Equal Vision, Wise Action - BG Ch 6 v 9

-

 

Samabuddhi — Inner Freedom

In Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 9, Bhagavan Krishna describes a person of elevated wisdom as one who remains equal-minded toward friends, enemies, well-wishers, strangers, and even those who are hateful.

Sounds wonderful! But for a beginner like me, is it practical to remain neutral toward someone who loves me and someone who dislikes me?

Does Bhagavan Krishna expect me to treat everyone exactly the same way?

Not necessarily!

Bhagavan Krishna is talking about Samabuddhi which is equanimity of mind,  where my judgment and inner peace are not controlled by my likes, dislikes. 

Neutrality does not mean Indifference

Being neutral does not mean becoming emotionless, tolerating injustice, or allowing others to take advantage of me.  It means learning to separate the person, their behavior, and my reaction.

For example, if a friend betrays my trust, I may feel hurt or disappointed. I can acknowledge those feelings, establish boundaries, and even distance myself.

But do I need to carry hatred toward that person? No, remove myself and let the person continue in their path.  That is my first step toward Samabuddhi.

Practicing in Everyday Life

At Work: A close colleague praises my work, while someone I dislike points out a mistake. My ego wants to accept the praise and dismiss the criticism.

But what if the criticism is valid?  I should evaluate and accept what is useful regardless of who says it.

In My Community: While organizing an event, a friend supports my idea, but another member opposes it.  I should evaluate both perspectives fairly without allowing personal relationships to influence my decision.

In day-to-day Life: Someone speaks rudely to me. My natural instinct is to react with equal rudeness.  But, should I allow someone else's behavior dictate my state of mind?  I can respond firmly without becoming angry or disrespectful.

As a beginner, I may not be able to prevent every emotional reaction. But I can practice three simple steps:

  1. Recognize: Is my ego, attachment, or dislike influencing my reaction?

  2. Pause: Do I need to react immediately, or can I respond consciously?

  3. Choose Dharma: Instead of asking, "Do I like this person?" ask, "What is the right thing to do?"

I cannot control how others treat me, but I can learn not to let their behavior control who I become.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I am Arjuna

-
Arjuna was one of the five Pandava brothers, while Duryodhana was the eldest of the hundred Kaurava brothers. Symbolically, the Kauravas represent the many negative tendencies within me, while the Pandavas represent the few divine qualities I strive to nurture. In that sense, I am living my own Mahabharata every day, with my mind as my Kurukshetra—the battlefield where the constant struggle between these forces takes place. The negative tendencies may appear greater in number and stronger in force, while the divine tendencies may seem few. And so, in every living moment, I am Arjuna. But then, where is my sakha , Krishna , to guide me as he guided Arjuna?   My Krishna is not somewhere outside of me. Krishna resides within me— as the inner voice of wisdom, clarity, courage, and dharma. How do I invoke that Krishna within? I seek Him with sincerity and awaken Him through purity of intention. When my intention is pure and my heart is open, Krishna stands beside me, just as He stood...
Read more

I AM THAT - 48 - Awareness

-
Image
  Awareness What is awareness? Awareness is a natural state—free from desires and fears. It is simply a condition of alertness and inner peace. However, this alertness and peace often become obscured by thoughts, desires, and fears. Most of the time, we remain caught in this mental clutter and rarely pause to look inward for awareness. Just as dirt on a dish dissolves when soaked in soapy water without scrubbing, a mind saturated with thoughts and emotions can become clear by sitting still and allowing positive thoughts to arise naturally. There’s no need to force positivity—when you try to control the mind, it always wins. Instead, let all thoughts and emotions flow freely. Observe them, and allow your inner Self to gently guide the mind toward positivity and awareness.
Read more

I AM THAT - 45 - What Comes and Goes has No Being

-
Image
 What Comes and Goes has No Being True maturity lies in embracing silence. At the core, everything is made of the same essence—the universal raw material. There’s no need to strive to reach it; the task is simply to peel away the layers that hide the “Universalness” within.   Silence (both outside and inside)  sounds simple, yet it is one of the hardest states to attain. Selfless action paves the way to silence—working with what you have, without clinging to results, without craving recognition. In that silence, you gain the clarity to strip away impurities—desires, jealousy, anger, expectations—and uncover the universal reality inside. Remember, everything that happens—whether to you or others—arises from countless factors, and your role is just one among them. Expecting outcomes to match your imagination only breeds misery.  Therefore, what comes and goes is not permanent and essentially has no being. 
Read more