If there is one thing very evident in today’s society, it is that a great many people seem to be dealing with some form of anxiety and are on medication, in therapy, or both. It is almost like an epidemic. Talk of panic attacks and anxiety attacks has become part of normal conversation, and this in spite of an explosion of self-help and empowerment literature over the last twenty years.
Empowerment and rising anxiety
So if people are so empowered, why are they feeling so anxious? The answer is quite simple. The very idea of empowerment carries with it the belief that you are in charge of your life—that you can control outcomes, that what you plan today will unfold exactly as you intend.
We are intelligent enough to recognise that things will not always go our way—but we cannot accept it. And so we try to empower ourselves further, to tighten our grip on the future.
The illusion of control
Yet, all control is ultimately an illusion. We can only control what we do, not what results from it. No amount of medication or therapy can address this root issue. At best, they help manage the symptoms. They cannot free us from the underlying anxiety.
Bhakti as acceptance
This is where the wisdom of the Gītā and the Upaniṣads steps in—through an understanding of Īśvara arises an emotional response we call Bhakti. Bhakti, at its heart, means an attitude of acceptance of whatever happens as the Lord’s will.
We already have this attitude. When we go to a temple and receive prasāda, we accept it gladly. Whether it is a laddū, a flower, a tulasī leaf, water, or vibhūti, we receive it all with equal grace. It is only when we extend this same attitude to our day-to-day lives that we find genuine relief from anxiety.
Wisdom guiding action
We must still do whatever is within our capacity—practically and psychologically. When wisdom is added to action, anxiety reduces to a far more manageable level—a mild undercurrent, nothing more.
I pray that people imbibe these spiritual attitudes into their lives through the study of texts such as the Bhagavad Gītā.
The writer is the founder of Aarsha Vidya Foundation. You can write to him at aarshavidyaf@gmail.com.
