Gita:1

Dharma jako fundament

W naszych studiach nad tekstami, skupiamy się na Dharma, aby doskonalić nasze dążenie do Artha (bogactwo) i Karma (działanie). Dharma nie ogranicza naszych aspiracji - niebo nie jest naszym limitem. Przykładem jest Elon Musk i jego SpaceX - nawet niebo nie stanowi dla niego granicy. Dharma obejmuje dbałość o umysł i ciało oraz umiejętność cieszenia się życiem we wszystkich jego aspektach, z zachowaniem umiaru. Rozumienie Dharmy jest kluczowe, aby właściwie równoważyć dążenie do bogactwa i przyjemności.

Cztery sposoby postępowania

Tradycja wyznacza cztery metody postępowania: Sama, Dana, Bheda i Danda:

• Sama – dialog, negocjacje, poszukiwanie polubownych rozwiązań w jak najbardziej uprzejmy sposób.
• Dana – jeśli dialog nie przynosi rozwiązania, powinniśmy zastosować motywację, by ludzie zrozumieli, co mogą zyskać.
• Bheda – kiedy to nie wystarczy, możemy użyć stanowczego głosu, ale wciąż w trosce o dobro ogółu.
• Danda – jako ostateczność, stosujemy reprimendy, upomnienia, zawieszenie lub zwolnienie.

Te cztery metody pomagają zrozumieć Dharma w danej sytuacji i powinny być stosowane z umiarem i rozwagą.

Wyzwania liczb

Nie lękajmy się przeważających przeciwników. W Bhagavad Gicie, mimo że przeważająca liczba batalionów walczyła przeciw Dharma, to ci, którzy bronili Dharmy, zwyciężyli. Niezależnie od przeciwności, należy postępować zgodnie z Dharmą.

Wpływ obecności

Czasami samo wsparcie bliskich może okazać się kluczowe. Obecność Krishny na polu bitwy zapewniła zwycięstwo, ponieważ był on z Dharmą.

Osobista rada

Zbuduj swoją osobistą radę dyrektorów, składającą się z maksymalnie trzech osób, które mają Twoje dobro na uwadze. Mają pomagać Ci w rozwiązywaniu dylematów związanych z Dharmą w poufny sposób.

Nieudzielanie nieproszonych rad

Nie oferuj pomocy, jeśli nie zostanie o to poproszony. W przypadku osób, do których jesteśmy zobowiązani przez Dharma, powinniśmy być gotowi do działania bez oczekiwania na prośbę.

Zarządzanie równowagą psychiczną

Zarządzanie równowagą psychiczną jest ważniejsze niż zewnętrzne pozory. Nie trać nadziei, ponieważ każda chwila w boskim planie jest cudem.

Wykorzystanie wiedzy i umiejętności

Twoja wiedza i umiejętności nie mają znaczenia, jeśli nie używasz ich w chwili potrzeby. Należy przygotować się na najgorsze, ale zawsze dawać z siebie najlepsze.

Dharma a emocje

Nie ulegaj emocjom i relacjom, jeśli są one sprzeczne z Dharmą. To osł...

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February 2^nd, 2023

(…Intro- today some call to action so you can implement in incoming week…)

I'm going to keep it around Dharma for the simple reason, we are studying this text to understand Dharma so that we excel in our pursuit of Artha and Karma. What does that mean? Sky is the limit. In fact, sky need not be your limit. Think of Elon Musk, SpaceX, even sky is not the limit. If you go as per Dharma, you can do anything you want. And that Dharma includes starting from taking care of your mind and body. Enjoyment is the second thing. These are misconceptions. People feel if you are entering into a path of self-knowledge, you should not have any material goals or you should not enjoy life. These are all never mentioned in any scriptures in India. In fact, life is joy and we should know how to enjoy with all the senses intact. Feel free to go on a vacation, treat yourself for a great food with friends, watch a movie of your choice, do everything in moderation. Dharma is the scale which helps us to moderate our pursuit of wealth and pursuit of pleasure. For that, it becomes very important to understand more and more about Dharma. That is going to be the entire focus for us.

