Chaitanya Charan Das Based on Bhagavad Gita Chapter 04

Learning according to leaning nurtures growing  by Chaitanya Charan Das Based on Bhagavad Gita Chapter 04

We all have a natural leaning towards certain things. We often feel good about and are good at doing some things. Such comfort and competence are fair indicators of our inclination.

When our learning is streamlined according to our leaning, we learn quickly and joyfully because what we study interests us. In contrast, when we have to learn loads of uninteresting things, education becomes drudgery.

To facilitate learning according to leaning, Gita wisdom endorses the social structure of varnashrama. Within this system of social organization, people are categorized into four broad human types according to their qualities and activities (Bhagavad-gita 04.13). Based on such classification, members of each type are provided customized education that nurtures their natural inclinations.

Unfortunately, that healthy system of tailor-made division of labor in human society degenerated over time into the discriminatory caste system, wherein people were labeled according to their births, not inclinations. Based on such stereotyping, they were often deprived of opportunities for learning according to leaning. Thus the caste system ended up defeating the defining purpose of its pristine ancestral varnashrama.

While the caste system deprives people through unwarranted discrimination, modern materialistic culture similarly deprives people through unwarranted glamorization of some professions. Due to social pressure, people choose glamorized careers, even when their leaning prompts them elsewhere. Being thus misled, they end up under-developed, maladjusted, dissatisfied.

Bhakti wisdom frees us from the pressure to conform to stereotypes. It helps us understand that we all are precious parts of Krishna and our talents are gifts from him – gifts he wants us to develop. Buoyed by this loving vision of ourselves and our talents, we can patiently and objectively observe ourselves to discover those talents. By gradually orienting our lives to learn according to our leanings and using those leanings in Krishna’s service, we can attain profound all-round fulfillment.