The Bhagavad Gita for the Rest of Us

The Bhagavad Gita for the Rest of Us

 

Copyright 2013 Dr.Giridhar Boray 

Published by www.upanishat.com

ISBN: 978-81-928503-1-3

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

Foreword

1. Introduction - Background and Battleground

2. Work is Worship

3. Mind Matters

4. The Universe - Five Fold Differences

5. The Glory of God

6. The Circle of Life

7. Mother Nature

8. Yoga, Meditation and Diet

9. The Final Frontier

Epilogue

 

 

Foreword

The author is deeply indebted to many commentators and authors who have written or spoken extensively about the Bhagavad Gita based on the interpretation of 12th century ascetic, Sri Madhwacharya and latter day savants such as Sri Raghavendra Swamiji. The author has benefitted greatly by scholarly lectures (in the Indian language of Kannada) on the Gita by Sri

Visweswara Thirtha Swamiji of Pejavar Mutt, Dr. Prabhanjnachar and Dr. Bannanje

Govindacharya. The author respectfully acknowledges his initial tutelage on Sri Madhwacharya's school of thought from his father Late Prof. Krishnaswamy Rao.

 

The author acknowledges extensive review and comments by Mrs. Prabha Venkatesh which helped in improving the readability of a rather complex subject. The author gratefully acknowledges words of encouragement by Mr. Prasad Bhargava. Thanks to Mr. Raghavendra of Vagartha Printers for help in cover design and book formatting.

Work is Worship

The core concepts covered in this chapter are from the initial chapters of the Gita where Lord Krishna addresses critical questions raised by Arjuna who has decided to withdraw from the war.

The first question that arises is ‘Why should anyone work at all (especially if the work is unpleasant)’? The Lord provides compelling arguments for one not to abstain from performing prescribed duties, however difficult or unpleasant they might be. The next question that arises is the definition of prescribed duties. How does one know the profession one needs to take on? Then we dig deeper into the constituents of any act and their classification, namely the act itself, the doer and the knowledge about the mechanics of the act. This chapter also addresses natural questions related to performing duties such as – is it possible for anyone not to do any work, how about souls who have achieved salvation, how about the Lord Himself etc. The next set of questions posed by Arjuna deal with potential alternatives for avoiding unpleasant work such as complete renunciation. How about following the path of knowledge as opposed to the path of labour? Is there a choice here? Note that the terms work, activity, duty, labour are all used to mean the same thing – the primary activity with which a person is associated in a life time.

 

Why Work at all?

 

Q: Why do we need to work, especially if it is unpleasant?

A: Everyone has a special place in this world and a special purpose in their life. People express themselves through their work which should be performed as a service to society. Even as we earn a living, we should dedicate the work to the Lord without any specific expectations on the outcome. Continuous, serial execution of naturally chosen activities over multiple life times in this manner ultimately leads one to get released from bondage and achieve eternal bliss through the express grace of the Lord. Work or labor is an integral part of the ‘cycle of life’ without which the world does not function.

 

Q: Different people seem to have different aptitudes and talents, and choose different

Q: If the goal of performing naturally chosen activities is to achieve everlasting salvation and not temporary worldly pleasure, why do the scriptures detail rituals meant for achieving temporary treasures?

A: For many people who are not in the path of performing naturally chosen duties but are wasting time on pursuing sensual pleasures, it will be difficult to change overnight to a mode of performing duties with loftier goals. For them, an intermediate path is to perform activities to appease various deities to achieve temporary treasures. Even these fruits are in fact granted by the Lord Himself although they appear to be routed via the other deities. Once a person develops the habit of performing these naturally chosen duties and rituals, it will be easier to move towards performing activities with focus on loftier goals.

 

Q: Why should one indulge in actions (labour) which may entail hurting others? An example would be a warrior fighting a war which could result in injury and death to opponents. Why not focus only on studies of scriptures, meditation and perform minimum activities required for survival?