1. There is no one single way to deal with a situation.

The tradition gives you 4 ways: Sama, Dana, Bheda and Danda.

·      Sama- Discussion, negotiation, talking out of the situation in as polite and sweet way as possible, sharing the benefits. So there is no tempo or temper increasing.

·      Dana suppose things doesn't get resolved there, we should incentivize people because some people always want to know what is in it for me. That is equally Dharma. Don't need to feel guilty about it. As I told you, even in the government account submission, they are allowing something for incidental expenses because people are realistic to know if you go and register a property or buy something, something has to be paid. Transactional life- some payments have to be done. So don't become too idealistic, be realistic. And don't feel bad I'm saying these things because these things are going to confuse you in day to day life. So when your CA is saying you can book incidental expenses, you ask what is the limit of incidental expenses and get your job done. Because your time is at premium, you don't try to live like Rama or Jesus. Even in their times, they were criticized. You have to be very real and practical without manipulating. So given a choice, you don't go and manipulate, but never allow someone to manipulate you. That is Dharma.

·      Bheda- You say this is not done. Raise your voice, but in the larger good, still in a way that ather feel that you are doing it in their good.

·      Danda- Prostigation, Reprimanding, Memo, Suspension, Termination.

So in dealing with every situation, we have to exercise these four concepts because that is how you understand Dharma in the situation. In dealing with every situation, think it is your Dharma to go through the filter. Don't directly jump into Danda because people are afraid of your fear, of your anger. Don't always use the fourth tool. Afterwards people will become immune

2. Do not get scared by the numbers.

Out of the 18 battalions which fought, 11 fought against Dharma and 7 only fought for Dharma. Still the less number won. So when you are faced with tremendous opposition, don't be fazed, be unfazed because they are seeing some value and they think they can extract a pound of flesh, but you have to stand your ground because that is your Dharma. How to use, how to do? You exercise your common sense. But remember, never get unfazed by huge numbers, the quants.

3. Sometimes the best person with you may not be fighting for you.

Their mere presence helps that you will win. Krishna never fought the war. His presence ensured war was won because wherever he is, he is with Dharma.

CTA- Consciously constitute a personal board of directors of not more than 3 people, because if there is a tide, they have to vote. That's the only reason. And these people have no axe to grind other than wishing well for you. They need not be younger to you, elder to you. The only thumb rule is they wish good for you and you wish good for them. And whenever you are having a dilemma, Dharma Sankata, you should feel free to speak with them independently because all the three may not know each other. No need to start any WhatsApp group, but some may want to keep it private. We have to respect their privacy. So this I have practicing particularly from the pandemic time. And I didn't know this is a corporate concept being spoken. It was February 2021. We had one student from the US, Indian coming to study with us. During the interaction when I told this concept, I wrote it in LinkedIn also. He immediately said, "We are doing this in corporate life as well. Whenever we grow high in the hierarchy, we feel very lonely. So we have a personal board of directors, somebody within the company from outside, and it's completely confidential." Why that is important, these people may not come in the front and vouch for you. These people may not give you guarantee in the bank. They may not sign on your behalf in station or in the court. But their mere presence ensures you will definitely win because they are standing for what is right and you give them the license to reprimand you and put you in the right place if you are going against Dharma. Take the cue from what Krishna did. He could have finished the war in 18 seconds, but he didn't get into that. Because that's the promise. He maintained that promise.

4. We are specialists in sharing advice even without asked.

And we run the best WhatsApp universities of the world. So unless someone asks you for help, do not extend any help. This is called enlightened self-interest. But the caveat is for people with whom you are bound by Dharma. Suppose your child says he is struggling to do the homework. Don't wait for the child to ask you because sometimes the child doesn't know to ask. You know you have Dharma towards certain people. Even if they scold you, they misunderstand you. You just are there for them because it is not for the emotion you are there for them. Your presence is important. For such people, you can't pitch in. Either they are going to accept or reject. So don't need to worry whether they are accepting or rejecting.

