Skip to Content

528. Inner Determination

Determination is a mental act of one's will. The Mind has two parts, Knowledge and Will.  The Will can execute while Knowledge cannot. Knowledge can enlighten the Will when it has decided to act.  Such a state of Mind is described as decision. The Will of the Mind informed by knowledge can arrive at a decision. Mind's knowledge can rise to a conviction if the knowledge carries clarity.  Hence the value of clarity.  Knowledge leads to decision in the will. Conviction of the Mind converts the decision into determination. A passionate conviction can go further and change the determination into a commitment.  One's determination or commitment fixes his value. Its value is enhanced when it is inner determination.  An inner determination can make the impossible possible.

In the 30's, a race horse owner was going around the USA entering his horse in many races.  The horse was called Seabiscuit.  His jockey was Red Pollard.  As the fame of the horse was generally in the ascendant, Red developed ambitions to win national races. On the eve of an important race, Red broke his leg and was in bed.  He asked his owner to hire Wolf, another jockey.  Red told Wolf the secret of Seabiscuit did not lie in his legs but in his heart.  Red advised Wolf to make Seabiscuit look into the eyes of his rival which would fix the animal. Wolf did so and won the race.  Before Red broke his leg, Seabiscuit had defeated the famous War Admiral, a horse which was considered the best race horse in the nation. In another race, Seabiscuit tore a ligament in his leg and was limping.  The Veterinary doctor offered to shoot him. Red had different ideas.  He began to tend the horse's damaged leg while he was himself a cripple.

A national race was about to take place.  Red was determined to run his horse and he would ride it.  The owner never wanted to risk Red's life. Wolf told the owner, "It is better to break Red's leg instead of his heart".  Seabiscuit ran to his victory.  It was an eternal victory of Mind's determination over Nature's determinism.  The modern life we live is a result of a series of such victories of Mind over Nature or Matter.  The world is poised for a higher range of similar victories by the Spirit invoked in Mind which will overcome social injustices, tyranny of money as well as money power and the natural diffidence common to people long under slavery.  May India determine to overcome poverty and offer the world her Spiritual grandeur.



story | by Dr. Radut