A: There are broadly two ways to cross the ocean of life and reach deliverance. Those who are predisposed to intellectual pursuits often pursue professions such as teaching etc, and those who are inclined towards physical activities engage in professions such as armed forces etc. The former are ‘Jnana Yogis’ and the latter are ‘Karma Yogis’. Suffice it to say that Jnana Yogis also have to partake in Karma Yoga and Karma Yogis also have to partake in acquisition of knowledge. For soldiers, participating in a just war is a naturally chosen duty and their way to eternal glory is by carrying out their duties in a just way without getting attached to the activities. Such professionals cannot abdicate their naturally chosen work which at times might be unpleasant. Indeed they cannot take shelter solely in intellectual pursuits and hope to achieve salvation. In fact, the preferred way for such professionals would be to focus on their work and pursue intellectual studies when possible and at all times dedicate their work to God.

 

Knowledge Management

 

Renunciation v/s Sacrifice

 

Q: What is the difference between ‘Renunciation’ (Sanyasa) and ‘Sacrifice’ (tyaga)? Which is superior? They appear similar.

A: Sanyasa or Renunciation is renouncing any activity that may result in temporary pleasures. For example, practicing fasting as a way to control excessive intake of food is a type of renunciation. Another example is controlling anger. Sacrifice or ‘tyaga’ refers to a situation where one does not per se renounce activities but performs those activities without expressly expecting any specific outcome (except the Grace of God). While both these are recommended approaches for a seeker, the latter is superior as one has to perform naturally chosen activities, but do so without expectation on outcome. An even better approach is a combination of the two, where a seeker performs naturally chosen activities, without expectation of outcome and at the same practices self control by means of renunciation.

The former is normally practiced by ascetics who have given up worldly life and the latter is the recommended path for most other people. In general, a seeker needs to incorporate both these aspects in all activities.

 

Takeaways

 

ü Everyone born in this world has a purpose and a naturally chosen vocation

ü No one should abdicate their responsibilities but should discharge them with diligence even if they are unpleasant

ü Faithful discharge of responsibilities without expecting any outcome while focusing on the Lord will put one on a path towards eternal bliss

ü Like the Lord, liberated souls continue to be active even though they have no specific task because it is their nature to do so. They act to set an example to other souls.

Mind Matters

In this chapter, questions covered are centered on various issues associated with the human mind. As everyone knows, the mind is the most complex sense organ and it often works in mysterious ways. It is said that The Gita is as much a psychological manual as it is a spiritual guide. It provides a comprehensive explanation for complex human behavior and more importantly equips one with the understanding of workings of the mind which eventually helps in developing counter strategies to manage mind matters. Gita clearly explains how the mind moulds our behavior and spells out specific ways to modulate the workings of the mind. The complex relationship between the mind, the intellect and the external sense organs are beautifully explained. Finally, the aspects of ‘memory’ an essential temporal component of the mind are explained.

 

Mind Control

 

Q: If someone is sincere in intentions, but is unable to control the wavering mind and hence unable meditate on the Lord and gather spiritual knowledge, what then happens to that person? Is that soul destined to fail?

A: No. Anyone with sincere intentions but unable to focus the mind will not experience negative consequences. Such souls will in future births be born in better circumstances with easier access to more spiritual education and knowledge and move towards activities leading to a more fulfilling life. 

 

Memory Management

 

Takeaways

 

ü The sense organs, the intellect and the mind together instill desires in humans and control them

ü Mind is extremely difficult to control and is always wandering

ü The only way to control and moderate the mind is by constant focus on the Lord which only comes through practice and patience

ü No sincere effort in controlling the mind will go unrewarded. It may take many lifetimes for a soul to achieve the state of self realization

ü Memory management is an important aspect of mind control and involves capitalizing on the positive aspects of memory such as recall of learnt lessons and discarding of dwelling on past negative experiences

Fivefold Differences

 

Q: What are the ‘fivefold differences’?

