The Main Problem With Denying Ones Divinity … Posted in: The Self Divine

The main problem with denying ones divinity is that one tends to think of their suffering in terms of ‘why me?’, or ‘I’m being punished from transgression of some pre-defined code of acceptable conduct’, whereas ‘how does this serve me?’ becomes more the mindset when self-divinity is accepted. Perhaps that is why Bhagavad-gita 2.15 states

yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete
puruṣaṁ puruṣarṣabha
sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīraṁ
so ’mṛtatvāya kalpate

O best among men [Arjuna], the person who is not disturbed by happiness and distress and is steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation.

The way I read this verse is that regarding happiness and distress more equally, i.e. both in terms of ‘how does this serve me?’ will be helpful to making progress in realising ones divinity. Of course in this world of duality it may be a big ask for one to welcome distress in exactly the same way one welcomes happiness. We are pleasure seeking by nature after all. At the same time, to get into the habit of asking oneself the same question ‘how does this serve me?’ in both situations might just lead to an interesting evolution in sense of self. Have you tried it?