The Goal Defines the Path
You cannot know the path until you know the destination, so figure out the goal first, because the goal defines the path and the path defines the surroundings you build around you.
Dandapani gives the best advice he ever received, from his guru: there is nothing more important in life than knowing who you are, the path that you are on, and its final end. He compares a spiritual path with no destination to getting in a car and driving with no direction, and gives a young person who does not know what they want a five minute morning practice for finding out.
What this talk covers
- The best advice he ever received came from his guru, and he has memorized it and repeats it to himself almost daily: there is nothing more important in life than knowing who you are, the path that you are on, and its final end.
- If you do not know who you are, you do not know what you want, and you do not know your path or where you are going in life.
- People tell him they are on a spiritual path and cannot say where it is going, which he compares to getting in a car and driving with no destination, taking a left and then a right because it feels good.
- Start with the destination: figure out the goal first, then build your pillars, surroundings and environment to help you stay on the path to the goal.
- If you do not know what you want, wake up, do not engage with the outside world through your devices, shower, then sit quietly for five minutes and ask yourself what you want, where you want to go, what makes you happy, and what you are passionate about, writing the answers in a journal every day.
There's nothing more important in life than knowing who you are, the path that you're on, and its final end.Dandapani
Questions
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Create a morning routine you do not break. Wake up without touching your electronic devices, shower, and sit quietly somewhere in your home for five minutes with your eyes closed, asking yourself the same questions each day: what do I want, where do I want to go in life, what makes me happy, who makes me happy, what am I passionate about. Write the answers in a small journal.
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The goal first. You cannot know the path until you know the destination, and once you have the goal, the path becomes clear and you can build your environment around staying on it.
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From his guru: there is nothing more important in life than knowing who you are, the path that you are on, and its final end. He says it is priceless wisdom because every path takes you somewhere and you should know where you are going.
Transcript
634 words · 3:12
What's the best advice you ever received? I would say from my guru for sure. It was something that he said, which I've memorized, and it's been my mantra to myself almost daily. There's nothing more important in life than knowing who you are, the path that you're on, and its final end.
So there's nothing more important in life than knowing who you are, the path that you're on, and its final end. And to me, this is priceless wisdom for anybody out there. If you don't know who you are, you don't know what you want. You don't know your path there and where you're going in life.
Life is so precious, Brian. People don't realize how precious life is. You can go in and twinkle over the eye. Once you realize how precious it is, then comes the intensity of wanting to focus on
who you are and what you want in life. That last part is interesting. The final, so who you are, the path you're on, and then it's final. And it's final end.
Because every path takes you somewhere. Yeah. And you should know where you're going, not just be following it for no end. I'm in the monk business, right? People come up to me all the time and say, I'm on this spiritual path. And they go like, where's this spiritual path going? I don't know.
And I said, when was the last time you got in a car and said, I'm going for a drive without any direction, any destination? I think I'll take a left over here. I'll drive for another two miles. Maybe I'll hang a right here. Why? Because it feels good. You don't. You get in the car, You know where you're going, and then you figure out the path to get there.
So why is it any different when it comes to life? But you can't know the path until you know the destination. Figure out the goal first. The goal defines the path.
Then you build your pillars or your surroundings, your environment to help you stay on the path to get to the goal. But you have to start with the destination first. Last part of that question.
To that 20-year-old that's out there watching us right now, listening to us from anywhere in the world who doesn't know what they want to do in their life? Who's thinking maybe the monastery is the place, maybe it's not, maybe the business world is the place. What advice do you give to them about how they can try
to find that answer out? I would say create a routine in the morning. And the best routine is wake up. Don't engage with the outside world using your electronic devices. Wake up, shower, go sit down somewhere in your home quietly for five minutes each day. Close your eyes. Don't read a book.
listen to podcasts. This is your time with you and you only and get to know yourself. Ask yourself questions of what do I want? Where do I want to go in life? What makes me happy? Who makes me happy? What am I passionate about? And keep asking yourself these same questions over and over again. Every day for five minutes in the morning, write down your
answers in a little journal and make this a ritual that you don't break. I can guarantee you after a few weeks, after a few months, you'll really get to know yourself and you'll start to figure out what's important in your life. Once you know then what's important in your life, you can figure out your goal. Your goal defines your path and then your path
defines your surroundings, how you want to create your life around you.