A: The triumvirate making up the universe, namely – The Lord Almighty, the individual souls and the inert nature are distinctly different as follows:

• The Lord is supreme and different from individual souls

• The Lord is supreme and different from inert nature

• The individual souls are different from inert nature

• The individual souls are different from each other

• The various objects in inert nature are different from each other

 

What this implies is that the individual souls retain their identity even after achieving final salvation and continue to be guided and supported by the Lord. They do not ‘merge’ with the Lord.

 

Reality of the Universe

 

Takeaways

 

ü The five fold differences narrate the difference among the constituents of the universe, namely, the Lord Almighty, individual souls and inert matter, with the Lord being the supreme controller of all

ü The individual souls adorn many physical bodies in its journey towards the final abode and these physical bodies undergo changes and perish. The soul itself is indestructible, has always existed, will always exist and is always under the control of the Lord

ü The universe is real, has always been and will always be. The state of its constituents such as inert nature is subject to change during the course of its evolution (and destruction)!

###

The Glory of God

It is impossible for anyone to fully describe the nature and glory of the Lord. In fact the best description of the Lord is that ‘He is beyond comprehension’. However, some of the aspects of the Lord find expression in the Gita and they are covered in this chapter. Gita also points to the source of divine knowledge and the methodology to gain true knowledge through which one can attempt self realization. The divine presence of the Lord’s consort, Sri Lakshmi (or Maya) also finds elucidation in the Gita. An attempt is made in this chapter to address the above mentioned issues.

 

The Lord’s Activities

 

The Lord’s Consort

 

Takeaways

 

ü The Almighty Lord has infinite, auspicious attributes and the human mind is not capable of comprehending His greatness

ü One has to resort to the scriptures such as the Vedas to get some idea of the Lord’s attributes

ü The scriptures whose primary purpose is to describe the Lord are infinite, have no beginning or end and are not composed by anyone. They always existed, and always will

ü The Lord’s consort, Sri Lakshmi has always been and will always be with the Lord at all times and in all places

ü There are infinite individual souls moving at different velocities in their quest towards self realization

###

The Circle of Life

Questions about the origin of the universe and its age have always fascinated human beings. While most people find it easier to accept the eternality of souls and also that of the Lord, the origins and age of the physical universe continue to confound mankind. Strong views have been expressed by camps belonging to either creation or evolution. Gita teaches us that life is actually a sequence of cycles within cycles forming a perfect tapestry. Aspects of science and theology co-exist and work with each other to reveal the secrets of ‘evolutionary creation’ where every aspect of evolution is planned, controlled, monitored and indeed executed by divine will and not a series of thoroughly improbable accidents. This chapter attempts to answer some questions on the Grand Cycle of universe and cycles within cycles.

 

The Grand Cycle

 

Q: What causes some people to experience high degrees of success of failure in life while others who put is similar effort do not seem lucky? Is it due to the planetary positions during one’s birth and if so, can astrology help one achieve success and ward of failure?

A: Success or failure (happiness or sadness) that one experiences in life is purely a result of past actions, either in current birth or in previous lives. Planetary positions do not cause someone to prosper or despair. However, a trained, capable astrologer may be able to predict someone’s fate to some extent based on planetary positions. These planetary positions are like a clock which can estimate the time when someone experiences some events in life but they are not the cause of these events. For example, if someone gets hungry say at noon everyday and that person looking at a clock which shows the time as 11: 45 AM can conclude that he will need to eat in 15 minutes. The clock did not cause the hunger. It merely indicated the time when someone naturally would feel hunger daily.

 

Cycles within the Cycle

 

Q: What is meant by the ‘cycle of life’?

A: For the world to function, it is important that the integral components of the ‘cycle of life’ work closely. The cycle is as follows – the primary source for sustenance of life forms is food, food becomes plentiful when there are adequate rains, rains fall in a timely manner when the Lord is satisfied with the offerings (positive acts) from people, and the human race thrives when there is adequate food.

 

Q: When in a physical form, a soul is able to have contact with the external world through the use of sense organs such as eyes, ears etc. What happens to these sense organs when a person dies? Does the soul have innate sense organs?

