India, Feb. 10 -- Lord Krishna's sermon on the battlefield of Kurukshetra is often viewed as a series of instructions, but at its heart, it is an exploration of the human mind. After discussing the necessity of action, the balance of the gunas (qualities) of sattva (goodness), rajas (passion) and tamas (ignorance), and the depths of meditation, the Lord offers Arjuna a surprising degree of autonomy.

In verse 18:63 of the Shrimad Bhagwad Gita, He says: "Reflect on these words, and then do as you choose." Even in the middle of a battlefield, the path forward is left to Arjuna's own "positive discrimination", what we, in simpler terms, call choice.

In life, we almost always have a choice in how we respond to the world around us. Of course,...