The Secret to Winning the Battle of Life

By Space Learn

The Strategy for Beating Life's Battle

According to Vivekananda, "the human race will never again see such a brain as his who wrote the Gita" (Complete Works, 7. 22). The Gita is a spiritual treatise intended for all of humanity, and this book, the second in a series, attem

• Language: English
• Publisher: Space Learn
• Release date: Nov 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798869017406

Book preview

Paying attention to the means is the key to life

According to Lord Krishna, some people believe that bhoga (enjoyment) and aishwarya (material wealth) are the ultimate aims of existence in Chapter 2 of the Gita. This idea has gained widespread acceptance in the modern world, and it is supported and expanded upon by the strong influence of consumer culture. This is a result of the trigunas' tyrannical influence (sattva, rajas, and tamas). These three characteristics make up the human mind, though to varying degrees depending on an individual's innate vasanas and samskaras. The Vedas assert that these three defining characteristics of life are present in various degrees throughout the cosmos.

To achieve self-realization, Krishna instructs Arjuna to transcend the aforementioned three attributes. The Upanishads also suggest that in order to become godlike, a person must transcend the trigunas-produced mind. But how do you do that? In this context, Krishna says the following in stanza 2.47 of the karma-yoga verse, prescribing and explaining the concept of work: Karmanye Vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana ma karma phala hetur bhur: ma te sangho'sthvakarmani

It is your duty to work alone; do not seek its fruits. Don't just act to generate results; don't let inaction bind you.

This well-known Gita line is frequently misunderstood and misrepresented, particularly in the present, when motivation for and drive for achievement are thought to be the driving forces behind all acts. The 'NATO' (Not Attached To Outcome) strategy is questioned by proponents of motivation theories as a possible working method. What harm can there be in performing karma with a specific goal in mind? They insist that it is a requirement for getting the greatest results.

Let's examine the importance and meaning of what Krishna says. Your actions today have consequences tomorrow. But what kind of karma will you create if you perform the deed with an eye towards the results? It's comparable to a racer who constantly scans his surroundings to check if anyone is catching up to or passing him. By engaging such dysfunctional thoughts, he will lose energy, which will negatively affect his performance. Any karma must be totally focused on its process in order for it to be effective, and the mind must be free of any expectations about how it will turn out. As I was writing this essay, I came across the following passages by renowned historian and author Ramachandra Guha in The Week's cover story from May 2022:

Write about nothing that will make you famous, please

Write about a topic that presents a difficult literary or intellectual task. A writer needs to have that self-assurance that they will follow their dreams and do so with tenacity, morality, and an unwavering commitment to their craft. Success comes by accident. Actually, the caliber of the work is what should satisfy you. You must believe that your efforts and talents have been completely utilized, and that you are content with what you have accomplished" (my emphasis).

What is the source of your talent, The Pope once questioned Michelangelo? How did you sculpt the David statue, which is the pinnacle of all masterpieces? It was easy, Michelangelo started with a smile. Everything that wasn't David was taken away. The solution demonstrates that, even though he achieved a masterwork of the highest caliber, his primary concern when sculpting the statue was removing the unnecessary elements. The Gita calls this method Yogastha: kuru karmani, sangham tyaktva. It refers to acting according to yoga or pure awareness' established rules without attachments. Describe yoga. 'Samatvam yoga ucyate' is the term used to describe achieving mental stability. The highest spiritual yoga is equanimity within. The equipoised mind becomes serene when it is detached from the outcomes of action and unperturbed by the opposites of success and failure, pleasure and sorrow, etc. This is the foundation for both spiritual development and material prosperity.

Even if your efforts are unsuccessful, knowing that you gave it your best effort makes you feel good. Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment; full effort is full victory, remarked Mahatma Gandhi. There shouldn't be any rivalry with the outside world. You should only compete against yourself. Do you do better today than you did yesterday? When you compete with yourself, you develop, however when you compete with others, you become upset all the time and do less than optimally. Because, as was already mentioned, your attention is diverted from your karma to its ambiguous consequences, over which you have no influence. Your thoughts and energy are consumed with internal conversations about how others perform in tasks comparable to yours, how they will view your outcomes and evaluate you, what they will say about you, etc. This demonstrates an external locus of control, to use terms from behavioral science. You're in an internal locus of control when you're only competing against yourself. You have to grow from the inside out, remarked Vivekananda. Nobody can educate you or transform you spiritually. Only your own soul can be your instructor.Nothing we know comes from the outside. All of it is internal.

Our lives are created by us. Our project is our lives. God gave man certain special abilities when he created him, two of which are his independent will and imagination. This implies that all humans possess a fundamental need for freedom. It is up to you to use your free will and imagination to make decisions and plan the direction of your life. You are the only person who thinks in your head, and you are the power and authority in your world, as Louise L. Hay puts it. She says, This moment and all the moments up to this moment have been created by your thoughts and beliefs of the past. The next instant, the next day, the next month, and the next year will be created by the beliefs, thoughts, and statements you make right now. And keep in mind that the seeds of your actions are in your thoughts.

Importance of the proper work attitude

The Gita tells you how to go about your daily business. In order to build the world you desire, Krishna advises that you give your entire attention to the action you are taking. According to Yogananda, when we act out of ego-motivation, we become entangled in the web of Maya. Bondage to delusion is nothing more than the persistent reflection of one's self in all they do (and think, and enjoy, and suffer). The basic idea that I am the doer, I am the enjoyer, and I am the sufferer taints not only action but all of one's pleasures in this life as well as one's miseries. The question But why am I suffering? then arises.

We must realize that Universal Intelligence constantly reacts to our words, actions, and ideas. You are suffering because, albeit unintentionally, you choose to make that happen (and you choose to believe I am the doer). We are to blame for all that has happened to us. The issue is that we plant specific plant seeds and anticipate that it would grow and produce something else. Both the Law of Nature and the Law of Agriculture forbid it. We obtain what