11.2.22
Notes by: Priyanka Ranganath
- Virtue of prioritization is crucial to reach peace and any goal we have in general
- Prioritization = being able to know the things that are most important
- We still find it difficult to do what we know is right ‘
- Prioritization = being able to know the things that are most important
- Arjuna asks: How can I do something which I know will cause me sorrow? (In context of fighting family in battlefield)
- Translate: How can I engage in an action which I know will bring me sorrow?
- Proper knowledge is the key to being able to overcome strong likes and dislikes
- Translate: How can I engage in an action which I know will bring me sorrow?
- If we are on journey to peace, the things that are robbing us of peace are our likes and dislikes—> rob you of experience of joy
- Bhagavan Krishna says: those things that you think brings you joy, bring you sorrow; change the association you have with these objects
- See clearly in your mind all of the ways in which those things are causing you sorrow
- In the moment of craving, focus on all the bad things that’ll result from that activity through proper understanding and knowledge
- Make developing bad habits as hard as you can for you and vice versa for good habits
- Problem: Arjuna saying he is overwhelmed and too worried about future to make decision—> paralyzed into indecisiveness
- Asks Lord Krishna: How can I move forward and make this decision?
- You cannot be stuck in inaction you can’t do NOTHING; you must ACT
- Steps for Efficiency
- Decisive Action – do something without hesitation and regret ; try your best even if you’re wrong
- Eg: How do I know which college to go to?
- Don’t worry about future because we cant control result of actions
- Instead of focusing on result of actions, focus on effort
- Decisive Action – do something without hesitation and regret ; try your best even if you’re wrong
- Efficiency= using the least amount of resources to get the most result
- Prince Arjuna’s mind is racing, so he is able to get no result at all
- The doubt we can have when making decision ruins our efficiency
- After you decide, don’t worry/think about result of tying action ; do your best and leave your rest up to the powers that be
- Prince Arjuna’s mind is racing, so he is able to get no result at all
- Things that rob us of efficiency- anxiety ; no utility in anxiety at all
- Asks Lord Krishna: How can I move forward and make this decision?
- Bhagavan Krishna’s action: Act and just do what you know to be right and leave the results to Bhagavan
- We cannot control the results of our action
- For anything to happen, the entire universe came together to make that event happen (not my will, but the universe’s)
- In infinite chain of cause and effects my effort is just one link in the chain of causes and effects
- Both free will + destiny are equally wrong —> the right perspective is that we do have free will in how we choose to face our circumstances
- Focus on effort instead of result
- We must follow a routine
- I am engaging in this action because i know it to be right…not because I am pursuing the result
- Follows goal rather than tangible results we have
- How do I learn to accept failure?
- Key to learn from the journey ; One positive thing in any bad thing