8 Life Changing Lessons to Learn from Lord Krishna

Maybe you also want to read Unlocking the Divine: Krishna Janmashtami Celebrations and Traditions

Anybody who has read the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata knows about the pivotal figure Lord Krishna. He is the eighth avatar of Vishnu and is one of the most widely admired deities in Hinduism. Krishna, more than a Hindu God, is a true spiritual guru that this universe has ever witnessed. He reformed the spiritual and sequential destiny of mankind. He educated the world about devotion and dharma as well as the eventual reality. Krishna has been a role model for people in every sense in the past, and in today's modern world, and certainly will remain for ages to come.

The most popular book in India – The Bhagavad Gita often referred to as simply the Gita is a 700-verse Hindu scripture in Sanskrit. It is a part of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, where during the righteous war between Pandavas and Kauravas in the battle of Kurukshetra, Lord Krishna enlightens Arjuna with his wisdom. It teaches many lessons that can be easily applied to our daily lives.

On the auspicious occasion of Krishna Janmashtami (the Birthday of Krishna on August 30, 2021), let’s have a look at the 8 life-changing lessons or teachings from God himself.

Lesson #1: Importance of Karma (Duty)

Krishna describes the Karma in Chapter 2, Verse 47 of Bhagavad-Gita as under

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन |

मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि || 47 ||

karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana

mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi

This means: Do your duty and be detached from its outcome, do not be driven by the end product, and enjoy the process of getting there. (Krishna Quotes)

In the battle of Kurukshetra, Arjun’s conscience was haunted by the thoughts of killing his own kith and kin, ancestors, and gurus. He refused to fight, and then Krishna delivered the philosophical epic called Bhagavad Gita. He said, “I am the sole creator of this universe. If I wish, I can kill the enemies in a moment with ‘Sudarshan Chakra’. But I want to teach the importance of Karma (performing own duty) to the coming generation.” He further added,” Do your duty and be detached from its outcome, do not get driven by the result, enjoy the journey of reaching there.” In the end, he convinced Arjuna to fight and destroy the enemies.

If you do not work or perform your duty, you will not get the things or results out of the blues. This is one of the best learnings from the teachings of Lord Krishna. You must perform your duty without anticipating the outcome or result. While I say this it does not mean, having hopes or being optimistic is wrong, but without actions, your path will be dreadful. The trick is not to concentrate too much on the final result and just enjoy the process of reaching there.

Lesson #2: There is Always a Cause or Reason

In Bhagavad-Gita Lord Krishna said that everything happens for a cause or good reason. Whatever happens in life happens for good and there is always a cause or reason behind that. He also mentioned that we all are children of God, the one creator. God is the supreme power and this world is governed by him. And since we all are God's children, nothing evil can happen to us. Hence, it is best to not cry over things that have happened or over things that we do not have control over. We need to let go and accept things.

Lesson #3: Mindfulness

Krishna teaches us to live in the present moment. He was conscious of the future, but he chose to live in the present moment without worrying. Even though he knew what would happen in the coming future, still he stayed in the present moment. Mindfulness is all about staying in the present and being aware of the present moment. Mindfulness is life-changing and makes a difference in the quality of life. Living in the present and paying more attention to the present moment can improve your mental well-being.

It’s possible more often to get hindered by challenging circumstances, but staying mindful and living in the present moment can make things much easier. We need to learn, how to focus on the present, and not on the future or the past.

Teaching #4: Control Your Anger

Lord Krishna describes the anger in Chapter 2, Verse 63 of Bhagavad-Gita as under

क्रोधाद्भवति सम्मोह: सम्मोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रम: |

स्मृतिभ्रंशाद् बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ||63||

krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ sammohāt smṛiti-vibhramaḥ

smṛiti-bhranśhād buddhi-nāśho buddhi-nāśhāt praṇaśhyati

This means that anger leads to the clouding of judgment, which results in the bewilderment of the memory. When the memory is bewildered, the intellect gets destroyed; and when the intellect is destroyed, one is ruined. (Krishna Quotes).

Therefore, anger is the fundamental cause of all failures in a person’s life. It is one of the three main gates of hell, the other two being greed and lust. One must try to control and sidetrack anger while keeping the mind at peace.

Teachings #5: Sacrifice

Krishna asked Bheem to call upon Ghatotkach (Bheem’s son) in the battle of Kurukshetra. It was not to annihilate the Kaurav army but to force Karna to use the Indrastra (a deadly divine weapon) that one cannot escape alive from. He did this to ensure that Arjuna, who was the key to winning the war, would stay alive. Hence, by sacrificing one brilliant warrior, he ensured the victory of the Pandavas.

Likewise, in life, we have to sacrifice many things to achieve success. There cannot be any significant progress or achievement without sacrifice. If you are not willing to sacrifice your comfort zone pride, ego, time, money, or security, you will never be able to achieve your highest level of success.

Lesson #6: Humbleness or Modesty

Even though Krishna was the king of splendid Dwarka and the god of all creation, he was still humble and always showed tremendous respect to his elders – whether they were his parents or teachers. He was always eager to give pleasure to them. Because of this, people were always willing to help him wherever he went.

During the Kurukshetra war, Krishna donned the role of a lowly charioteer. Shri Krishna was the embodiment of simplicity and his role as a charioteer is a testament to that.

Being humble or modest is one of the most important characteristics of a personality. Like Krishna, you too must be humble in life. It helps you to cultivate a genuine relationship with honest people. Be modest enough to give people more reasons to be happy in their life.

Lesson #7: No Job is Big or Small

Lord Krishna could have won the battle of Kurukshetra all by himself. But he chose to guide Arjuna and drove his chariot for him. He says a job is a job; there is no big or small job. No labor is without dignity. You must love your job and give your best while at your job, no matter how big or small it is. Your job fills a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to respect all kinds of jobs and accept them.

Lesson # 8: Best or True Friends

Sudhama was Krishna’s childhood friend. Unlike Krishna, he was a depraved man and his financial conditions were not good. His family could hardly arrange food for twice a day. He once visited to meet Shree Krishna hoping to ask for some support or assistance. But once he met Krishna, he did not have the courage or the heart to share his problems with his friend Krishna. When Sudama returned to his home, he was surprised by the lavish house, beautiful clothes, and expensive jewelry. Being a genuine friend Krishna understood Sudhama’s problems, even without uttering a word by Sudama regarding his problems. That is the true meaning of friendship.

Nowadays, it is a well-established fact that having real, genuine, and trustworthy friends is good for you. This life is about the people you share it with; make the most of it. Surround yourself with good friends and always be a good friend in return.

If you value these free online resources provided by Natural Life 365, please consider supporting my website by sharing the blogs

DISCLAIMER:
Some of the links in this content may be affiliate links. This means that if you click on one of the links and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no extra charge to you). However, I only recommend products that I personally use and have tested myself. Also, understand that I have taken reasonable steps to ensure that the information on this content is accurate, but I cannot represent that the website(s) mentioned in this post are free from errors. Please, check the Affiliate Disclosure at the bottom of this website.