Very nice! *BHAGAVD GITA AND STRESS MANAGEMENT*
Both the armies were standing face to face, ready for the battle.
Thousands were ready to kill and die. Brothers were ready to slit the
throats of the brothers. Many were aware, that this could be the last day
of their life and they may not go back to see the faces of their wives and
children. The situation was extremely stressful, and Arjuna, one of the
hero of the Pandavas gave in,
“My limbs quail, my mouth goes dry, my body shakes and my hair
stands on end” (Bhagavad Gita Ch.I verse29) (*Arjunvishadyoga). STRESSED
OUT.*
This is a situation of a person who is going through the extremely
stressful situation. Thinking about the different possibilities, like
killing his own relations, Arjuna became nerves. We all go through the
stressful situations in our life. But, everyone does not respond similarly
to the situation. Class room may be place, which a well prepared teacher
may enjoy, but if a teacher is not well prepared for the class, the same
situation may become stressful for him.
Due to the fear of killing his own people Arjuna became stressful, no
wonder that in the beginning of his message which begins at the second
chapter, Krishna reminds him that the body is mortal and
“Wise men do not grieve for the dead or for the living” (Ch.II Verse 11)
And immediately after this, he goes on to explain the eternal
nature of soul,
“Never was there a time when I was not, nor thou, ……………, nor there will be
a time hereafter when we all shall cease to be” (Ch.II Verse 12)
So we were existing earlier and will continue to exist in the future,
this life in the mortal body is like a bridge which we should cross.
Bridges are not mean to stay permanently. It is due to misconception of
identifying ourselves with the body that we get entangled into the vicious
circle of pleasure and pain. The experience of pleasure and pain depends on
our reaction to the situation that we face. Unpleasant situations are bound
to arise in life; however the consciousness that we are someone beyond this
body and intellect, equips us to pass through the crises with magnanimity.
The awareness that changes are inevitable also equips us to face the
life and accept the defeat and disappointment. Explaining this constant
changes Krishna says,
“As the soul passes in this body through childhood, youth and age, even
so is taking on of another body. The sage is not perplexed by this.”(Ch.
II, Verse 13.)
Explaining that pleasure and pain are also part of life and
one should learn to endure them without getting disturbed, Krishna says,
“Contact with their objects, O Son of Kunti, gives rise to cold and
heat, pleasure and pain. They come and go and do not last forever, these
learn to endure, O Bharata” (Ch. II, Verse 14.)
If a man wants to lead a balanced life, one should learn not to get
disturbed by the pleasure and pain. If we are pleasure seekers then we will
fear pain. The awareness that the pain and pleasure are but the passing
phases of life prepares us to face the life with equanimity. Here Krishna
does not advice the killing of all the senses and rejection of the
pleasure. But the pleasures should not be one’s masters. On the other hand
to have a balance we should earn mastery over the senses and mind.
Awareness that the pleasure and pain both are passing phases enable us to
have mastery over both. Krishna says again,
“The man who ------------ remains the same in pain and pleasure, who is
wise makes himself for eternal life.” (Ch. II, Verse 15.)
If we remain conscious that we are living eternal life and this
mortal life is but only a small part of that eternal life, then we will not
be very much troubled by the ups and down in life. We are a part of the
supreme God which pervades everywhere and in everything. Explaining the
nature of soul Krishna says,
“He is never born, nor does he die at any time, …….. He is unborn, eternal,
permanent and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain” (Ch. II,
Verse 20.)
“He who thinks that this slays and he who thinks that he is slain;
both of them fail to perceive the truth; this one neither slays nor is
slain” (Ch. II, Verse 19.)
The person who is conscious about his true self, goes around
this world uninvolved like a lotus though takes birth in mud remains
untouched by it. The message of Gita is to give that ‘peace within’ so that
human being can remain calm, peaceful and undisturbed by external factors.
Like still water in the lake remains undisturbed, unless somebody throws a
stone which causes ripples.
Gita does not advocate the philosophy of renunciation and
escapism, but urges us into action with the right attitude and purpose. At
the same time it equips us to digest the success and failure with
equanimity. ( adopted from Sri Radhakrishnan President of India in B G )
On Thu, 27 Apr 2023 at 17:16, Jambunathan Iyer <[email protected]>
wrote:
> Stress—physical, emotional, or both—is something we all experience.
>
> The term 'tension' can refer to a variety of environmental, physical and
> emotional characteristics. In physics, tension describes the pulling force
> exerted by two or more objects in contact with each other. You can observe
> this kind of tension in spider webs, the Golden Gate Bridge, and tightrope
> walks.
>
> Tension is also a term used to describe your own physical and emotional
> experiences. These 'nervous' experiences are something we all know.
> Sometimes anxiety is a negative experience after an uncomfortable social
> situation, anxiety, or a long night of poor quality sleep. Other times
> tension can be a desirable experience when it occurs in the context of
> music, film, literature, and other art forms.
>
> N Jambunathan Rengarajapuram-Kodambakkam-Chennai-Mob:9176159004
>
> *" What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you
> become by achieving your goals. If you want to live a happy life, tie it to
> a goal, not to people or things "*
>
>
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