Be very careful. Then when you grow in the relationship, you should know in which situation you have to offer advice and in which situation you should not do anything. Your presence alone is enough.

Unless asked, particularly in the transactional domain, in office, in the transactional domain, unless asked, don't share knowledge, because you will be undervalued.

As long as Arjuna thought Krishna is just a charioteer, he is not going to fight, he didn't give value to Krishna's position. Till that time, Krishna didn't share the knowledge. The moment Arjuna elevated Krishna to the role of a teacher- from a charioteer first he spoke as a friend, first charitably he looks down upon that role. Krishna proved to him that no role is inferior or superior. Your ability to execute it is more important than the role itself.

(from Essence of Leadership session- role, title, certifications do not matter. What you do with that matters)

And when the person is giving you value by elevating you from a nominal role or a friend to someone he is looking up to as a resource person, at that time when you open out, they will be receptive.

5. Don't give a hood to emotion and relationship if it is against Dharma.

If you do that, you are weakening Dharma because Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitaha. That means if you take one step towards protecting and following Dharma, Dharma will take multiple steps to protect you.

Arjuna, who was completely shook by the presence of his teacher and the Grandsire, was in depression because he was seeing the personalities, he should have seen what they did is right or wrong. So sometimes you have to take a stand. It may appear that you are speaking against your spouse, your parents, your boss or your closest friend. They may emotionally say, you know, two years back you were down the drain, I only helped you. That is okay. But when you have to take a stand, which is for Dharma, you can always take a firm stand by speaking less, only by action. Only speaking is going to aggravate. Go back to your understanding. Never give in to weak links like a relationship. That is the biggest test.

Stand up for Dharma and Dharma will run and stand for you,

behind you, front of you, sideways, protect you from all directions.

6. Managing your mental balance is more important than how you appear outside.

You can put up a facade outside. Inside you may be weak. So know when to ask for help. Know when to have the self-help. The more you do sadhana, more you do your processes, your inner core is built very strong. Then your need for external help is not that much. So you have to know to keep your mind in a state of balance despite turmoils going around because that is the only instrument you have to win or be successful in whatever you do.

Never lose hope. As long as we are alive, we have to be hopeful, because in the scheme of the divine, every moment is a miracle. We may not be opening the eyes and seeing. Just think of whatever has happened to you. Just take last three months- you will be seeing you have come out of so many things without your knowledge. So many great things have happened, but we never acknowledge.

So never lose hope because losing hope is Adharma.

I'm not trying to give you an inspiration talk.

Losing hope is the disservice what you can do to yourself and your potential.

7. Your knowledge doesn't matter. Your skill set doesn't matter.

Your ability to utilize it at the time of need matters.

Meaning you may have the knowledge of driving a car, but the skill set is actually getting to do it, because reading a book also you will know- read- that is knowledge. Skill is putting that knowledge to use. They both are useless if you don't execute it. You will feel guilty about it. And the key thing here is to test what is your strength and what is your weakness by using a simple technique what Bhagavan did in the first chapter. He takes him to the center of the field from where he can see Bhishma and Drona not Duryodhana. So if you think you are very great, take yourself before the person or situation where your weakness is coming out. In a normal situation everybody is strong. Your real strength comes when you face the situation. So when you are using your visualization- my teacher says-

prepare for the worst but always give your best.

So when you prepare for it, you have a checklist. Okay, if I break down in that situation, do I have an F1 to press? Do I have someone to call in my emergency? If I am not breaking down, is there a way I can recall whatever lessons I have learned? If you are in doubt (like lifeline) you can speak with a friend. So when you are in a spot of bother, always have these options. So if I am going out, if my mobile is not working, which is the one number in my memory I will always have? This is how you prepare for a worst case scenario.

You will never be in the worst case scenario because you are already prepared.

If you don't prepare, that will become a worst case.

So to handle all these things, always ensure you mimic the best situation where you could be and the worst situation what can happen to you. What is the worst which can happen?

Okay in that worst situation can you be alive? Then you can rebuild it. Don't worry.

