Loss and the resulting sorrow are unpalatable yet unavoidable experiences during our life-journey. When we lose something desirable, that’s distressing; when something we had desired and sought turns out to be far below our expectations, that’s even more distressing; when our experiences leave us so disoriented that we are no longer sure what is desirable, that’s most distressing. Thus, among all kinds of loss and sorrow, the most unbearable is the loss of purpose and the resulting agony of pointlessness.

Amid any kind of loss and sorrow, we usually look for some immediate solutions. But when such solutions don’t seem to work, we feel especially agonized, paralyzed disempowered. Such was the predicament of Arjuna (Bhagavad-gita 01.30). Later, he made explicit the pointlessness of all the options before him (02.06) and the pointlessness of even the conventional conception of success for a kshatriya: sovereignty in this world or prosperity in the next world (02.08). It was then that he became receptive to and received the wisdom of the Gita. 

When sorrow thus overwhelms us so much that none of the normal solutions seem workable, we become more open to exploring spiritual wisdom. Such wisdom focuses not simply on particular solutions, but on universal principles that also have specific applications for resolving current contexts. Analyzing these principles inevitably brings us to life’s spiritual dimension, wherein we anchor ourselves in timeless truths before we tackle contemporary issues. Thus, the Gita provides a metaphysical foundation for the common saying: adversity opens the door to opportunity and even prosperity. In fact, the Gita’s concluding prophecy (18.78) indicates such auspiciousness for Arjuna and for all Gita students. 

One-sentence summary:

Sorrow disrupts our life’s normal routines and thought-patterns, thus making us more receptive to spiritual wisdom as a resource for inner reorientation.

Think it over:

  • Which kind of loss and sorrow is the most agonizing?
  • Why was Arjuna’s loss and sorrow so agonizing?
  • How can you use sorrow for spiritual reorientation?

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01.30: I am now unable to stand here any longer. I am forgetting myself, and my mind is reeling. I see only causes of misfortune, O Krishna, killer of the Keshi demon.

 

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