On the afternoon of the 8th of April 2009, the always engaging Br Gautamji gave a talk at Monash University. Roughly, twenty students of numerous backgrounds attended. Gautamji related well with students and many laughs could be heard throughout the lecture. He acknowledged that we all face problems, whether they are sitting an exam or getting out of bed. He explained that problems we face are not in the world, but rather in us. All problems that seem to arise from the outside world are a result of the inner conflicts between Body, Mind and Intellect. Often the conflict is between the mind and intellect, for example, our intellect knows we must get out of bed but our mind likes the feeling of being snug under the blanket and so conflicts begin before we have even climbed out of our bed!

Guatamji advocated a powerful strategy. Firstly, to achieve inner harmony we must first curb our mind, which is forever chasing happiness and is easily distracted. One way of achieving this is to be grateful. Specifically, Gautamji recommended making a list of three things we are grateful for and remembering them before getting out of bed. Secondly, the intellect must be trained to commit. One can begin by committing to small things, such as going to bed on time or studying uninterruptedly for an hour. With gratitude and commitment, we can correct ourselves. The integration of the mind and intellect leads to a strong, powerful and determined individual who can achieve success in any endeavour.