While reading the following from a treatise on Gita: Those who fail to perform their duty consciously and skillfully, attain nothing and are not respected in the society. When a person ignores his duties, others think disparagingly of him... The following question popped up in the mind - Is this always so? And even if it is, so what? One's actions cannot always be a slave to another's opinion otherwise we would have never had Buddha amidst us (who gave up his duty as a father, as a son, as a husband, in his search for the Truth).
Ill fame influences one and creates inferiority complex. And [when] one realizes that it is one's own mistake that brought ill fame to him, his inner strength is weakened. One begins to condemn himself and suicidal tendencies may develop. This is something that we see around us quite frequently and, for many of us, in our own life.
In all situations the aspirant should learn to maintain his inner strength. And inner strength cannot be maintained if there is inner conflict and if there is no clarity of mind.
This follow-on text clearly answers the previous question. Buddha did not have an inner conflict about his goal. He was of a very clear and of a very sound mind about what he needed to do and hence carried a great inner strength and was unaffected by and indifferent to the opinions that others may have had of him.
In addition, he was not as much running away from something as towards another that pulled strongly at his heart. Many of us today use spirituality as a means to escape from the worldly struggles rather than as a way to deepen our understanding of the Truth and of ourselves. It is because of this latter sentiment that Krishna cautions Arjuna against turning his back upon the battle. Arjuna is not truly aspiring for peace, non-violence, or universal brotherhood. He is instead interested in avoiding the battle to prevent an outcome that, to him, is both scary and unpleasant.
It is then important to understand that inner conflict - which can result from too much desire, or from a dissonance between what one knows one should be doing and what one does instead, or from the inability to stand by one's choices and decisions - weakens one's inner strength.
Also, actions geared at escaping from one's current predicament, only serve to weaken one's inner self. One's inner strength is also weakened by actions rooted in individualistic greed or fear - as was the case with Arjuna - versus moving forward with a desire for well-being of another or of all beings - which was Buddha's quest.
It is important to understand and to act upon the factors that weaken one's inner strength for without inner strength no meaningful achievement is possible, much less a sense of peace, joy, or harmony.
