Why Should We Learn Bhagavad Gita? is from ‘Bhagavad Gita Lessons – Gita for Joyful Living’ By Raja Subramaniyan
The phrase 'conventional education' means the process of
acquiring required knowledge to earn money, primarily employing the thinking,
logical and communicating skills. Using this education as a stepping-stone, we
can earn material comforts, entertain ourselves in a variety of ways, travel around
the globe and support a large group of friends, family and community. Thus, the
main purpose of the conventional education is earning comforts and
companionship.
Arjuna is an example of a man who has acquired the maximum benefit of
conventional education. He was the top-notch warrior with perfect skills on
archery. He earned enough wealth, visited all the places in the universe and
possessed all material comforts. He had many wives and children. The world was
admiring and trying to emulate him since his towering personality was the
perfect role model for the society.
Today, many people are equivalent to Arjuna in qualification, intelligence,
wealth, power and capability.
However, conventional education is not sufficient. Arjuna was not exposed to
the knowledge revealed in Gita. As a result, he could not face the world when a
great tragedy struck him. Most educated people lack this knowledge. Therefore,
they are vulnerable. When everything happens according to their expectation,
they are happy. When a tragedy strikes, they break down. We should learn how to
face problems in life. This is taught in the Gita.
Conventional education focuses on increasing the standard of life. Gita guides
us to increase the quality of our life. It teaches us how to handle all our
problems in life effectively so that life could be joyful. It provides us with
an emotional insurance cover so that we are not affected by the problems of
life.
Example: One has to do exercise and keep the body fit, even while one is
healthy. After falling sick (with problems like BP, Diabetes etc) it will be
too late to cure the illness through exercise.
Similarly, one has to learn how to handle tragic situations in life while one
is reasonably happy. As we advance in age, physical and mental problems keep
accumulating and it may be too late to learn the knowledge revealed in the
Gita. We cannot start digging a well for water when the house is already
burning. We need to equip ourselves with the knowledge provided by Bhagavan Sri
Krishna so that we are ready to face any problems in life.
In life, we may face various difficult situations. Such situations are termed
as 'problems' or 'crises’. Once we gain the knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita,
there will be no more problems or crisis in our life but only situations. Life
will be joyful.
Conventional education may be considered a tool that can maximize happiness and
minimize or eliminate some of the situations leading to unhappiness. Education
cannot change the world. Life will certainly oscillate between the pairs of opposites
such as victory and defeat, pleasure and pain, gain and loss, health and ill
health. Although we see that life is constantly changing, we expect it to
remain constantly favorable to us. When we hear the news about premature death,
loss of property or such misfortunate events, we secretly hope that it should
not happen to us.
Therefore, we remain unprepared when a tragedy strikes us. Learning Bhagavad Gita
will not change the course of our life. We will continue to face the pairs of
opposites. Bhagavad Gita teaches us how to handle such experiences. If one is
already suffering, his mind will not have the capability to learn and follow
the solutions offered in Bhagavad Gita.
Therefore, it is essential to master this knowledge during the early period in
life, when one is still physically fit and mentally alert.
Conventional education is essential for economic development and for increasing
the longevity of people. In addition to this, the knowledge revealed in Bhagavad
Gita is essential to increase the quality of life and facilitate Joyful Living.