will run smoothly without any doubt, but the master plays the key role. The master cannot leave everything to the charioteer and sleep. It looks as though the master has no role to play in determining the journey, but it is not correct. The charioteer must know the master well, and that is self-awareness. The master must ensure that the charioteer is performing their job correctly and is well-trained.

#UltimateGoal

 It is interesting to note that another #Kathopanishad sloka is very similar to that of our #BhagavadGita sloka 3.42.

इन्द्रियेभ्यः परा ह्यर्था अर्थेभ्यश्च परं मनः । मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्बुद्धेरात्मा महान्परः ॥ Kathopanishad 1.3.10॥ महतः परमव्यक्तमव्यक्तात्पुरुषः परः । पुरुषान्न परं किंचित्सा काष्ठा सा परा गतिः ॥ Kathopanishad 1.3.11॥

Beyond the senses are the objects; beyond the objects is the mind; beyond the mind, the intellect; beyond the intellect, the cosmic intellect; beyond the cosmic intellect the prakriti (potential of creation); beyond the Prakriti, the Purusha. Beyond the Purusha there is nothing: this is the end, the Supreme Goal.

Bhagavad Gita stops with the atma (Self), but Kathopanishad goes beyond atma. As per Kathopanishad, brahmam is the Supreme, and there is nothing supreme than the Supreme God, and that is the ultimate goal for every atman.

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#PositiveNewsPage

Adapted from newindianexpress.com

#BreakfastHeroOfSecunderabad

 A waiting room in a private hospital was his classroom in compassion. It was there that Samuel Karan saw the hidden crisis: families financially broken by medical bills, quietly battling hunger, steps away from where their loved ones were healing. That painful contrast sparked a mission. And today, in a city bustling with life, the Clock Tower in Secunderabad has become more than a landmark of time — it stands as a beacon of humanity.

Since 2019, Karan has been serving free breakfast to 300–400 people daily at the Clock Tower. Many of them are families of patients who have travelled from villages or neighbouring states for treatment, unable to afford hotels after spending everything on medicines and hospital bills.

Through his NGO, FOOD (Feeding Orphans, Oppressed, Destitute), Karan not only serves food but also provides basic first aid and counselling for those under stress. Breakfast is cooked at his home and served between 7 and 8 am — a simple but wholesome spread of idli, upma, pongal and vada.

Karan traces the beginnings of his journey back to 2009. “It started with my wife Priya and me serving food at Gandhi Hospital. I had seen people enduring trauma and hardship, and felt the least I could do was ensure they didn’t go hungry. In 2019, we expanded it to the Clock Tower,” he recalls.

Today, his efforts have drawn in many like-minded volunteers who help keep the mission going. Contact Karan if you want to help him in his noble mission, Phone - 085008 00777, Email - foodforthedestitute@gmail.com and facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/FOODFOUNDATIONHYDERABAD/

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Conceived, compiled and posted as a weekly motivational newsletter #MondayMusings every monday by Jaganathan T (www.authorjaganathan.com)

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