Abstract
This chapter distills the essential teachings of the Gı̄tā on life and leadership. It draws together all the myriad strands presented in the foregoing chapters and offers pointers on the path of action (karma yoga), knowledge (jñāna yoga), meditation (dhyāna yoga), and devotion (bhakti yoga). The path of Self-knowledge as taught in the Gı̄tā garners self-awareness, an essential quality of effective leadership. This self-awareness makes us aware of the fact that, at its very core, all life is essentially one. The diversity and multiplicity that we see is an expression of that one Reality in which everything is irrevocably connected to everything else. According to the Gı̄tā, this understanding helps us live a life of selfless service and contribution, the key to personal happiness and social harmony. The Gı̄tā teaches us that true peace can only come by serving the common good and surrendering to the Divine within us.
The path to leading others starts with self-awareness through self-discipline and ends with self-transcendence through selfless service. The Gı̄tā calls it enlightened leadership. Enlightened leadership is essentially servant leadership. It represents a shift from followers serving leaders to leaders serving followers. Enlightened leaders are not motivated by personal desires or interests. They become instruments of the whole and selflessly serve for the wellbeing of all beings (sarvabhūta hitae, BG 5.25; 12.4). Only those who have relinquished personal ambition can truly serve. According to the Gı̄tā, the path to enlightened leadership is paved with authenticity, humility, service, and compassion. The Gı̄tā teaches us that our choice lifework, svadharma, is a supreme means to discover who we are. The goal is Self-knowledge; service is the means.
The chapter presents 101 maxims of life and leadership according to the teachings of the Gı̄tā.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsNotes
- 1.
This section about the true import of various yogas in the Gītā and the importance of samatā draws upon the excellent commentary in Hindi on the Bhagavad Gītā by Pujya Swami Ramsukhdasji Maharaj, titled Sādhaka Sañjīvanī. For further details, see: Introduction to Sahaja Gītā, translated by this author.
- 2.
For further clarification on this point, please refer to Ira Schepetin’s three excellent talks on Bhagavad Gītā on YouTube. See: Ira Schepetin gives a talk about The Bhagavad Gītā: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5Vl6OUezVY&t=2070s
- 3.
Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy (New York, NY: A Touchstone Book, 1984, Third edition), 116.
- 4.
See: Śrimad Bhagavadgītā (with English Transliteration and Translation) (Gorakhpur, India: Gītā Press, 2011), 114.
- 5.
For further information, see author’s webpage: http://foreverfulfilled.com/
- 6.
See: Śrimad Bhagavadgītā (with English Transliteration and Translation) (Gorakhpur, India: Gītā Press, 2011), 108.
- 7.
See Sonja Lyubomirsky, The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want (New York, NY: Penguin Press, Reprint edition, 2008).
- 8.
Sri Ramana Maharshi used to say that this verse (BG 10.20) contains the essence of all the Bhagavad Gītā.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Dhiman, S. (2019). Epilogue: Timeless Teachings of the Gītā—Maxims for Life and Leadership. In: Bhagavad Gītā and Leadership. Palgrave Studies in Workplace Spirituality and Fulfillment. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67573-2_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67573-2_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-67572-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-67573-2
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementBusiness and Management (R0)