Who can read/listen to Gita

First of all, let me give you the good news that I’ve finally completed my first reading of Bhagavad Gita!! It’s been a really long journey – around 6-7 years. Yes it surprises me too that it took me so long; but what makes me happy is that I’d the perseverance to pursue it. It has so much of knowledge that with every chapter I was more and more engrossed. I never realized that I’d been reading it for years! People always think that scriptures are for your old age but I don’t think that applies to Bhagavad Gita. I see so many blogs/books these days on the art of living, simplifying your life and other topics to that tune. When I read them I realize that I’d read all the substance is what I’ve already read in Gita. That’s when I realized that the knowledge contained in Gita is ageless – it’ll always be applicable irrespective of the changes in this world. Maybe that’s what spiritual really means. And the sooner you read and attempt to understand it, the more appreciative, happy and understanding you would be in life.

This shloka is very interesting. I never thought God would ever say that it’s not good to share Gita with anybody. I would’ve thought that it’s good for one and all. However that’s not true. And rightly so.

He says that one should not share the secrets of Gita with a person who has given up on his duties, is deep into the temptations of this world and has sacrificed his religion in pursuit of those temptations. Such a person is so mesmerized by worldly temptations that he wouldn’t be able to absorb the essence and influence of God. Thus it would be a disrespect to the scripture as well as God.

It should also not be shared with anyone who doesn’t believe in God. One who doesn’t have faith and love for God; and doesn’t worship Him; who thinks that he is everything; he who is an atheist. Such a person wouldn’t be able to understand what feelings portrayed by the scripture.

It should not be shared with anyone who doesn’t want to listen to it. He will get bored listening to it and will not be able to absorb it.

It should not be shared with one who maligns God. He would only find more reasons to malign Him. Hence would increase his sins.

Thus, if a person doesn’t have any of the above qualities then he deserves to read/listen to Gita.

If a person doesn’t follow his religion but has none of the other three qualities then he too is deserving.

If a person doesn’t follow his religion and doesn’t believe in God but has a desire to learn Gita then he too is deserving.

However, if a person finds faults in God then irrespective of what other qualities he does/does not possess, he’s not deserving of Gita.

Division of society

Growing up I’d often felt how unfair it was that the society in India was divided into classes; with the lower ones being treated condescendingly by the higher echelons. So while reading the Gita when I came upon the chapter that talks about class division it touched a nerve. It enlightened me on why it’s necessary and the way it is today is how the mankind evolved it. It was not designed by God to be this way.

We need brains to solve an issue, muscle power for protection, food and money to nourish the brains and body; and hard work to produce the food. Society is like our body. The brahmins are the brain of the body, kshatriyas the arms, vaishyas the thighs and shudras the feet. Thus each and every class is important for the smooth functioning of the society. They’ve all been born off the body of God and hence all are equal. There’s no question of one superseding the other.

Each class has it’s own qualities but these qualities are neither to be used for personal gains nor to rule over the other classes.

The position of the brahmin is the highest. He’s the one who makes the rules of the society. He’s the teacher and the enlightened one; but he’s not the one who earns money or punishes anyone. Nor does he indulge. Selfishness is completely absent from his life. He eats simple food and gains as well as disburses knowledge. He uses whatever the society gives him.

Kshatriya is the ruler – he punishes the sinner and rewards the Samaritan. It’s his duty to protect the society and religion. Even though he punishes, he is not the creator of the rules. He just follows the rules made by the brahmins. According to the rules, he collects the taxes from the public and spends it for public benefit.

Vaishya is the one who possesses money, farms and animals. He earns money and finds way to increase it. His life is made easy by the rule of the kshatriyas and the knowledge of the brahmins. He happily pays his taxes, serves the brahmins and donates clothes etc. to shudras.

Shudras by nature are more in number as compared to other classes. They’re more physically skilled than mentally. Hence they perform the physical work of the society. Just like the body can walk because of the feet, the society can function because of the physical work of the shudras. In return for his services, the vasihya gives him money, kshatriya protects his money and brahmin shows him the righteous way.

Hence each class has its own function. Just like a factory. A factory has workers, engineers and managers. They all have their work cut out for them based on their skills. If any one category stops working then the factory can’t do production. So they’re all equally important.

