LEARNINGS

Please find herewith some interesting learnings from the Bhagvad Gita. This has been

shared with us by one of our employees Mr. Chirag Toshniwal. Hope you all will enjoy

reading this and have some great insights from the article.

"Here is the backdrop. A great warrior who is fighting against injustice is suddenly overcome bysorrow. He had to fight a war against everyone he cared for - his cousins, teacher, uncles, classmates..Overtaken by emotions, he attempts to give up the war.

Then his Guru takes him on a lesson of a lifetime. Over 18 chapters, Gita packs an intense analysis oflife, emotions and ambitions. Here is the summary with actual quotes are in italics. "

1. TakeTakeTakeTake greatgreatgreatgreat pleasurepleasurepleasurepleasure inininin youryouryouryour work:work:work:work:A lot of us are looking at the result when we work. WhatGita says is that work itself is more pleasurable than the results.Do not let the fruit be the purpose ofyour actions, and therefore you won’t be attached to not doing your duty. In other words, enjoy thepleasure of journey more than just the destination. Great artists, great warriors and greatscientists do what they do because the process of creation itself is so pleasurable for them. Whenyou watch these artists doing their work (say Sachin in his batting or MS Subbulakshmi in hersinging) we would find the action itself is so glorious than anything the end could bring.

2. LifeLifeLifeLife isisisis allallallall aboutaboutaboutabout managingmanagingmanagingmanaging thethethethe emotions:emotions:emotions:emotions:A good chunk of Gita is about managing emotions andattachment. Panic and emotional attack can be a real killer in a lot of professions from warring toinvesting. Bhagvat Gita uses 100s of examples to calm people into thinking sharply &overcoming emotional roller coaster even in the face of hardship. The awakened sages call a personwise when all his undertakings are free from anxiety about results.

3. RecipeRecipeRecipeRecipe totototo avoidavoidavoidavoid thethethethe emotionalemotionalemotionalemotional rollercoaster.rollercoaster.rollercoaster.rollercoaster. It is easy to say that you should keep calm, buttough to achieve it. Gita gets into the practical aspects of avoiding the emotional outbursts. Itsuggests a range of practical things such as Ashtanga yoga (the superset of the Yoga we do) andselection of right foodstuffs. Gita categorizes foods into 3 types - Sattva ((fruits, green vegetables,milk), Rajas (spicy foods, steroids) and Tamas (fatty foods, leftovers). From Sattva arises wisdom,and greed from Rajas; miscomprehension, delusion and ignorance arise from Tamas.

4. NeverNeverNeverNever imitateimitateimitateimitate another'sanother'sanother'sanother's life:life:life:life:A warrior could see the farmer's life as peaceful and happy. Apeasant could see the warrior's life as energetic and active. At the end both are equally important.Instead of getting into the greener grass on other side, look at doing the best with yourabilities. It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else lifewith perfection.

5. NeverNeverNeverNever loseloseloselose sightsightsightsight ofofofof youryouryouryour goalsgoalsgoalsgoals becausebecausebecausebecause ofofofof imitation:imitation:imitation:imitation: Stuck by confusion we give up our dreamsand goals so that we could be a better somebody (a modern example is think of Facebookstatuses & peer pressures).We are kept from our goal, not by obstacles, but by a clear path to a lessergoal.

6. TreatTreatTreatTreat everyoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryone andandandand everythingeverythingeverythingeverything thethethethe same.same.same.same.Gita spends a chapter about how to treat everyone thesame. If you start acting as nice to your foe as your friend, you have lesser guilt or emotionalghosts to fight within you. He alone sees truly who sees God in every creature he does not harm himselfor others."

7. DoDoDoDo goodgoodgoodgood stuffstuffstuffstuff withoutwithoutwithoutwithout expectingexpectingexpectingexpecting anythinganythinganythinganything inininin return:return:return:return: This is a wisdom that most religions teach.However, Gita goes to great lengths to treat this subject in its various forms. It makes the stuff alot more practical and logical than merely keeping it as a moral. A gift is pure when it is given fromthe heart to the right person at the right time and at the right place, and when we expect nothing in return.

8. AlwaysAlwaysAlwaysAlways keepkeepkeepkeep acting.acting.acting.acting. Don'tDon'tDon'tDon't getgetgetget stuckstuckstuckstuck intointointointo overanalysis:overanalysis:overanalysis:overanalysis: Especially among the knowledgeable,we have a bias towards gaining knowledge than to act on the knowledge. We seek great comfortin talking & analyzing stuff rather than act upon it. Gita does a lot of attack on that kind of anattitude. The immature think that knowledge and action are different, but the wise see them as the same.

9. NeverNeverNeverNever runrunrunrun awayawayawayaway fromfromfromfrom youryouryouryour duty:duty:duty:duty:Majority of what Gita talks about is adherence to duty. Onceyou have picked up a duty, never over analyze and use analysis-paralysis as an excuse forrunning away from doing great things. You might like another’s duty, and dislike yours. But still, doyour own duty, and not another’s, even if you can do another’s duty very well. Or you’ll go on beingcaught up in the field of opposites. And there will be no end to your suffering.

10. ThereThereThereThere isisisis alwaysalwaysalwaysalways aaaa biggerbiggerbiggerbigger power:power:power:power:A lot of times, we get dejected and desperate. We thinkeverything is hopeless and throw the towel. We think the bad forces will win & we can donothing about it. Gita says that you keep doing your duty in the best way you can and there willalways be bigger power that will protect the truth. In short, never stop your war against injusticejust because your enemy look so formidable. In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate themiscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of truth, I advent Myself time to time.

Shraddha MoreLearning & Organisational Development