Summary: Ancient scriptures offer timeless wisdom that guides us in living a balanced, peaceful life. Key life lessons emphasize respect for parents, teachers, and elders, reflecting the idea that their blessings remove obstacles. Scriptures also urge us to avoid negative traits like anger and jealousy, while fostering positive values like love, sacrifice, and mutual understanding. A core teaching is to perform our duties diligently, without attachment to rewards, as encapsulated by the Bhagavad Gita’s philosophy of Karma. Scriptures also stress standing for righteousness, regardless of personal cost, and giving back to society, much like trees, rivers, and the sun offer selfless service. Maintaining harmony within families, especially among siblings, is advised, as is letting go of ego to preserve relationships. Additionally, ancient texts advocate industriousness and resilience in the face of life’s ups and downs, advising us to pursue our duties with unwavering commitment to achieve lasting peace. These age-old lessons, drawn from works like the Vedas, Bhagavad Gita, and Chanakya Neeti, remain relevant, offering valuable guidance for modern living.
Life Lessons are teachings from the scriptures, which helps us in living a happy life with all the desired accomplishments, with peace of mind and without inflicting the rights of others. Parents are our first teachers, then the academic teachers and then other teachers who impart necessary skills in the subject in which we perform in the world of work. Although, there are knowledge which are transferred from one generation to next generation since ages, the Guru Shishya Parampara (Teacher-Discipline tradition) is vital since it is all pervasive method of imparting education.
In this modern age of science and engineering, with the advent of electronics parts and inventions such as electricity, transistors, vacuum tubes, LEDs, Computers, Super computers, Mobile Phones, Space science etc., advancement in the medical science and other areas, we study all the subjects which are modern and recent and which makes our life comfortable. We are, in a fraction of a second, able to talk to and see our relatives on the other part of the globe, which was not possible some decades back. There are comforts of Air Conditioners, Washing Machines, Refrigerators, fan, bulb, Television etc. which makes our life comfortable.
It is a fact that out ancient scriptures are rich in diverse knowledge, including how to live life i.e. Life Lessons. There are many sacred books such as Ramayana, Mahabharata, Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads and Bhagavat Gita. Other than that, there is Chanakya Neeti which also explains many important life lessons.
The motto of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India is “Ya Esha Supteshu Jagarti” i.e. “a person who is awake in those that sleep” is taken from the Kathopanishad. It depicts the qualities of a Chartered Accountant. It is therefore clearly evident that if we use some of these gems of wisdom in our day to day life, it will be extremely beneficial for us. Following are some of the excerpts of Life skills derived from various books/scriptures which can make our life wonderful.
1. The first and foremost piece of advice from scriptures is that we must respect our parents, teachers, guests and elders. By doing that, we take their blessings which helps in removing obstacles from our life path and make our good fortune. (Matri Devo Bhava, Pitri Devo Bhava, Atithi Devo Bhava, Acharya Devo Bhava)
2. We must stay away from wrong characteristics/habits such as anger, jealousy, miserliness, violence and ignorance and inculcate a habit of sacrifice, love, mutual understanding, helpful nature, knowledge and forgiveness.
3. The scriptures direct us to do our duty in a continuous and disciplined manner just as the Sun rises daily for the benefit of all human beings, we must not be lethargic in our actions and do work on regular basis without expecting the rewards of the actions. We only have right to do our duty and the benefits and fruits of actions should not influence our work and without expectation of any reciprocal benefit, we must do our actions, because rewards and fruits of action will be given to us by the Almighty God in due course of time, but that should not be a motivating factor to work, we have only right to work and not on the fruits of action. (Karmanye Vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana)
4. We must be able to distinguish what is right and what is wrong, move towards knowledge from ignorance, only a teacher takes you from darkness to light, enlightens with knowledge and make us appropriate personality for the society and nation. So, we should have a deep respect for teachers and follow their instructions and take help whenever necessary.
5. We must give up our ego while dealing with people, because ego destroys many good qualities and all the relationship are destroyed, and nobody likes such people who possess such bad quality of ego.
6. We must stand for what is right and go against the person who is wrong, even if he is near to you. Because scriptures say that there is glory in standing with the right person and there is disadvantage in supporting the wrong person and we may have to repent for our action at a later time. The body is perishable, however, the soul is indestructible, so we must fight for what is right, then only you will follow the sayings of Lord Krishna. (Nainam Chhindanti Shashtrani, Nainam Dahati Pavakaha)
7. Today, we see that there is quarrel for property among brothers, which should not happen ideally. Scriptures mention that brothers should live in harmony, younger brother should respect and obey the orders of elder brother, and the elder brother should take care for the younger brothers.
8. One point worth mentioning is happiness derived in giving. Just as a tree gives fruits, river gives water, sun gives sunlight, we must be grateful to the society from which we take various resources so its our time to give back to society and do our part of duty.
9. We must be industrious and hardworking, only then we will be able to reap benefits to live a life we desire. Simply, sitting idle, doing nothing, will not lead to success, howsoever able and qualified a person is.
10. We must be unaffected by dualities like happiness and sorrows, profit or loss, and go on doing our Karma with utmost Devotion, that is the only way to attain the highest state of long lasting peace, as propounded by Lord Krishna (Sukh Dukhe Same kritwa, Labhalabhau, Jaya Jayau)
Conclusion: There is wealth of knowledge in ancient scriptures. In the present materialistic life, there is lot of competition, stress, and therefore, we should resort to ancient scriptures to gain wisdom, to get a direction, a way of living a happy life.
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