Oasis Logo.
Presence of mind and courage in distress are more than armies to procure success. –John Dryden
As the above quote aptly depicts, exhibiting presence of mind in critical situations is like wielding a weapon that can save us from disgrace. Taking sound decisions under pressure, with a calm mind, can go a long way toward tackling difficult circumstances.
Swami Vivekananda is a shining example in this regard. Here is an incident from his life that highlights this exemplary quality. Once, a Christian missionary wanted to show his personal library to Swamiji, with the ulterior motive of demeaning his vision.
He asked Swami Vivekananda to comment on the order in which he had arranged the books in his library. Swamiji’s eyes searched for the Srimad Bhagavad Gita. He found it at the bottom of the book rack, with several other religious books stacked above it.
Swamiji immediately applauded the missionary for the arrangement, leaving the latter bewildered. He explained that it was right on the missionary’s part to have kept the Bhagavad Gita at the bottom, for if that book were removed, the position of all the other books would be shaken, and they might topple and fall. Swamiji thanked him for giving due importance to the holy book, leaving the missionary dumbfounded. The missionary had expected Swamiji to pick up an argument, but with his presence of mind, Swamiji had averted a bitter situation.
One can cite several instances from our scriptures to highlight this admirable quality. Hanuman, with his extraordinary strength and unruffled calmness, displayed remarkable presence of mind when he decided to lift the Sanjeevani mountain to save the life of Lakshmana, who had fallen unconscious on the battlefield. But for Hanuman’s quick thinking, Lakshmana’s life would have been in grave danger.
Who can forget the well-known competition between Ganesha and Muruga to go around the world for the divine mango? Ganesha, with his superior wisdom and presence of mind, won the fruit by simply circumambulating his parents and declaring them to be his entire world.
In conclusion, “It is by presence of mind in untried emergencies that the native metal of man is tested.” This quote by the American poet James Russell Lowell says it all — that ultimately, the presence of mind prevails.