A: A living, breathing organism is able to interact with the external world with sensory organs as long as the Lord is resident in that being and powering the sense organs. Death occurs when the Lord leaves that physical body. At this stage, the Lord carries the souls to a different world along with sense organs intact in a miniature form. Just like gently blowing wind carries the fragrance of a flower, the Lord carries the sense organs of a being along with the soul. Just as when wind carries the fragrance of a flower, it does not carry all the fragrance and the flower retains much of it, bulk of the sense organs remains with the physical body and perish along with the physical body. The fact that the soul is equipped with sense organs allows the soul to experience pleasure and distress between births (in other words experience heaven and hell between births). 

 

In addition to the external sense organs with which a person gains knowledge, there is an innate perceiver of knowledge which is part of every soul. This entity is called ‘Saakshi’ (or direct witness or imbiber of knowledge). There are two types of knowledge – external and internal. External knowledge is attained via the sense organs such as eyes, ears etc. External knowledge can sometimes be falsified (for example if there is an error in perception). Internal knowledge is always true and is never negated. Saakshi is the source of internal knowledge. Note that internal knowledge cannot be attributed to the mind, as when someone is in dreamless, deep sleep (when the mind is inactive); the person does remember the experience of sound, deep sleep after waking up. So, the perception of time and space during deep sleep must be attributed to Saakshi, which is the ultimate arbiter of truth as its knowledge is based on real experience and not gained from studies or from external sense organs. Even the mind is liable to errors and doubts, but Saakshi is free from such defects. Any extreme pleasure or pain experienced by a person will always be remembered throughout one’s life. This knowledge is memorized in Saakshi. The concept of innate knowledge associated with a soul can be illustrated with an example. When a cow gives birth to a calf, within no time is the calf able to draw milk from its mother without any training. Such natural abilities of a newly born organism can only be attributed to the concept of innate knowledge.

 

It is should also be noted that while the mind can sometimes have doubts about some events resulting in incomplete or improper knowledge, the knowledge gained by Saakshi is based on conviction and is not subject to any doubts.

 

Interpersonal Relationship

 

Takeaways

ü The universe is governed by a grand cycle which includes the stages of creation, sustenance and destruction of the universe which takes trillions of years. This cycle then repeats ad infinitum.

ü Within each grand cycle, the souls are granted physical bodies by the Lord to help them undertake the task of self realization. These souls transmigrate to different bodies and are reborn in different circumstances based on their performance in a specific birth

ü There is a cycle within each birth where the living beings are either awake, dreaming and in deep sleep, with each state having specific implications on the status of sense organs. The deep sleep which is a joyous state is like a preview of the state of bliss that a soul experience upon redemption.

ü Recognition of the fact that the Lord is resident in everyone and conditions people's behavior greatly helps resolve conflict among people, societies and nation.

###

Mother Nature

This chapter deals with the 3rd component of the universe, namely, Nature and its interaction with the other two components of the universe, namely, the Almighty Lord and the individual souls. The sentient beings (individual souls) come in contact with the physical nature and are granted the bodies and faculties to allow them to express themselves and perform the acts necessary to achieve self realization. What distinguishes human beings from each other is the way that they use the tools and techniques granted to them by the Lord. This chapter attempts to answer some questions related to the physical nature, its relation with individual souls and the Lord, and the nature of bondage.

 

Nature – Its Constituents

 

Q: What constitutes ‘Nature’?

A: Inert ‘Nature’ primarily consists of eight things. They are: the five basic elements of nature, namely, earth, water, fire, wind and ether, the mind, the intellect and the ego. These are essential constituents of the universe and interact with the individual souls, and act under the supervision of the Lord’s consort, Lakshmi, who is often referred to as ‘Mother Nature’.

 

The Theatre of Activity

 

Q: What constitutes the ‘Theatre of Activity’ wherein the individual souls, inert nature and the Almighty Lord act?

