Introduction: Is Your Mind Your Destiny? What if your suffering is not random? What if your thoughts are quietly shaping your reality every single day? In Indian philosophy, the concept of Karma suggests that our actions create consequences that shape our future. In modern psychology, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) suggests that our thoughts influence our emotions and behaviours, which in turn shape our life outcomes. Are these two systems, separated by thousands of years, actually describing the same psychological truth? Let’s explore. What Does Karma Really Mean? Most people misunderstand Karma as “punishment” or “fate.” But in the Bhagavad Gita , Karma is about: Action Intention Consequence It is not superstition. It is a psychological cause and effect. Your thoughts create intentions. Intentions drive actions. Actions form habits. Habits shape personality. Personality shapes destiny. Isn’t this exactly how behavioural psychology explains human deve...
Long before psychology had textbooks, diagnoses, and therapy rooms, Indian philosophy was already asking profound questions: Why do we suffer? Why does the mind feel restless? How do attachment and desire create pain? Modern psychology is now catching up to insights that were written thousands of years ago. 🕉️ The Mind According to Indian Philosophy Indian philosophy doesn’t see the mind as the enemy , but as a tool that needs training . In the Bhagavad Gita , the mind is described as: Restless Easily distracted Pulled by desire and fear Krishna tells Arjuna that suffering begins when the mind clings to outcomes, people, and identity. Psychology today calls this attachment, rumination, and cognitive fusion . 🧩 Attachment, Desire & Modern Psychology Indian philosophy explains suffering through: Rāga (attachment) Dveṣa (aversion) Modern psychology explains the same thing as: Emotional dependency Avoidance coping Anxiety loops Diff...