Practical wisdom and life lessons on leadership and personality development, from Bhagavad Gita and its relevance to 21st century professional.
By Dr. Ravishankar Gundlapalli (Entrepreneur in Silicon Valley & Author of “The Art of Mentoring”)
Bhagavad Gita (“Gita”), a book of 700 verses based on an inspirational conversation that happened over 5,000 years ago between a warrior Arjuna and his mentor Krishna, is a timeless gift to the world. Gita’s message transcends religious, racial, and national identity. It provides practical wisdom to mankind even in this 21st century, and what makes it so applicable today and for future generations is the context in which the conversation took place between Arjuna as a mentee and Krishna as his mentor.
Arjuna, a highly educated and proficient warrior, was overcome by grief, and with a confused state of mind was unable to think clearly and take crucial decision that was essential for engaging in war at that moment. He shared his state with his mentor Krishna and sought his guidance.
“When mind is confused, intelligence anchored in one’s true being alone can help resolve that confusion and provide a clear path for action,” says globally renowned scholar and Gita expert Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha.
Krishna did exactly that by expounding the Truth of our own real Identity, and also what life is, how mind works, how it tricks you into certain misbeliefs, how to go beyond that confused state by anchoring our intelligence in Truth, to take the right action. Right action requires a stable mind, says Krishna.
yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgaṁ tyaktvā dhanañjaya
siddhy-asiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṁ yoga uchyate
Be steadfast in the performance of your duty, O Arjuna (the mentee), and
abandon attachment to success and failure. Such equanimity is called Yoga.
Relevance of Gita to the modern day professional is in this aspect of being able to effectively use our own intelligence to make the right decisions at the right time and be steady, to smoothly advance in our life and career, without any stress or confusion.
Globally renowned scholar on Indian Vedas and Upanishads, Dr. Saamavedam Shanmukha Sarma, shared at a recent talk in Silicon Valley, how amazing it is that Gita can be looked at in so many ways as a source for wisdom on personality development for our children, for ways to lead a life centered on core human values, for decision-making skills and for tips on how to live a life that creates impact and meaning to people around you.
Dr. Sarma emphasized that there is an urgent need to conduct in-depth research on Gita by engaging global experts from all industries and cultures. To do so, one needs to organize a platform or convention for such experts to come together and engage in open, intellectual conversations, said Dr. Sarma, for more people to reap the full benefits of the wisdom from Gita to lead successful and happier lives.
Good news is that such an intellectual convention on Gita with great minds from around the world, is happening in Silicon Valley at San Jose State University on Oct 19-20, 2019. There will be entrepreneurs, business leaders, professors and social workers who will share how Gita has influenced them and how the wisdom in Gita guides them everyday and in every action they take. The convention is organized by Center for Inner Resources Development North America (CIRD).
CIRD team believes that Wisdom is eternal and has been gifted to us from previous generations, and it is our responsibility to pass on that gift to current and future generations. The convention is therefore FREE to attend on both days. However, readers should note that conventions like these do cost money and are made possible by voluntary support from people and organizations who value this knowledge. Donations therefore are welcome.
There is also a special panel focused on youth so I highly encourage the readers to attend with children (age 16+). Given that space is limited and lunch being provided on both days, pre-registration is mandatory. You can RSVP below