Chapter 12 All Shloks - Must read FAQs

FAQs.

Context.  This is a conversation between Krishna and his top student in the middle of a battlefield.  The greatest archer in the world reluctant to fight his own family. 
Arjun's transformation, is the biggest psychological experiment conducted. 
This is the context of the Gita, and must be remembered.

योग    राग   तंत्र   दक्षता  सत्य का कोई स्वाद नहीं होता   आपको सांत्वन चाहिए  या सत्य सुनना  है 

जय श्रीराम  जय  भवानी जय शिवाजी , जय  काली  जय कला , नेताजी  सुभाष  कलाग्राम 

1. I have no knowledge of Sanskrit. How should I get this?  In all our ancient Indic texts, the complete meaning of a word comprises two sections. There is a शब्दार्थ (shabdarth) which literally is word meaning and there is a भावार्थ (bhavarth) the emotional context. These two शब्दार्थ + भावार्थ = complete meaning of the word. Very unlike other English, which has a contextual meaning. Translations do not do justice.
2. Is there a concept of God? The concept of god is very different. Very simply, in Hinduism god is "the divinity within me which is part of that infinity (ब्रह्मांड )". Hence, no need to capitalise the G in god, because we do not 'fear' god. There is nobody watching over you, there are no diktats. There are 33 koti (=categories) of gods to choose from and it includes male and female gods, and each god and godess can have several avatars. So there is plenty of choice to take your pick. The best part is, our gods dont need to be good to be great. Plenty shades of grey. 
3. There is an interesting Sanskrit word called पर = outside. So, there is an आत्मा (atma) that is inside of us, and a परमात्मा (पर +आत्मा ) outside of us. God is hence called परमात्मा, and fits in with the concept of god. The journey of the atma meeting the parmatma is Life.
4. Are there any teachings in the Bhagwad Gita? There are no 'teachings' or 'morals' in the Bhagwad Gita. Everything is open to questioning. The conclusions you come to are your own. In the process of self- reflection, you grow. If you stand in judgement, then you miss the point. Even Sri Krishna answers all questions with the prefix 'in my opinion' , 'wise men have said that..'. There are no simplistic answers & no 2 minute hacks,
5. Are there any common understanding of words that we should have? The word धर्म does not translate as 'religion' or 'duty' . While there is no single definition (we are a pluralistic society), the one that I prefer is "the force within , that makes us whole and complete" is  your dharma.  As many people and personalities as there are in the world, that many dharmas. Like every grain wood is different, so is dharma. Upholding dharma is upholding who you ARE. 
6. Throughout all our ancient texts, there is no mention of the word 'Hindu'. This word did not exist till the British times. The nearest equivalent of the modern word Hinduism is 'Sanatan' (Sanatan meaning timeless). More words will be added as we progress.
7. What is the meaning of karm?    In the context of the Bhagwad Gita, कर्म (karm) is just being in action. Indic philosphy says there are two types of karm. One is संचित कर्म  (sanchit karm) which means accumulated actions of the past lives.  The second one is प्रारब्ध  कर्म  (prarabhd karm) which are the actions that you will take in this life.  This is a very interesting concept to read further on. I really have no idea what the word 'karma' means. 

अध्याय  Chapter 12 

Context: Sri Krishna proposes 3 paths to realising oneself. 

1. ज्ञान योग (gyan yog). In pursuit of Knowledge.

2. कर्म योग (karma yog). By remaining in Action.

3. भक्ति योग  (bhakti yog). Through engaged Devotion.

We are first looking at भक्ति योग  (bhakti yog), though it is Adhyay 12 (Chapter 12) 

Why? 

Because it answers a fundamental question that has persisted in human mind for centuries.

Lastly, remember this is happening in the middle of a battlefield, where we have the greatest archer in the world reluctant to fight his own family.

Shlok 1 (Arjun Asks Krishna)

Which path is better at realising oneSelf? 

