I am looking at an issue on the material platform where in I kind of constantly compare myself to others and face a lot of mental pressure sometimes if I find myself not doing better than the other person (this is mostly in terms of technical skills at work). Sometimes, I also feel a lot of mental energy getting drained because of this comparision.
Now, I do not really want to run away from this, but at the same time, I'll not want to take a lot of pressure.
Is there any quote in the Bhagvad Gita or in any other spiritual literature which I can refer and read many times which can help me give some direction with regardds to this predicament?
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Chapter 10: The Opulence of the Absolute
TEXT 41
yad yad vibhutimat sattvam
srimad urjitam eva va
tat tad evavagaccha tvam
mama tejo-'msa-sambhavam
SYNONYMS
yat yat—whatever; vibhuti—opulences; mat—having; sattvam—existence; srimat—beautiful; urjitam—glorious; eva—certainly; va—or; tat tat—all those; eva—certainly; avagaccha—you must know; tvam—you; mama—My; tejah—splendor; amsa—partly; sambhavam—born of.
TRANSLATION
Know that all beautiful, glorious, and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.
PURPORT
Any glorious or beautiful existence should be understood to be but a fragmental manifestation of Krsna's opulence, whether it be in the spiritual or material world. Anything extraordinarily opulent should be considered to represent Krsna's opulence.
Are We The Makers Of Our Destiny?
The concept of destiny has fascinated humans since time immemorial. Is our success predestined? Or is it in our
hands? Most modern thought has deemed that our endeavor alone determines our success. But with competition
intensifying, changes accelerating and many unpredictable and uncontrollable factors determining results in today’s
complex world, many people are reexamining this belief. For example, a brilliant student, despite diligent studies, gets
average marks, whereas a mediocre student, with last-minute cramming, gets high grades. Why? Are we just unwitting
players in a cosmic lottery, with chance as the supreme arbiter? Or are results handed down by destiny, under the
sanction of a just God? Some people recoil at the very mention of destiny. They fear that lazy people may
opportunistically argue, “As the result is predestined, why work hard?” and so become irresponsible and fatalistic.
However knowledge of destiny does not justify fatalism because the Mahabharata clarifies, “Destiny determines the
results of our actions, not our actions themselves.”
The Vedic texts explain that these two ideologies, karmavada (endeavor, karma, alone determines success) and
daivavada (destiny, daiva, alone determines success) are the two extremes of the pendulum of human imagination. In
reality, success requires both endeavor and destiny. For example, in agriculture, a good harvest requires both diligent
ploughing and timely rains. Ploughing represents endeavor and rains signify destiny. Despite ploughing, no harvest can
result, if there are no rains. Similarly sometimes, despite our best efforts, we may fail, due to adverse destiny. When
people are uninformed about the role of destiny in determining results, failures make them feel hopeless, “I am
worthless and cannot do anything well”, even when they have the potential to perform in the future. Consequently
today many of our brothers and sisters are unfortunately and needlessly suffering from mental problems like
inferiority complex, low self-esteem, depression and self-pity.
Lord Krishna gives us hope in the Bhagavad-gita by pointing out that though we don’t determine the result, we do play a
significant role. Going back to the farmer analogy, the farmer must plough the field for favorable rainfall to produce
crops. Similarly we must endeavor for destiny to produce results. Hence the Gita urges us to perform our God-given
duty without attachment. We need detachment because our material happiness and distress in this life are
predestined by our own karma from past lives. We cannot change them no matter how hard we work. But by doing our
present duties industriously and honestly, we can get our destined happiness. Also we can make for ourselves a bright
future destiny, even if our present is bleak.
Moreover, even at present, destiny limits only our material happiness, not our spiritual happiness. All of us have equal
and complete opportunity to awaken our dormant love for God and experience oceanic happiness thereof. This supreme
fulfillment is available at our tongue tips, just by the chanting of the Holy Names of God, Krishna. No inimical destiny
can obstruct us in achieving divine bliss; rather when we take one step towards God, He takes a thousand steps
towards us. Even a little spiritual dynamism brings enormous returns. And as we are intrinsically spiritual beings and as
our lasting satisfaction comes from spiritual devotion, we can rejoice in knowing that our real happiness is not
destined, but is in our own hands. Hence intelligent people are cautious to not let over-endeavor for flickering material
aggrandizement deprive them of the time and energy to strive for lasting spiritual enlightenment.
Let us therefore do our best (materially and spiritually) and leave the rest (to God faithfully).
We can learn something from this verse, from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:
ŚB 1.8.26
janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir
edhamāna-madaḥ pumān
naivārhaty abhidhātuṁ vai
tvām akiñcana-gocaram
Check the Synonyms, Translation and Purport here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/1/8/26/
Let me check for any further explanations.
YS,
(Sorry could not get YouTube link)
https://www.a108.net/blogs/entry/28264-video-avoid-comparison-with-...
YS,