Don't let the car drive you

The last couple of months have seen some major car-related news make disturbing headlines. Be it a minor over speeding, or instances of road rage, or a social media post on how devastated a person was whose three cars were submerged in flood waters in Gujarat.

A profound lesson that lies here is all about attachment. Deep attachment to your loved ones, material objects and possessions or even results of the actions one undertakes are bound to sooner than later end in disillusionment.

The Bhagwad Gita, too, has clearly spelt out that any kind of attachment is an illusion and can hinder our quest for true happiness. Forget about cars, see even how a simple attachment to one's favourite pen disturbs someone when it is not readily available. Any attachment to a temporary thing is futile, be it the human body or an object of desire such as a car. Lasting happiness lies in identifying with the eternal-the soul. Detachment, on the other hand, does not mean indifference. Take care of the car, keep it spic and span, service it regularly but accept that despite all that, things can go wrong.


Cars are there to be owned for travel comfort, going from point A to point B. But it is the sheer attachment to them that causes misery. Attachment destroys rational thinking. The world will throw all sorts of challenges at us, we just need to face them with equanimity and calm. Remember, you are the driver, let the car not take you for a ride.