The path where I focus on your tangible form such as the murti, OR

Your intangible, formless, unreal and everywhere form that is similar to being an aethist.

Krishna answers this question in the remaining 19 shloks.

Each shlok explores facets of the human mind and its unreliability.

Shlok 2 (Krishna's answers 1/19)

Krishna's answer is inclusive. He says both categories of people finally discover the Self.
But the bhaav (intent) has to be that of total focus, self-reflection and that of devotion.
Devotion does not mean 'absence of logic', it is about learning to use logic positively.
The instrument of logic could be used like an axe to chop into two.
Or used like a scalpel, for the fine cuts and yet leave the person whole and complete.
Its like trusting your football coach, or trainer or your therapist.

Shlok 3,4,5 

Those inclined to think of the Self as 'atheistic', 'formless', 'beyond sensory perception' or in a 'non-conceptual' model of devotion also discover the Self.
However, their path is tough because the human mind thinks in terms of concepts.
For those , who think of the self as a 'tangible' or  मुर्ति  'murti' form, their path is easier.
These people are more likely to get out of the endless cycle of rebirth, is my (Krishna's) opinion.

Shlok 9,10

Now the answers start getting interesting, because Krishna starts giving options to Arjun.
He says, I understand, intense focus for prolonged periods of time, especially to an untrained mind is difficult.
So how could we improve this?
The mind can be trained to be disciplined.
One of the way of training the mind is through selfless devotion to others.  Its during selfless acts that we introspect and he mind becomes focused on the service we provide.
But, if this selfless devotion is not possible, then be intent on doing कर्म (karm). More on Karm is given in FAQs.

Shlok 11 and 12
Here we see Sri Krishna begin to provoke Arjun, by perhaps giving him difficult options.
The manner in which the options are given is provocative, Krishna pre-fixes his sentences by saying "if you cant do this then....."
Enough to provoke a warrior.
First he asks Arjun to focus inward by controlling his senses. A near impossible task to accomplish.
Second he asks Arjun to give up attachment to the results of his action. Again a tough option. Ordinary humans are most influenced by success or failure of the action that they had taken.
Detachment purifies the mind.
Detachment raises the intellect to receive higher knowledge.

Sri Krishna now puts Arjun through the mill, by putting another doubt in his mind. He first says, Arjun must get into a deeper inquiry to gain knowledge.
But he plants a seed of divergent thought by saying, the meditation is superior to knowledge.
Meditation forces us to look inward and helps us let-go.

This Shlok 12 is the guidance for deep cleansing of the mind in a way. Some scholars have compared this to a brass vessel coated with the grime of desire.
If this layer is thin - one can easily do repeated practice of meditation. This comes easily to people who have fewer desires.
If the layer is medium thick - Obviously repeated meditation will not help, and they must first get into selfless devotion and sewa.
It the layer of desires is really thick (most of us are at this stage) - Relinquish the anxiety that is attached to the fruits of your actions.
All three suggestions are extremely difficult to follow. A path is suggested.
And we get into meditation straightaway. How ignorant are all of us?

Meditation is termed as a kind of 'research' by comtemplation.
Gain knowledge -----> Meditate on the knowledge -------> Experience what is theoretically learnt

In this entire process don't we discover a part of ourselves? Isn't that true personal growth?

Language

Dear All,
Here is an interesting article on Language and the way it shapes our thoughts. Please read it and comment.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/magazine/29language-t.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=general

“We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are”

Mind set: Seeing isn't believing

RAJIV VIJ, Jul 31, 2010, 12.00am IST
One fish said to the other: 
“Do you believe in this ocean that they talk about?” 

This ancient Chinese saying well illustrates how narrow our vision of the world and the universe can be. We see the world from our limited perceptual framework. Despite evolution of our race, an average human mind is severely restricted by what it can perceive through the senses. What we hear is limited by the frequency our ears can process; dogs can hear many higher frequencies and hence, have a very different perception of the sounds out there. 