After reading this it made so much sense that our society was divided into classes.

Donations

Just like food and yagya, donation can also be categorized as saatvik, rajasik and tamasik.

Saatvik donation is one where the donor considers it to be his duty to serve humanity. He never thinks about what he would gain from this donation either in this life or after. He doesn’t expect anything in return from the receiver. He gives to the appropriate persons, at appropriate places and in appropriate times.

Any place/person/time, in need of what you’re giving is an appropriate place/person/time. In ordinary cases, Kurukshetra, Haridwaar, Mathura, Kashi, Prayag, Naimisharanya and other pilgrim places are considered the most appropriate places. And eclipse day, full moon day, new moon day, sankranti, ekadashi and other auspicious times are the most appropriate times. Apart from needy people, giving to all those as prescribed in the scriptures is apt.

It is our duty to serve those who’ve helped us. So such a behavior should never be considered a part of giving. A true help can never be paid back so the least we can do is to serve them and to make them happy. If we consider that as part of giving, then we’re insulting the recipient.

Rajasik donation is one which is given with some expectation or in return for some help or with bad thoughts/actions. Expectation could be directly from the recipient, could be attain some karma points, to establish one’s reputation, to get publicity, to impress someone, etc. Giving donation to somebody with whom one is involved or expects some assistance in the future is not considered true donation – because one is doing it for one’s own good. Similarly giving to somebody because you there’s other way out – there’s some political pressure or any other kind of pressure – is of no good.

Tamasik donation is one that is given without honor, in a disrespectful manner, to an ineligible person, at inappropriate place/time.

Yagya

Just like food, yagya can also be categorized into sattvik, rajsik and tamsik.

A yagya performed according to the scriptures and without any ulterior motives is considered sattvik. The yagya should be ordained, by the scriptures, to be performed by the man of such a class. The man doing the yagya should not expect to gain wife, children, house, respect, appreciation, reputation, victory or heaven; nor should he do it to alleviate undesirable circumstances or his sorrow.

A yagya performed with faith and according to scriptures but with a motive to gain something or simply to establish a reputation irrespective of faith is considered a rajas yagya.

Tamas yagya is one which is not performed according to the scriptures, doesn’t involve any food donation and is done without any mantras, alms and faith.

Three kinds of food – II

Rajasik food, that is food liked by people having predominantly rajas guna,  is:

• bitter like neem, karela, etc.
• sour like tamarind
• salty like namkeen
• too hot
• spicy like red chilli
• dry like pop corn or anything roasted in the furnace
• daahkarak (sorry don’t know the translation, if you do please let me know) like mustard seeds

Such food causes pain, regret and diseases. For example, after having something too hot you may burn your tongue; on tasting something very spicy you may have water running from your eyes/nose; on easting something dry you may get something stuck in your throat.

Tamasik food, that is food liked by people with a dominating tamas guna, is:

• unripe or half-cooked: produce that is not ripened, food that is not cooked properly.
• devoid of any juices: food that has lost its juices because of various reasons like air, fire, etc.
• possesses a smell: like onion and garlic
• stale: which was cooked the night before or produce that was picked from the farms long back.
• uchistha – ok this is hard to explain in english. It is leftover food that has been bitten into by somebody else.

The three kinds of food

I’d always been curious about how is sattvika, rajsika and tamsik food defined. How would I ever decide whether something is sattvik? And this curiosity was fueled by the food items allowed during a fast or pooja. Onions and garlic were always a no-no and I wanted to know why. My mother told me that maybe they left a bad smell in the mouth that’s why; but I wasn’t satisfied. This was one of the questions which motivated me to read the scriptures in the very beginning – I wanted to find the answer in them. So you can well imagine the smile on my face when I came to this chapter in Gita :).

The kind of food you like is also influenced by your nature.

A sattvik man likes food that has the following characteristics:

• Increases longevity.
• Cleanses and sharpens mind.
• Improves physical as well as mental strength.
• Brings satisfaction and happiness to the heart.
• Increases the feeling of love.

