Wednesday, June 28, 2006
GITA 108 DAYS - DAY 18
18. Withdrawing from self-inquiry is a fall
Self-inquiry into the Truth is everyone’s duty and withdrawing from it is a fall. World will laugh at people who run away from their duty.
Karma (action) is to know ourselves (self-enquiry) and it is like a white cloth where the stains can be seen vividly. If the inquiry is truthful, one doesn’t have to give up anything. The notion that one needs to give up all relations and activities in this world to gain true knowledge is false. None of your Karmas are relevant for you in knowing sasthras (scriptural knowledge). What you have done or haven’t done also is irrelevant. You cannot stop anyone from pursuing this inquiry as it is everybody’s right to do so. But we do not have the right to judge anyone.
Adi Sankaracharya says: let a person be a yogi (spiritualist) or a bhogi (materialist) or let him be a person living with a family and other relations or living alone, he will enjoy bliss only if he is interested in pursuing the inquiry in to knowing the absolute Truth. But the contemplation in seeking the ultimate Truth must not be related to achieving some desirable results such as getting married, getting a job or getting cured from a disease, etc. If we inquire in that fashion, we will not reach anywhere near the goal. If one seeks experiences while carrying the baggage of desires, perfection will not be attained as the desires will persist and no experience will be gained. One should be able to see this independently, standing apart from oneself.
Lord Krishna warns Arjuna that if he runs away from his duties, the world will call him a coward. Certain people are afraid of coming into the world of spirituality-they are afraid that they may become ‘better’. It is the fear to give up those 'bad things' in life that are currently giving us physical pleasures that we crave for.
Don’t think that we will all ‘become better’ by learning the Bhagavad-Gita. We are all basically good even without learning Gita. We are all different and capable of thinking, but by listening, seeing or thinking, no one will get spiritual awareness. One cannot define spirituality, but Gita is a scientific scripture that elevates us transcending the realms of the mind. A finger that points to a sandal wood tree is not the tree itself. Like wise, a scripture is only a sign post.
Self-inquiry into the Truth is everyone’s duty and withdrawing from it is a fall. World will laugh at people who run away from their duty.
Karma (action) is to know ourselves (self-enquiry) and it is like a white cloth where the stains can be seen vividly. If the inquiry is truthful, one doesn’t have to give up anything. The notion that one needs to give up all relations and activities in this world to gain true knowledge is false. None of your Karmas are relevant for you in knowing sasthras (scriptural knowledge). What you have done or haven’t done also is irrelevant. You cannot stop anyone from pursuing this inquiry as it is everybody’s right to do so. But we do not have the right to judge anyone.
Adi Sankaracharya says: let a person be a yogi (spiritualist) or a bhogi (materialist) or let him be a person living with a family and other relations or living alone, he will enjoy bliss only if he is interested in pursuing the inquiry in to knowing the absolute Truth. But the contemplation in seeking the ultimate Truth must not be related to achieving some desirable results such as getting married, getting a job or getting cured from a disease, etc. If we inquire in that fashion, we will not reach anywhere near the goal. If one seeks experiences while carrying the baggage of desires, perfection will not be attained as the desires will persist and no experience will be gained. One should be able to see this independently, standing apart from oneself.
Lord Krishna warns Arjuna that if he runs away from his duties, the world will call him a coward. Certain people are afraid of coming into the world of spirituality-they are afraid that they may become ‘better’. It is the fear to give up those 'bad things' in life that are currently giving us physical pleasures that we crave for.
Don’t think that we will all ‘become better’ by learning the Bhagavad-Gita. We are all basically good even without learning Gita. We are all different and capable of thinking, but by listening, seeing or thinking, no one will get spiritual awareness. One cannot define spirituality, but Gita is a scientific scripture that elevates us transcending the realms of the mind. A finger that points to a sandal wood tree is not the tree itself. Like wise, a scripture is only a sign post.
# posted by Sukumar Canada @ 10:50 PM 
