Krishna as Mentor (Published in Speaking Tree of TOI on June 15 2019)

GANESH KOLAMBAKAR likens Krishna to a good coach or mentor, who provides vital guidelines to living a conflict-free lifeWhile learning business management lessons and also simultaneously trying to understand ancient scriptures, Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita, I came to an interesting conclusion that Krishna was the best mentor, coach and guru. Today, many corporate employees, often, don’t find a good mentor or coach, who can help them in resolving conflicts, which affect their motivational level, thereby limiting them in realizing their true potential.

That’s why, we find that stress levels and resultant health ailments are high in the corporate and business fields. While many corporations and business units have several welfare measures to take care of their employees’ health, true success in these endeavours will be achieved only through self-management; by resolving intra conflicts, conflicts within. Inner battle or upheavals within should be addressed, rather than treating visible symptoms like mood swings and emotional outbursts. This is where mentoring and coaching can play a vital role.

We need more mentors and coaches of the stature of Krishna, who like a sarathi, charioteer, act as catalysts and facilitators in helping people discover themselves. It’s about changing the mindset and putting in place the right thought process. Your mind is your best friend and your worst enemy, too. Resolving deep-rooted fears, dismantling belief systems, which are not conducive for evolving, and helping you take control of yourself are some of the ways through which the best mentor can help you.

What did Krishna do on the battlefield at Kurukshetra? He ‘showed the mirror’ to Arjuna who was, despite being the best warrior, saddled with internal conflicts that were preventing him from taking action and delivering. There is a commonality between Arjuna’s dilemma and the psychological/emotional phenomenon we see in people around us. The Gita is a good self-management book. Its principles are universally applicable. There are several similarities between the teachings of the Gita and modern management concepts, namely, personal effectiveness, leadership styles, anger management, conflict resolution and emotional intelligence.

Most management concepts are replicas of the principles of the Gita. Let’s pick up one of the many concepts of business management to draw parallels between the Gita and emotional intelligence. It is proven, and research says that it’s not Intelligence Quotient, IQ, but Emotional Intelligence, EI, that supplements you to emerge as a great leader and also takes you far in organizational hierarchy and in life. There are different EI models. Daniel Goleman’s model talks about five components of Emotional Intelligence (EI).

But all models agree on understanding one’s own emotions and regulating them. Once you learn to manage your emotions, you are at peace; an agitated mind can lead to anger, inaction or hasty action. Goleman speaks about five components of EI: self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, motivation and social skills. One of the greatest hurdles of the EI model is whether it can be successfully imparted, and if so what would be the best method. Today in the corporate world, it’s a buzzword and a considerable amount of money is being spent to train employees on this front.

However, the question that looms large is — is it really effective and if so, can it be universally applicable. Krishna’s answer to the problem is universal and is applicable to any individual of any place or culture. It is simple and practical. The first step of EI is an ability to be aware of emotions and to express them accurately. When a person is aware of his emotions, he moves on to the next level of emotional assimilation — to distinguish between different emotions and also identify those emotions that affect his thought process.

This leads him to an emotional understanding. This ability to understand complex emotions, also helps him to recognise the transition from one emotion to another. Unless one is aware of an emotional phenomenon, he will not be able to manage it, hence understanding one’s emotions helps in laying a strong EI foundation. Through conscious efforts and practice, one then becomes adept in dealing with his emotions, and is able to manage them by detaching from any emotion at any given situation. This gives him complete control over his impulses and he is able to think, analyze and behave rationally in any situation.

When a person identifies and becomes aware of his emotions, the awareness leads to better judgements as he understands their consequences. Krishna does not merely stress on effective emotional management, but first spells out the reasons that lead to emotional disturbances, and then discusses ways of dealing with them. He offers a systematic analysis of the problem and a solution as well. The course of action that he advises Arjuna is one that can be followed by anyone at any place.  Tracing the root cause of all emotional turmoil, Krishna identifies desire and anger as the two vices that lead an individual to his downfall.

When the mind is free from negative emotions, it calms down and a calm, tranquil mind is the fountainhead of all positive things. The way to emotional stability is to remain unattached to the fruits of action. Krishna does not denounce action or ask one to renounce everything in life. He keeps reiterating that action is always better than inaction — karma jyayo hyakarmanah. One must follow and fulfill his swadharma, his obligatory duties. When he does that without expecting anything in return, he becomes a karma yogi, the first step towards becoming a sthitaprajna, an emotionally stable person.

It is the duty of a person, says the Gita, to act according to his dharma. Thus, ignoring the fruits of one’s actions, one should focus on one’s duty alone. When a person firmly anchors himself to this principle, he is not swayed by any confusion or dilemma. His mind is clear; his judgement is not muddled; he takes right decisions, and he succeeds in life. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna does not dwell too much on emotional awareness unlike the EI model, as Arjuna has greater awareness of his emotional dilemma and he inquires with utmost clarity.

The problem with the EI model is, people who learn it, may not have clarity of emotional turmoil within, which can become a hurdle in identifying/understanding emotions and managing them. Once you are aware of your and others’ emotions, not only you learn to manage them but you are able to relate to others in a better way. You become empathetic to others. Once you are stable, you judge the situation very well and are ready to take action, do karma. Thus, intrinsic motivation is the natural outcome.

Not only do you motivate yourself, but you take action to motivate others. Once you believe that it’s your dharma to do karma, networking and upgradation of skills happen naturally, as you are inspired to take action. This is what the EI model also propagates.”