As long as we believe ourselves to be even the least
different from God, fear remains with us; but when we know ourselves to be the
One, fear goes; of what can we be afraid? - Swami Vivekananda
Bhagavad Gita is a practical text and is not
just meant to be worshipped or meant for a parrot-like repetition. It deals
with the science of the body, mind and spirit. One especially finds beautiful
ways to control one’s own mind. Unfortunately our modern youth has no knowledge
of the great wisdom contained in this great text.
Some think it is a text to be
read after one has retired from active life, which is not at all correct
In order to make aware our children, youth, men and women from the world
over who are interested in our great culture and heritage, this Gita Darshanam,
a museum of paintings depicting many ideas from the Gita and Upanisads with
audio facility also, has been taken up by the Math. Anyone going through this
important museum will have the darshan of the essence of the Gita.
Ay, if there is
anything in the Gita that I like, it is these two verses, coming out strong as
the very gist, the very essence, of Krishna's teaching — "He who sees the
Supreme Lord dwelling alike in all beings, the Imperishable in things that
perish, he sees indeed. For seeing the Lord as the same, everywhere present, he
does not destroy the Self by the Self, and thus he goes to the highest goal
The Gita opens with
this very significant verse: "Arise, O Prince! Give up this
faint-heartedness, this weakness! Stand up and fight!"
In reading the Bhagavad-Gita, many
of you in Western countries may have felt astonished at the second chapter,
wherein Shri Krishna calls Arjuna a hypocrite and a coward because of his refusal
to fight, or offer resistance, on account of his adversaries being his friends
and relatives, making the plea that non-resistance was the highest ideal of
love. This is a great lesson for us all to learn, that in all matters the two
extremes are alike. The extreme positive and the extreme negative are always
similar. When the vibrations of light are too slow, we do not see them, nor do
we see them when they are too rapid. So with sound; when very low in pitch, we
do not hear it; when very high, we do not hear it either. Of like nature is the
difference between resistance and non-resistance. One man does not resist
because he is weak, lazy, and cannot, not because he will not; the other man
knows that he can strike an irresistible blow if he likes; yet he not only does
not strike, but blesses his enemies. The one who from weakness resists not
commits a sin, and as such cannot receive any benefit from the non-resistance;
while the other would commit a sin by offering resistance. Buddha gave up his
throne and renounced his position, that was true renunciation; but there cannot
be any question of renunciation in the case of a beggar who has nothing to
renounce. So we must always be careful about what we really mean when we speak
of this non-resistance and ideal love. We must first take care to understand
whether we have the power of resistance or not. Then, having the power, if we
renounce it and do not resist, we are doing a grand act of love; but if we
cannot resist, and yet, at the same time, try to deceive ourselves into the
belief that we are actuated by motives of the highest love, we are doing the
exact opposite. Arjuna became a coward at the sight of the mighty array against
him; his "love" made him forget his duty towards his country and king.
That is why Shri Krishna told him that he was a hypocrite: Thou talkest like a
wise man, but thy actions betray thee to be a coward; therefore stand up and
fight!
We read in
the Bhagavad-Gita again and again that we must all work incessantly. All work
is by nature composed of good and evil. We cannot do any work which will not do
some good somewhere; there cannot be any work which will not cause some harm
somewhere. Every work must necessarily be a mixture of good and evil; yet we
are commanded to work incessantly. Good and evil will both have their results,
will produce their Karma. Good action will entail upon us good effect; bad
action, bad. But good and bad are both bondages of the soul. The solution
reached in the Gita in regard to this bondage-producing nature of work is that,
if we do not attach ourselves to the work we do, it will not have any binding
effect on our soul. We shall try to understand what is meant by this
“non-attachment to” to work.
One of the greatest lessons I have
learnt in my life is to pay as much attention to the means of work as to its
end. He was a great man from whom I learnt it, and his own life was a practical
demonstration of this great principle I have been always learning great lessons
from that one principle, and it appears to me that all the secret of success is
there; to pay as much attention to the means as to the end
I used to read books of swami
Vivekananda and Rama Krishna. Indeed, Gita with simple version from RK math,
Hyd. Of course from 4 years not regularly
reading good books and saying of great people and I see difference a lot. I
would easily compare what I was feeling when reading and following those sayings...
This post is with multiple sources that
I'm reading and read and collecting information for future reference for myself
and I hope the readers will have also useful information.
Thanks for reading
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