Sticking to Values

My Story

Last game of the year. Us vs our rivals. The crowd is packed and going wild. The ball is launched for the tip-off and the game is underway. I dribble up the court, ready to prove myself and bring home the championship for my school. I dribble up the court and get ready to take the first shot. The ball is launched out of my hands and goes in. The crowd goes crazy and my coach is screaming with joy. The other teams then turned it over and I grab the ball and run to score again. All of a sudden, I get stopped by the refs and soon get questions as to why I am wearing jewelry. I am confused by their question and soon look down and see my kanthi hanging out. For a solid five minutes, I discussed with them that I can’t remove my kanthi. They then gave me two options: either I leave the game or take it off to continue playing. Not knowing what to do, I just sat down to recollect my thoughts.

What is a Kanthi?

A kanthi is a two-stringed necklace of wooden beads worn around the neck. A kanthi is a symbol of our sharnagati to God. Sharnagati means completely surrendering yourself humbly to God. A kanthi reminds me that God is with us at all times. It inspires us not to be afraid of any outside influences because God will always be with us and protects us.

Now, back to the story.

What Happened Next?

The game hit halftime and we were tied 29–29.

We went into the locker room and all my teammates asked me why I sat out. Embarrassingly, I said that I didn’t feel too well. I did feel a deep pain in my stomach not because I felt sick but because I lied. I didn’t want to lie but for the sake of not being laughed at, I lied. After I lied, I sat in the back, thinking about what to do. It then finally hit me, following my guru and what he would do.

What did my Guru, Pramukh Swami Maharaj do?

At that moment, it hit me and made me realize what I should do. I remember the story of my guru, Pramukh Swami Maharaj. He was at the World Peace Summit in July 2000. Pramukh Swami had to Speak in front of 1800 delegates at the World Peace Summit. However, Men and Women were sitting in a mixed range. One of Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s vows as a Hindu swami (monk) was of celibacy. So, he requested for arrangements to be made to not break his vow.

Throughout his life, Pramukh Swami Maharaj kept his spiritual vows and diciplines at the forefront of any task. He ensured he did not break the moral diciplines of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.

Now What?

Well, remember this incident, I had decided to just sit the game out because I wanted to keep my niyam intact. When my coach asked why I confidently explained that the kanthi I wore could not be taken off my body. My coach, reasonably agreed and let me sit the game out. In the end, it didn’t matter as we still won 61–49. I held my head up high not because we won the championship but because my niyam stayed intact.

Despite my team winning the game, this incident of Pramukh Swami taught me to stay strong in what I believe in. By staying strong, nothing can cause you to fall and give up whatever you are strong at. Not only that, he taught me how to be outgoing with my beliefs when people ask me about them. Now that Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s Centennial Celebrations are coming up, I will continue to gain inspiration from his life and his stories by valuing what I believe in more.