T
Teacher
Guest
It is known from oriental
philosophy that human spirit is immortal and eternal. It always existed
and
will be existing forever. More than five thousand of years ago Avatar
Krishna
had revealed the knowledge of the God, of the universe and of the humans
to
His disciple Arjuna. This knowledge was written by ancient sages in
Sanscrit
language. That's how the book named Bhagavad Gita had appeared, which is a
shining pearl of Hinduist religion and philosophy.
Then five thousand of years ago in India there took place the great war
of
Mahabharata between two fighting armies of Pandus and Kurus. The army of
Pandus
was headed by Arjuna, a fearless and mighty warrior and hero. And Lord
Krishna
Himself was his friend and assistant. Before the battle on Kuruksetra
field
Arjuna had asked Krishna to draw his chariot between two armies. At that
extremely tense moment while staying between two enemy armies Arjuna had
seen
on the opposite side his relatives, friends and teachers who soon had to
be
killed
by him. Then his mighty spirit had beeb broken. Arjuna had been overwhelmed
with
unbearable sorrow and grief. He had confessed to Krishna that he could not
kill
his relatives and friends. He was ready to leave the battlefield
immediately and
live in exile, but to prevent this inevitable war. "Now I am confused about
my
duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I
am
asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple
and
soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me. " he had asked Lord Krishna
in
despair. In fallen menacing silence a solemn respond of Krishna had
sounded.
"While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of
grief.
Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.
Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings;
nor
in the future shall any of us cease to be.
As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to
youth to
old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A
self-realized
soul is not bewildered by such a change.
O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and
their
disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of
winter
and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata,
and
one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.
O best among men [Arjuna], the person who is not disturbed by happiness
and
distress and is steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation.
Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent
there is
no endurance, and of the existent there is no cessation. This seers have
concluded by studying the nature of both.
Know that which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able
to
destroy the imperishable soul.
Only the material body of the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal
living
entity is subject to destruction; therefore, fight, O descendant of
Bharata.
He who thinks that the living entity is the slayer or that he is slain,
does not
understand. One who is in knowledge knows that the self slays not nor is
slain.
For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he
ever
cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He
is
not slain when the body is slain.
O Partha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible,
unborn,
eternal and immutable, kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?
As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul
accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.
The soul can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can he be burned
by
fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.
This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither
burned nor
dried. He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable and
eternally
the same.
It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable, immutable, and
unchangeable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body."
Excuse me for this long digression. Above-stated example illustrates
very
well
the depth of ancient philosophy. So much of wisdom is accumulated in this
knowledge,
so much better the ancient masters of India, Tibet, China, Egypt and Greece
knew
of the universe and its evolution and of true nature of human spirit, than
our
generation does. But how supersiliously the modern science is rejecting all
of
this
accumulated knowledge of many thousands of years and considering the
greatest
genuises
to be superstitious and ignorant persons! Fortunately, that is not everyone
of
scientists who is so narrow-minded irreconcilable materialist. Many
scientists
have
already released their minds for new ideas, for daring and inspired search
of
truth.
philosophy that human spirit is immortal and eternal. It always existed
and
will be existing forever. More than five thousand of years ago Avatar
Krishna
had revealed the knowledge of the God, of the universe and of the humans
to
His disciple Arjuna. This knowledge was written by ancient sages in
Sanscrit
language. That's how the book named Bhagavad Gita had appeared, which is a
shining pearl of Hinduist religion and philosophy.
Then five thousand of years ago in India there took place the great war
of
Mahabharata between two fighting armies of Pandus and Kurus. The army of
Pandus
was headed by Arjuna, a fearless and mighty warrior and hero. And Lord
Krishna
Himself was his friend and assistant. Before the battle on Kuruksetra
field
Arjuna had asked Krishna to draw his chariot between two armies. At that
extremely tense moment while staying between two enemy armies Arjuna had
seen
on the opposite side his relatives, friends and teachers who soon had to
be
killed
by him. Then his mighty spirit had beeb broken. Arjuna had been overwhelmed
with
unbearable sorrow and grief. He had confessed to Krishna that he could not
kill
his relatives and friends. He was ready to leave the battlefield
immediately and
live in exile, but to prevent this inevitable war. "Now I am confused about
my
duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I
am
asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple
and
soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me. " he had asked Lord Krishna
in
despair. In fallen menacing silence a solemn respond of Krishna had
sounded.
"While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of
grief.
Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.
Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings;
nor
in the future shall any of us cease to be.
As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to
youth to
old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A
self-realized
soul is not bewildered by such a change.
O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and
their
disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of
winter
and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata,
and
one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.
O best among men [Arjuna], the person who is not disturbed by happiness
and
distress and is steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation.
Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent
there is
no endurance, and of the existent there is no cessation. This seers have
concluded by studying the nature of both.
Know that which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able
to
destroy the imperishable soul.
Only the material body of the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal
living
entity is subject to destruction; therefore, fight, O descendant of
Bharata.
He who thinks that the living entity is the slayer or that he is slain,
does not
understand. One who is in knowledge knows that the self slays not nor is
slain.
For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he
ever
cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He
is
not slain when the body is slain.
O Partha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible,
unborn,
eternal and immutable, kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?
As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul
accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.
The soul can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can he be burned
by
fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.
This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither
burned nor
dried. He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable and
eternally
the same.
It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable, immutable, and
unchangeable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body."
Excuse me for this long digression. Above-stated example illustrates
very
well
the depth of ancient philosophy. So much of wisdom is accumulated in this
knowledge,
so much better the ancient masters of India, Tibet, China, Egypt and Greece
knew
of the universe and its evolution and of true nature of human spirit, than
our
generation does. But how supersiliously the modern science is rejecting all
of
this
accumulated knowledge of many thousands of years and considering the
greatest
genuises
to be superstitious and ignorant persons! Fortunately, that is not everyone
of
scientists who is so narrow-minded irreconcilable materialist. Many
scientists
have
already released their minds for new ideas, for daring and inspired search
of
truth.
