Inspired by the Teachings of Swami Mukundananda
Introduction: Goals – The Missing Piece in Life’s Puzzle
Imagine watching a soccer match without goalposts. The players run, pass, and defend, but where do they shoot the ball? What are they playing for? Quickly, the game becomes chaotic and meaningless. Swami Mukundananda begins his lecture on goal-setting by using this striking analogy to make a vital point—life without goals is like a game without purpose.
Most young adults are taught to “do well” in life, but rarely are we encouraged to ask the deeper question: What does doing well even mean? What is the end we are striving for? Are our goals self-defined, or are they inherited from societal conditioning?
The Bhagavad Gita offers a roadmap to not only set the right goals but to orient our whole lives toward fulfillment. In the Gita, Shree Krishna guides Arjun, who is overwhelmed at the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Arjun’s crisis wasn’t just fear—it was a loss of clarity about what his goal should be.
Swamiji’s teachings echo Shree Krishna’s guidance, reminding young seekers that success isn’t found in the mere completion of tasks or accumulation of things. Rather, success is about living a purposeful, conscious, and spiritually grounded life.
1. The Illusion of Material Goals: Are We Running in the Wrong Direction?
We live in a culture that equates success with accumulation: wealth, position, popularity, and possessions. From a young age, we’re conditioned to climb an invisible ladder—school, college, career, marriage, home ownership, etc.—under the impression that happiness lies at the next rung.
Swamiji shares this sentiment through a vivid anecdote:
“I’m not happy because I have a two-bedroom townhouse. I’ll be happy when I get a four-bedroom bungalow.”
“I’m not happy because I’m a deputy manager. When I become a manager, then I’ll be happy.”
These are not fictional thoughts—they reflect the inner monologue of millions. We assume that happiness is deferred, something just out of reach, always promised by the next achievement. But what happens when we get there? The mind manufactures a new desire, and the chase begins anew.
Swamiji compares this to a mirage in the desert—a Mrig Trishna. The deer runs frantically toward what looks like water, but it never finds any. It collapses from exhaustion and dies still thirsty. This is the tragedy of material illusion—Maya.
Maya: The Master Illusionist
Derived from ma (not) and ya (what is), Maya means "that which is not what it appears to be." It convinces us that pleasure and satisfaction lie in the external world. But the Bhagavad Gita reveals a deeper truth: lasting joy cannot be found in temporary objects.
This is why Swamiji insists we turn around and run the other way. Not toward more consumption, but toward conscious self-evolution and God-realization.
2. Redefining Success: The Gita’s Vision
Our second challenge is not just the goal itself, but our definition of success. Ask five people what success means, and you’ll get five different answers—wealth, fame, love, respect, freedom.
Swamiji examines definitions from dictionaries, self-help authors like Stephen Covey and Deepak Chopra, and world leaders like Winston Churchill. Each adds a piece to the puzzle, but none capture the full human spirit.
That’s when he introduces his own holistic definition of success:
“To be good, to do good, and to feel good.”
Let’s unpack these three pillars.
To Be Good: Striving for Inner Excellence
Swamiji emphasizes that the desire to become better is already built into our souls. We don’t need external motivation to want to improve ourselves; this aspiration comes from within. The reason is profound: we are fragments of the Divine. Just as sparks naturally want to rise upward, the soul longs to manifest divine qualities—truthfulness, kindness, humility, compassion.
Even the most hardened criminals want to be treated with respect and fairness. Why? Because we all innately resonate with divine virtues, even if we fail to live by them.
In the Mahabharata, during the war, when Karna accuses Shree Krishna of breaking warrior ethics, Shree Krishna responds by exposing Karna’s own hypocrisy—where was his dharma when Draupadi was being humiliated? The point Shree Krishna makes is timeless: we all expect goodness from others because it is a divine standard imprinted on our souls.
Thus, "being good" is not a moral obligation but a spiritual calling.
To Do Good: Transforming Action into Seva
Once we strive to "be good," the next step is to "do good." This is where the Bhagavad Gita’s concept of Karma Yog comes in.
“yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgaṁ tyaktvā dhanañjaya
siddhy-asiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṁ yoga uchyate”
(Bhagavad Gita 2.48)
“Be steadfast in the performance of your duty, O Arjun, abandoning attachment to success and failure. Such equanimity is called Yog.”
Swami Mukundananda explains that selfless action is the key to freedom. When we act only for personal gain, we become entangled in expectations and anxiety. But when our work becomes a form of service (seva)—to God, to society, to family—it is purified.
For a young adult, this could mean approaching studies not just for grades, but for learning and self-growth. Choosing a career not just for income, but for impact. Even in relationships, it means giving instead of calculating returns.
