On Self-Improvement
Every man
Attempts to be more
Than he is.
This is because
Who he believes himself to be
Can understandably
Never be enough.
Contentment
Is a forced notion.
A man is told
To be happy with who he is.
To be happy with what he has.
But what is he?
And what has he?
He cannot be happy
With who he is.
Because he harbors
Endless deficiencies.
He cannot be happy
With what he has.
Because he has nothing.
What does a man have?
He may have money,
Possessions,
Land,
And automobiles.
But if such things
Had power,
He would not have yearning.
One cannot
Insert a fullstop
By way of principle.
The wealthy man
Does not seek more wealth
Because he is in love with money.
He seeks more wealth
Because he is in love with Something.
Self-improvement
Is thus,
A popular notion.
To file the rough edges,
Beautify the skin,
Harden the abdominal musculature,
And temper the emotions . . .
The reason that a man
Seeks to improve
Is because he believes
That his troubles
Are the result of insufficient progress.
But the improved man
Suffers just as much
As the unimproved one.
From the standpoint of suffering,
It matters not if he improves.
And it matters not
If he choses to remain as he is.
For the way he is
Cannot in an absolute
And fundamental sense
Be “improved.”
He may move to a new home
But he will bring his problems with him.
Man is smitten
By the notion of vertical progress.
The monks
Are addicted to it also.
A higher rank,
A more colorful hat . . .
The Truth is,
All forms of progress
Exist solely within,
And serve only,
The domain in which they are manufactured.
To progress from priest
To bishop
Has significance
Only within the four walls of the church.
It makes no difference
To God.
Society spouts its gaseous notions.
The masses inhale them.
No matter how much more
One is today
Than he was yesterday . . .
Because he has chosen the path of self-improvement,
He will forever be
Less than he otherwise could have been.
Namaste.
Kapil Gupta is a personal advisor to Kings, Queens, CEO’s, Professional Athletes, Celebrities, and Performing Artists around the world.
His books include:
Atmamun: The Path To Achieving The Bliss Of The Himalayan Swamis. And The Freedom Of A Living God
A Master’s Secret Whispers: For those who abhor the noise and seek The Truth about life and living
Direct Truth: Uncompromising, non-prescriptive truths to the enduring questions of life