Early to Bed and Early to Rise, make the man Healthy Wealthy and Wise

Early to Bed and Early to Rise, make the man Healthy Wealthy and Wise.

ॐ
काममया एवायं पुरुष इति;
सा यथाकामो भवति तत्क्रतुर भवति I
यात्क्रतुर भवति तत कर्म कुरुते:
यत कर्म कुरुते तद अभिसम पद्यते II

(You are what your deep, driving desire is
As your desire is, so is your will 
As your will is, so is your deed
As your deed is, so is your destiny)
- Brihadaranyaka Upnishad (4, 4.5)

Many friends and colleagues ask me, why I wake up so early? I just smile or sometime reply too. Let me share the reasons.

My Mother was my great teacher. She used to teach me lessons of life through "Subhashitas" (eloquent saying). As child I didn't understood much but as I grew up, the messages were clear and became guiding force of my life.

She taught me, 
"Vahela je sui rahe, Vahela uthe veer; 
Bal Buddhi Dhan vadhe, Sukhma rage Sharir."  

During young age, I used to wake up early but used to extend sleeping hrs further in the bed. The freshness when woke up first and the dullness when get up in second attempt was puzzling me all the time. My US friend, a doctor, finally answered my query. The sleep is like a battery charger. When the body and mind are charged, we wake up and feel fully fresh. But if we try to take further sleep, the battery is used in pushing down the fresh body and mind, consume power. When we wake up in second attempt, the battery actually half discharged. Therefore, there is a feeling of dullness is wake up late.

You may have similar experience. Look at those, who wake up early. Their thoughts are fresh and efficiency very high.

I go to sleep at 9.30 PM and wake up after 6-7 hrs deep sound sleep. The morning hours give me great work time to meditate and write. Many a time, a puzzle difficult at night resolved in the morning.

Don't say, "O bed! O bed! delicious bed!
That heaven upon earth to the weary head," and sleep for long hours but remember:  

"Sleep is the best meditation."-Dalai Lama

"Man should forget his anger before he lies down to sleep."-Mohandas Gandhi

"Your life is a reflection of how you sleep, and how you sleep is a reflection of your life."-Dr. Rafael Pelayo

Not late at all, you may also follow the Subhashita:

"Vahela je sui rahe, Vahela uthe veer; 
Bal Buddhi Dhan vadhe, Sukhma rage Sharir."  

ॐ Shubham Bhavatu.

Punamchand
6 January 2015