Q: We come across different types of people in our lives with whom we have different types of interaction. Not all of them are pleasant. How do we handle such interactions?

A: Effective people management is one of the most important characteristics of anyone who wants to succeed in life. The Gita tells us that these are broadly the various types of people that one deals with in one’s lives:

• Acquaintances

• Friends

• Neutral Types

• Indifferent Types

• Antagonistic Types

• Enemies

 

Acquaintances are those with whom one normally has pleasant interactions. Friends are those who are close to one’s heart and go out of their way to help one in need. Neutral types are those with whom one has business like relationships (for ex: daily interaction with a shop keeper). Interaction with those in the neutral group can be pleasant or unpleasant based on the outcome of the transaction and approach. Indifferent types are those whom one meets rarely and with whom one has neither positive nor negative interactions (for ex, a friend’s friend who one might meet very rarely). Antagonistic types are those with whom one generally has a frosty equation. Enemies are those who are determined to carry out acts to hurt someone mentally and/or physically.

 

The Gita teaches very useful lessons on how to interact with these different types of people. First and foremost, it is important to realize that people’s behavior is not a reflection of their innate nature, but is conditioned based on their prior deeds, and that conditioning is expressly attached to them by the Lord. By this account, when a friend helps us, in addition to thanking the friend we also need to thank the Lord for granting the friend a helpful nature. Similarly, when someone tries to harm us, we should pray to the Lord with a request to reduce his/her enmity and in parallel take defensive steps to avoid getting hurt. But by no account, should one contemplate hurting the enemy back, as that will lead to a downward spiral of hatred with destructive consequences. We have seen evidence of mutual enmity and attendant consequences among families, groups, societies and indeed nations. When one realizes that the root of the problem is not the innate nature of that person or entity, but a condition bestowed by the Lord, it makes sense to look towards the Lord for a solution. A realization that the Lord resident in all types of people is the same entity will help modulate our interaction with different people.

 

The scriptures prescribe four different ways that one should express one’s emotions when dealing with people: (a) Friendliness, (b) Compassion, (c) Happiness and (d) Indifference. One should treat all acquaintances, well wishers and friends with utmost friendliness. One should display compassion in dealing with anyone who is hurt, regardless of one’s personal equation with that person. One should rejoice at another’s legitimate success, again regardless of our personal equation with that person. Lastly, one should avoid unnecessary interaction with those who do not believe in the Lord and do not practice righteous living.

 

Takeaways

ü The universe is governed by a grand cycle which includes the stages of creation, sustenance and destruction of the universe which takes trillions of years. This cycle then repeats ad infinitum.

ü Within each grand cycle, the souls are granted physical bodies by the Lord to help them undertake the task of self realization. These souls transmigrate to different bodies and are reborn in different circumstances based on their performance in a specific birth

ü There is a cycle within each birth where the living beings are either awake, dreaming and in deep sleep, with each state having specific implications on the status of sense organs. The deep sleep which is a joyous state is like a preview of the state of bliss that a soul experience upon redemption.

ü Recognition of the fact that the Lord is resident in everyone and conditions people's behavior greatly helps resolve conflict among people, societies and nation.

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Mother Nature

This chapter deals with the 3rd component of the universe, namely, Nature and its interaction with the other two components of the universe, namely, the Almighty Lord and the individual souls. The sentient beings (individual souls) come in contact with the physical nature and are granted the bodies and faculties to allow them to express themselves and perform the acts necessary to achieve self realization. What distinguishes human beings from each other is the way that they use the tools and techniques granted to them by the Lord. This chapter attempts to answer some questions related to the physical nature, its relation with individual souls and the Lord, and the nature of bondage.

 

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