(That's why I am very fortunate to study with my Teacher from 1997- 27 years now. I tell him if I was a bedspread or a pillow in your room, I would have realized  Imagine who will tell you, our parents have no idea about this)

If in the worst of your case scenario- Are you feeling you will be alive?

- Yes,

-Then you can rebuild it.

Each of us have a situation in life like that. But the problem is we don't acknowledge our strength. We always look outside who is going to help. We have done it ourselves.

Then the weakest point in Arjuna's mind was his Teacher- because he was grateful to the teacher. This is where we also face a problem. There could be a mentor, there could be a consultant who would have referred us to a project. That doesn't mean you have to do Pada Puja to them. You have to be grateful to them at the same time without giving up your dignity which is your Dharma. Because when you do, overdo, appease or please, your Manodharma is affected. Keeping your Manodharma is important. And nobody is doing us service by giving you a transactional project. Please remember, in the transactional world, someone is giving you a project means they have seen something in you which you might not have seen. Nobody is a crackpot to give us a project and we are crackpot to think they are doing as an obligation. Nobody will take that risk in the transactional world. So never fall for obligations.

If a help is done, execute it. But you are not a slave to yourself. Leave alone anybody. You are not a slave to your own minds and mind and senses. Be very careful.

So what you should do? In a situation, you always find what is the weak point, prepare for it. Strong point, prepare for it. If everything goes natural, you are spontaneous. So this is what Krishna did. He took him to the place where he knows Arjuna will break down because that is common psychology. From there he built the strength. Imagine if this has happened in the tenth day of the war. The war would have been gone on the tenth day. Suppose tenth day only Arjuna is seeing Drona.

So accept facts as it is. Weakness if it is a fact, accept it. Then only you can work.

Positive thinking is good for children.

For grown up people, knowing your weakness is very important as knowing your strength.

8. Don't be in urgency to understand what is going on. Be patient till your turn comes.

The moment you become impatient, your reading of situation will always be wrong. So this happens in coaching. Coach allows the coachee to find the solution themselves by just holding the space. The same thing has to be done here, done in every chapter of the Gita. You just hold the mental space for you, yourself to finish the chapter. Then you understand why that actually happened. Every chapter is having a title which actually will remind you of the essence of the chapter. And then when you go back and see, you can relate that to every sloka of the chapter. So like that the first chapter is called Arjuna Vishada Yoga. How Arjuna got into depression

Don't rush into knowing everything. You need to go through the sequence of events. If you go and read the 18th chapter, you will not understand anything despite you being a scholar of Samskrita. You need to go by a sequence. There are times where you have to be chaotic and random. But when it comes to knowledge, preferably you go by sequence. The insights will come random. Knowledge has to be undergone systematically. But when an insight comes, that is due to your past prarabdha and your own karma. But don't study for insights. Then you will be under stress. Study for knowledge, allow insights to happen. That will save you of disappointment.

9. 1sts chapter 3 key points:

Attachment- Raga.

And because we are attached, it gives rise to Moha- Delusion.

When we get into moha, delusion, we will only be having Shoka- Sorrow.

And if you don't deal with shoka in the proper way, it will lead to Vishada- Depression.

Attachment®Delusion®Sorrow®Depression

If you don't handle something at the attachment level, if you don't deal with it that will lead you to delusion- “Without this, I cannot live like that”- Without my morning coffee, I am gone. Nobody can stand before me. I will start blasting them. And then, if you don't get your coffee, you feel so sad, you think the entire day is gone.

Be careful with what you are attached to, attached with.

Then understand because of that attachment, we get into the deluded mindset- Moha.

If you don't arrest at the delusion level by dealing with that with your board of directors or your confidants, you will get into shoka, sorrow.

What happened with Arjuna?

He got attached to the relationship of a teacher and a grandsire, which made him deluded, “I am going to kill them.”

He should have remembered,

the moment someone goes against Dharma, they are anyway dead.

