Aditya, Thursday, January 18, 2018 1:01 am

Bhagavad Gita – Intro

All of us are busy pursuing different goals –  One person wants to buy a house, another person wants to sell a house. One fellow wishes to join a job and the other wants to leave his job. From this, it seems our goals are all different and opposite. However there are some goals which are not different for anyone. They are universal goals which we all want regardless of who you are:

  1. Security (artha) – I want to feel secure & safe in life
  2. Peace (shanti) – I want to be at peace with myself and others
  3. Enjoyment (sukham) – I want to enjoy life

For example, the desire “I want to feel secure” is universal. This desire is the root for many secondary desires – food, shelter, property, savings, pensions, insurance, social networks. Why do I need life insurance and a pension? In case something goes wrong, then who will look after me. I will not have any money and I will suffer. I will not be safe and secure. Why do I need a large network of contacts (doctors, accountants, lawyers, tradesman)? Because if I need help, I have people I can rely on to assist. I feel more secure in myself if I have connections. So the real reason behind a lot of these desires is actually a more fundamental desire to feel secure, called “artha” in Sanskrit. All people want “artha” in some form: a criminal, a saint, a child, a CEO, a beggar…everyone. That’s why it is universal. Also true for peace and enjoyment. We all want it.

Now, the Hindu scriptures have something to say about security, peace and enjoyment which is this: These 3 are only available in one place. Which is? Is it in a pension? Or a new savings account? Perhaps it’s in that dream home you always wanted? No, the only place security, peace and happiness are available is within you! The word “only” is important here. Why? Because it implies there is no security, peace or happiness anywhere else. Not in savings accounts or dream homes!

It is like a fellow who owns a small 1 x 1metre plot of land and nothing else. He sits there and begs for a few pennies. Life is a struggle. But what he does not realise is that buried beneath him underground is a treasure of £100 Million. In spite of this treasure available to him, he still struggles & begs for pennies. So what’s his issue? The treasure is covered under layers of concrete, stones and mud. If the layers of covering are removed, he can claim his treasure. Similarly, Hindu Scriptures say there is a ‘treasure’ of peace, security and enjoyment already within you so you need not struggle for these externally. But why don’t you experience this peace now? Because this treasure is ‘covered’ by 3 layers within your mind:

  1. Impurity (Mala) – Mental problems such as the 6 enemies –  Obsession, Anger, Greed, Delusion, Arrogance, Jealousy
  2. Restlessness (Vikshepa) – Mind is extroverted and cannot stay still
  3. Ignorance (Avarana) – Not aware of the fact security & peace are within me

You cannot see the bottom of a river bed if the water is muddy and restless. The mud and waves in the river deny you that clear vision to the bottom. Similarly, mental impurities (=mud) and restlessness (=waves) deny you that peace already within you. So how does the guy find the treasure underneath him? He needs some tools to remove the layers of mud and stone to dig. Therefore, we also need tools to remove the mental layers of anger, arrogance and restlessness which deny us peace. For our benefit, the scriptures (Vedas) prescribe us tools for removing each layer:

  1. Karma Yoga (removes mental impurity)
  2. Upasana Yoga (removes restlessness)
  3. Jnana Yoga (removes ignorance)

The Vedas elaborately describe how we use these 3 “yoga tools”. The Vedas’ only motive is to help us remove these layers so we can claim the treasure of peace and security within us. However, the Vedas are vast, in a poetic abstract form, and not easily accessible to all. This is why, out of compassion, Lord Krishna has condensed the main essence of the Vedas into only 700 verses (compared to millions of Vedic verses) summarising the gist of Karma, Upasana and Jnana Yoga. This is called the ‘Bhagavad Gita’ – a beautiful dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna on the battlefield. Bhagavad Gita = Veda Saara (essence of the Veda), so by studying the Bhagavad Gita you have basically studied the gist of the entire Veda. This is why if you are going to study only 1 book in your entire life – let it be the Bhagavad Gita!

 

Om Tat Sat.

Aditya

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