The Importance of Time Management in Management

Naked Sword

There is an ancient story in India: A great sage sent his chief disciple to the court of King Janak to learn something which was missing in the young man.

Now, this was very mysterious. How could the night teach him anything? But okay, he had to be here for the night, so don’t make much fuss about it. He remained. The king arranged for him to have the most beautiful room in the palace, the most luxurious. He went with the young man, took care of his food, his sleep and when he had gone to bed, Janak left.

But the young man could not sleep the whole night, because as he looked up, he could see a naked sword hanging with a thin thread just above his head. Now, it was so dangerous that at any moment the sword could fall and kill the young man. So he remained awake the whole night, watchful, so he could avoid the catastrophe if it was going to happen.

In the morning, the king asked, “Was the bed comfortable, the room comfortable?”

The young man said, “Comfortable? Everything was comfortable – but what about the sword? And why did you play such a trick? It was so cruel! I was tired, I had come on foot from the faraway ashram of my master in the forest, and you played such a cruel joke. What kind of thing is this, to hang a naked sword with so thin a thread that I was afraid that a small breeze… and I am gone, and I am finished. And I have not come here to commit suicide.”

The king said, “I want to ask only one thing: you were so tired, you could have fallen asleep very easily, but you could not fall asleep. What happened? The danger was great, it was a question of life and death. Hence you were aware, alert. This is my teaching too. You can go, or if you want, you can stay a few more days to watch me. Although I was sitting there in the court, where a beautiful woman was dancing, I was alert to the naked sword above my head. It is invisible; its name is death. I was not looking at the young woman. Just as you could not enjoy the luxury of the room, I was not drinking wine. I was just aware of death which could come any moment. I am constantly aware of death. Hence, I live in the palace and yet I am a hermit. Your master knows me, understands me. He understands my understanding too. That’s why he has sent you here. If you live here for a few days, you can watch on your own.”

Focus

Recollect the moment when your focus is on the possibility and not on the problem. At that time there was no desire or passion in you. This is our own experience. There was enthusiasm and very subtle curiosity to find out the possibility, just like a child. This subtle curiosity is because you unconsciously wanted to live the mystery of life. When your focus is on possibility you have used your own intelligence not to control or dominate anyone. At the same time when your focus is on the problem you will think that if the end result is according to you then to how many people you can influence and what are the benefits you will get from others. In this way you want to control and dominate the people.

When your focus is on the possibility your power is devoid of passion and desire. So you have no intention to control or dominate anyone. On the contrary, you will find that when your focus is on possibility you are more relaxed, calm and have more energy. While when your focus is on the problem you will find anxiety, stress, and no energy is left with you.

Krishna is saying religiousness is nothing but the science of deprogramming.

Deprogramming means you are simply left without a program, without religion, race, caste, nationality…you are left alone to be yourself – to be an individual.

When power is without desire, passion, you will find there is flow in it. This is the reason that when you are focusing on the possibility, you always feel energetic as you are not stuck. When your focus is on the problem you are stuck, because of this stuckness you feel no energy in you.