UNDERSTAND THE TRUTH AND FOLLOW

 

In the 10th Chapter of Bhagavad Gita, Krishna spoke to Arjuna in 35 verses. Krishna was talking about the various manifestations of the truth (the reality).In our journey of life, we experience the same truth (God principle) as is explained analytically in the 10th Chapter. 

 

Any spiritual seeker constantly seeks inputs from all sources until he discovers a path to transform himself. Similarly, you will have to explore and identify a path by which you can transform yourself. In this process, it is important to remember that only you can lift yourself. Only you have to step up and take responsibility for your evolution and growth. In this journey of seeking transformation, you will attain knowledge from various sources; however, you should understand that knowledge alone without comprehension would not serve purpose. Therefore, comprehension of the knowledge is necessary to attain complete transformation.

 

Krishna spoke to Arjuna, a spiritual seeker and was available to give him the entire philosophy and knowledge needed for spiritual transformation. However, as previously spelt out, knowledge ‘as is’ is meaningless unless the receiver is able to comprehend and utilize it, even if the receiver is the great Arjuna himself. In undertaking this journey of transformation, a seeker must be self analyze the answer to one important question.

 

What sort of human are you?

 

The very purpose of having sessions on Bhagavad Gita is to help one, help himself. To help yourself ascertain your level of spiritual development, you can draw a graph on spiritual development of a person from 0 to 100 on x axis and the life Span on y axis, where zero denotes that a person is not at all developed and 100 denotes a fully developed person. At zero, the person’s actions can be categorized as self-centered, taking interest only in the activities of his family and himself. He is incapable of thinking beyond his own circle. This is the primary level of development is observed in almost all animals and insects. Unfortunately, most of us fall also in this category.

 

Here, the important difference we need to realize is that we are different from these other living things. It is because we are bestowed with physical and mental faculties much higher them and therefore are created to achieve a higher level development.

 

Keeping in mind that you need to progress from zero to hundred, you must start thinking beyond your circle. Let your home be the centre of your affection but not the boundary of your affection. Albeit your family’s sorrows are your sorrows, and their joy yours, these feelings must gradually but steadily spread from the inner circle (family) to everyone.

 

Do not feel content with the knowledge that you have come across but not understood or utilized. Break free from the shackles of ignorance and try to learn and implement the knowledge gained.. For example, if a businessman is interested only in his business and a homemaker only in her home, both fail to look beyond the circle drawn by them. This indicates that they are at the Zero percent (0%) development level.

 

You should realize that to get 100% development level, you have to look beyond your inner circle by stretching your boundaries. Try to apply the knowledge like Arjuna, which would help you in your spiritual growth. Once you are able to expand your circle size, and are able to treat them similar to your inner circle, your spiritual growth increases.

 

Understand how life is a wonderful opportunity and discover the meaning of life by starting to accept all as your own. Find the purpose of your life and not live through life as is. As life is filled with a lot of ups and downs, enjoy each moment and understand the reason for such fluctuations in your experiences. However, most of you are fatigued and tired by the time you reach middle age. This is because you fail to stand and smell the roses along the way. The ups get overshadowed by the downs we face. You should not let this happen.

 

This brings us to empirical knowledge on a spiritual journey. This journey of spiritual development is explained to us very eloquently in Bhajagovindam by Adi Shankara. He explains the vicious cycle of birth and death and what one needs to do in order to escape this vicious cycle.

 

In the Shloka 21 of Bhaja Govindham, the stanza

“Punarapi jananam punarapi maranam

Punarapi janani jaTarae shayanam Iha samsaarae bahudhusthaarae Krupayaaparae paahi murarae” 

denotes a cycle of birth and death a human has to undergo based on his Purva Janma Vasanas (inherited predispositions) and the law of karma (sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence). Till we attain the 100% level of spiritual development we will all undergo this vicious cycle of birth and death. Although, there is no set time when one can decisively tell when one can escape this cycle of rebirths, it is very well elucidated in the following shloka, what steps one needs to take in order to progress fast and forge in that journey towards the 100% level of development.

 

The whole shloka focuses on intellectual bondage. It urges you to pose important questions by ourselves and find the answers to the same by yourself. However, when you fail to pose these questions or find answers, our ignorance in these matters boomerang on you and cause sorrow, you in turn blame the other person or the environment or even God! This shloka calls on you to maintain a dispossess viewpoint towards our possessions even during your ownership over them. It is important to understand that attachments need to go, but not objects of attachment. The problem is with your attitude and not the objects. Detachment is the removal of selfishness, demands and expectations However, maintaining this spirit of detachment in our relationships or over our possessions is what is difficult. Today you put in a lot of effort to acquire things or maintain relationships but your possessiveness towards them makes you agitated, bitter and irritated. To overcome this, you must analyze all the things you feel attached to, then remove the possessiveness but retain the possessions, only then will you enjoy the fruits of your labor.  

 

Conclusion:

 

In this process of spiritual development, it is important to understand that actions based on superstitions and beliefs would not provide solutions your problems. There is no other way to come out of or mitigate your problems except by finding the truth (posing the right questions and finding answers for them). You may feel unhappy, agitated, and devastated in your journey of finding the truth.

 

Understand that the ultimate abode of all you experience in the world is the truth. Everything is happening in the universe as governed by that truth viz., the law of gravity, water boiling at a particular temperature, water freezing at a specific temperature; there is a law governing all this, which is the ‘ultimate truth’. In Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna says to Krishna, "Reality is that truth that I am seeing". Everything is happening because of cause and effect. If you wish to lead a life where you are spiritually developed, start acting now. You are the maker of your fortune. Whatever you do today will have an effect on tomorrow. Even the smallest of steps you take to find the truth would result in giant leaps of your spiritual development.          

 

It is crucial for you to reflect over this truth right here and right now. You have to understand that time is of essence here. Do not waste your precious time on pursuing only material ends. Go find the truth and spread the knowledge about the process.

Be Blissful.

S.Sekar

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com