Realizing the Consequences of War.

About The Gita - Overview.

The Bhagavad Gita is considered the essence of the essence of India’s esteemed Vedic philosophy. All the countless Vedic tomes written over the past 5, 000 or so years are distilled into this short chapter of the great epic, the Mahabharata.

While Vedic literature comes from India and the Hindu religion, the teachings are really describing universal laws of nature (ie, universal codes of conduct and ways to live in tune with nature’s harmony) and experiences common to people of all faiths. It was only conquering Britain that labeled the Indus valley people ‘Indus’ and called their culture the ‘Indu religion’ because they could not conceive of a culture that did not distinguish between life and spirit. The fact is, as in many ancient, indigenous cultures, there was no separate concept of ‘religion, ’ because humans did not perceive themselves as separate from spirit; there is only sacred life.

A cursory review of cultures and religions will find many similarities at their essence. There is a saying in India, ‘there are many paths, but one goal’. India was, and to some extent, still is a country that celebrates all paths to God. Even for those who don’t believe in God, but believe in nature, or ethics, this too is accepted and celebrated. Anything positive is worshipped. Walk down a street in Jesus. Such is the love and acceptance of the many paths leading to the one Supreme and Ultimate Goal.

This is not to suggest that all religions are the same: each has its own the celebration of the Divine bliss of God as it applies to a personal relationship with God in each person’s daily life. How does a sincere person balance worldly and Divine spheres? How can one be a helpful servant in the midst of obstacles and stresses? This is one of the great values of the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita that remains as relevant today as in ancient times.

Still, many people tell me they do not see much from this ancient story that can be applied to their lives, for example, ‘Is this 5, 000year-old story relevant to modern-day life? Do the teachings apply to those who don’t believe in God? ’ The answers to both questions are, yes. This book attempts to discuss the insights from the Gita as they apply to modern-day life, regardless of one’s spiritual choices.

Ayurveda, a part of the Vedic literature, examines the universal principles of recovering and maintaining health and balance in life to grow on one’s path to their spiritual goal. Ayurveda is founded on the universal spiritual principles of Vedic culture. Nowadays, people Daily we are helped by people of different faiths ― doctors, dentists, teachers, police, soldiers, cooks, neighbors ― we don’t feel uneasy or threatened by their spiritual beliefs. So, too, reading the insights of the Bhagavad Gita should be just as natural. Moreover, Hinduism When I was a child, there was a company called Levy’s selling Jewish rye bread. Their slogan was, You don’t have to be Jewish to love Levy’s. So, too, you don’t have to be Hindu to learn from the Gita.

Yoga

This term is used as the foundation or interwoven fabric of this current interpretation, so it is important to define the term. Yoga has several meanings, but ultimately it means to unite, harmonize, or to make into one.

In recent years, many people have understood yoga to mean stretching postures ― commercials show people in yoga positions. This form of yoga (asanas or postures) helps strengthen and fex the body, and enhances mind-body harmony. In turn, this reduces physical and emotional stress and prepares one for deeper spiritual progress in meditation. What happens through the asanas (poses) is that the different energies in the body become harmonized or united ― all funneling, or dovetailing into one readily accessible channel for energy, clarity, and positivity.

Yoga means union. In the case of poses, it unites the mind and body and the energies. The deepest level of yoga (or union) means realizing one’s inner eternal Soul unites with the universal Soul (SelfRealization). In reality, since the Soul is eternal, it is already united; however, it takes an inner awakening to realize this union or yoga.

According to Vedic philosophy, the goal of life is to awaken (harmonize or unite) one’s inner awareness (or consciousness) and that its personal belief system you subscribe to.

We are not limited. Believing that we are limited is what causes suffering. If a person sees something that they desire (eg, a breathtaking sunset, a double chocolate fudge brownie, a puppy, a Porsche), they are saying, ‘I don’t have that and I want it so I that will feel happier’.

The Vedic view is that not only do you already have it, but it is a part not aware of this, they feel a separation from external objects, and this separation causes longing that leads to suffering. Desires denied result in frustration, anger, depression, greed, and theft.

Yet, even when a person gets what they want (a puppy, the Porsche), it does not bring complete and eternal happiness. This creates more confusion and frustration, and a vicious cycle develops. Eventually, when people cannot feel lasting satisfaction, they develop unhealthy philosophical outlooks on life (eg, I don’t deserve to be happy, that ness in gaining all the fame and fortune possible.)

All of this misses the essential point that by going within, one finds a reservoir of Divine peace, nectar, and lasting contentment that is more compelling than anything that the outer world can give. By uniting one’s inner personal Soul with the eternal Soul, life gradually changes from confusion, struggle and strife, to graceful, childlike wonder, harmony, and self-referential joy.

So yoga, in its highest context, can be said to be a path or method ideal, the Bhagavad Gita explains how, through simple daily life experiences, people can culture this union within themselves, their families, and communities.

Still, by defining the term yoga with other large concepts such as Self-Realization, the result can be further confusion, leaving many people unsure and unable to grasp the idea. So the message of the Bhagavad Gita is simply that the aim of life is to live in ever greater peace and harmony through ever intimate connection with God. God is love, the word is love. This is Krishna’s message in the Gita.

Lord Krishna, the teacher in the Gita, is a representative form of God (like Jesus). God is eternal and unmanifest; Krishna, therefore, can only represent an aspect of God Almighty. Hindu’s consider Krishna an avatar, that is, God taking a human form. Like Jesus, Krishna’s message is a simple message of love. Jesus too, came from God and took human form on this earth. There are many parallels between them when we get past the semantics.

Krishna is a Divine parent, only wanting to see His children happy.

So, in Gita, Krishna is telling them how to be truly happy. Mundane life (material objects like cars, money, and fame) brings temporary day in life, each and every moment of the day. This is the message.

While Hindus believe in the one eternal God, they also acknowledge that God takes human form to become more reachable. It is very difis, something without form, beyond thought or feeling. So, God, in compassion, takes a form from time to time to give people a more easily grasped model or a metaphor to follow. It is easier to have a loving relationship with someone who is near than with someone whom you don’t see for decades because they live on the other side of the globe. In the same way, God makes the extra effort, knowing Yoga or Self-Realization is then simply a union, a loving embrace between a person and God. Remembering God, remembering the eternal spirit keeps one’s spirit ever rising higher in the long-term view. How to live an endearing, precious, grateful, sacred life with God and avoid the pitfalls that can separate you from God are the teachings of this book.

The ideas stated here are universal, because they do not specifcally refer to any personal rituals found in any one religion. These ideas evoke different insights for different people, whatever path they follow. All that the reader need remember is that the Bhagavad Gita is a loving how-to book to help you learn how to see yourself with to share that loving spirit with other spirits, including all of God’s children, creatures, and nature, and with God.

Universal Parallels

Many people requested that this commentary include parallels to other religions. To the degree that the author has some knowledge of other religions, such insights have been incorporated. The reader will get the most out of this book by noting the parallels from their own spiritual paths. You are welcome to send these insights to the author for inclusion in future editions of this book.

There is the story of the blind people and the elephant. Each describes an elephant by what they experience. Feeling the leg, one says an elephant is pillar-like. Another feeling the ear says elephant and round. Yet another feels the trunk and says the elephant is thin and cylindrical. All are describing one aspect of elephant, but none can see the whole elephant. In the same way, each person describes God from his or her limited human experience. But like the elephant, God is much greater and goes beyond description. The Vedic experiences something spiritual in life; the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ is insignificant.

 

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