Most people turn toward God when they face problems. The Bhagavad-gita (07.16) appreciates as virtuous those who seek God as their problem-solver. Simultaneously, it (07.19) asserts that those in knowledge have a more holistic vision of God, Krishna: he is everything, the ultimate source of all satisfaction. Whatever relief we might get on solving our problems, we will get all that and more through absorption in him. 

Complementing this endearing vision of God, the Gita offers a sobering vision of the world: it is intrinsically a place of problems (08.15). Expecting this world to be free from problems is like expecting a desert to be free from heat. All we can get is temporary relief, akin to passing through an oasis while traveling in a desert. To become free from heat, we need to get out of the desert. Similarly, to become free from problems, we need to get out of the material world, or more specificially, out of the material consciousness that keeps us in this world. 

Pertinently, the Gita states that the knowledgeable contemplate life’s inescapable distresses (13.09) and become unflinchingly devoted to Krishna (13.10). The implication is that we learn to see the world’s problems as spurs for seeking Krishna. Does this mean we neglect our problems? No, we can seek specific solutions to specific causes, without getting caught in such specifics. We can focus on the ultimate solution: cultivating Krishna consciousness. Thereby, we will gain the inner strength to tolerate problems. Eventually, we will attain Krishna in his abode, transcending the world with all its problems. 

Thus, we can seek Krishna as the solver not of our many particular problems, but of the underlying problem of material consciousness.

One-sentence summary: 

Don’t see God as a means for solving problems; see problems as a means for seeking God.

Think it over:

  • What enriching vision of God does the Gita offer?
  • What sobering vision of the world does the Gita offer?
  • When facing problems, with what vision does the Gita recommend we seek God? 

***

07.19: After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.

To know more about this verse, please click on the image
Explanation of article:

Podcast:

Download by “right-click and save”