Our emotions are a big part of who we are, but they are not
all of us. We are bigger than our present emotions, most of which relate with
our external material shell, not our spiritual core.
At the Bhagavad-gita’s start, Arjuna becomes emotionally
overwhelmed. Krishna responds (02.02) by reproaching him for having succumbed
to weakness of the heart. If a maestro delivers a lousy performance, such a
lapse is uncharacteristic and unworthy. Similar, Krishna indicates, is Arjuna’s
pusillanimity, while being a celebrated archer-warrior. Krishna underscores the
unwholesomeness of those emotions by pointing out their consequences: they will
sentence him to ignominy in this life and inauspiciousness in the next. To help
ground Arjuna’s conceptions and emotions in spiritual truth, Krishna speaks the
message of the Gita. Its philosophical worldview creates a stable foundation
that empowers Arjuna to think clearly and act intelligently.
That the Gita urges us to subordinate our emotions doesn’t
mean that we are to entirely reject them – we need to use higher intelligence
for cultivating elevating emotions instead of being carried away by degrading
emotions. Emotions can and should inform our decision by contributing to our
decision-making process, lest we succumb to hardheartedness. But emotions alone
shouldn’t comprise that process, lest we succumb to sentimentality.
The Gita’s conclusion demonstrates how we can cultivate
higher emotions: Krishna expresses his intense affection for Arjuna (18.64).
Such expressions are intended to awaken reciprocal emotions in Arjuna, thus
channeling the energy of emotions in the project of elevating his consciousness
and inspiring him towards a wise course of action.
By meditating on Krishna’s unfailing, unflinching love for
us, we too can energize our spiritual endeavors with emotional power. Still, we
may not be able to trigger such elevating emotions consistently, so we need to
base our decisions in the Gita’s philosophically-grounded worldview.
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