This is a simple principle. You are only dealing with some entity. Your personality is dead already. Because he started to imagine, I am anyway going to win the war. After the war, if my teacher is not there to enjoy, if my family is not there to enjoy, when he started to think about the future and the absence of their physical presence, he got shoka. All this pushed him into vishada, which is depression.

(What is someone's dharma? Because what is right for me is sometimes wrong for you)

We are confusing being just with what is dharma. Dharma is never black and white. Whenever you have a doubt, you go back to the definition of dharma.

That which supports, sustains and enables proper functioning of any system.

Sometimes, in some situations, being adamant may help you to establish dharma. That is why we don't disqualify any emotion. There are times when being angry or showing anger may help you to stabilize the system which is dharma. That is why we cannot say one man's dharma and another man's dharma is different. Where is it different? Suppose you are a CEO of a company, your role profile is there. Your roles and responsibilities is your dharma. The clerk in your office has his or her own role responsibility. That is where you can say the dharma of a CEO is different, the dharma of a clerk is different. So, only in the transactional domain there may be a conflict because each is operating from their own job profile. So the job profile is dharma. And who created that job profile? The HR and the company felt for this role to be functioning properly, these are the criteria.

So what we try to do? We don't have so many relationships, in life. We know there is family, there are a few friends and there is an office.

Find out the people and situations which are generally tossing us up and down and study what is my role, what is my limitation. At that time you implement what Krishna did. In some roles, you have to not give advice without asking. Suppose you are the board of advisor, your role itself is to give advice whether somebody is annoyed or not.

Some time what you say, you don't need to give any advice to me. I want to vent out, you shut up and listen. You tell this to your friends, sometimes you tell elders also- Just listen to me. At that time the role of advisor is dead for the other person, they are only giving you a listening. So this way when you clearly define what is your expectation, then you will not feel dharma is subjective, it becomes more objective.

So going to a war zone, meditation is not the objective, though in the scheme of life meditation may be the highest because it can prevent wars. But in that situation, meditation is not the right thing, though it is the highest thing. This is how you understand dharma.

So how can I establish my stability of the mind without meditating? Ask what is my dharma in this situation as a warrior? As a warrior, my role here is to establish dharma despite bloodshed, even if I lose my eye or the hand, that gives the meditative effect to the person who is in the field of action. That is why when your signal is there, you stop in the road, that is your dharma. There is no conflict there. The conflict comes if you are an ambulance driver and somebody is in your vehicle. So that is called apadharma. So if you analyze the situations where you are being derailed by someone, it is most probably you have not defined your relationship. In undefined relationships, this derailing will happen. Maybe a rickshaw fellow is there or you went for an interview, their culture is different, your culture is different. For example, if you go to Siemens there is nothing called retrenchment. But when you go to HCL when you go to some other company, retrenchment is normal. So a person going from this culture of working to that culture of working may feel it is adharma, but their ignorance is they have not studied the client properly. So these confusions only will give rise to a doubt which is dharma, which is adharma. But whenever there is a doubt which is repeatedly coming in a relationship, whether it is family, friend or the official one, you immediately sit down and write what you can do, what you cannot do, fix up a coffee meeting, tell them this is what it is. Because if you keep it within, you are not discharging your mano dharma. It is this software with which you can function in the outside world.

(Attachment, Delusion, Sorrow, Depression happened to Arjuna and happens to us all)

Today at 7.59, I was in that verge only. Maximum 2-3 people were there. I thought what's going on. Then suddenly we have 19 people now. Nobody is immune to this. As long as I am talking, as long as I have not realized who I am, I will also have my own levels of depression, my own levels of sorrow, my own levels of attachment. Only the one who has realized the Master, like Ramana or Nityananda Bhagawan, where their mere presence transfers knowledge and allows that knowledge to flower as a wisdom in someone who is in your vicinity, such people can be relaxed. All our tensions are in various levels. We have to acknowledge that. It took me some time to acknowledge. So in that time of acknowledgement, I grew very old  Now I am reasonably understanding.

