Written b y Sweety Vyas
Failures are a part of life. We cannot always be successful. Problems in life will come and go. Life will not always go as we want. Reversals are essential as they ultimately lead us to success. “The phoenix must burn to emerge.” [Janet Finch]
We are elated when we succeed and devastated when we fail. In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna was sorrowful because he had to fight a war in which there would be death and destruction. Lord Krishna assured him that these things are momentary, and to emerge victorious, one needs to focus on higher principles, develop poise, and act.
Bhagavad Gita 2.14 is a beautiful verse that explains that both happiness and distress are temporary and that they come and go just like the winter and summer seasons. They arise due to contact of the five senses (smell, taste, hearing, touch, and sight) with their objects. It is best to tolerate these situations and not be disturbed by them. Tolerance is a choice we make so that we can calmly focus on a purposeful response. Our soul is eternal and beyond these temporary happenings. By realizing this, we do not waste our time on petty worries and work our way through our problems peacefully.
Similarly, Bhagavad Gita 5.20 tells us that an enlightened person maintains composure in good times and bad. These things do not impact him, as he accepts God’s will and blessings. He does not deviate from devotion to God.
Key Takeaways:
Realizing the transient nature of happiness and distress helps us maintain our perspective. When things are going right, it is natural to feel euphoric. We should be joyful, but we should not get identified by these feelings. Similarly, we feel down when things do not go according to our expectations. We should accept our feelings, rest, and rejuvenate. Like the change in weather, this too will ultimately pass.
Ultimately building our strong connection with God and our spiritual roots will help us tide over bad times. It will help us focus on a higher purpose. We can become calm and deal with our problems with confidence.