The Bhagavad Gita, a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the Indian epic Mahabharata, offers profound insights into overcoming negative emotions such as envy. Here are some key teachings from the Bhagavad Gita that can help one overcome envy:
1. Self-Knowledge and Self-Realization
Verse 2.13: "Just as the soul acquires childhood,
youth, and old age in the body, in the same manner, it acquires another body.
The wise are not deluded by this."
Understanding that the true self is beyond the physical body
and material possessions helps to reduce envy, which is often rooted in the
comparison of external attributes and achievements.
2. Detachment and Non-Attachment
Verse 2.47: "You have the right to perform your
prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions.
Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor
be attached to inaction."
Focusing on one’s own duties and actions without attachment
to the outcomes reduces the tendency to compare oneself with others, which is a
primary source of envy.
3. Contentment and Equanimity
Verse 2.48: "Perform your duty equanimously, O Arjuna,
abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called
Yoga."
Developing a sense of contentment and equanimity in success
and failure helps to foster inner peace, thereby reducing envy.
4. Cultivating Devotion and Surrender
Verse 9.22: "To those who are constantly devoted and
who worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to
Me."
Devotion to a higher purpose or a higher power shifts the
focus from personal gains and comparisons to spiritual growth and service.
5. Selfless Service (Karma Yoga)
Verse 3.19: "Therefore, without being attached to the
fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working
without attachment one attains the Supreme."
Engaging in selfless service, or Karma Yoga, helps to
transcend personal desires and ego, reducing the root causes of envy.
6. Understanding the Nature of the Gunas (Qualities of
Nature)
Verse 14.22-25: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead
said: O son of Pandu, He who does not hate illumination, attachment, and
delusion when they are present, or long for them when they disappear... who is
unwavering and undisturbed through all these reactions of the material
qualities, remaining neutral and transcendental..."
Recognizing the transient nature of the three gunas (sattva,
rajas, tamas) and staying neutral helps one rise above envy and other negative
emotions.
7. Mind Control and Meditation
Verse 6.5: "One must elevate, not degrade, oneself by
one’s own mind. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy
as well."
Practicing meditation and mind control disciplines the mind,
making it less susceptible to feelings of envy and more centered on inner peace
and spiritual growth.
8. Seeing the Divine in All
Verse 5.18: "The humble sage, by virtue of true
knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle Brahmana, a cow, an
elephant, a dog, and a dog-eater (outcaste)."
Developing an equal vision and seeing the divine presence in
all beings fosters compassion and reduces envy.
By internalizing these teachings and consistently practicing the principles of the Bhagavad Gita, one can cultivate a mindset that transcends envy and fosters peace, contentment, and spiritual growth.