Himanshu Upadhyay's Key Ideas from Bhagavad Gita
by Swami Mukundananda

How true! Nothing is permanent in our lives. The earth keeps revolving, it does not stay stable; the day ends and the night follows; after humid summers follow relieving monsoons. This reinforces the fact that impermanence is the law of the universe. Therefore being proud of your wealth is a sign of immaturity, because it can vanish into thin air in a minute. Accepting change makes you coherent enough to face any tough situations in your life.

We can achieve nothing if fear is instilled within us. Fear kills ambition, dreams and even the slight chances of progress. A fearless soul has nothing to worry about, because it knows it cannot be caged, and nor can it be stopped. Thus, the fear of death is absurd, as our souls don’t die. Fear and worry are two enemies, that are deterrents to our well-being. We must strive to eradicate them from our minds completely.

We get so attached to material things that we often forget that we won’t be taking them with us to the grave. We came stark naked into this world, and we will go without taking anything to our graves. Not even our phones! Attachment to material things is something we need to pay attention to, because we don’t possess things - things start possessing us. 

Kama, krodh and lobh have done us no good. Unreasonable craving for sex will turn you into a pervert, anger will drive people away from you and greed will never let you be satisfied. 

You are what you think you are. Your thoughts make and define you. If you think you’re a happy person, you become happy. If you let sad thoughts take over your mind, you tend to become a sad person. If you feel that you will nail a presentation in a meeting, then chances are that you will. However, if you’re not prepared and feel nervous then you might make a blunder.

We consider meditation boring. Who can sit still with their eyes closed and without vile thoughts? But we truly need to take out a few minutes from our busy schedules and sit in dhyana to attain inner peace. Whether it's a quiet corner of our cosy home, or just a secluded spit in office, closing your eyes and sitting in peace will give you immense peace of mind.

Doubts create misunderstandings. They confuse you and fog your mind with unclear thoughts. They also bring indecisiveness and make you a coward. For instance, if you’re in a relationship and if you have doubts about your partner’s loyalty and love then you will never be able to take your relationship further. Love has no doubts. If it does, then it’s not love.

'Dream big' is the message here. If you’re dreaming about buying a house, you can’t keep it on hold by dreaming about a motorcycle. Although small goals are important, forgetting your ultimate goal will only stunt your growth. Don’t settle for less, strive hard to achieve the bigger goals.

You’re your own best friend. If you have a problem, only you will have a solution to it, and not your friend. To find answers to your questions, you will have to look within. Seeking suggestions from ten different people who you call ‘friends’ is not going to help because they have ten solutions to one problem, whereas your solution is the ultimate answer. Believe in yourself.