The Bhagavad Gita

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should be relevant in modern society because it would relieve the stress inflicted upon society by the spirit of materialism. People who want things are never satisfied. In fact, I doubt satisfaction to be a component of human nature. There will always be something better than what you have. In a society as subjective as ours, there will always be a more attractive or more talented person. If people applied the Gita, they would no longer care. Materialistic self-improvement would not be a concern, but rather spiritual self-improvement would be. People would aspire to improve the lives of others, and karma would repay them.

The three gunas are rajas, tamas, and saatva. The rajas are anger and ego, while the tamas are ignorance and darkness, and the saatva is peace and harmony. This matters because Krishna refers to these as traps to be avoided. While abstaining from the gunas, it is the goal of a person to fulfill his or her dharma. Your dharma is your individual responsibility and duty in life. Everybody has a different role to play. According to Krishna, it is better to fulfill your own role imperfectly than to perfectly imitate the role of somebody else.

A society in which the Gita is relevant is a society in which people are treated respectfully and compassionately. People are driven to pursue their duties rather than their desires. Others are preferred before the self, while objects and material wealth are considered to be irrelevant. The ultimate aspiration is to achieve enlightenment and escape the endless cycle of life and death. People live with devotion toward Krishna, and do whatsoever they may do as a service to him. Essentially, a society in which the Gita is relevant is a society in which people realize what matters and what does not.

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