Truth comes from devotion and
understanding. Like Arjuna, we are all — at times — confronted
with particular problems. We often have to choose between our duties
and what we like to do. But the little bit of suffering we have to
undergo by performing our obligations purifies our nature.
The aim of our life is to attain the Ultimate Truth, the Ultimate
Goal, the realization of Liberation, but there are relative goals as
well, and they are very important for attaining the Ultimate Goal.
We can only achieve Liberation when we concentrate on doing
what is righteous, when we follow the path of dharma. If we all
do what we like, there will always be a conflict of interest, but if
each one of us tries to find a common cause — for the common good of
everyone — then we forsake our self-interest. That is the objective
of dharma.
Bhakti means devotion to life. Steadfast devotion to the Lord
is expressed through service to suffering humanity. Let
whatever service we perform be as an offering to Him. The most
secretive of all secrets is always to have a place for Him in our
heart. Remembering that our Lord is within us gives security. Without
that we cannot have peace.
Choosing the right path
Arjuna asks Lord Krishna an important question: "Oh Lord, if
You think so greatly about this path of knowledge, why are You then
forcing me into this terrible action?" Arjuna does not want to
fight the war but Lord Krishna advises Arjuna to listen carefully.
Without listening we cannot achieve anything. Listening is a yoga in
itself.
Lord Krishna says: "If you do not fight this war, oh Arjuna,
you will be committing sin." Arjuna thought otherwise, that it is
a sin to fight. We all think the same way. We do not like to struggle
to get something. We look for ready — made results, for the
miraculous. We try to find an easy path. We want a comfortable
religion. All the spiritual values are to be watered down to meet our
convenience. The path must not only be easy but we must also get
instant results. Some spiritual teachers are offering this kind of
package. Religion must become like a drug cult: take one drug to sleep
and another to keep awake.
When Arjuna mentions to Krishna that it is better for him to live
on alms, Lord Krishna remains firm and ultimately Arjuna surrenders,
saying: "I am confused about my religion. You are my Guru. Please
instruct me." In the end he says to Lord Krishna that he will do
whatever He asks. Lord Krishna does not bend the rules but makes
Arjuna wiser by explaining to him the philosophy of life. Today, the
‘explanation’ is lacking because there is no pursuit after
knowledge and everyone is confused, the teacher as well as the pupil.
Direct and indirect experiences
Lord Krishna says that from the very beginning of creation there
has been the twofold path, the path of action and the path of
knowledge. The purpose of human life is to get experience and through
that we gain knowledge. There are two ways through which we get
experience: directly and indirectly. Directly: when we burn our hand
in a fire, for example, and we learn that fire is dangerous, a cause
of suffering, something to be avoided. Indirectly: when others witness
this and learn from it. Our creation evolves through accident and
observation. This has been the way from the very beginning of
creation. If we do not develop a sense of awareness then we have to
learn by suffering.
Perfection
The objective of life is to attain perfection: to become liberated
from any negativity that we have within us, from our ignorance — by
which we are dominated — through gaining knowledge. And to get rid
of it is the objective and purpose of life. Within us is Perfection
and we need to experience It. We need to experience the Atma in
us which is Perfect. So, it is the realization of that Perfection —
the Atma — within us, which is the purpose of life.
We may wonder whether there really is such a thing as Perfection.
If we analyze ourselves we will find that we always think that we can
achieve something greater, something higher. When we have achieved
that, we, again, see something greater and higher. There is always
something more to reach out to in life and there is always something
more to aspire for until we attain Perfection. This urge comes from
our Atma. That aspiration will only come to an end when we have
attained that realization of Perfection. As long as we have not
attained to that, there will always be something missing.
Our nature’s essential characteristics
Lord Krishna mentions that we cannot attain perfection by mere
renunciation of activity. We often feel like getting rid of the active
life where we do not have to do anything, but no one can remain
without work even for a moment, because we are helplessly bound by
action through the gunas, the characteristics of our nature. We
think that we are free agents, free to do what we like, but Lord
Krishna explains that it is quite the opposite. First of all we do not
really know what we want to do. One moment we want to do something and
the next we want to do something else. One moment we think something
is right and then we think it is not. What causes us to think in this
way? Lord Krishna explains that our nature is forcing us in one
direction, is forcing us to do things while we think that we
are doing them.