Some of the food items that have the above qualities:

• Those that have pith like milk, sugar, etc.
• Oils extracted from sattvik sources and butter, ghee.
• Those that stay in the stomach for long. There are no specific recommendations but my mother always used to say that whole-wheat roti stays in your stomach. So I’m guessing whole wheat would be one such example. And one could extrapolate this to other whole grains too.
• Those that bring a pure thoughts in the mind and not dirty or impure.

Faith, Conscience and Devotion

You actions build your inherent nature and your inherent nature resides inside your conscience. Hence, your nature determines your conscience. Your conscience influences your faith and your faith, your devotion. Ultimately, its your actions which decide your faith and devotion.

I’m a little confused about this – I would’ve thought that your character determines your actions but Gita says the other way around; and it uses the verb “builds” your character. So the more I think of it the more it makes sense, one may be born with a character but one can always build it through his actions all through his life. That is what is being stressed here – your character develops based on the actions you do and your character influences your decisions on what is right and what is wrong. And this ability leads to faith in something. So the most important thing to do is to do good deeds.

Faith

Depending on his faith and following of religious teachings a man’s destiny can change.

• If a man has faith in religious teachings and follows them, then he can either do it without any desire for the fruits of his labor or otherwise. In case of former, he achieves moksha while in case of latter heaven is his destiny as he is a sattvik person.
• If he follows some religious teachings but doesn’t have faith in them then he will not get any fruits for his labor.
• If he has faith but does not follow any religious teachings for lack of any knowledge of them then he has sattva because of his faith as well as rajas and tamas guna and he will be rewarded according to his karmas.
• If he neither has faith nor follows the religious teachings then he’s a tamasik person and he will go to hell.
• If he sneers at the religious teachings then he will not get any fruits of his good deeds but he will have to bear the consequences of his bad deeds.

Divine or Demonic?

All human beings on this earth are furnished with either divine disposition or a fiendish one.

Described here are the symptoms of a man who’s disposed towards the demonic.

They have no knowledge of their duties; they do what they like, without caring about what they must and must not do.

They do not believe in the existence of the Supreme one – the one who’s the creator, generator and destroyer of the earth. To them the world was created by the union of man and woman and that is what will keep it going.

All their decisions are driven by desires and sensual satiation. They harbor desires for indulgence and vow to fulfill them however impossible it might be. Thus manifesting their ignorance.

They take refuge in worldly anxieties which have no end and will exist even on their deathbed. In their opinion, the only happiness that they can get is from worldly objects and they spend their life aggregating those.

They are trapped in hundreds of gallows of worldly desires and have thus becomes subjects to the vices of anger and sexual desires.

Their goals and achievements are marked by “I have gained object X” and “I need to gain object Y”; their thoughts are mired by “I’ve so much wealth and I need so much more”.

They think they’re supreme and have all the required powers. The world is because of them, they can do whatever they want to anybody in the entire world. Even when they give, they do so to establish their reputation and not as a deed offered to God.

The three qualities of life

Man possesses one or more of three primary qualities (guna): saatvika, raajsika and taamsika. All three qualities lead to different behavioral patterns in a man and bind him to this life.

Saatvika guna, is the purest and healthiest of them all. It doesn’t have any vices and enlightens one’s senses and conscience. A man in whom saatvika guna dominates, has his pain and vices destroyed and attains peace of mind. Laziness doesn’t exist in his world. He no longer has any interest in this world and he devotes himself to the worship of God. However, such a man can become proud of being happy or the knowledgeable one. It is this pride which hinders his unison with God.

Raajsika guna, is manifested in the form of affection for any thing living or non-living. It leads to desires and longing. It has the same relationship with these two as a seed has to a tree. The tree is born from a seed and it is the tree that creates the seed. Similarly, rajoguna leads to desires and it is desires which gives birth to rajoguna. Such a person believes he is the does of all his actions and that he deserves the fruits for them. It is this belief that binds him to this cycle of life and death.

Taamsika guna, as I understand it, is the most inferior of all the above qualities. It’s born from ignorance, where the senses and the conscience are weak and overpowered by emotional attachments. Tamoguna is predominant in a man who has pride and attachment to his body. It leads to ignorance and ignorance causes it. It exhibits in the form of sloth, indulgence and drowsiness in a man and through them binds him to this life.

