In a world increasingly marked by conflict, disagreement, and emotional reactivity, learning how to resolve differences peacefully has never been more relevant—or more necessary. Whether it's a disagreement with a colleague, a fight within the family, or a misunderstanding among friends, the challenge remains: how can we stay calm, centered, and loving in the face of conflict?
Ancient wisdom offers timeless answers. The Bhagavad Gita, one of the most revered spiritual texts in the world, reveals profound teachings on how to navigate human emotions, ego, and relationships. Swami Mukundananda, a spiritual teacher and global authority on mind management and Vedic philosophy, brings these teachings alive through relatable examples and contemporary explanations.
Let’s dive into key insights from two of his powerful discourses, combining them with direct references from the Bhagavad Gita, to understand how to genuinely resolve differences—without resentment, emotional reactivity, or inner turmoil.
1. Understanding the Root of Conflict: The Ego and Emotional Reactions
In the discourse Powerful Mind Management Technique to STOP Emotional Reactions and Overthinking, Swamiji beautifully illustrates how we are often victims of our own emotional programming.
“All of us have this built-in lower nature... The amygdala takes over... and this behavior is emotionally destructive.”
He explains that the amygdala hijack causes us to react rather than respond, leading to conflict, regret, and further emotional entanglement.
This aligns with Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Verse 63, where Shree Krishna describes the exact progression from emotion to destruction:
krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ
sammohāt smṛti-vibhramaḥ
smṛti-bhraṁśād buddhi-nāśo
buddhi-nāśāt praṇaśyati
"Anger leads to clouding of judgment, which results in bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, the intellect gets destroyed; and when the intellect is destroyed, one is ruined."
🔗 Read this verse on holy-bhagavad-gita.org
2. The Power of Sakshi Bhav: Becoming a Witness to Emotions
Swamiji emphasizes a profound practice from the Bhagavad Gita and Vedic tradition: Sakshi Bhav, or witness mentality.
Instead of becoming one with your emotions, he says, watch them like a spectator. Just as you observe animals in a cage at the zoo, observe your anger, envy, or fear without identifying with them.
He says:
“You are not your thoughts. You are not your emotions. Just watch them.”
This practice is beautifully supported by the Bhagavad Gita in Chapter 3, Verse 27:
prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate
"All activities are carried out by the modes of material nature. But one who is deluded by false identification with the body thinks, ‘I am the doer.’"
🔗 Read this verse on holy-bhagavad-gita.org
When we step back from this false identification, conflicts lose their grip on our mind.
3. Letting Go of Resentment: The Story of the Two Dogs
In the talk You Will NEVER ARGUE With Others After Listening to This Story, Swamiji shares a memorable story from Kripaluji Maharaj:
There was a dog living in Allahabad and another in Mangarh Ashram. The Ashram dog lived on sukhi roti, thrown by devotees. The Allahabad dog boasted about the delicious sweets and treats he got in the city. They decided to travel together 60 km to Allahabad, planning to stop and rest every 12 km. But every village they entered, local dogs attacked them. They kept moving, without retaliating. As a result, they reached Allahabad in just 2 days instead of 5. Had they fought back, they would’ve been injured and delayed. By not opposing, they accelerated their journey.
Swamiji explains:
“If they had started opposing, they would have gotten wounded and be lying under a tree somewhere.”
This is a living example of non-retaliation and peace, perfectly echoed in Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 7:
jita-ātmanaḥ praśāntasya
paramātmā samāhitaḥ
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu
tathā mānāpamānayoḥ
"The Supreme Self is revealed to one who has conquered the mind and who remains peaceful. Such a person is unaffected by dualities of cold and heat, joy and sorrow, honor and dishonor."
🔗 Read this verse on holy-bhagavad-gita.org
4. How Resentment Destroys Devotion and Peace
Swamiji warns:
“If you start harboring resentment, then your mind goes away from God and Guru... and your Bhakti gets finished.”
This is not just a psychological issue; it’s a spiritual derailment. According to the Gita, attachments and aversions bind the soul to material consciousness.
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Verse 34 says:
indriyasyendriyasyārthe
rāga-dveṣau vyavasthitau
tayor na vaśam āgacchet
tau hyasya paripanthinau
"There are attractions and aversions for the senses toward their objects. One should not come under their control, for they are waylayers on the path of self-realization."
🔗 Read this verse on holy-bhagavad-gita.org
5. How Thoughts Become Chains: Real-Life Examples
Swamiji offers two striking real-life stories from his experience:
a) A New Mother’s Unwanted Thought
A lady with a 3-month-old baby shared how she was haunted by a thought of throwing her baby against the wall. This shocked and horrified her. She identified with the thought, energized it, and it became a recurring fear.
Swamiji explained:
“Had she just witnessed the thought and let it pass, it would have vanished like any other thought.”
b) The Fear of Cancer
Another lady was traumatized after her brother’s death from cancer. She began obsessively thinking, “I’ll get cancer too,” and this fear overtook her.
Swamiji reassured:
“Thoughts only become real when you adopt them.”
These stories underscore the teaching of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 5:
uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ
nātmānam avasādayet
ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur
ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ
"One must elevate, not degrade, oneself by one's own mind. The mind alone is the friend of the self, and the mind alone is the enemy of the self."
🔗 Read this verse on holy-bhagavad-gita.org
6. Freeing the Mind for Spiritual Progress
Whether it’s resentment, overthinking, or emotional hijack, all of these are barriers to bhakti and inner peace.
Swami Mukundananda says:
“Free your mind from kāmana (desire), dveṣa (hatred), rāga (attachment), and śoka (grief), and then engage it in sadhana to get that divine treasure.”
This echoes the essence of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5, Verse 23:
śaknotīhaiva yaḥ soḍhuṁ
prāk śarīra-vimokṣaṇāt
kāma-krodhodbhavaṁ vegaṁ
sa yuktaḥ sa sukhī naraḥ
"One who is able to withstand the impulses of desire and anger before giving up the body is a yogi and is a happy person."
🔗 Read this verse on holy-bhagavad-gita.org
Conclusion: Your Journey Toward Peace Begins Within
True peace isn’t about changing others—it’s about transforming our inner response to others.
Swami Mukundananda and the Bhagavad Gita both teach that peace comes from mastery over the self, not control over the world. Conflict, resentment, and emotional reactivity can be transformed through awareness, detachment, and devotion.
Let us commit to becoming witnesses rather than reactors… compassionate rather than resentful… peaceful rather than angry.
Call to Action
If these teachings resonated with you, dive deeper into the wisdom of the Gita and the guidance of Swami Mukundananda:
Subscribe to Swami Mukundananda’s YouTube Channel for more life-changing discourses.
Read the Bhagavad Gita with Verse-by-Verse Meaning to begin your journey inward.
Let the light of wisdom guide you toward peace, purpose, and powerful inner change.