In today’s world, we are often driven to maximize pleasure in the shortest time possible. Take Friday nights, for example—major cities around the world transform into scenes of overindulgence, commonly known as parties. Many party-goers, thanks to good deeds in past lives, have earned bodies (good karma) suited to this pursuit of pleasure. But there is another side, one we tend to overlook. It’s the reality of those who are physically or mentally impaired, destitute, exploited, or even enslaved—examples of bad karma.
Interestingly, from a spiritual perspective, both sides—and everyone in between—are essentially the same. All will age and eventually perish. The Bhagavad Gita teaches us to reflect on the four unavoidable aspects of material life: birth, disease, old age, and death. Calamities come uninvited, yet they are inevitable. Rather than ignoring these realities, it is wiser to reflect on them and reconsider how we live and act in this world.