God’s reach is everywhere

God’s hands are everywhere so that anywhere on this earth when devotees make an offering to him, he can accept it.

His legs are omnipresent so that when devotees lay prostate on his feet, he can bless them.

His ears are all around so that he can listen to his devotees’ prayers wherever they are.

His mouth is everywhere, so that when devotees give him something to eat he can have it.

His eyes are all around us, there’s nothing hidden from him; he sees everything.

His forehead is everywhere so that when devotees seek his blessings by touching his forehead, he can bless them all.

An accomplished man

How do we know an accomplished man when we see one?  He has very defined qualities.

1. He does not harbor the feeling of hatred towards any being or thing. The word hate does not exist in his dictionary.
2. The feelings of compassion and friendliness are natural to him.
3. He neither has the sense of ownership towards anything nor does he have a conceited opinion about himself. He is a down to earth person. The moment you "own" something or somebody, you've enveloped yourself with the feelings of love and hate; pride and arrogance; hurt and dismay. If somebody criticizes what you own, you feel hurt. If they praise, you feel elated and proud.
4. Though he feels pain and comfort, he does not feel joy and sorrow that emanate from them. He would feel the pain if he gets sick, but he would not be sad because of it. Similarly he would be comfortable when he is healthy but would not be joyous from it. When any good or bad thing happens they do not feel joy or sorrow because they have same emotions irrespective of whatever happens.
5. He is very forgiving. If somebody does any misdeed towards them they have no intention of punishing the person. They do not believe in blaming anybody for any incident because they believe from their heart that only God can make things happen.
6. He is always satisfied; at no moment and place does he feel dissatisfied. Nor can the lack of anything give rise to that feeling in him. A worldly man feels satisfied because of a thing and as soon as he gets that, he again starts feeling dissatisfied.
7. He has his mind, body and senses under his control.
8. His mind is determined to be devoted to God; neither pain nor any action can deter him from his determination.
9. He immerses his mind and intellectual faculties in the service of God.

These are all great qualities and when I try to imagine a person who has all these qualities, the first thought that comes to my mind is - how lucky is he! To imbibe all these qualities in our self, is a formidable task; but I think if we were to truly follow even one of these qualities, it would bring a sea of change in what we are.  

Heavenly job

The man who offers all his actions to God is different from the man who performs all actions for God and they're different from the man who sacrifices the fruits of his labor in the name of God,

The one who offers all his actions to God believes that he's simply a puppet in the hands of God; that he alone does not have the ability to perform any action but it is the power of God due to which he can do anything and everything. His senses, mind and body - all in the hands of God and they work according to what God wants them to do. Such a person can never have any attachment or sense of ownership over his actions or the results of his actions. Whatever he gets in life, be it joy or sorrow, he takes it as a gift from God.

The man who performs all his actions for God does not believe that he's a puppet in His hands; but believes that God is the supreme one who loves him and is his friend. He feels that it is his duty to serve God and to follow his orders. Thus he performs every action according to God's commandments and with the sole purpose of serving Him. Again such a person can never bear attachment towards either his actions or the results of his action.

The man who sacrifices the fruits of his labor believes neither that God is the power behind all his actions nor that he does everything for God. He believes that is the duty of mankind to work and that a man's right is limited to the performance of the work and not the outcome; that one must keep doing work in accordance with the scriptures and for the sustenance of the body but never get bound to its outcomes. Thus he sheds any attachment towards the worldly objects.

Different ways for different men - Part 2

On reading Part 1, one gets the impression that the methods advised are in some order of difficulty; but that it not true. Every man has a different belief, nature and belong to different sections of the society, hence a method may appear easier to one and difficult to another. Nor do they lead to different ends; they all have the same end - achieving God.

The first method is apt for a man who has feels the love for God straight from his heart; one who has an ardent desire to know the essence of God and would love to spend his whole life looking for the ultimate truth. This is what is natural to them.

Then there are men who have faith in God and want to engage their mind in the thoughts of the Supreme one. Such men should practice the said exercises.

Another type of men is who like to pray regularly, make donations and perform rituals. The third method is for these people. This is what is inherent in their nature.

