Lord Krishna addresses Arjuna:
“Fearlessness, purity of mind, pursuit of knowledge and its application with discretion, charity, self-control, sacrifice, study of scriptures, simplicity, and straightforwardness.” (XVI; 1)
Fear is a reflex of our competitive society. With competition at every rung of the ladder, we do not trust anyone—we close our hearts and fear others. A person under the grip of fear imagines the worst and becomes vulnerable to negativity.
Education gives us the illusion that we know a lot. But a renowned scholar like Socrates stated that all he knew was that he knew nothing. He understood that the pursuit of worldly knowledge is of no use if it does not purify the mind.
The study of scriptures is helpful in understanding that all religions convey the same truth in different ways. However, studying them alone does not grant the nectar of God—we must walk the talk.
Straightforwardness is an essential ingredient for a seeker. In the balance, a simple lifestyle is the best suited for a seeker—the lighter the baggage, the swifter the journey.
“Non-violence, truth, freedom from wrath, renunciation, peacefulness, aversion to spite, compassion, non-covetousness, tenderness, modesty, and balance.” (XVI; 2)
“O Arjuna! Spiritedness, forgiveness, resilience, purity, freedom from aversion and ego—these, O Bharata, are the attributes of one who is born with a divine nature.” (XVI; 3)
The hurts that we don’t forgive morph into negative energy that consumes all our positive energy. The offender would have moved on and left the episode behind, whereas we would still be hurting from the pain. In fact, we would be the ones living out the consequences of their misdeeds.
Hence, we don’t forgive for the sake of the offender—we forgive to release the negativity that has robbed our peace. It is the nature of the Spirit to forgive, but the ego does not forgive because it enjoys its anger.
After all, if we are not the doer, then who are we to forgive? The misdeeds of the offender are recorded in his tablet, and the wheel of time brings them to the threshold of the Last Judgment, where he will punish himself.
“O Arjuna! Deviousness, arrogance, ego, wrath, anger, and ignorance are the attributes of one born with a satanic nature.” (XVI; 4)
Arrogance comes from a lack of self-confidence. Hence, in our arrogance, we put down others.
Psychologists teach us to express ourselves strongly—“If you don’t talk like that, others will take advantage.”
But it is not true. Self-confidence comes from the Spirit—no one can dominate a person who shines in his Spirit.
“The divine nature leads to salvation. The satanic nature leads to bondage. But do not despair, O Arjuna! For you are born with divine nature.” (XVI; 5)
“There are two kinds of beings created in the world—the divine and the satanic nature. The divine nature has been revealed; now hear from Me, O Arjuna, about the satanic nature.” (XVI; 6)
“The satanic nature does not know the right action or abstention, nor do they possess purity, right conduct, or truth.” (XVI; 7)
We say the devil is our enemy, yet we make friends with it.
It is known that smoking is injurious to health, yet it does not stop people from smoking.
It is known that alcohol diminishes awareness, yet it does not stop people from drinking.
It is known that gossiping is a sin, yet it does not stop people from befriending gossipmongers.
We have to bear in mind that the battlefield of Kurukshetra is inside Arjuna’s head, where he has to face his innermost demons.
He can no longer hide behind Lord Krishna or shy away from his enemies. He has to take a stand—and if he doesn’t get it right, he will be the loser, not Lord Krishna!
Much like Arjuna, if we do not get it right, we will be the losers—not God!
The devil disguises himself as truth inside our heads. However, our Spirit is not deceived by it. By engaging with Her, we can rid ourselves of our innermost demons.
“Devoid of truth, rootless, they believe the world to be without God, without any causal consideration, but with lust.” (XVI; 8)
The satanic beings do not accept God as the Creator of the universe.
They believe sex to be the only purpose of life.
It is the same force in all of us that expedites our evolution. However, evolution starts with seeking and not sex.
Of course, sex is a normal function in married life, but it is subnormal to think of it all the time. It should not become a mental obsession.
Lord Krishna clarifies that sex is not the purpose of life. Unfortunately, psychologists like Sigmund Freud had illusions about Him and humanity at large, creating a completely joyless illusion of sex, which has confused the psyche of human beings.
People followed him as if he were greater than Lord Jesus Christ because he supported human failings and weaknesses. He did not recognize the strength of human nature to ascend to its sublime and glorious state.
