Maharishi Gautma has spoken of eight ‘Atma Gunas’ or personal qualities that every individual should cultivate. They help a man to enjoy mental peace and happiness. They also give rise to virtue and so their benefits are not confined to the present life. Further, if people strive to cultivate these, the world will become a happier place.

Compassion:

The first such quality is ‘Compassion towards all beings’. God has nothing whatsoever to achieve for Himself, but still on account of His compassion and desire to uplift mankind has taken on many incarnations. When we have been given the capacity to help others, it is but proper that we should do so. After all, God Himself has shown us the way. The desire to relieve the sufferings of another is what is termed compassion. Compassion occurs naturally in some persons while in some others it arises on account of the company of great ones who are certainly very compassionate. In the Gita, while listing the traits in devotees, which render them dear to God, Krishna first mentions absence of hatred, friendliness and compassion.

In the Yoga Sutras also, compassion towards one who is suffering is enjoined to get peace of mind. Aversion, pride and the like agitate the mind. Suppose one cultivates the feeling, "I never want to be unhappy. The same is the case with others. Their suffering is on the same footing as mine. So, let none have misery", then one’s aversion and pride will get checked and the mind will become calmer than it would have been otherwise. The development of compassion acts as a remedy for anger too and it is well known that anger severely perturbs the mind.

Forbearance:

The second quality is ‘Forbearance’. Normally, when one hears that which is unpleasant or encounters an unfavorable situation created by another, one feels angry and seeks vengeance. If one is strong enough, one directly retaliates. If not, one seeks to avenge oneself on the sly. Acting thus does not constitute the behavior of a noble one.

Even though one may be in a position to take action, still one must forgive the wrongdoer. One must not harbor malice. In the Ramayana, we read, "Rama does not, by virtue of His self-control, recall even a century of wrong acts committed against Him by another. On the other hand, He is satiated even with a single favor done to Him".

What is the point in being intolerant and angry? A person only loses his own mental peace by doing so. Suppose a man is slighted or censured by another. He may get angry. Who is the loser? Anger is like an ungrateful creature. It burns the very person who gives room to it. Instead of getting angry, the slighted or censured person could very well have analyzed whether any actual shortcoming of his had been pointed out. If so, he could remedy that personal fault and be grateful to the person who brought it to his notice. On the other hand, the censure may have been unfounded. If so, this man could think, "It is said that making others happy is a form of worship of God. So, if this man is deriving some joy in condemning me then I am lucky. After all, without taking any effort, I am able to worship God by giving him some happiness. He has done me a great favor".

Not Caviling:

The third quality is ‘Not caviling’. Generally people who are not dexterous or successful find faults with others who are competent, prosperous or famous. The censure is basically to hide one’s shortcomings and the comments are not constructive. This is a bad practice. We should appreciate good qualities in others and not assume or search for faults. In the Gita, Krishna declares His willingness to expound the Truth to Arjuna who "does not cavil". Shankara has said in his Prabodha Sudhakara that a person who hears about the condemnation of another incurs sin. What need be said about the sin incurred by a man who actually engages in nit picking?

Suppose a man were to cultivate an attitude of friendliness towards happy people. Then he would only derive happiness in their success. For instance, does not a father feel joy on the success of his son? Likewise, why will not a man feel happy if he regards another in a friendly light? It is said, "The petty minded think, ‘This one is my own. This one is not’. For the broad-minded the whole world is one family". How can the prosperity of another agitate the mind of a person who looks upon everyone as a member of his dear family? In fact, such an attitude conduces to peace of mind by eliminating jealousy and the like that are disruptive of mental tranquility.

Purity:

The fourth quality is ‘Purity’. If we were to encounter a person who wears filthy clothes and who has not bathed for many days, then his obnoxious smell makes us want to move away. On the other hand, the stinking one is hardly aware of anything abnormal. Likewise, some are in the habit of spitting in public places. Such practices are not only repulsive but unhygienic too. Hence, one must bathe daily and observe hygiene. Cleanliness is an important ingredient of purity.

Freedom From Laziness:

The fifth essential quality is ‘Freedom from laziness’. Many persons give reasons for not being in a position to carry out their tasks. No employer would be pleased with an indolent worker. A student who keeps putting off reading fares badly in his studies. When a person sincerely engages himself in the prompt performance of his duties, his mind gets far less opportunity to engage itself in idle or harmful thoughts. Thus, it is in everyone’s interest to eschew laziness and cultivate zeal.

Auspiciousness:

The sixth noble quality is ‘Auspiciousness’. When we meet some, we note that their words as also facial expressions are not pleasing. Such should not be the case. We should speak and conduct ourselves in a manner that is pleasant. For instance, on seeing an elderly or great person, rather than rudely saying "Sit down", one should politely offer a seat and invite the person to sit. Proper speech is not just pleasing to hear but is also factual. Manu has said, "Speak the truth. Utter that which is pleasant. Do not verbalize a distressing truth. Do not say anything that is gratifying but false. This is the eternal Dharma". The Lord taught Arjuna, "Speech that causes no pain, is true, agreeable & beneficial and the practice of studying the scriptures constitute austerity of speech". Such austerity of speech purifies a person.

Absence Of Niggardliness:

The seventh ordained quality is ‘Absence of niggardliness’. The tendency to hoard and not part with anything in charity is the result of greed. Krishna has spoken of desire, anger and greed as the triple gates of hell. Hoarding will never benefit us and when we die, we cannot take our wealth with us.

Neelakanta Deekshitar has humorously advised, "If you are keen that even after death you should not be parted with your wealth and that you should carry it with you in a bundle on your head then give it to the deserving". Currency notes cannot be taken to the next world. On the other hand, if a miser converts them into virtue by performing charity, he need not fear that he will lose them after death. After all, virtue will accompany him to the next world.

The scriptures prescribe the giving of gifts to the deserving as an antidote for greed. So, charity, apart from bringing about happiness in others, greatly conduces to the spiritual well being of the donor. A person who loses some money feels unhappy. But he feels happy, not sad, when he voluntarily gives the same amount to a poor student who is not in a position to pay his examination fees. Charity can thus make not only the donee happy but also the donor.

A person was advised by a holy man to gift a vegetable a day and told that he would attain great merit by doing so. The poor man strictly followed the advice. After death, he was reborn in a royal family and grew up to become a king. He was able to recall what he had done in his past birth. So, he continued to gift a vegetable a day. Surprisingly, after death, he was reborn as a beggar. The man was unable to comprehend the reason and so sought the advice of the holy man who had earlier blessed him. From the sage, he learnt that prior to becoming a king he had been very poor and so a gift of a vegetable a day was sufficient to give him a lot of virtue. On the other hand, as a king he was endowed with affluence. So, thereafter, the gift of just a vegetable a day was quite insufficient to earn him merit of any consequence. The person realized that the extent of charity needed to earn a certain degree of merit depends upon one’s financial status.

Absence of Attachment:

The last of the eight qualities is ‘Absence of attachment’. Most of our problems are due to our worldly desires. It is said in the Panchadasi, "He who is attached gets tied down in the world. The unattached one experiences joy. Therefore, attachment should always be discarded by one who desires to be happy". It is perfectly possible to work efficiently and to fulfill all one’s duties without attachment. In fact, attachment impairs efficient functioning. Commonly, surgeons do not perform surgeries on their close relatives. If there was no risk of attachment clouding or impairing performance such would not have been the case.