According to the Bhagavad Gita
1. Come to Terms with Death
Bhagavad Gita 2.13
“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The wise are not bewildered by such change.”
Reflection: Death is not an end but a transition. The Gita teaches that consciousness—the self within—does not perish when the body dies.
Practice Insight: Contemplate impermanence in everyday events, both the sad and the rewarding. When you accept that change will happen, you can cultivate patience and gratitude, and courage will replace fear.
2. Develop a Non-Neurotic Sexual Identity
Bhagavad Gita 7.11
“I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to dharma.”
Reflection: Sexual energy is divine when expressed without selfishness or exploitation.
Practice Insight: Take charge of your sexual energy by seeing intimacy as an exchange of trust and respect, not possession. Honor desire by aligning it with care and honesty.
3. Work with Your Unique, Natural Skill Sets
Bhagavad Gita 18.45–46
“By following one’s own nature in work, a person attains perfection. It is better to perform one’s own duty imperfectly than another’s perfectly.”
Reflection: Fulfillment comes from developing one’s innate gifts (svabhava) and serving through them.
Practice Insight: Notice what feels natural and energizing. Let your purpose evolve from your authentic abilities.
4. Live a Zestful, Adventurous Life
Bhagavad Gita 10.36
“I am victory, adventure, the strength of the strong.”
Reflection: The Gita urges us to act with a full heart but without attachment to results.
Practice Insight: Treat life as a sacred adventure. Focus on the excellence of effort, not on outcomes.
5. Behave Empathically Toward Others
Bhagavad Gita 12.13–14
“One who is not envious but a kind friend to all beings… forgiving, peaceful, and content—that person is very dear to Me.”
Reflection: True strength is measured by gentleness. Compassion connects us to the divine in others.
Practice Insight: Before speaking or acting, pause to ask: “Will this relieve suffering or add to it?”
6. Maintain Meaningful Friendships
Bhagavad Gita 13.10-11
“[The wise] cultivate a distaste for the company of the worldly.”
Reflection: Association molds consciousness. Bad company draws the mind to passion and anger, while good company, grounded in devotion, uplifts and steadies the heart.
Practice Insight: Spend time daily in silence or reflection to strengthen the friendship within. It will naturally extend outward.
7. Respond to Beauty
Bhagavad Gita 10.41
“Whatever is beautiful, glorious, or powerful, know that it springs from but a spark of My splendor.”
Reflection: Beauty awakens reverence. To see beauty clearly is to glimpse divinity at play in the world.
Practice Insight: Let moments of beauty—music, light, kindness—be reminders of the sacred nature of all things.
8. Dwell in Some Form of Sacredness
Bhagavad Gita 9.22
“To those who are devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they come to Me.”
Reflection: Sacredness is not confined to temples or yoga classes. It is a state of heart aligned with love and purpose.
Practice Insight: Begin and end each day with a moment of gratitude or prayer. When life feels sacred, happiness follows naturally.
