Why True Happiness Doesn’t Depend on the World – Gita Knows
Riya Kumari | Apr 21, 2025, 23:59 IST
So, the other day, I found myself three cookies deep into a crisis about whether I was truly happy or just momentarily distracted by oat chocolate chip. Naturally, as one does when spiraling existentially in a kitchen lit only by fridge light, I Googled “how to be truly happy” like a lovesick philosopher. Somewhere between a TED Talk titled ‘Gratitude: The New Botox’ and a quote from a monk who hasn't checked Instagram since the 90s, I stumbled into the Bhagavad Gita—India’s timeless, no-fluff spiritual mic drop.
Let’s be honest. Most of us think happiness works like a vending machine. Insert achievement, get a rush. Get a raise, a compliment, a “yes” from someone who once ignored your texts—and boom, we feel happy. For a while. Then the feeling fades. And the search begins again. Somewhere between hustle culture and heartbreak, we’ve been sold the idea that happiness lives outside us—just waiting to be unlocked when the world finally behaves the way we want it to. But the Bhagavad Gita gently offers another view. Not a motivational quote. Not a feel-good escape. A truth. One that lands quietly, but stays. That the world doesn’t owe us happiness. And it was never meant to.
The World Isn’t Broken. Our Expectations Are
The Gita begins with a warrior, Arjuna, crumbling on a battlefield. Not because he’s weak, but because he’s human—torn, scared, emotionally paralyzed. Sounds familiar, right? Every day, we stand at our own version of that battlefield: unsure whether to act or retreat, overwhelmed by life’s uncertainty, disappointed when things don’t go our way. We want outcomes we can’t control.
We tie our peace to people’s approval. We wait for everything to feel "right" before we give ourselves permission to feel okay. But the Gita says: You can be okay even when things aren’t. It doesn’t ask you to stop caring. It asks you to stop clinging.
Your Inner World Is the Only One You Can Master
We try to fix the outside world, hoping it’ll fix what’s happening inside. But it never really does. The news stays chaotic. People keep surprising us. Life remains unpredictable. Krishna tells Arjuna: “The wise do not depend on external conditions for happiness.” Not because they’re cold or indifferent. But because they’ve realized: peace built on something fragile will always collapse.
Real happiness isn’t loud. It’s not the high of success or the thrill of praise. It’s that quiet steadiness inside you that says, “No matter what happens, I will remain whole.” And the Gita teaches that this is not a luxury for monks on mountaintops. It’s possible for all of us, right here, in the middle of messy jobs, complicated relationships, and uncertain futures.
You Don’t Have to Feel Good to Do What’s Right
Arjuna didn’t feel like doing his duty. He wanted to run. And Krishna didn’t shame him for that. He listened. He guided. But he reminded Arjuna: you don’t need to feel ready to live with purpose. The Gita shifts our focus from emotions to actions. From chasing good feelings to doing good work. Because feelings come and go. But actions? They leave imprints. They shape the world and the soul. What matters isn’t how perfect you feel. What matters is whether you act in line with your truth—even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.
Detachment Isn’t Apathy. It’s Freedom
People often misunderstand this part. “Detachment” sounds like not caring. But the Gita means something deeper. Imagine holding a flower gently in your hand versus gripping it so tightly you crush it. Detachment is the gentle hold. You love, you give, you try—but without clinging to the result.
You give your best in a relationship, even if it doesn’t guarantee the outcome you hoped for. You apply for the opportunity, even if the world might say no. You plant seeds without demanding that they bloom tomorrow. It’s not apathy. It’s dignity.
This Is Not Philosophy. It’s Survival
In a world that’s constantly shifting—politically, emotionally, socially—this isn’t just spiritual advice. It’s survival. Because if you wait for the world to be perfect before you feel at peace, you may spend your entire life waiting. The Gita doesn’t offer escape. It offers anchoring. A way to live in the world without being drowned by it.
To show up, do your work, feel your emotions—but never forget who you are beneath all of it. You are not your anxiety. Not your job. Not your success. Not your failure. You are the observer of all these things. And when you remember that—you become unshakeable.
The World Will Keep Changing. You Don’t Have To
The Gita’s message isn’t that happiness is easy. It’s that happiness is possible. Not in the way we’ve been taught to chase it, but in the way we can learn to build it. Not by fixing the world. But by fixing the way we relate to it.
Because the truth is, the world doesn’t have to change for you to find peace. You just have to stop looking for yourself in things that can be taken away. That’s where happiness begins. Not in the next moment. In this one. And if you need just one line to hold onto: Your joy is your responsibility. Not the world’s. And that’s not a burden. It’s freedom.
The World Isn’t Broken. Our Expectations Are
We tie our peace to people’s approval. We wait for everything to feel "right" before we give ourselves permission to feel okay. But the Gita says: You can be okay even when things aren’t. It doesn’t ask you to stop caring. It asks you to stop clinging.
Your Inner World Is the Only One You Can Master
Real happiness isn’t loud. It’s not the high of success or the thrill of praise. It’s that quiet steadiness inside you that says, “No matter what happens, I will remain whole.” And the Gita teaches that this is not a luxury for monks on mountaintops. It’s possible for all of us, right here, in the middle of messy jobs, complicated relationships, and uncertain futures.
You Don’t Have to Feel Good to Do What’s Right
Detachment Isn’t Apathy. It’s Freedom
You give your best in a relationship, even if it doesn’t guarantee the outcome you hoped for. You apply for the opportunity, even if the world might say no. You plant seeds without demanding that they bloom tomorrow. It’s not apathy. It’s dignity.
This Is Not Philosophy. It’s Survival
To show up, do your work, feel your emotions—but never forget who you are beneath all of it. You are not your anxiety. Not your job. Not your success. Not your failure. You are the observer of all these things. And when you remember that—you become unshakeable.
The World Will Keep Changing. You Don’t Have To
Because the truth is, the world doesn’t have to change for you to find peace. You just have to stop looking for yourself in things that can be taken away. That’s where happiness begins. Not in the next moment. In this one. And if you need just one line to hold onto: Your joy is your responsibility. Not the world’s. And that’s not a burden. It’s freedom.