I'm consciously trying to give you some takeaway for the complete understanding, we need to go through the 18 together. So you will understand how to work, how to work with emotion, how to work in the day to day. Every chapter is giving you some takeaway which you can implement- you can take it as call to action also.

1. Like you can ask yourself, in my communication with others, am I using only one more? That is I only appease. If you keep on appeasing, you will manipulate people- because you don't have a spine. In my communication with others, am I using Sama, Dana, Bheda, Danda?

2. Am I worried about numbers than what is right? That is a problem. That means again you will want to speak what others want to hear. You will never tell what is right. It is going to create a problem for you.

9 points- “what can I do?” Pick up one thing, do that one, the other eight will follow for you

In Yoga Sutras Patanjali clearly tells:

How can you identify when you are in a tough situation?

Sometimes our mind may trick-“ everything is fine” Whenever you feel you are alone, but you are inside, there is turmoil going on and you want to be a person of integrity with yourself, then only with others, and you want to be honest- observe whenever you are communicating with somebody, these signs are visible in your body.

1.You are not able to breathe properly- Svasa, Prasvasa. Your breath is becoming abnormal means either you are uncomfortable with the situation or the person or you are uncomfortable with your confidence level, some obstacle.

2.There will be a slight sweat. You will feel suddenly the temperature has changed. Air condition is on, but you can palpably see some temperature shift is happening.

3. Slightly body will shake. Hand will shiver, leg will shiver, stomach- you will feel some 10 butterflies somehow got into your stomach. You are a great vegetarian, you are even a Jain, but still you found 10 butterflies in your stomach

Abnormal breathing pattern? Please be ready- You may react instead of responding.

A situation will come unannounced, but if you prepare yourself every day by some spiritual process, it is like you charge your battery before going out for a long day. It will last long. Your emotional mental stamina will last long.

So when you are faced with a situation or when you are present in a meeting, if things are not going right, how can you identify with your body is:

-first breath is not right,

- body is feeling a bit sweaty or uncomfortable

-or you are finding small your body is shivering.

At these times, never give a word. Listen, never give suggestion, never take a decision.

(I know somebody in here will tell, why are you using the word never or always? But here I am just telling them, forgive me, but these are very important. Okay, let me rephrase )

Don't jump into any decision. Don't give any promise. Don't need to conclude.

Use the best word what HR does. We will get back to you later.

When you will do this, when you are uncomfortable in the mind and body, it shows in your body. This exactly happened for Arjuna. He is called Savyasachi. That means even if two bows are there, he will have two queers and he can keep on sending in different directions and destroy people. Such a person was not able to hold one bow and he collapses and sits.

So what is the next thing you should know?

Whenever you are feeling, you are about to feel low or depressed, sit straight.

The spine is the key. If you stoop in the front, people will sit on your head

because they are not studying Bhagavad Gita.

You are studying. So you have more responsibility to exercise Sama Dana Bheda Danda.

They have no responsibility.

Remember, they are only there to give question paper like a teacher.

They are giving you question paper of life- so that

your understanding of Gita is good or not.

So we are not even going to curse them.

In fact, we are going to bless them for putting us into tough situation

because they shaped the diamond inside us.

Without them, we may not know our real metal. We might be in a cocoon forever.

We might have been pampered forever.

Unless we are challenged, our real knowledge, whatever you assimilated will never come.

So always pray and bless people who have put you in tough situation.

They have brought you who you are.

Putting into situation is their prerogative. Coming out of it is your choice.

Do some exercise. Try to sit straight and let us not take any decision. Let us not curse or praise anybody. Let us not overdo anything. Take time. Borrow time. Because every such situation is not do or die. And if it is a do or die situation, what is the rule given in the Dharma Shastra? Whatever you do is right. Because preservation is important. This is why you should study properly. So when your life is at threat, you can do anything. Because without life, what is Dharma? Preserving your life is your Dharma. So that situation is not going to come to majority of us. So even that situation comes, understand our tradition tells you stand up and survive. Whatever you need to do for survive, you do. Even if need to manipulate, you need to do it. Because you are a grahastha, you are not a sanyasi. And your intention of manipulation is survival, not to appease or not to gain something. Because maintaining your life is your important Dharma.