A: There are totally 32 entities that comprehensively constitute the ‘Theatre of Activity’ in which the individual souls and the Lord act. The 32 entities are made up of 25 basic entities and 7 derived entities. 

• The 25 basic entities are:

• The five basic elements of nature (earth, fire, water, wind, ether)

• The six preceptor sense organs made up (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin) and the mind – organs through which living beings perceive things around them

The five sense organs of activity such as hand, legs etc

The five objects of preceptor sense organs (sight, sound, smell, taste, feel)

The cosmic intelligence (mahat), the intellect (Buddhi), the ego (ahamkaaara), and the primordial root (avyakta) which is the cause of material nature

 

These 25 entities result in 7 transformations which are:

• The physical body

• Desire

• Hatred

• Joy or Happiness

• Misery

• Courage or Determination

• Extent or scope of the mind

 

Note that some of these are physical entities that one can touch and feel (such as the physical body), some are qualities (such as desire, hatred etc). By way of example, a person gets happy and content when he/she is fed with good, tasty food in the same way the same person feels happy when he/she hears good news. In the former case, the cause of happiness was a physical, tangible entity such as food, while in the latter case, the cause is mental.

 

Nature and Bondage

 

Q: How do the three qualities of material nature bind living beings? A: The three qualities of material natures are –  Purity (Sattva)

• Passion (Rajas)

• Ignorance/Darkness (Tamas)

Living beings experience varying amounts of these qualities at different times. For example, one who engages sense organs such as ears in listening to spiritual discourses has heightened quality of Purity (Sattva). Likewise, one whose mind is occupied with worldly pleasures experience higher levels of tamas.

Sattva quality enables one to imbibe knowledge; rajas quality gives motion to pursue activities to earn worldly riches, while the tamas quality instigates laziness and ignorance. 

 

Takeaways

 

ü Inert nature is the third component of the triumvirate that comprises the universe

ü Inert nature is controlled by the Lord’s consort Lakshmi. The individual souls come in contact with nature and gain physical bodies with sense organs etc, whose sole purpose is to equip these souls in their journey to redemption

ü Contact with the qualities inherent in nature also binds the individual souls who need to transcend these qualities to escape bondage and move towards self realization

Yoga Meditation and Diet

While the Gita talks a great deal about the importance of knowledge, it also places a great emphasis on specific actions that one need to take on a day to day basis to reduce some of these learning into practice. Given that the physical body is granted to individual souls by the Lord to enable them to indulge in activities leading to self realization, it is but natural that the Gita should dwell on how one needs to manage the body (and the mind). Yoga and meditation techniques are part and parcel of the Vedic scriptures and their importance have been recognized by modern medicine. Gita goes a step further in its treatment of yoga and meditation to drive home the point that these should not be executed mechanically but should be performed as a part of a well thought out prayer regimen to the Lord. Gita also teaches on the importance of diet, the impact of the nature of food on human emotions/behavior, in addition to the physical health. While, modern dietary studies focus only the impact of food consumption on physical health, the Gita provides insights into the impact of food on mental health also.

 

Yoga

 

Meditation

 

Q: What is the significance of the emphasis on remembering the Lord at the time of death? Most people will be suffering from some disease and will be in pain. How then can they think of anything other than their pain at that time?

A: It is said that when a soul traverses from one physical body to the next, the thoughts that occur in the mind will determine the context of its next birth. This means that if someone is focused on the Lord at the time of death, that soul is destined to reach the Lord’s abode. While it is true that during last moments most people will be thinking of the pain they are experiencing none of this pain will be present at the time of the soul leaving the physical body. It is said that at that precise moment, the soul will feel liberated as if it has been freed from captivity. So, it is not inconceivable that noble souls who have realized the temporary nature and limitations of the physical body will be able to remember the Lord during their death.

 

Q: How can one ensure that one is able to remember the Lord at the time of death? A: There is no magic formula and this can only be achieved through rigorous practice. For one who is constantly aware of the presence of the Lord with the mind unattached to worldly matters, the probability of remembering the Lord at the time of death is very high.

