Swabhaava - Your Natural Vibe

Once upon a time, a man was heading home through the slushy grounds of a thick forest. In the forest, he happened to see an old tiger. Strangely, this tiger was inviting passers-by to take away a heavy golden bangle that it had found in the forest. "Come over and take it away. It’s of no use to me," the tiger roared. The man gave it a thought and, against his better judgment, sheepishly decided to take the bangle home. He was wading his way through the muddy pond to reach the other side, but to his horror, he entangled himself in the muddy water. The tiger got on its legs, sauntered to the man, devoured him, and then headed for its siesta.

This is a story from the Hitopadesa. It is interesting to note that the Hitopadesa is a collection of stories taught to a group of young princes who were the future leaders. It was taught to them as Neeti Saastra—a treatise that teaches the ultimate code of conduct. Therefore, all the stories in this work pave a wonderful way to live and let live.

Let’s get back to the man and the tiger’s story.

This man got enticed by the old tiger. He was just like one of us. He had many conflicting thoughts in his mind before he decided to go for it. Let’s see what went through his mind.

"This should be my lucky day! A tiger amidst this thick forest is offering me a golden ornament! This could be the moment of my life," he thought.

"But wait," he said to himself. "This sounds too good to be true. Moreover, there is a huge amount of personal risk involved. So maybe, this isn’t worth it."

"But then, what opportunity is not risky? Only higher risk can yield higher returns! No one can see good fortune without embarking upon an adventure! One has to take risks and survive at the end of it to see good fortune!"

Comforting himself thus, the man slowly started considering the tiger’s offer.

Meanwhile, the old cunning tiger noticed this and threw in a few more words to sweeten the deal. "I am too old to put this bangle to any use. Also, I have killed way too many animals in my life and have been cursed to lose my family. I am all alone now and am willing to relinquish my greed. I want to take the ascetic route and renounce. So here, take this with you," it said.

Hearing this sugar-coated dialogue of the tiger, the man took the bait and committed to taking home the golden bangle. He got entangled in the slushy pond, and the old tiger, eyes filled with the greed of devouring its meal, approached the man as he struggled to get out of the pond.

As he struggled for his life, he wondered where he went wrong.

"It is the character—Swabhava—your natural vibe, which determines who you are," he told himself.

"The tiger spoke of such renouncement and wisdom, and here it trapped me, a poor man, in greed to satisfy its hunger. It does not matter if one is extremely well-read or not; it is your inborn character that leads you to such action.

"So is the case with me. Had I not been greedy, I wouldn’t have been lured by this tiger. Had I reasoned with my thought, had I stuck to my first natural reaction, I would not be fighting for my life now. But alas! Knowledge without action is just a burden."

So saying, the poor man lost his life.

As we progress to our goals in life, there could be several instances that lure us into deviating from our intended path. Sometimes, these instances come disguised as enticing opportunities. These opportunities look especially alluring at a juncture when the going gets tough. What, then, should be our ideal course of thought? Should we run the risk of taking them up? Or run the risk of letting them go?

The poor man who died talked about Swabhava in his last moments. Let us understand a bit more about this term.

What is Swabhava?

This is a beautiful Sanskrit word that means "that which is very natural," - nothing more, nothing less. Just instinctive. Bare. Not borrowed. That which exists on its own.

In us humans, there are a few natural instincts. Look at a newborn baby—it smiles, it is joyous, it is happy for no reason, it is loving, and it is continuously learning. These are natural human tendencies before bias, judgment, and influence show their presence. A human being is naturally happy and peaceful. It is his Swabhava.

As we grow up, anything that is consistently practiced becomes Swabhava. If you practice speaking only the truth, truthfulness becomes your natural vibe. If you practice staying optimistic at all times, positivity becomes your contour. Similarly, if your senses are treading uncontrolled at all times, such becomes your Swabhava of fickleness and weak-mindedness.

Therefore, the questions we raised before are beautifully answered by one’s own Swabhava. En route to our goals, which opportunities should we pursue, and which should we let go? There is no one correct answer to this question. It is relative to Swabhava.

For instance, you want to pursue a research study that gives you a superior edge but takes time and may yield less money, as compared to a certification that doesn’t quench your thirst for knowledge per se but gives you a quick promotion and a pay raise. Which option is best suited for you?

No one can decide this for you, right? It is very relative. And it is related to your Swabhava. Yes, once in a while, we might like to blame the situation for having to decide one way or another, but almost always, it is your own character that shapes these decisions.

Therefore, it is not surprising that one of the crucial elements of decision-making also happens to be one’s own natural instinct.

The man in our story first fell prey to the greed within him and then fell prey to the tiger. His greedy nature influenced his decision-making.

Swabhava is, therefore, a powerful phenomenon. Aurobindo defines it as spiritual personality. The Bhagavad Gita defines it as an essential law of one’s nature.

Swabhava is what molds your decision-making. If you’re led by greed, you make greedy decisions. If your natural instinct is to help, you make considerate decisions. If your natural instinct is to stay peaceful, you let the universe decide.

Can Swabhava be practiced?

It might seem ironic to say that what exists on its own can also be attained through practice.

A human being’s natural instinct is to be happy and peaceful. He tries everything possible to achieve this. Unfortunately, these are not destinations. These are homecomings. The more you shed borrowed emotions and behavior, the closer you are to your natural self, i.e., your Swabhava.

So what happens if you are naturally greedy?

Firstly, greed is not a natural instinct. It is a borrowed and practiced behavior. We are not born greedy, but we might die greedy, just like the man in the story.

Secondly, greed needs direction. If you’re greedy for knowledge, you become wise. If you’re greedy for your nation’s growth, you become a national leader. If you’re greedy for your children, you make a good parent. If you’re greedy for your organization, you’re known as a visionary. If you’re greedy for the well-being of your followers, you could be an iconic leader.

But if you’re greedy for a golden bangle for yourself—you could die, as shown in the story.

This loosely translates into saying that if a behavior leads you to true happiness and inner peace it could be said to be a practice of Swabhava.

If you’re naturally a follower and not a leader, choosing whom to follow makes all the difference. If you choose to follow Hitler, you imitate his Swabhava. If you choose to follow Buddha, you borrow such a nature.

Your natural vibe will indeed attract your tribe to you!

Don’t you think?

Story Source: Hitopadesa of Narayana
न संशयमनारुह्य नरो भद्राणि पश्यति| संशयं पुनरारुह्य यदि जीवति पश्यति||
न धर्मशास्त्रं पठतीति कारणात् न चापि वेदाध्ययनं दुरात्मनः |
स्वभाव एवात्र तथातिरिच्यते यथा प्रकृत्या मधुरं गवां पयः ||
सर्वस्य हि परीक्ष्यन्ते स्वभावा नेतरे गुणाः|
अतीत्य हि गुणान् सर्वान् स्वभावो मूर्ध्नि वर्तते ||