He reduced his followers to mere sex points, while Lord Krishna spoke of the potent hidden spiritual power of humanity.
Fortunately, Lord Krishna was not born in the West; otherwise, all those who possess professional knowledge of sex would have dismissed Him as an imaginative and unreal personality.
“Adamant in their belief, these lost souls of dim intellect and savage deeds are enemies of mankind, capable only of the destruction of the world.” (XVI; 9)
“Indulging in insatiable lust, deviousness, ego, and arrogance, having perverse perception through delusion, they engage in perversion.” (XVI; 10)
“Encumbered in countless anxieties, which would only end with death, they pursue gratification of desires as their highest aim, believing it to be the end of all.” (XVI; 11)
“Encumbered in hundreds of shackles of expectations, caught up in lust and anger, for quelling their desires, they strive to amass wealth unscrupulously.” (XVI; 12)
“They think, ‘So much today has been gained by me; this ambition I shall fulfill. This much wealth is mine, and so much more wealth shall be mine in the future.’” (XVI; 13)
Some people habitually go through their mail, indulging in every coupon advertised. They deplete their bank balance unnecessarily and feel happy scoring great deals.
Though their income improves, their contentment level remains stagnant because, with the rise in financial condition, their attention shifts to new desires that they previously never considered.
They may attain the Midas touch, prolong their life, or earn the highest honors, but they do not earn peace.
Whatever we have to earn, we have to earn within.
“I have already eliminated this enemy; also, I will eliminate other enemies. I am God, I am the enjoyer, I am endowed with all sidhis, I am powerful and joyous.” (XVI; 14)
God-realization is a humbling experience, but those who fake God for their ulterior motives lack humility, feelings, compassion, and love.
In fact, they develop an extraordinary degree of self-love and project themselves as demi-gods to dominate others.
If provoked, they get enraged and threaten with curses. Their only intent is to acquire supernatural powers.
“Under delusion, they think, ‘I am the wealthiest and of great lineage. Who is there parallel to me? I shall perform sacrifices, give donations, I shall enjoy.’” (XVI; 15)
“Confounded by innumerable thoughts, encumbered in the labyrinth of infatuation, and absorbed in the pursuit of desires, they fall into terrible hell.” (XVI; 16)
“Gloating in self-importance, stubborn, overcome by arrogance of wealth and ego, they perform sacrifices which are only namesake, with pomp but without proper protocol.” (XVI; 17)
“Full of ego, power, pride, lust, and wrath, these venomous people loathe Me, who abides in their bodies and also others.” (XVI; 18)
“These savage haters, evil and the vilest of men, I continually hurl into the womb of Satan in the cycle of birth and death.” (XVI; 19)
“O Arjuna! Penetrating the womb of Satan, these deluded creatures, birth after birth, do not attain Me but descend into the lowest state.” (XVI; 20)
“Lust, anger, and greed are the threefold gates to hell, which lead to the ruin of the embodied soul. Therefore, one should renounce these three.” (XVI; 21)
The desert is never satisfied with the amount of rain. Likewise, the fire of greed is never satisfied.
Greed is blind.
The one who is blind cannot see his greed.
But the one who can see it and yet remains greedy is doomed.
God does not want our money, but we want His blessings.
However, we cannot pay for them.
“O Arjuna! The one who is liberated from the three gates of darkness pursues what lies in the ascent of his Spirit and achieves the highest state.” (XVI; 22)
“But the one who ignores the canons of the scriptures and acts under the impulse of desire, he neither attains perfection, nor happiness, nor the highest state.” (XVI; 23)
“Therefore, respect the authority of the scriptures for determining what action to do and what not to do. Knowing what is proclaimed by the canons of the scriptures, perform all action accordingly.” (XVI; 24)
If the seeker has lost something, the scriptures help him find it.
However, in our age of digital information, all kinds of false ideas are hammered into our heads.
Hence, before taking the leap, it is better to check if the person walks what he talks.
If, after reading about a Lama who can fly, we wish to fly too, our approach to spirituality becomes power-oriented.
Darwin pointed out:
“Now that man has come so far, he has to go further.”
Indeed, what matters is not what we know, but how far our awareness has grown, because our evolution is none other than the evolution of our consciousness.