Why I lean into the Bhagavad Gita for advice on how to live fully
Are you finding life stressy and feeling worn down with it all? Wondering how to make the necessary changes to be more calm and at peace? I found the answers to these questions in the ancient yogic scriptures. Here is an excerpt from my recently released spiritual journey book Not for the last time where I share what I’ve learned:
Firstly, we must let go of the Ego. This is no easy feat because the Ego is incredibly strong. It controls us through our senses, our desires and our mind. It tells us we need to buy more stuff to be happy. That we need to have cosmetic surgery, live in a bigger house, earn more money, have higher status, have cooler friends, have bigger muscles, have more sex, go for more fancy holidays etc etc to be happy. All these desires keep us in a state of separateness, in a state of continuous and uninterrupted “I” vs “them”.
This is a very stressy state of being and living, as we all know. Everybody is so bloody stressed and worn out with the constant striving, grasping, clinging to more and more and more. It’s silly because we never get there, of course, moments of satisfaction and fulfilment are fleeting before we’re on to the next thing. The Ego tells us it’s never enough because it doesn’t want to lose control. And then what happens? We suffer. We sit with the pain of failure and dissatisfaction. It doesn’t have to be dramatic, perhaps a niggling discomfort in the back of the mind that you can’t seem to shake off completely. Therefore, we need to wean ourselves off our dependence on the Ego. All the sensory driven stuff is just noise distracting us from what really matters.
Secondly, we need to practice detachment. How do we do that? By not being attached to results. We seem to spend a lot of time focusing on and worrying about what will or won’t happen next. Will I get that job? Pass that exam? Find the dream partner? Get pregnant? Find the perfect house? We also keep ourselves as the frame of reference, for example, always asking what are he/she/they doing or not doing for me? Again, this is very stressy! So try this: just throw your intention or wish out there and let the universe decide. This can be sending in a job application or going on a first date or starting a creative project. Don’t be concerned about whether it will work out or not. Take a leaf out of Gandhi’s book (he knew a thing or two about letting go of the Ego and finding his True Self) who said “Do your best, then leave the results to God”.
Thirdly, and related to detachment, is to live in the present moment. Yes, this is an oft-heard cliché I know, but the scriptures are clear about this. Living in the past or in the future is an illusion, it’s not real. It’s part of the Ego’s game of keeping us wishing, wanting and yearning. The only reality is now.
Good luck and have faith!
Check out my spiritual journey book Not for the last time: A story of hope, courage and strength on Amazon now.