The last method is for men who believe that God does not take any particular form and they believe in doing something for the welfare of one and all.

As we can see one must do what is natural to them; but do it from the heart, with all their faith and completely believe in what they're doing. Now that I've written it, I can see that this applies to our everyday life also. If we do some work, with complete faith and whole-heartedly we will always succeed in it. Once again I can see how Gita gives you principles for everyday life.

Different ways for different men

To unite with Him in the end, one must devote one's mind and feelings to Him. To submit your mind to God, one must understand the essence and secrets of His virtues, influence and power; and keep them in his resolve always and everywhere. To immerse your feelings Him and Him alone and nothing else one must detach oneself from all objects of senses; and at all times of only Him.

However, due to attachments resulting from ignorance men are involved in attachments to worldly objects and hence are unable to perform the exercise above.

Since not everybody has the same nature, they can't unite with Him using the same method. For different kinds of men there are different ways to achieve God.

If you can't devote your mind and feelings to Him do not despair. One who tries can also obtain Him. In whatever form of God you have the most faith and love for, you must try to devote your mind to that form. There are various means to do this and some of the most appropriate ones for common man are the following:

1. You must resolve to make an effort to devote your mind and feelings to God.
2. You must try to see God wherever your mind goes and whatever your eyes see and hence think about him.
3. You must try to steer your mind away from all other objects and concentrate on the idol/picture of the form of God that you love the most.
4. Chant "Omkar" and meditate.
5. You must try to chant his name as often as possible.
6. You must try to read scriptures again and again to understand the essence of his virtues, influence and power
7. Perform pranayama.

Any of the above performed with true faith and love will clear you of your sins, destroy all the hurdles and lead you to God. If one doesn't obtain results soon then one must not loose heart. Instead, try with increased effort.

If all the above exercises are beyond you, then all you have to do is perform every action for God and for nothing else. Behind every action of yours, there should be no self-interest, no attachment and no sense of ownership. Perform every action from your heart and to please the God; serve God through your mind, speech and actions; perform yagya, make donations and do prayers - all in the name of God and as your duty towards him.

If you think that it is difficult for you to selflessly perform every action, then all you need to do is take control over your mind and feelings and sacrifice the fruits of your actions. If you don't have control over your mind and feelings, then you'll be entrapped in indulgences and when this happens one can't escape from the desire to indulge in the fruits of one's actions. These actions include the rituals that you perform, the donations that you make, the prayers and service that you and all other actions performed as part of your duty or for your body to survive. Relinquish any attachment, any sense of ownership and any interest in the results of these actions. The actions do not include such actions as stealing, lying, infidelity, violence or any action not sanctioned by the scriptures because these are the actions that result from a man's attachment and sense of ownership.

He is the reason

There are three truths about God that one must know.

He does not have a reason for being; he is the reason of our being. He has always been there.

He is never born and he never dies; he is eternal. It is only for the welfare of his devotees that he takes part in the process of birth.

He is the supreme master of the world. He takes care of everybody and every being. He's responsible for our nurturing.

He who learns these three truths is cleared of all his sins.

Devote yourself

It's not easy to be born as a man and not everybody gets to be born a man; it's the good deeds. The purpose of our life is to devote ourself to the worship of God. One who does that is successful in life. On the other hand those who try to search for happiness in the indulgence of worldly objects will fail miserably because such a practice can only entrap them in a web of pain and suffering. Man associates these worldly comforts with life's happiness but it is because of them that he can't escape the iniquitous cycle of life and death. Remember that this life is transient; it won't last forever. So we should not waste our time and start working on the objective of our life as soon as we can, which is to be a devotee of God.

