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Elevating Self: Insights from the Bhagavad Gita

“उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत। आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः॥” – A beautiful shloka from our holy book, the Bhagavad Gita, which means that one should uplift oneself and not degrade oneself; for one alone is the friend of oneself, and one alone is the enemy of oneself.

Contemplating upon the thought above, I feel that whatever we do is the result of our thoughts. If we think positive, we do positive; if we think negative, pessimism hovers over our mind. Tom Laurie once said, “Positive thinking helps you stand back up again when you are knocked down by negative thinking or bad luck.” Right thinking is the need of the current generation.

Reflecting on Eras: From Truth to Turmoil

Our Indian mythology, as well as astrology, divides the time of the world before it destroys itself. The first era is called Satyug, which, as the name suggests, means the era of truth, the era of commitment. This was when humanity was governed by truth and was beholden by pure ideas.

And the era today is Kalyug, which comes from the word ‘Kal’ that means ‘tomorrow’, and in my view, that is what this era is all about: devastations, criminality, lies, betrayal, and nothing else. Everyone is just concerned about their ‘tomorrow’.

Modern-Day Challenges: The Quest for Materialism

The world is battling with many problems and conflicts. People are running for jobs, money, their wants, and their needs without even thanking the power that has given us so many things. Materialism has taken up its worst form in the entire human race. Humans are day by day putting their step further towards rapacity. It is not a surprise that we see negativity all around us, from news channels to our social media feeds, where people are just spewing venom against each other.

Tolerance, acceptance, and respect for each other have been tossed out of our lives. Newspapers are full of suicide cases. Even the most prominent personalities are also seen committing suicide despite having every necessity, every riches, fame, name, and whatnot.

Many prosperous and wealthy people of the world have been indulged in their problems. But why so? Despite having every single thing, why are people not happy? The only answer to this question would simply be, ‘Thought Pollution.’

Understanding Thought Pollution: A Modern Malaise

We have heard of air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, but there is another one more pollution as effective as the rest – the thought pollution. Thought pollution can be defined as contamination of the mind by negative thinking, which could be because of low economic status, problem-centered attitude, or simply a habit. Thinking is an important tool for human beings. But thinking foul can be as dangerous as chewing tobacco.

Social Media and Modern Influences

The difference is just that chewing tobacco affects the physical health of the body, whereas thought pollution adversely affects both your physical and mental health. The youth of this generation has been vastly exposed to thought pollution. A perfect example of this would be social media.

The ultimate aim of social media sites has been completely defied. Instead of being used for awareness, it is being used as a platform where people have no work instead of leg-pulling, trolling, and many more.

The Value of Appreciation and the Danger of Envy

Sometimes we have every basic necessity, but still, we don’t value them. We rather crib about what we haven’t got. With reference to the same thing, I will quote the words of the great William Shakespeare: “I cried when I had no shoes, but I stopped crying when I saw a man without legs.

Life is full of blessings; sometimes we just don’t value them.” Another aspect of this situation is grief. Many of us tend to overthink to an extent that is or can be harmful to us, leading to a so-called term: depression.

The Power of Thought and the Mind

Many people have been victims of depression. Studies say that over three million people worldwide are suffering from depression, which is quite a huge number. Envy is one main reason why people are not happy. Instead of peeping into their windows, people are much interested in poking their nose into other people’s problems. It’s when one counts someone else’s blessings instead of your own.

The ability to think is what differentiates humans from animals. The mind is extremely powerful and can lead to enlightenment and higher learning. It is a gift that humans have been blessed with. But if it can create, it also has the power to destroy. Our thoughts either make or break us. Your thoughts are what you are, what you think about yourself and your surroundings.

Embracing Positivity for a Better Tomorrow

Just like a child, the mind needs to be trained and taught to embrace positive thoughts and push back negativity. This process is not easy, and very often, most of us drift towards negative emotions like envy, hatred, and anger.

This is the worst form of pollution as it corrupts our very being. This is thought pollution – the root cause of all evil. Being a fourteen-year-old girl, I have been very passionate about mythology, especially Indian mythology.

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