त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मन: ।
काम: क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्‍त्रयं त्यजेत् ॥ २१ ॥

tri-vidhaṁ narakasyedaṁ
dvāraṁ nāśanam ātmanaḥ
kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas
tasmād etat trayaṁ tyajet

“There are three gates leading to this hell – lust (kāma), anger (krodha), and greed (lobha). Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.” — Bhagavad Gita 16.21

We often imagine hell as some far-off, fiery place beneath the Earth — and heaven as some perfect realm, filled with perfumed rivers, divine pleasures, and all desires fulfilled.

But this — I feel — is one of the biggest mistakes humanity has made. We have dragged these beautiful ideas down to fit our childish imagination. And then, chasing these made-up heavens and running from these invented hells, we commit all kinds of madness.

But to me, heaven and hell are not physical places — they are mental states. They exist right here, right now — in the mind, in the quality of your awareness.

Whenever you’re anxious, greedy, consumed by desire, or burning with anger —

You are already in hell.

Whenever you are centered, still, meditative, present —

Heaven is already here.

And the two aren’t far apart — they’re separated by something incredibly subtle:

Awareness. Just a small shift — and hell transforms into heaven.

🔥 Step 1: Understand the Three Gates

The Bhagavad Gita names lust (kāma), anger (krodha), and greed (lobha) as the three gateways to hell.

Let’s look closer:

  • Kāma — Not just sexual lust, but craving of all kinds: for pleasure, recognition, control, status.
  • Krodha — Not just rage, but the inability to accept reality when things don’t match your expectations.
  • Lobha — Not just wanting more, but never being content. A hunger that doesn’t end.

These are not “sins” — these are states of unawareness.

And strangely enough — we inherited these from the jungle. They were once useful for survival. In that sense, they are gifts — but only if you learn to hold them with awareness. Handled blindly, they destroy you. Handled wisely, they transform you.

⚖️ Step 2: Don’t Suppress, Don’t Surrender — Just Watch

Most people do one of two things when these arise:

  1. Indulgence — They flow with it. Justify it. Act it out. This is animalistic — reactive, instinctual, unconscious.
  2. Suppression — They resist it. Force it down. Appear calm on the outside. But inside, the volcano is alive. It just goes into the unconscious and becomes more dangerous.

Both are wrong. They both feed the same fire — one openly, the other secretly.

The middle way is what Buddha called Majjhimā Paṭipadā — the middle path. And the key to this path is: Awareness.

👁️ Step 3: Practice Pure Awareness

Whenever lust, anger, or greed arise — pause. Don’t act. Just watch.

  • Watch the thought come up.
  • Watch your breathing change.
  • Notice your heartbeat speeding up, the tightness, the heat in the body.
  • Observe the emotion without running with it — and without pushing it away.

This is what we call drashta bhav — the state of the watcher.

There’s a beautiful story Osho told, about George Gurdjieff. When Gurdjieff was 9, his father was dying. He had nothing material to leave behind. He called his son and said:

“I have no wealth to give you, but remember this: Whenever someone says something that makes you angry, wait 24 hours before responding.”

That single lesson changed Gurdjieff’s life. Because when you don’t react immediately, when you observe what’s happening inside you — it loses its grip.

So I say the same:

Don’t suppress. Don’t react. Just watch.

When you become fully aware, the emotion melts on its own. You don’t fall into it. You don’t fake control. You simply see through it.

You step outside and become a witness.

In that awareness:

  • You can’t be angry.
  • You can’t be consumed by lust.
  • You can’t be greedy.

🕊️ Step 4: The Gates to Heaven

When you bring awareness to these energies, something alchemical happens.

  • Lust becomes creative power.
  • Anger becomes clarity and courage.
  • Greed becomes direction and drive.

Nothing is to be denied. Nothing is to be destroyed.

Everything can be transformed — through awareness.

🌱 Step 5: Every Gate Is a Stepping Stone

That’s why I say — don’t hate anything within you. Everything has the potential to evolve you. Nothing is good or bad by itself. It’s your relationship with it that defines your growth.

  • Every time lust arises — it’s a doorway back to your inner stillness.
  • Every time anger flares up — it’s a mirror to look into.
  • Every time greed appears — it’s a challenge to your contentment.

The gates to hell are real. But so is your power to walk right through them — with awareness.

And on the other side, is something far more luminous than any fantasy of heaven.