Personal Loss and Emotional Impact
I lost my cousin in a fatal car accident just after he celebrated his 25th birthday, leaving me in denial, anger, and grief. Every day, over 100 people die in car crashes in the United States, and such news often feels distant until it affects someone close to us. When my cousin died, I struggled with the question, “Why am I suffering?” despite being able to read similar news stories with detachment. Coping with grief becomes significantly harder when a loss is personal and hits home, demonstrating how deeply we are attached to our loved ones.
The Loss of Objectivity in Personal Struggles
We frequently lose objectivity in everyday situations, such as arguments with spouses or disappointments involving our children. For example, when my child didn’t make it to the final round of a spelling bee, I immediately felt sadness and disappointment. We tend to view others’ problems as trivial and offer advice, but when personal, these same events become overwhelming. This loss of objectivity in personal struggles highlights the challenge of maintaining emotional balance in our daily lives.
The Concept of Samsara and Emotional Entanglement
Why does this happen? Gautamji (who teaches the Bhagavad Gita and Vedanta philosophy) explains that our agitations are due to our Samsara, which roughly translates to worldly entanglements. We tend to get entangled in any relationships that we have, be it with family, work, social circles or even with our community and lose our sense of objectivity. The result is that we are positively or negatively affected by anything that happens to them.
The Bhagavad Gita’s Solution to Emotional Agitation
What is the solution? The Bhagavad Gita, an ancient Hindu scripture which embodies Vedanta philosophy, offers the answers – to build one’s intellect and maintain objectivity so that the mind does not fall prey to worldly entanglements and get agitated by what happens to those who are near and dear to us.
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् |
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मन: ||
Let man lift himself by himself, let him not lower himself; his self alone is his friend, his self alone his enemy. (Bhagavad Gita Chap 6 verse 5)
Swami A. Parthasarathy in his commentary explains that our evolution or devolution does not depend on external forces or conditions but upon our personal concerted effort to develop objectivity to external circumstances. As with any scholastic education or physical exercise, we cannot delegate our spiritual evolution to others. It requires a personal commitment to using our body, mind and intellect for spiritual evolution. Spiritual growth and the development of inner strength are essential for maintaining emotional balance.
The Practice of Strengthening the Intellect
Strengthening the intellect is hard work. It requires waking up early, studying the scriptures for an hour, and wrapping it up by 6 AM consistently every day, 365 days a year. This exercise has helped me gradually always become mindful and execute actions to the best of my ability while reminding myself to see each moment as a passing phase. Scriptural study has become a crucial part of my routine.
The Results of Consistent Practice
As a result of putting this effort over the last few years, I can begin to see a gradual change in my mental approach and reaction to people and events. I can see a change in my reaction in aspects in which my attachments and desires were once strong but are now under the control and supervision of my intellect.
In the past, I would either have an outburst with my child or an argument with my spouse when a situation that involved them upset me emotionally. There were times when I have managed to suppress my angry outbursts, but would be seething inside, only to have an outburst when my frustrations built up over time. I realize now that both these responses were a result of an uncontrolled mind and a weak intellect.
The Benefits of Vedanta Knowledge
Gaining even a little bit of knowledge has helped me strengthen my intellect and I am able to reason that others’ actions and external circumstances are not going to always satisfy my needs and desires. I have learned to accept that people will behave according to their nature. By developing my intellect, I am better able to cope with stress, solve problems mindfully and control my emotions, which has resulted in more peace and productivity in my life and in my work.
Taking the First Step
Everyone has the capacity to develop a strong intellect and lead a positive and productive life, unaffected by the challenges and vicissitudes of Samsara. Take a step today to build your intellect by learning Vedantic knowledge taught in the Bhagavad Gita. Self-improvement taught by these ancient teachings is accessible to all who seek it.
If you would like to know more about the Gita classes taught by Gautamji, register here or visit the website for more information. The Gita classes are free, available live and recorded online, and open to anyone interested in learning more about this ancient wisdom.
“The blog above are thoughts of a student of the online weekly lectures”
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