The 2^nd chapter also, the teaching doesn't start immediately. Rattling is going on.

And he's scolding also- How can this come to you? But the real teaching starts from

2.11- Bhagavan tells that grief is untenable- You have no license to grief. If you tell in simple language, you have no license to grieve because your nature is pure bliss. Like how a normal human being will not want to be sad. This grief is actually self-pity.

You have to ask, what can I do to come back to my state of bliss

instead of why this happened to me? That you can deal later.

We also learn in coaching- a question in “why” will generate story and there is no end to any story. The question of “what is that I can do” or “how can I come out” is more important at that time than to analyze. Stop your analysis because analysis leads to paralysis.

So at that situation, whenever you feel grief, either you remember your Ishtam, you remember what Ramana Bhagavan said, the Divine is residing in the cave of your heart. Not only he said, he said because it's said in Gita by Bhagavan himself. So you should remind yourself how you should remind not at the situation of grief in day to day basis. That is why before starting you pray, at every time you say the divine is with me, the CCTV camera and my board of directors are with me. So generally you will not do anything wrong- because you become more aware of your responsibility of being a role model. In everything you do, even you brush your teeth, people will know how with less effort beautifully they brush the teeth.

Dexterity in economy of action defines whether you are an expert or not.

If a sentence can explain the truth, don't speak in paragraph- this is what my teacher say, my father also tells. In Tamil he will say, "Sol Udhari"- a spendthrift of not many of words.

See how much responsibility tradition is giving us because it is energy.

That energy has to be always deployed for higher purpose.

Never try to keep convincing people. You speak convincingly.

Bhagavan is saying, you have no license to grieve. This is how he starts and he ends somewhere in the 18th chapter again he is telling don't grieve- Mashuchaha. First he starts Ashochyanam that means grief is untenable. After listening to all this knowledge of more than 600+ slokas (out of 700, 600+ are teachings) After listening to all these things-

“Do not grieve. Now get up. What is the decision you have taken?”

Arjuna himself tells I'm going to fight the war. Krishna is not telling fight the war. He only shares knowledge. Arjuna takes a decision to fight the war because he understood grief is untenable. His main thing as a Kshatriya is to establish Dharma.

Call to action. You just sit down and ask yourself what are all the things and people and situation for which you are grieving right now, something is bothering you. Make 2/3 note of it. And you'll be surprised the people involved in that are not even bothered about this. They have their own grief. But you remember because nobody matters, you matter to yourself. You have to come out of that. Find out the situations. Apply this worst case scenario. Work it out.

(No license to grieve. Is that applicable to to human loss as well?)

Yes, that is why I made that emphatic statement. In that statement, there is no if and but. The real way you can respect someone is to pick up what they stood for and what they inspired and make it your own as if they are living with you. By grieving or by worrying or stressing out, nobody is going to come back. So they live in our remembrance from the qualities and the aspects which inspired us. Because loss is temporary. Why that became a very big therapy subject is because the West looks at life as linear. For us life is going to happen again. So if you don't resolve the grief, they feel you are gone. But we always have a next chance. But before the next chance comes, we keep preparing ourselves to handle it better. So the best way to face grief is to learn the lessons. And right now, because of the loss, what is that realization which has come into our life? Note it down, journal it and bring it into action. That is the homage and respect we can pay. Sometimes people die physically. Sometimes people are alive, they are dead to us in life. We bless them, but there are some lessons because the relationship is not going to continue. Let them live peacefully. That is their life. Our life is different. But what lessons I learned, I don't repeat it in future. And they remind me of my own strong points. That is the only way to deal with grief. Because nobody can live forever. I'll tell you, even Krishna and Rama didn't live forever in the physical body. They are living with us as essence. The moment there is a manifestation, there is a de-manifestation. There is no role for emotion there. Only understanding that emotion. It is quite natural to feel the grief because the interactions will remind the memory is there. What you do is you convert that memory into an actionable and own that and internalize as if they are never dead.