Our sight is limited by the light frequencies our eyes can relate to; since pit vipers can sense heat from infrared rays (like night vision goggles), they must view the same world very differently. If we had a different mechanism, we would be seeing things differently. From our knowledge of science, we know so many things are just not what they appear — earth is not flat, the ground below us is not stationery and the sun doesn’t rise in the east. 

The fact is that we see and hear what we can and not what the reality is. The world out there is an unprocessed and formless data, waiting to be interpreted by us. The human nervous system takes in only the minutest proportion of the total energy vibrating in the environment. Research shows that each conscious moment is actually comprised of many much smaller and unconscious “mini” moments, each appearing and disappearing rapidly. 

According to Buddhist texts, it takes 17 mind-moments for a cognitive experience to register. As Marshall Glickman describes in his book ‘Beyond the Breath’: “This happens so quickly that we experience a steady state of consciousness, just as a movie appears seamless even though it’s made of many quickly flashed still photos.” We are so engrossed in this fascinating movie that we are unable to step aside to distinguish between the movie and the reality. 

Besides the limitation in our ability to pick up the absolute truth in the first place, our perceptions are further clouded by our own thoughts and emotions. It is believed that 20% of what we see is objective data and the rest is a projection, biased by our thoughts and emotions. Neuroscientists highlight that the electrical impulses that reach our retina must also interact with the thinking and the emotional parts of the brain. Thus, we don’t see a mosaic of blue, white and colorless space, but sky and clouds. 

As French author Anais Nin said, “We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are” — our thoughts and emotions project their own hues and colours to whatever we observe. We are also quick to dole out intrinsic qualities to things and people, thinking “this is beautiful, that is ugly,” without being cognizant of the fact that these attributes are assigned by our mind. As a Buddhist verse says: “Is anything on earth universally and unanimously recognized as beautiful? For a lover, a beautiful woman is an object of desire; for the hermit, a distraction; for the wolf, a good meal.” 

As we gain deeper insight, we learn that the smallest units of energy are just in free flow thought it all. We create a three-dimensional world from what is a continuum of free flowing energy, comprising of electrons and neutrons. Like the fish in the Chinese saying, when we cannot see this continuum, we notice the separate parts of the creationthe trees, the animals, the objects —as disjointed from us, which in turn make us feel separate from the whole. The question is would a tree falling in a forest make any sound, if there was no one to hear it? It’s our presence and perception that gives way to the formation of reality as observed by us. 

What is the truth then and how do we experience it? The powerful thing is that among all the living beings, only human beings have the ability to comprehend and experience this reality. We can get initiated into grasping this reality by starting to reach out to our inner awareness. 

This inner awareness is not the mind, nor our thoughts; it’s the consciousness which allows us to observe the mind, and our thoughts and emotions. It’s this awareness which allows us to remember parts of a dream even when we are asleep. If we close our eyes and just observe the thoughts that arise in our mind, it’s the inner awareness which allows us to notice these thought patterns. While it’s easy for us to initially get swept away by the thought patterns and not be able to observe, steadily we can begin to recognize the observer as distinct from the thinking mind and the actor. We can then discover that this awareness is like a mirror — it only reflects what the mind is going through, without any projections of its own. 

This inner awareness is who we really are. In our normal life, we are so busy with external stimulus that we lose connection with our true self. As we become more attuned to this awareness, we begin to get closer to understanding our own reality — which in turn allows us to better comprehend the truth out there. 

Meditation can be greatly helpful in building deeper clarity as well. When we feel connected to this inner awareness, we realize that this awareness is never born, never dies; it’s vast and is in no way limited to time and space. We can then start to comprehend that this awareness is omnipresent, and governs everything; all of us are made of it, and are not discreet individuals, but just parts of a continuum of awareness. 

It’s similar to knowing that God is in each one of us, and we are part of the same whole. Interestingly, this does not take us away from the regular worldly life but helps us live with greater joy and fulfillment. 

