Sunday, December 19, 2010

More on Bhagavad Gita - Common myths busted

 

Gita is only for Hindus and others elite classes of men like Brahmins

Bhagavad Gita is for all. Bhagavad Gita covers Karma, Bhakti and Jnana. Bhagavad Gita can also be studied from the standpoint of Yog.

Different persons have different mindsets and have different spiritual maturity. Some have a prakriti of Karma, some like to sing bhajans and worship any form of God, some like to peacefully and contemplate on their true nature, i.e. Brahman / Atman - sadhaka practicing in this way qualify for Jnana Marg. Some people want scientific explanation, which can be found and explored on Yog. Gita covers everything. Gita says, there is no need to adapt to any particular path, nor does one need to change the basic nature (which one has by birth - soul has carry forwarded it into this life). Just follow any path that suits you. All lead and end to the same destination of SELF Realization.

Hence Gita can be practically applied by all.  Gita is for all.

Bhagavad Gita is not dharma Shastra but moksha shastra.

Gita cannot be and should not be confined by the boundaries of religion or dharma. It does not teach moral values like say truth and do not say lie. There are different dharma shastras like Manu Smriti, which give the moral and ethical code of conduct. It gives the immortal knowledge of SELF Realization. Hence Gita cannot be confined and restricted to only Hinduism. One must cross or drop the boundaries of dharma to understand the teachings of Gita.

Lord Krishna teaches one to fight, hence it inspires one to do hinsa (inspires violence). 

Gita never teaches one to be violent. This will be clear when one surrenders to God (not only Lord Krishna but any form of God or to Brahman), and out of his Grace and Mercy (Ishvar Krupa) experiences detachment. It is the association of oneself with mind, body and Ego that one thinks to do actions and accept responsibility. The very nature of advaita sadhana is such that one has to be neutral to the impulses of senses and thoughts and the scenes created by mind. One silently and smoothly shifts back the awareness from the thoughts to the mantra Aum or ask 'Who am I' (practice self enquiry). How can one who is neutral and does not even think about his own body, leaving it to God / prarabhdha can indulge into cruel activites and motivates others in wrong direction? A Realized saints never thinks of such cruelty. Think. He is the observer of his own body. He is detached from his body and mind and ego have melted into Brahman. Even a sadhaka does not embed violent thoughts into others.

Only those who want to establish any cult or a new system or a foundation try to attract people by using business tactics. A renunciate never does that, simply because he has renounced everything and dedicated his life for Self Realization.

Gita gives this knowledge of attaining Moksha. Gita also teaches not to be coward and run away from the situation, but to face it, tolerate the impact upon the mind by being neutral, surrendering to the will of God and doing what is necessary at that time, as taught by shastras. People criticizing Gita take things word-by-word and only believe what they see like a toad born in the well never aware of the word sea, will not accept that there is something much bigger than well. Lord says that my birth and karma are divine and the one who knows my karma and my purpose of birth knows me He is one with me - a realized saint can only be one with Brahman.
One the other note, Lord Krishna never told Arjun to fight and after the war is over, I will give you knowledge. First Lord gave the knowledge, cleared all doubts and then instructed him to fight, with the knowledge of Atman.

Mahabharata is the only war in the entire history, where the King Lord Krishna (who does not fight himself) is on one side (with Pandavas) and his entire army along with horses and elephants and all kinds of weapons are fighting for the enemy side. (i.e. with Kauravs).

Lord Krishna says to leave all religions and only come to me

Lord Krishna in Gita says, "sarva dharma parityajya, maam ekam sharanam vraja". People have wrongly translated this verse word by word   " leave all dharma and come only to me". Sanskrit word vraj means "to go" and not "to come". So one should go within, as Atman is within us. Lord Krishna never said come to me, as a person or as a saint or as a God. He said it from the standpoint of supreme reality i.e. Brahman.

If one wants to leave then leave what is not Atman i.e. you. Am I body? NO. Then leave the attachment with the body. Am I mind? No. then leave the attachment with mind. In the same way, Ask - Am I Intellect, Jiva? No. Then leave the attachment with Intellect and Jiva. Then Who Am I? Dive deep within, and Atman will spontaneously self-illumine itself. It is pure consciousness, bliss and peace. So leave para-dharma i.e. leave the association with that which is not 'I', by being an observer. Sat-Chit-Anand are dharma of Atman. It cannot be renounced. One cannot renounce himself, but only that which he is not.

Atman has no attributes. It is one without second, without beginning or end. No one can limit and cage Atman in boundaries. It cannot be described but one can experience it by merging oneself into it.

Source: Extracted from a discourse by Swami Tadrupanand ji

Read more about Gita. All 18 chapters are given in brief.

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