The essential characteristics of this nature are the inactive,
active, and peaceful tendencies within us. The inactive part — tamasic
— makes us docile, not wanting to do anything. The active part — rajasic
— always urges us to do something, keeps us busy. And the peaceful
part — satvic — makes us look at things, analyze them and,
through proper analysis, do what is right. So long as we are dominated
by the tamasic and rajasic characteristics of our nature, so long are
we helplessly forced to do one thing or the other, not knowing why we
are behaving in that manner.
Bound by action
Lord Krishna explains that when we just sit down and do not do
anything at all, restraining our limbs while our mind is very active,
we are living like hypocrites. But when we restrain our senses through
mind — control, and when we are unattached to past and present
actions, we excel. Only when our senses are restrained, and not
necessarily the organs of action, are we free agents. Apart from this,
the tendencies of our nature will force us to follow a particular
direction and this is what we see in our world. We create habits of
what is good and what we like. Then our mind and senses are
continuously revolving between these two things.
Lord Krishna advises us to reject what is pleasant and to search
for that which is good and constantly to direct our whole attitude of
mind to what is good. When Arjuna prefers to take the easy path, the
path of knowledge, and wonders why Lord Krishna advises him to take
the path of action instead, the Lord answers that activity is superior
to inactivity and He advises Arjuna to fulfil his obligations.
Lord Krisha explains that the entire world is bound by action, as
we cannot do without work for our physical existence, and even when we
practise meditation or study scriptures we are engaged in activity.
However, when we perform work with the spirit of sacrifice we will not
be bound by it. Only through sacrifice will we get happiness — there
is no other way. Sacrifice liberates us whereas any work performed
without it enslaves us, binds us to the wheel of birth, disease, old
age, death: the way of suffering. Therefore, Lord Krishna advises us
to let our action be only for the welfare of others, free from
attachment.
Right action is purifying to the soul
Act for the benefit of the world, for everyone. This is the means
by which we wash ourselves internally like we clean our body with
water and soap externally. Without the spirit of selflessness there is
no enjoyment, only the development of more selfishness.
Unless we have a friendly relationship with nature, we cannot have
peace. But because of our greed, we have developed an aggressive,
exploitative relationship with nature. Without the spirit of sacrifice
there will be greed in the mind. That greed in us is like a bottomless
pit: it can never be filled. That greed is like an inextinguishable
fire that burns up the whole earth and will destroy nature and all its
resources, and yet will not be satisfied.
However, Lord Krishna mentions that it is our duty to give
something back to nature when we have taken from it. When we cut a
tree, we have to plant one. If we just cut down trees, there will be
no forest left and an ecological imbalance will develop, just because
of our greed. Lord Krishna explains that when we take something
without giving something back we are thieves. Only when we take from
the remnant of sacrifice will we be freed from sin. If we do not share
with others what we have, we are committing sin; we are violating the
law of mutuality.
Conscience is our real guide
To enforce the law, we need a police force but our ancient
teachers, the Rishis — having great insight — imbued it within us,
in our consciousness, through which we know that we will suffer when
we violate the universal law. They do not say that our greed makes us
sin against the Almighty, but against ourselves; that whatever we are
doing, we ourselves are going to reap the fruits thereof. Through that
experience we will understand that it is better for us to do what is
right so that we will not be harmed. If we do not work in a selfless
spirit, our own actions will become our enemy. We are behaving either
as our own fiend or our own friend.
When we violate nature, nature retaliates. Take food, for example.
We depend on food for our existence, for our wellbeing, but if we
pollute our earth, we pollute ourselves as well — hence migraines
and other diseases. Not only that, we cook for 10 people while there
are only two to feed and what is left over we throw away while
thousands of people in other parts of the world die of starvation
every day. Furthermore, we depend on air — prana — to live.
Prana is life. Hence, it is most essential to keep our atmosphere
clean.
Living in vain
From rain food is produced. Rain comes from yajna —
sacrifice — and yajna comes from karma. Karma has come from
the Veda — knowledge — and the Veda from the
Imperishable. Therefore, the all — pervading Veda is centred
in yajna. Yajna gives shanti — inner peace —
and shanti comes from the Veda, therefore from the
Imperishable, from the Almighty Himself.