As we make a conscious effort to stay connected with our inner awareness and our true self, we become better equipped to playing our roles as a businessman, doctor, husband, father or a friend. 

This knowledge facilitates us to be like an actor who plays his role with sincerity but stays mindful through the movie that he is really not the character he’s playing — and thus not overly identify with the privileges and adversities of the dramatis personae. 

(Rajiv Vij is a life and executive coach) 

An interesting piece on Lakshmi

This is an edited version from an article by Devdutt Patnaik. Deals with Lakshmi (wealth) and its meaning and importance.
It annoys us to find Lakshmi with people we don’t like, people who deem to be criminals and sinners. We believe that Lakshmi should abandon amoral and perverse people. But there she is, with them, and we find it exasperating, irritating and so unfair. In mythology, all villains seem to be rich. Ravan lived in the city of gold and Duryodhan lived like a king till the day he died. Contrast this with Ram who had to live, for no fault of his, in the forest for fourteen years and the Pandavas who were born in the forest and had to live in the forest, in abject poverty, for most of their lives. Why is it so?
Laskhmi embodies the principles of artha, economic and political activity. She is one of the four goals of life, said the seers, the other three goals being: dharma, social order; kama, pleasurable pursuits; and moksha, spiritual practice.
To understand Lakshmi, we have to understand where wealth comes from. Wealth in its most primal form comes from under the ground. Plants come from under the ground. Minerals come from under the ground. Water comes from under the ground. Even petrol comes from under the ground. Lakshmi is therefore called Patala-nivasini, she who resides in the subterranean realm. Patala is also the realm inhabited by the Asuras.
Asura applied to all forces that that locked wealth. The sea locks wealth, the subterranean realm realms lock wealth, trees lock wealth – until it is harnessed and released. Those who release this wealth were called Devas. And Devas lived above the ground as fire (Agni), wind (Vayu), sun (Surya), moon (Chandra) and rain (Indra).
Children’s books often translate the word Asura as demons. And the word demon has a moral judgment. But this moral judgment is missing in Indian literature. Asuras are the children of Brahma, just like Devas.Equating Asuras with demons is a legacy of early European scholars, blindly adopted by later Indian academicians. Since Asuras were enemies of Devas, and since Devas were worshipped and hence considered gods, Asuras became demons, a natural conclusion for people who were obsessed with force fitting everything into the binary framework of good and evil.
The reason why Devas were worshipped was not moral, it was material; they released wealth and made it available to all – they released rain from clouds, trees from seeds, water from earth, metals from rocks. Asuras were not worshiped because they hoarded wealth, locked it away from humans. They had to be killed if Lakshmi had to be released.
The battle of Devas and Asuras is the battle between spenders and hoarders, distributors and creators. It begins with defeat of Devas and the loss of Lakshmi and ends with victory of Devas and return of Lakshmi. That it is never-ending indicates it is not a battle of good over evil. It is a fertility cycle.
The funny thing is, neither the Devas nor the Asuras are happy. They try hard to hold on Lakshmi but she slips away. In folk tradition Lakshmi is described as being squint – one never knows where she is actually going. She is also called Chanchala, the whimsical one, eternally restless. They say one should never keep the image of Lakshmi standing in the house; she will get tired and run away. One is advised to keep images of Lakshmi comfortable seated, preferably next to Saraswati, goddess of knowledge.

While Lakshmi brings prosperity into a household, Saraswati brings peace. The two goddesses are described as quarrelling sisters. Lakshmi loves to go places where Saraswati resides. But her arrival marks the end of wisdom and peace. With wealth comes quarrels, bickering over money-matters, annoying Saraswati who runs away, which is why they say prosperity and peace rarely coexist. The only god who can bring them together is Ganesha. In some scriptures, he is described as their brother. In others, Lakshmi and Saraswati are forms of Riddhi and Siddhi, wives of Ganesha.