Many times, I’ve wondered the kind of will power Bhishma would have had. In a moment, making a promise not to marry ever. And then making further promise to remain faithful to the king. There are many instances in Mahabharata where I find Bhishma’s determination was tested but nowhere do I find a hint that he got tempted to break his promise.
Anyone who has resisted even a hot choc fudge sunday, it would seem to require infinite will power. To carry on for years & years of life without a shoulder to rest the head on or to see the entire clan disintegrating in factions and then fighting with each other.
Many times I wondered, what it would take to develop that kind of will power. But I got a new perspective a few days back. May be, Bhishma didn’t require any will power at all. It was probably the other way round: he had no temptation to begin with. I can quit brinjal any day. It doesn’t require any will power at my end. It just doesn’t tempt me. What if nothing ever tempted Bhishma?
So, now I wonder what it would take to be a person who is not tempted by anything.