 

Diet

 

Q: Can one control the seemingly uncontrollable desire for eating by resorting to fasting? A: No. Fasting only diminishes the ability of sense organs to enjoy consumables, but does not quench the in-built craving to taste food. The desire for tasting food, even though it is expressed as a requirement to appease the tongue, basically has its roots in the mind. Note that a sick person may have lost craving for food and it would appear as though that person has conquered the desire for food. But it is only temporary. The sense organs of a sick person are weakened; hence there is no desire to consume food. Even then among all sense organs that get weakened due to fasting or sickness, the tongue still retains its desire and craving to taste good food. Once that person recovers, the desire returns. It should also be noted that very aged persons who may have lost ability to digest food fully, often still crave for tasty food. This basically confirms that the desire emanates from the mind not from sense organs themselves. So fasting does not solve this issue. The only solution is to surrender to the Lord while practicing mind control. Ultimately, it is only through the grace of God that one can hope to control the sense organs.

 

Takeaways

 

ü Yoga is a generic term meaning way or path. The Gita introduces the concept of different types of paths which are essential for a seeker travelling on the road to self realization

ü Aspects of Patanjali yoga such as physical exercises, breath control and mediation have the beneficial effects of calming the mind and relaxing the body which allows one to concentrate better in daily activities

ü Human behavior is also impacted by the type of food that one consumes. Reduction of food consumption or dieting does not necessarily result in reduction of carving for food, which can only be achieved by mind control.

The Final Frontier

This chapter attempts to summarize the teachings in The Gita and attempts to answer some questions on the ‘Final Abode’ and the way to self realization. A discussion on supposedly different paths to redemption and the design of an optimal path for the seeker is indicated. The behavior, activities and responsibilities of redeemed souls are also addressed.

 

The Final Abode

 

Q: What is the definition of ‘Redemption’ (also known as salvation, deliverance, Nirvaana, Moksha etc)?

A: Redemption is defined as the casting off of what is not natural to the soul and remaining in its true nature for all eternity. The souls are in their intrinsic nature of pure intelligence and happiness. It is a state upon reaching which, the souls will not get entangled in bondage and will not have to return to the earth.

 

The Bottom Line

 

Takeaways

 

ü The goal of every living being in every life is to utilize the opportunity provided by the Lord and achieve self realization (or eternal bliss or Nirvaana), where one experience pure bliss and will escape permanently from the cycle of births and deaths

ü While Gita teaches the various yogas or paths for a seeker to pursue, the optimal path comprises of all these paths such as ‘path of labor’, ‘path of knowledge’, ‘path of devotion’ etc.

ü Final redemption can only happen through the grace of the Lord and the stages to achieve this are – worldly detachment, devotion to the Lord, study of scriptures, reflection on the studies to develop conscious meditation on the Lord and finally redemption.

Epilogue

Lord Krishna, at the conclusion of his teachings to prince Arjuna asks him if his doubts have been cleared and if he is convinced on the way forward. Arjuna who had decided to abdicate his responsibility to wage war with his opponents (who had unlawfully usurped his kingdom) answers to Krishna indicating that all his doubts have been cleared and his conviction is back- all because of the grace of Krishna. It is interesting to note that Arjuna does not say that he has heard Krishna completely and that he has understood Krishna’s teachings fully. He only says that his doubts have been cleared because of the express grace of Krishna. This is the central concept of the Gita. It exhorts us to feel the presence of the Lord everywhere and at all times as it is only through His grace that one can hope for redemption. We are never alone and when we feel the presence of the Lord at all times and in all places, our thoughts, speech and actions get more purposeful and sincere leaving no room for negativity. This awareness allows one to lead a joyous and peaceful life and to embrace death as a natural culmination of a life well lived. Indeed it is a bridge to an even better life hereafter, moving one closer to salvation.

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The Bhagavad Gita for the Rest of Us

 

Copyright 2013 Dr.Giridhar Boray 

Published by www.upanishat.com

ISBN: 978-81-928503-1-3

 

 

 

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