Monday, May 05, 2008
GITA 108 DAYS - Day 77
77. Indicators of Knowledge
In the Gita, the Lord describes twenty characteristics as indicators of knowledge and wisdom. First among them is being devoid of ego, the “me-sense” leading to humility (amanitvam). A tree lowers its head when it is full of fruit. Second characteristics to be devoid of pretence and pride (adambhithvam – that is not to be preventive of the qualities you don’t have). Non-violence is the quality beyond the usual meaning of all non-injury to others. It is the state where one has no “me and mine” differentiation. Root cause of all violent activities are the “me and mine” attitude. Peace emanates from concentration as a mind full of thoughts cannot be calm. Integrity is the quality of being straightforward and honest, the courage to speak the truth.
Nothing will be complete without serving your teacher, the guru. One should approach a guru for attaining knowledge with complete surrender. Choose anyone – be it a monk, own father, mother, children, sun, ocean, etc. To attain knowledge, it is essential to have purity in speech, body, actions, family and the mind (pancha suddhi). One should also have self control and an attitude of renunciation towards sensory subject matter and he should be firm in his resolutions.
Devoid of ego, having no sense of doer-ship; having no sense of sorrow in the modifications of the body- birth, death, old age, disease, etc; having no pointless attachment towards the family, wife and sons; having no passionate desire for anything; facing desirable and undesirable results with equanimity; having relentless devotion towards the Lord without vacillation, living a life of solitude at least once a moth, having no desire to be in the crowd or to know details of the life of people around, keeping the mind steadfast in spiritual inquiry, and to be aware of the benefit of scriptural and philosophical wisdom are all indicators of knowledge. All the rest are ignorance.
In the Gita, the Lord describes twenty characteristics as indicators of knowledge and wisdom. First among them is being devoid of ego, the “me-sense” leading to humility (amanitvam). A tree lowers its head when it is full of fruit. Second characteristics to be devoid of pretence and pride (adambhithvam – that is not to be preventive of the qualities you don’t have). Non-violence is the quality beyond the usual meaning of all non-injury to others. It is the state where one has no “me and mine” differentiation. Root cause of all violent activities are the “me and mine” attitude. Peace emanates from concentration as a mind full of thoughts cannot be calm. Integrity is the quality of being straightforward and honest, the courage to speak the truth.
Nothing will be complete without serving your teacher, the guru. One should approach a guru for attaining knowledge with complete surrender. Choose anyone – be it a monk, own father, mother, children, sun, ocean, etc. To attain knowledge, it is essential to have purity in speech, body, actions, family and the mind (pancha suddhi). One should also have self control and an attitude of renunciation towards sensory subject matter and he should be firm in his resolutions.
Devoid of ego, having no sense of doer-ship; having no sense of sorrow in the modifications of the body- birth, death, old age, disease, etc; having no pointless attachment towards the family, wife and sons; having no passionate desire for anything; facing desirable and undesirable results with equanimity; having relentless devotion towards the Lord without vacillation, living a life of solitude at least once a moth, having no desire to be in the crowd or to know details of the life of people around, keeping the mind steadfast in spiritual inquiry, and to be aware of the benefit of scriptural and philosophical wisdom are all indicators of knowledge. All the rest are ignorance.
# posted by Sukumar Canada @ 8:44 PM 
