Saturday, September 22, 2007
GITA 108 DAYS - Day 50
50 Tune your life just as you tune the strings of a lute
Sleep a lot; or not to sleep at all; eat a lot or not to eat at all; etc. are examples of extreme indulgences peculiar only to humans. Our mind is always looking for the extremes, not the moderate. When strings of a lute are too tight or too loose, there will be no music. Life style, spiritual practices, sleeping, eating, etc. should be tuned appropriately like the strings of a lute. Do not take severe and harsh vows as the mind cannot attain peace if the body is tortured.
Arjuna asks Krishna as to what happens if one dies without attaining complete knowledge even after striving for it diligently. The Lord assures him that such an effort will not go futile. Those who have started on the path of inquiry will not perish and those who have done good deeds will not end up in disaster either. The knowledge that was kindled in us will definitely lead us to a state of permanent serenity. Such a soul will find a suitable environment and body when it takes a new birth – may be in a prosperous house hold or in a family of knowledgeable people- to complete or advance the inquiry already started in the past life.
Although we are complete, when we take birth, the ‘wholeness’ will only manifest partially. It is akin to having our entire body being tied down with a rope while the little finger alone has the full freedom to move around. We want to attain completeness and full freedom - we want to be everywhere and become the universe itself. Once we attain this state of wholeness, there are no more births and deaths.
Some one has tried to teach us about the Ultimate Truth in various ways and our present inquiry is also a continuation of that path of investigation started by someone, somewhere.
Sleep a lot; or not to sleep at all; eat a lot or not to eat at all; etc. are examples of extreme indulgences peculiar only to humans. Our mind is always looking for the extremes, not the moderate. When strings of a lute are too tight or too loose, there will be no music. Life style, spiritual practices, sleeping, eating, etc. should be tuned appropriately like the strings of a lute. Do not take severe and harsh vows as the mind cannot attain peace if the body is tortured.
Arjuna asks Krishna as to what happens if one dies without attaining complete knowledge even after striving for it diligently. The Lord assures him that such an effort will not go futile. Those who have started on the path of inquiry will not perish and those who have done good deeds will not end up in disaster either. The knowledge that was kindled in us will definitely lead us to a state of permanent serenity. Such a soul will find a suitable environment and body when it takes a new birth – may be in a prosperous house hold or in a family of knowledgeable people- to complete or advance the inquiry already started in the past life.
Although we are complete, when we take birth, the ‘wholeness’ will only manifest partially. It is akin to having our entire body being tied down with a rope while the little finger alone has the full freedom to move around. We want to attain completeness and full freedom - we want to be everywhere and become the universe itself. Once we attain this state of wholeness, there are no more births and deaths.
Some one has tried to teach us about the Ultimate Truth in various ways and our present inquiry is also a continuation of that path of investigation started by someone, somewhere.
# posted by Sukumar Canada @ 6:05 PM 
