The Power of P-5s

by Dr. Kiran Bedi

(Article written by her on the keynote address she gave at the Chinmaya Mission Annual Fundraising Banquet on December 4, 2004)

 It was an evening of purity, simplicity, and integrity. I was invited to be a speaker at the annual of Chinmaya Mission in Washington. Interestingly it was a case of ‘cause and effect’. Earlier in the year I was in Washington to be with students in Maryland University, where I met with Mr. S Balan, the Secretary of the Chinmaya Mission and once a close associate of Lal Bahadur Shastri ji, enquiring if I could return later in the year to be at their annual. I readily agreed. I have repeatedly seen in my experience how connected one happening to the other: One meeting to the other! Is there a reason to be wherever one is? Or does one create a reason for the future, through the effect? These are some of the questions we continue to wonder about while answers remain mysteries.

The hall was full of American-Indians with their children speaking in American English. All spiritually related to the mission in one form or the other. Parents and the children were students and sevaks at the same time in the learning’s at the Chinmaya Mission. From a distance I saw students on the stage rehearsing mantra rendition in pure Sanskrit. I was obviously before time. As I got closer to the stage I saw a swami, probably in his thirties, supporting the children in that. I was introduced to him. He was Swami Dheerananda, a pupil of Swami Chinmayanandaji and the current head of the Chinmaya mission in Washington. No airs, down to earth and very learned. One who did not believe in making long speeches! But delivered sharp, short, powerfully spiritual and reasoned messages! 

Since I do believe, many events in our lives begin with a cause and leave an effect. I do not know what comes first?  I leave it to the learned spiritual teachers to figure out and explain, but in my introduction it was evident once again. My introducer recalled what I had said at the last student meet. And I was happily surprised that it had left an effect. She said, and I quote. ‘ Last time you had told us the three Qs, the IQ, (intelligence quotient), the EQ (emotional quotient) and the SQ’ (spiritual quotient) which we did not forget…and we called you to hear something like this again’.

My last meeting with the students became the cause of my present. I switched to a mode of the kind, which could give the audience another acronym for recall. This time it was the power of 5Ps, as I identified, for the occasion. For me these stood for P-pace, P-preparation, P-planning, P-purpose and P-prevention. Calling them the power of 5Ps. I deliberately placed them so, for it is easy for recall. For each P stood for a powerful yet clear message in life and living.

I began with P1-Pace, which to me meant that life continues to race. For change is the law. Hence we have to choose whether we keep pace with it or keep catching up with it and remain in arrears, in area of wisdom for instance: P2-.Preparation meant, knowing that time is never going to wait, while we will keep growing, from being a child to an adult, to being old and then wither away. As all our elders did! In understanding all these realities how are we preparing ourselves for these realities? This means more of mental and spiritual preparation. P3-Planning implied, the need to know our chosen paths. We may have many options? These could be personal or professional. Do we plan the right way for the goals; we have set or want in my life? Including planning for parenting?

By P4-Purpose I meant what do we see as the purpose of our life or of our living? And what do we do with what we have extra? Do we abuse or use? Is our living a life of trusteeship, that is one of giving and sharing or is it purely me, my and mine? By P5-Prevention I meant, do we call for trouble or do we prevent trouble? For research establishes that out of 100 unpleasant things in life, which happen to us, only 10 are nature sent. The rest 90 are self-generated. Whether we are aware of this 90/10 rule? And do we prevent the increase or do we work for decrease of our own created problems? Do we do periodic audit of our own self? Do we live a life of personal discipline through self-awareness?

The Q&A that followed brought in more Ps, one of them being P-Pranaams and Prayers. The message through the acronym P+ had got registered. Whether this power of P-5s will now become a cause of more such meetings, I do not know…but for me it was a spiritual and a blessed evening. I returned with a treasure! Lots of audiotapes and the collection of short talks by Swami Chinmayanandaji, published in a book form entitled, The Art Of Man Making. A must read for all who wish to ‘make themselves’.

This was the effect of the cause: Or the cause of an effect? I will continue to pursue in my passage of pace!