Why should you read Gita

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE?

Have you ever thought what is the ultimate purpose of life? When we were children, our purpose was to top the school and college and get a very good education at the best possible institute. After that, the purpose was getting the best job at best company with good salary. Think beyond your short term purposes, because we are talking about your entire lifespan here, from the time of your birth to your death. You may say it is to save enough money for old age, have a great fun filled happy life, good health, great family, great kids, honor and respect etc. You may say – “Well, if I can get all of these, then whats the need for more? I can die happily after living a great life. “

However, think of a person whom you know well and who has all of these. If you cannot find such a person, think of someone who is working very hard for all of these. Say a big industrialist, a CEO, a President, or anyone you know who lives an ideal disciplined hard working life that you would like to follow yourself. Is he truly happy? Is his life better than yours? Do you think he will die happily? If you are not sure, do ask him if possible. NO ONE is totally happy with his life, and no one will tell you - “YES I have achieved the purpose of my life and I am going to die happily”. The purpose of life is actually to attain so much happiness that you get content with it, ie true happiness.

WHAT IS TRUE HAPPINESS

You are truly happy when you do not want any more happiness, “Content” or “Satisfied”. Do you know a single person who is content with the amount of happiness in his life and would not put in effort to attain more if it is possible? Contenment means you dont want any more even if it is available. Simply thinking “I am content” but actually desiring for better deep within is not really satisfaction. It will be like eating a mango (or any favourite thing of yours). Say you have unlimited mangoes and you can eat until you are totally satisfied. Now say you have only one mango and you eat it saying “I am content” but would eat one more if it was present, then that 1 is not enough. You would be really satisfied only when you DO NOT WANT TO EAT MORE even if it is available. This actualy is one of the major philosophies of Gita – Superficially stopping yourself but desiring for more deep within doesnot bring happiness at all, you are only cheating yourself that way.

CAN YOU ATTAIN THAT HAPPINESS?

You may say – why not, if I live a perfectly balanced disciplined life, I can, it is possible. Ok, lets say you do attain that level (which is practically impossible). Even then you cannot be truly happy. WHY? ….. FEAR OF LOSS.
There are just innumerable ways in which you can loose just one of the things – a loved one, your health, a property, your honor, just anything that is a factor of your happiness. Perfect happiness gone. The most successful people of the world are all working terribly hard just to maintain that success. And still maintaining it is beyond their control because of several factors. If you have fear, then how are you perfectly happy? Aren't you still worried about loss?

WHY ONLY “PERFECT” HAPPINESS?

Hearing all this, some people tell me that they do not want perfect happiness, that they will be content to just have a decent life, mixed with happiness and sorrow, because all the happiness is worth facing the sorrows and compensates for the pain. That is a good enough philosophy. It would have been perfectly workable if we all got only a single life. According to Gita, we go through innumerable lives, and our conditions in those lives depend upon all the karma (actions) we have done in all of our past lives. There is no guarantee that in some life you will not face any terrible pain. There are enough of such examples around us in the world who are having such terrible lives that we would rather die than have that kind of experience.

THE NEED FOR BHAGAVAD GITA

That perfect happiness is possible for all, this is what Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is all about, and that is why it is one of the biggest and best philosophies ever produced in the world. Those who follow or have even tried to follow the Bhagavad Gita have seen immediate effects (everyone I know who has tried can testify this, including myself).

Even if you just want a better life, not the perfect happiness, start following Gita, you will feel the change, its proven through experience.

The beauty of Gita is that it has something for seekers of every type, and simply by following it for any single purpose, Gita opens up doors for them for everything else as well.

Congratulations on taking this great step to a better life and several great lives ahead! :)

PS: If you have any suggestions, questions, or just an opinion, please feel free to comment.