3.30 Be independent of externals, not indifferent to them

Some people mistake the Gita’s teaching on equanimity—

thinking it means not caring about externals.

But look at Arjuna, the Gita’s original student:

he cared about results when he fought at Kurukshetra,

yet he wasn’t controlled by them.

The Gita teaches independence of externals,

not indifference toward them.

If we become indifferent, three dangers follow:

apathy—we stop caring;

lethargy—we stop trying;

irresponsibility—we stop doing what needs to be done.

How can we stay independent of externals?

By remembering: we are not God, but we are God’s.

We are meant to be contributors, not controllers.

When we offer our actions to the Divine,

trusting that results will unfold in their right time,

our heart finds security amid uncertainty.

The Bhagavad Gita (3.30) recommends such devotional equanimity—

staying independent of externals

without ever becoming indifferent to them.