Why giving up on rules is convenient?

In today’s hangout, we discuss the relevance of rules in a world that finds convenience in giving up on rules conveniently.

Rules by and large irrespective of their affiliation in spheres like social or academic or even political backdrop serve the purpose of entrenching code of conducts or SOP’s (Standard Operating Procedures). Such protocols enable proper channeling of the resources and efficient utilization of productivity at a personal and a social level. Even in the most tiring of the situations like the emergence of a pandemic like the black plague or the deadly resurgence of COVID variants, adherence to the pandemic guidelines by and large had accelerated the recovery rate. Therefore, rules have effectively served the purpose for the betterment of society. The same rules, when contextualized in a religious setting, things become awry. Primarily, the rules codified therein, as verses mostly in an archaic language over a large swathes of time across geography, sound too puritanical or too irrelevant for current-day application. Precisely, the reason globally across all walks of faith, have revised their respective holy books; principally keeping the spirit of the letter intact.

The Bhagavad Gita is a bright luminary example of such text. Fortunately, despite all of the colonial invasions, we still have access to Sanskrit and to many of the Vedic texts, that have ushered to the world, unparalleled wisdom and well-being through yoga and meditation. The sutras or the verses clearly specify the importance of rules, principally like the protocols across all social settings.

While in a spiritual setting the rules not only prime one to be in good physical shape but also elevate one towards the optimum potential that is dormant within. And the injunctions like cultivating truthfulness, freedom from covetousness, simplicity, forgiveness, non-violence (BG 16.1–3), and practicing other such refined qualities might pose intrusive in nature, at face value. Thus, it is always convenient to tweak the rules as per personal convenience, in terms of laxity in the commitment towards a better standard of living spiritually. Such flirting with rules engenders suboptimal outcomes, as getting swayed by mental shortcuts to cheat on the rules becomes even more convenient.

“Giving up on rules is convenient because progress takes effort.”

Ergo, the Gita cautions us to the suboptimal outcomes of heeding to the proscriptions and evading the prescriptions. Proscription notifies the risk of tweaking with rules due to laxity in commitment, while prescription proposes turning towards the scriptural injunctions that enable the possibility of awakening the divine potential within. Hence, giving up on rules can be convenient in the short run, but it comes at a cost in the long run putting us into deep inconvenience. The outcomes of skipping a diet plan, or binging, or indulging in addictive habits project a visible impact of inconvenience on our well being. Thus, you know why, giving up on rules is expedient because progress takes effort.

Thanks. Until next time..

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