It means that how we behave in this world is important, not just
the performance of rituals. Therefore Lord Krishna explains that when
we cook for ourselves without sharing, we eat nothing but sin. A whole
social philosophy is developed centred on the principle of sacrifice:
when we do not follow this chakra — this ‘wheel’ or
principle of sharing, mutual self-giving — but rejoice in the
senses, in what pleases us without caring for anyone else, we live in
vain.
The Vedas mention two paths: the path of no return and the
path of return after departure and enjoyment. However, there is yet
another path: the path of no departure and no return. This is the path
dominated by the tamasic guna. We are on this path when we are
indolent, when we have no aspiration in life, when we do not move from
where we are and we do not progress at all. Having no aspiration
whatsoever, we forfeit this human life.
When we live in vain, we will neither be liberated nor incarnate
again. Instead we go downward. Like a fly, we will incessantly have
birth and death. Lord Krishna explains that when we exploit the system
of this chakra, when we do not follow it, we live in vain, our life is
to no avail and we forgo our human life because we do not use it as we
should.
Since we came into this world, our parents often went without sleep
or food while they were looking after us, helping us to grow up. Since
we are grown up, we have an obligation to our parents when they are
old and have become needy and helpless.
Our duties
The five duties — or yajnas — are to worship our Lord
daily; to turn to our scriptures every day; to look after our elderly
parents and family; to look after our society; and to take care of our
environment. From the highest to the lowest, man has an obligatory —
instead of exploitative — duty to fulfil.
Mankind is the crown of God’s creation, but we also have a great
responsibility. Civilized behaviour has to do with protecting others
but — rather than protect — man exploits, destroys and even claims
that animals, for example, are created to serve us as food. But that
is not why we are here on earth, and to say that, because we are the
highest of God’s creation, we have the right to exploit and destroy
makes us even lower than animals who only take what they really need
to survive.
So long as we are dependent on others, we owe something to others:
there are debts to be paid. Until we repay those, we live in vain. The
duties to our elderly parents and our teachers are primary. All other
obligations are secondary. Our life will be in vain if we do not
perform our primary duties nor perform any other type of yajna.
Only when we are secure in the Self, and rejoice and are centred in
the Atma, do we have no obligatory duties. The implication is
very important. Lord Krishna mentions that when we practise our duties
in the right spirit, there will come a time when our nature becomes so
evolved that we outgrow this material world. Then our senses take
delight and pleasure in thinking about the Divine only. By glorifying
and serving Him our whole being becomes involved in thinking about
Him. Then we become totally dependent on Him.
Until then we all have something to do. By performing our
obligatory duties, the atmosphere and the harmony on earth become
beneficial to our spiritual life. As Lord Krishna mentions, there is a
chakra or cycle of ‘give and take’. This chakra is
based on sacrifice. Duties and dharma are also based on
sacrifice. In other words: the basis of our whole life is sacrifice.
Through it, our nature and mind become purified. We have to learn to
find enjoyment through sacrifice, not exploitation.
However, let the rejection of desire not lead to inaction. And let
us not become inactive when we are not working for ourselves. Instead,
we should become more active when we work for the good of our society
and the world. We should not care less for society — work — let
alone take advantage — but put our whole heart into it so that
everyone will benefit.
Lord Krishna mentions that even though there is nothing to lose or
gain for Him personally, yet He works. For if He stops, everything
will stop because everyone will follow His example and then He will be
responsible for the destruction of this world. If only we human beings
can think the same way, we shall act with a high sense of
responsibility and refrain from doing things that cause suffering in
the world.
Evolution happens only from within
The world can be evolved from selfless work, not through
technology. The world can only be evolved from within, not from
without. Evolution is something that happens from within due to our
consciousness. What our consciousness is, our world is going to be
like, whether we like it or not. The world develops to the extent of
our inner transformation. And therefore Lord Krishna says that the
whole of creation is interdependent. When we see this, let us help
each other. In doing that, we all reap the common good. Then, there
will be no fear and everyone will be happy. Om Tat Sat Hari Om.
Swami Nirliptananda is a
senior Swami in one of the temples of the Asian community in London,
deeply acquainted with the teaching of Maitreya,
the World Teacher