Just because we can’t fix all the problems in the world doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to fix any of them. Nor should we feel dissatisfied if we are only able to fix a small number of these problems.
Sooner or later, we all face situations where we realize how messed up the world is. Sometimes, this realization comes in our youth, or even before that in childhood, when we might have had the dream—and perhaps even the drive—to fix the world, to solve its problems, and to transform it into a paradise. As we grow older and gain more experience, we see just how many things are wrong and at how many levels, and how limited our capacities are to fix even small issues. This can lead to feeling overwhelmed.
We may become so angry that the anger eventually gives rise to cynicism. In such a state, not only do we avoid trying to fix anything ourselves, but we also downplay, discourage, and even deride others who make any effort to fix problems. We become timid and fearful, believing that the world is out to get us, and so we withdraw into our shell to avoid being targeted by the world’s many issues.
The Bhagavad-gita points to these three broad mentalities: attachment to being the fixer of the world’s problems; fear that these problems will descend upon us and destroy or devour us; and anger leading to cynicism, where we believe that neither we nor anyone else can make a difference. All three dispositions are detrimental, if not destructive, to both our mental health—our ability to keep our hearts free of bitterness—as well as our spiritual health, which impacts our capacity to perceive and pursue the Supreme spiritual reality, the omnipotent Divinity, Krishna.
When we focus on Krishna, we understand that he is overseeing the world, even when it seems like a deadly mess, and he has a plan. The world may seem incomprehensible right now, but he has not only a plan for the world but also a plan for us within his grand design. To play our part, we need to focus less on the role assigned to us and more on the whole plan in which we play a part.
When we fix our consciousness on Krishna with devotion and service, we are better equipped to overcome the negative dispositions of attachment, fear, and anger regarding the world. This divine focus gradually bestows purity, clarity, and energy, enabling us to play our part.
Purity helps us focus on service, rather than on fulfilling our ego’s desire to be the savior of the world.
Clarity allows us to identify our strengths and understand which aspects of the world can be positively impacted by the strengths given to us by Krishna.
Energy enables us to take wholehearted steps to do all we can, without fixating on the scale of our actions, whether big or small.
With this combination of purity, clarity, and energy, we better understand what it means to play our part
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02.47 You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.
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