External solution, Internal reconciliation or working with Swadharma

We keep facing a lot of problems in life. We face financial crises, problems with our job, disturbances in relations, face litigations, and sometimes face issues with our positions and status in society. And when we face these problems, generally the first reaction is to be afraid, stressed, and anxious. We want the status quo to be maintained. Slowly we accept the reality and start looking for solutions and working on them. Sometimes the solutions work and sometimes not. When they do not work, we become more stressed and tense.

When we do not find the situation in the external world, we pass through a phase of stress and anxiety and then slowly start reconciling internally. We reconcile after the loss of wealth, death of family members, loss of relationships, fines, penalties, and punishments by the courts as well as the loss of positions and power. Some of us reconcile quickly and move forward and some of us take time to reconcile. 

The question arises should we not reconcile in the first instance? In fact why work on the external solutions and why not work on the internal tolerance. The more we are tolerant of these losses, the lesser would be the need to look for external solutions. But in that case, what will be our motivation to live life? I feel that is the real question that Krishna answers in Bhagwad Geeta very thoroughly.

Generally, our motivations are driven by the rights and wrongs of our rational mind, the likes and dislikes of the emotional mind, and the pleasant and unpleasant feelings (sensations) driven by our unconscious mind. Difficult situations necessarily result in outcomes that we do not like. For example the loss of a job or falling ill or loss of a relative. In these situations, we look forward to the external solutions and when situations do not allow the external solutions or we do not put in sufficient effort to find the solution, we get stressed and become anxious. After some time of sadness, we try to reconcile internally since we can not remain deprived of pleasantness for a long period of time.

Krishna turns it upside down. He says that motivation should not be centered around rights or wrongs, likes or dislikes, or pleasant or unpleasant feelings. He says that life decisions should be taken by Swadharma, our true nature, and potential.

In the normal course of life, we keep running after our desires. We form different kinds of bonds with different people. Some of these bonds are like ionic bonds where one gives material support in terms of money or references to the other and the other gives intangible returns in the form of respect or praise to the other. Some other bonds are like covalent bonds wherein both persons support each other either materially or emotionally. The core of all these bonds is the desire. These bonds help each other fulfill their desires. 

These bonds operate at a very shallow level and therefore after a point in time seem very shallow. In fact, there are lots of discords and fighting in these relations because of the gaps in expectations. The concept of Swadharma, as told by Krishna, is like nuclear power. If we move away from the surface of the electronic bonds, we go deep into the nucleus i.e. our true nature. Sometimes we start acting like a nuclear reactor wherein our internal process of nuclear fission starts and we start working in accordance with our true nature. This gives immense energy to this world and a strong meaning to our life. Sometimes, few of us fuse together to start the process of nuclear fusion as it takes place on the sun to give away far greater energy.

As we start operating with Swadharma, we get so much energy and joy from carrying out meaningful works that our tolerance levels for wrongs, dislikes, and unpleasant feelings grow substantially. At a point in time, while taking decisions regarding the action to be taken, we focus more on the meaningful tasks at the nuclear level rather than getting triggered by small discomfort or dislike and start making efforts at the electronic level. Not so that all activities at an electronic level stop, but less and less of their need is felt, and they get reduced to the bare minimum. The tolerance levels for wrongs, dislikes, and unpleasant feelings grow with greater attention to meaningful work.