What I have learned from The Bhagavad Gita
On searching Bhagavad Gita on Google or in our school textbooks, Bhagavad Gita is mentioned as “The Holy Book Of the Hindus” or as a scripture that contains the religious texts of Hinduism. So should we read Bhagavad Gita as a religious textbook then? That would be a little odd because the Gita predates even before any of the religions existed. It was written 500 years before Jesus Christ and over 2000 years before “Hindusim” itself was a thing. So reading it as a religious book is a sort of limiting way to read the Gita. Reading it as a book of religion also does not quite explain its consistent sustained appeal for over 2000 millennia.
What is the magic in this volume of poetry in which there is an age-old conversation between two best friends Krishna & Arjuna that makes people return to it generation after generation for its moral compass for guidance and whenever they are in doubt? Here is the secret, the Gita strength lies in the fact it concerns itself not just with the metaphysical but with the very physical, not just with the after-life but with the life itself.
During the course of the conversation between Arjuna and Krishna, there is plenty of dissent and disagreement, Krishna harangue, Arjuna even heckles him at times. Arjuna argues, challenges and questions Krishna but through all of this neither of ever them is offensive, needlessly aggressive, or confrontationist which makes the Gita a primer on “The Art of Civilized Debate”, one that should be essential reading for everyone particularly Indian TV panelist :P.
During this conversation between two best friends, Krishna is telling Arjuna why he should stand up, pick up his bow, and fight. He tells him if he doesn’t do that he will be failing in his duty as a warrior, as a king, leader of an army an upholder of truth and justice. It's a difficult conversation for Krishna as his friend Arjuna is very depressed but Krishna does not hesitate to call out Arjuna’s weaknesses, he does not hesitate to dismiss his excuses, he scolds Arjuna for his non-warrior like behavior but he does all of this with great compassion and understanding and he stands patiently and listens calmly to Arjuna’s while he works through his confusion. He uses every trick to get through Arjuna, sometimes he is sweetly reassuring, sometimes he is devious sometimes he is frankly overwhelming and finally when he has Arjuna’s attention, he presents him options, recommendations, and advice but he respects his friend enough to let him make the decision in the very end whether he wants to fight or not. What is the Gita then, it is a handy manual in the “Best Practices in Friendship”
Any skill can be mastered through practice, practice, and practice. If we are disciplined enough to do a thing over and over again, then that skill will become second nature, part of muscle memory, and a habit. The Gita says that even picking the right action and doing the right thing is a habit and we know that habits developed during childhood are hardest to break and that is why the Gita is also a book for children “The Essential Companion while Growing Up”.
The Gita tells us that the most important battles we fight are not with others but with ourselves. The enemy, the Kaurava is not the person outside, they are inside us they are our own doubts, fears and insecurities our own irrational loves and hates and they all feel like family as we have lived with them for so long The trick is to identify them for what they are and then vanquish them rootlessly. So the Gita is also an “Art of Real War”.
Gita says that something lies within our control like our efforts but something most certainly does not like the outcome therefore we should focus on our efforts and let go of the outcome. In other words, play to play and not to win.
The universe gives us so many things for free, the life-giving Sun, the nourishing rain, the fertile earth, we would be nothing more than a common thief if we did not give back in equal measure and how do we give back in equal measure simply by doing our own duties well to the best of our abilities simply by shouldering our own responsibilities as parents, students, teachers, doctors, priests, lawyers with a smile and doing our every action with an attitude of gratitude. Only if we do that says the Gita, is the ancient cycle of give and take between Gods and humans kept in motion, and only if that cycle is kept in motion the world will not descend into chaos.
What an ideal man supposed to be like, what should we aspire for if we want to be like an ideal person. According to the Gita when we see a bit of self in everything around us and bit of everything around us in self. It means we are able to look beyond the differences on the outside to the sameness on the inside. It means we are able to say with conviction that the entire world is my home and every creature in it my family. This makes the Gita the “Equal Rights Manifesto” in this divisive intolerant times.
One of the very worldly topics that Gita touches upon is the subject of food. It actually gives us a diet plan for life and it tells us what kind of food we should be eating and those recommendations do not differ much with a modern-day nutritionist. Gita says that we should eat food which is juicy which means fresh, tender and unprocessed, it says we must eat food that is nourishing ( which means clearly the junk food is out :P) and food that is agreeable ( not only to the palate) but to our system. Krishna says what is the worst thing we can do to our bodies as “ Those who commit acts of violence on their bodies, denying themselves food and water, confusing self torcher with faith and devotion they are truly misguided”. So even Krishna says we must ditch that crash diets and the extreme exercise regimen. They were discouraged even in 500 BC which makes Gita a “Great Nutrition Guide”.
During this conversation, Krishna addresses Arjuna by over 20 different names including Parth, Bharata, Sabyasachi, Dhananjaya and Arjuna uses over 40 names to address Krishna which includes Madhava, Keshava, Ananta, Purushottama, Hrishikesh and so on which makes Gita a great book for “Indian Baby Names” :P
Gita says a lot about actions and every action has its consequences and those consequences will come back to us. Therefore we should choose our actions and think before we act which follows the Law of Karma. How do we know what the right action is, well the Gita says that no action is intrinsically wrong of right its the intent that makes it so so question your intent before we act. Is my action prompted by my own fears, anger, desires, greed, lust, need for personal glorification. If yes, then don’t do it think about it, If no then just go ahead and do it. Gita is a flowchart for life with infinite if then else loop.
Sometimes we are in a situation that there is no hope left and we feel helpless. So if the pendulum swings too far in one direction rest assure the change is coming and the pendulum will swing right back in the opposite direction eventually a middle ground shall be found and everything will be restored.
Gita tells us that happiness comes from being true to our nature, so if we have to find a job that is true to our nature we first have to know what our nature is and be involved in doing things that are true to our nature. So if someone likes to think deep thoughts in splendid isolation he/she could be a scientist, an artist, and writer, if someone likes to heat and dust of the battlefield that excites us than we can be a lawyer, an activist a politician. If the marketplace seems exciting than we can be a stockbroker, banker, or merchant. Gita is an aptitude test and a career guide too.
18 is the no of chapters in the Mahabharat.18 is the no of chapters in the Gita, 18 is the no of days for which the great war of the Mahabharat was fought over and only 18 warriors were survived after this unprecedented war.
Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible God and destroys a visible Nature. Unaware that this Nature he’s destroying is this God he’s worshiping. — Hubert Reeves
