Jealousy and its effects
Jealousy is a negative emotion that arises when we feel insecure, inferior, or envious of someone else’s achievements, possessions, or qualities. Jealousy can cause us to suffer from mental stress, anger, resentment, and unhappiness. Jealousy can also affect our spiritual growth, as it can make us deviate from our true nature and purpose.
According to Sanatan Dharma, the eternal and universal way of life, jealousy is a sign of ignorance and attachment. Jealousy stems from the false identification of ourselves with our body, mind, and ego, which are temporary and changing. Jealousy also arises from the attachment to the worldly objects and pleasures, which are illusory and transient. Jealousy makes us forget our true identity as the eternal soul, which is part of the Supreme Soul, and our true goal as the liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
Sanatan Dharma teaches us how to overcome jealousy and its effects by following the four paths of yoga: karma yoga, bhakti yoga, jnana yoga, and raja yoga. These paths help us to purify our mind, heart, intellect, and consciousness, and to realise our true self and our relationship with God.
Karma yoga is the path of action, which teaches us to perform our duties and responsibilities without any attachment to the results. Karma yoga helps us to overcome jealousy by making us detached from the fruits of our actions, and by making us see the divine presence in all beings. By doing karma yoga, we can offer our actions to God, and accept His will as the best for us. “Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform — do that, O son of Kunti, as an offering to Me.” (Bhagavad Gita 9.27)
Bhakti yoga is the path of devotion, which teaches us to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul, and to serve Him and His creation with humility and gratitude. Bhakti yoga helps us to overcome jealousy by making us devoted to God, and by making us see the divine grace in everything. By doing bhakti yoga, we can surrender our ego and desires to God, and receive His blessings and protection. “Those who worship Me with devotion, they are in Me, and I am also in them.” (Bhagavad Gita 9.29)
Jnana yoga is the path of knowledge, which teaches us to discriminate between the real and the unreal, and to attain the wisdom of the self and the supreme. Jnana yoga helps us to overcome jealousy by making us aware of our true nature, and by making us see the divine reality behind the illusion. By doing jnana yoga, we can transcend our ignorance and attachment, and realize our oneness with God. “He who sees Me in everything and everything in Me, he never becomes separated from Me, nor do I become separated from him.” (Bhagavad Gita 6.30)
Raja yoga is the path of meditation, which teaches us to control our mind and senses, and to attain the peace and bliss of the self. Raja yoga helps us to overcome jealousy by making us calm and content, and by making us see the divine light within ourselves. By doing raja yoga, we can overcome our negative emotions and thoughts, and experience our true self and God. “He who is satisfied with the self alone, yea, with the self alone, he is contented; for him there is nothing to gain by doing any action.” (Bhagavad Gita 3.17)
By following these four paths of yoga, we can overcome jealousy and its effects, and achieve the ultimate well-being of the soul, which is the state of liberation, or moksha. Moksha is the state of freedom from all bondage and suffering, and the state of union with God.
Moksha is the highest goal of Sanatan Dharma, and the true happiness of all beings. “He who knows Me as the unborn, as the beginningless, as the Supreme Lord of all the worlds — he only, undeluded among men, is freed from all sins.” (Bhagavad Gita 10.3)
