The Bhagavad Gita (Sanskrit: भगवद्गीता, ; lit. “Song of the Lord”), is a 700-verse Hindu scripture in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. It narrates a conversation between Lord Krishna and Prince Arjuna, in which the god counsels the prince to “fulfill his duty as a warrior and establish Dharma”. The Gita consists of dialogs about different methods towards the attainment of liberation (moksha).
I came across this book while reading Henry Thoreau’s Walden (highly recommended), in which he mentions how much he admires this work:
“In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagvat-Geeta, since whose composition years of the gods have elapsed, and in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seem puny and trivial; and I doubt if that philosophy is not to be referred to a previous state of existence, so remote is its sublimity from our conceptions.”
After doing some research I found out that the Gita influenced great thinkers such as Aldous Huxley, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Gandhi, Carl Jung, and many others. So I decided to go to the source and explore its teachings.
I read Easwaran’s version, which I would recommend to anyone with no background in Hinduism. This version explains every Hindu term in the introduction and before every chapter. It also provides context when necessary.
The Bhagavad Gita is a short and insightful read. It’s a great introduction to Hindu culture and thought. If you engage with it with an open mind you will find many truths and insights in its verses. Here are my favorite lessons, a timely remedy for an age of anxiety.
Follow your own path
Most people don’t consider their true desires when choosing what they will do with their lives (careers, relationships, etc.). We are so concerned with public opinion (noise), that we don’t listen to our own wishes and needs (sound). Will our parents like it? What would my peers think about it? We seldom ask ourselves, is this what I really want?. Krishna advices Arjuna that he most follow his own dharma or path to attain fulfillment:
“It is better to strive in one’s own dharma than to succeed in the dharma of another. Nothing is ever lost in following one’s own dharma, but competition in another’s dharma breeds fear and insecurity.”
Everyone has a unique mix of talents, experiences and interests. We shouldn’t be competing with others, but only with ourselves. Not everyone was born to create Facebook, and nobody needs a fancy car. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t aim high, it means that whatever we do we should be true to ourselves. As Krishna says following someone else’s path is a recipe for chronic anxiety and insecurity.
Detach from the result
Think about how many times you didn’t do something because it wasn’t going to work or wasn’t good enough. Being attached to the result translates into doing something only when we think it’s going to work or benefit us. We are happy when things work out, but what happens when they go wrong? We feel frustrated, disappointed, or even angry. Maybe we will never try it again. These negative emotions come from attachment to the result of our actions. Krishna reveals to Arjuna that the key to liberation is detachment from the result of our actions:
“The Freedom [moksha] That Comes from Renunciation,” Krishna sums up his teaching that in work, in life, one must not be driven by a selfish desire for any kind of reward[…]
Seek refuge in the attitude of detachment and you will amass the wealth of spiritual awareness. Those who are motivated only by desire for the fruits of action are miserable, for they are constantly anxious about the results of what they do.”
Developing an attitude of detachment is a great challenge, but the freedom it brings is worth the while. Attachment to results prevents us from being kind (what am I getting back from this?), being creative and imaginative (what will happen if it’s not good enough?), and from being authentic (will I make a fool of myself?). Being aware of our attachment to results enables us to identify fears and anchors that are hindering our personal development and happiness.
Long term happiness comes from sustained hard work
We tend to trade our long term goals for instant gratification. It’s easier to go out every night than spending long periods of time doing deep work. Think about the last time you set a goal but it never happened because you kept scrolling down on Facebook or Instagram. I bet you enjoyed it in the moment, but how did you feel in December when you realized you didn’t achieved much that year? Krishna warns Arjuna about the happiness that comes from sloth and pleasure of the senses, which is just a delusion:
“Now listen, Arjuna: there are also three kinds of happiness. By sustained effort, one comes to the end of sorrow. That which seems like poison at first, but tastes like nectar in the end — this is the joy of sattva, born of a mind at peace with itself. Pleasure from the senses seems like nectar at first, but it is bitter as poison in the end. This is the kind of happiness that comes to the rajasic. Those who are tamasic draw their pleasures from sleep, indolence, and intoxication. Both in the beginning and in the end, this happiness is a delusion.”
According to Krishna the end of sorrow comes from sustained effort. The highest form of happiness tastes bitter at first, but is sweet in the end. How can we relate to this? Think about your major achievement so far. Something you care about and have worked hard for. I’m sure it wasn’t easy. You probably were terrified by it when you started, but you did it somehow! Now it makes you proud and brings you happiness. Human beings came to this world to create, not to consume; we feel happy when we are using our full potential, we get satisfaction from being useful. We should bear this in mind everyday, every moment we open Instagram, WhatsApp groups or Facebook instead of working on that goal we want to achieve. Whenever you are procrastinating imagine your future self being proud of what you have done versus your future self feeling unaccomplished because the year flew by and you just spent it watching tv or in social media.
Every time I read ancient philosophy/literature I’m amazed of how relevant it is for modern life, I guess humans haven’t changed that much. So be careful when discarding a book because of its age or its origin, it might have just what you were looking for.