To Feel Good: The Fruit of Spiritual Alignment
Finally, the last goal—to feel good—is the natural outcome of the first two. But this “feeling good” is not a fleeting pleasure; it is inner peace, fulfillment, and joy.
Swamiji stresses that true happiness comes not from sensory indulgence but from alignment with divine consciousness. When your actions are guided by values, and your heart is connected to a higher purpose, joy arises naturally.
In Gita 2.70, Lord Krishna says:
“A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires—that enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is always still—can alone achieve peace.”
This peace is what Swamiji means by feeling good—a soul-level contentment, not a dopamine-driven high.
3. Breaking the Cycle of “Next” – The Mirage of More
Swamiji shares a deeply relatable story: a clerk walks to work each day and dreams of owning a scooter. He saves, sacrifices, and finally buys it. Initially thrilled, the joy fades within months.
His boss, who drives a scooter, dreams of owning a car. He too sacrifices and finally buys one. Yet he too finds himself stuck in traffic, frustrated.
Even when the clerk becomes a driver and sits in a luxury car all day, he too finds no lasting joy.
What happened? The goal was reached, but the satisfaction was temporary.
This is the mirage that Maya creates. Each time we attain what we desired, the goalpost moves further. Like the deer chasing water that’s never there, we keep running. Until we realize that happiness was never in the object, but in our perception and direction.
The Vedas confirm this by quantifying happiness levels. Even beings in celestial abodes, like the Dev Gandharvas and Indra, experience only temporary joy. And Shree Krishna declares in the Bhagavad Gita:
“ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino ’rjuna
mām upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate”
(Bhagavad Gita 8.16)
“In all the worlds of this material creation, up to the highest abode of Brahma, you will be subject to rebirth, O Arjun. But on attaining My Abode, O son of Kunti, there is no further rebirth.”
Thus, if no category of being has permanent happiness, the entire material chase is futile.
4. The Bhagavad Gita’s Call to Young Adults: Turn Inward, Not Outward
So what is the alternative? Swamiji offers a revolutionary yet ancient idea: turn inward. Instead of running toward the next thing, stop. Reflect. Redirect.
Shree Krishna tells Arjun to cut through the quagmire of illusion with the sword of knowledge.
“tad-buddhayas tad-ātmānas tan-niṣhṭhās tat-parāyaṇāḥ
gachchhantyapunar-āvṛittiṁ jñāna-nirdhūta-kalmaṣhāḥ”
(Gita 5.17)
“Those whose intellect is fixed in God, who are completely absorbed in God, with firm faith in Him as the supreme goal, such persons quickly reach the state from which there is no return, their sins having been dispelled by the light of knowledge.”
This is not passive resignation. It is the most dynamic and liberating path. It means:
- Acting with awareness
- Choosing your values deliberately
- Offering your efforts to God
- Letting go of ego and attachment
As Swamiji says, “Let me turn around and run towards God.”
5. Setting Spiritual Goals: A New Roadmap for Young Adults
Now that we’ve deconstructed material illusions and redefined success, what goals should a young adult set? Here are five spiritually aligned goals rooted in the Gita’s wisdom and Swami Mukundananda’s teachings:
1. Strive for Inner Excellence
Rather than chasing labels or titles, focus on becoming the best version of yourself. Cultivate humility, discipline, patience, and self-awareness. These qualities are not only spiritually uplifting—they are also practically invaluable in every sphere of life.
2. Seek Knowledge and Wisdom
Not all learning leads to growth. Seek out jnana—wisdom that uplifts, that answers life's deeper questions, that aligns with eternal truth. Make time for spiritual reading, reflection, and introspection.
3. Live for Service, Not Just Success
Align your goals with seva—the desire to help others, uplift society, or contribute to a greater cause. Whether you’re a student, engineer, artist, or entrepreneur, ask: How can my work serve others?
4. Practice Detachment
This does not mean apathy—it means freedom. Set goals, work hard, but don’t become entangled in results. Whether you win or lose, stay anchored in your deeper identity.
5. Build a Relationship with God
This is the ultimate goal, the supreme connection. The Gita isn’t about ritual, but bhakti—a heart-based relationship with the Divine. Make time for daily sadhana, prayer, or meditation. Let your spiritual life be the anchor of all other goals.
Conclusion: A Purpose Worth Living For
Swamiji and the Bhagavad Gita converge on one timeless message:
Success is not a place you reach—it is a person you become.
In a world obsessed with destinations, the Bhagavad Gita teaches us to value direction. Set goals, yes—but make sure they lead to truth, freedom, and inner peace.
To all young adults reading this: don't let society define your success. Let the Divine do it.
To be good. To do good. To feel good. This is the Gita's compass. Let it guide your every step.
Call to Action
If this message touched your heart, let the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita continue to uplift and guide you every day.
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