The road to heaven - Bilvamangal

Ramdas was a devotee brahmin who had a son, Bilvamangal. Bilvamangal was a calm, sober and educated boy. However after the death of his father he fell into bad company and adopted bad practices. During this course he got attracted to a courtesan, Chintamani, and would spend most of his time with her. Once when it was the death anniversary of his father he could not meet her. So he decided to see her in the evening. His friends advised him not to due to the nature of the occasion but he wouldn't listen to anybody. Before he could leave the house, a storm broke out and it started to rain heavily. This too couldn't stop him. He approached the boatmen at the river and asked them to row him over to the other side but none was willing to put their life at stake in such a heavy storm. Not deterred by anything he decided to swim across the river. While swimming he came across a log of wood and decided to use it to float across. Finally he reached the house of Chintamani but the door was shut and it was dark. So he decided to climb over the boundary wall and enter the house. The wall was high so he looked around for some rope when his hands felt some rope hanging from the wall. He climbed using it and entered the house. On hearing the noise, Chintamani woke up and was surprised to see him in this bad weather. She asked him how he managed to reach her house and he told the story. Curious, Chintamani went out with a lamp and was shocked to see that what Bilvamangal used as a rope was a snake and the log of wood was the dead body of a woman. She reproached him for being so blind and selfish. She told him that if instead he had been so madly in love with Krishna he would've attained moksha. On hearing her words, he felt ashamed. From that moment onwards he decided to submit himself to the devotion of God. He would roam all over the jungles and villages singing His songs. One day he came across a beautiful woman. His dark side had not yet completely escaped him and he once more fell into the trap of temptation. He followed him to her house and sat outside. On seeing a brahmin, the house owner came out and asked him how he could help him. Bilvamangal mentioned that if only he could once see the woman who entered the house his heart would be at peace. The house owner being simple-hearted thought that there was no harm in it if just that could appease the brahmin. So he went inside to call his wife. Bilvamangal was God's devotee God couldn't let his devotee commit anything that would lead to his downfall. Soon He caused Bilvamangal to realize what a grave mistake he was doing; how could he stoop so low. As soon as it struck his mind, the owner's wife came outside. Ashamed at himself and cursing his eyes he picked two thorns from a nearby tree and poked his eyes. The owner and his wife felt sad for him but could do nothing for him. Once again Bilvamangal went around villages praising God. He was waiting for the day when he would be able to see God; for whom he was roaming all over the world; for whom he'd forgotten what was hunger or thirst and for whom he'd gone blind. Then one day he heard the sweet mesmerizing voice of a child. The child told him that he had got some water and food for him. Bilvamangal was completely fascinated by the child. He had the food and the water that was brought to him by the child and asked him what his name was. The boy said that irrespective of what people called him, he answered their call. He loved those who loved him. He came daily to offer victuals to Bilvamangal and soon Bilvamangal got attached to the boy. One day he cursed himself thinking that earlier he'd got entrapped in the attachment to a woman and now to this boy. That day the boy asked him if he wanted to go to Vrindavan. Bilvamangal's heart did a merry dance on hearing this but he then told the boy that it would be impossible for him as he was blind. Then the boy offered him a stick and to lead him. So they embarked on their journey. When they reached Vrindavan, the boy told Bilvamangal that he must leave now. Unknowingly Bilvamangal grasped his hand. As soon as he did that he felt some divine energy pass through him and realized that he had got back his sight! And he saw that the boy was none other than God himself!! He was thrilled and told God that he wouldn't let him leave since he's been searching for him all this while. The boy then forcefully took leave of him. At which Bilvamangal said that he may leave physically with force but he can't leave his heart.

Thus, we see that Bilvamangal who was under the claws of bad practices when he became a devotee, not only was he protected from any downfall but in the end he found God.

From a swindler to a saint

Even a person with a bad conduct who becomes a devotee of God is worth being considered a saint. This is because he has decided that God is the supreme power, the omniscient, the always generous, the master of all, the only one who can destroy all your sins and it is the duty of a human being to serve God. This the most significant decision he has made in life. Even though he may not have been able to leave all his bad practices he would eventually. Devotion to God would purify his being and take him away from the temptations. One who is God's devotee is always uplifted in life and never has a downfall. This is illustrated by the story of Bilvamangal.

He loves all

Only those who are completely devoted to God, get him. This does not mean that He is difficult to get. On the contrary, he is equally present in all beings and vice versa. He neither likes nor dislikes anybody. However, those who are his devotees He resides in their heart and they reside in his. If you can't forget him then he can't forget you. That is the greatness of devotion to Him. Just like sunlight is reflected by all objects but it is reflected most in the mirror than in any other object. That's not because the sunlight falling on the mirror is any different; it's because of the mirror.