As we continue on the Bhagavad Gita series,
We will discuss the nature of who we truly are.
It's said in Vedic tradition that we are not this body,
We are not this mind,
But we are something eternal.
And many of the main causes of suffering is our identification to this personality that we have been given in this particular life.
In the Bhagavad Gita,
Especially in the early chapters,
Krishna makes it very clear to Arjuna that he is eternal.
He has always existed and will always continue to exist.
In chapter 1 of the Gita,
Arjuna is confused.
He does not know if he should fight or not fight.
He has a deep attachment to the people he is about to go into combat with.
And all of this confusion comes from his identification to the personality that he perceives himself to be,
Which is Arjuna.
And in chapter 2,
Krishna really breaks this understanding that Arjuna has.
In the early verses,
In chapter 2,
Verse 11,
He says,
The wise neither grieve for the living nor for the dead.
And he is trying to make it clear here that if you truly have higher knowledge,
You understand that birth and death are just parts of the journey of the soul.
Then he continues in the next verse and he says,
There was never a moment that you did not exist,
Nor the warriors on this battlefield,
Nor myself.
We will always exist and we will always continue to exist.
Here he makes it clear that Arjuna,
You might see these warriors as your friends or your relatives.
But that is just one relationship that you have with them for one moment in time.
But this entire war,
Everything that is happening,
Has been created so we can let go of our entanglements with the world.
And we can perform this leela or game where we can go deeper and deeper and deeper into experiencing our true self.
But as long as you hold on to this identity,
You will never be able to understand the purpose of your life.
And you will always continue to be in confusion.
Then Krishna continues and he speaks about the qualities of who Arjuna is,
Which is that Atma.
And he says in the coming verses that the Atma is never born and it never dies.
It has always existed and will never cease to be.
It is unborn,
Eternal,
Everlasting and most ancient.
It is not killed when the body is slain.
So here Arjuna is reminded that who he truly is,
Is never born and never dies and has always existed.
And who he truly is,
Is everlasting and most ancient.
And it is not killed when the body is slain.
The main concern for Arjuna is that he does not want to kill the enemies on the other side.
But Krishna is reminding him,
Who are you killing?
What are you killing?
What is that to the eternal Atma?
Just perform your dharma,
Your duty,
Because that is what has been asked of you in this moment by me,
The divine being who understands the law of karma and dharma.
And I assure you if you do this without attachment and expectation,
That you will be free from the bondage of birth and death.
Then he continues and he says in chapter 2 verse 23,
Weapons do not cut the self,
Fire does not burn it,
Water does not wet it and wind does not dry it.
Here Krishna is reminding us that the five elements that make up this world cannot touch the eternal Atma.
That no weapon can destroy it,
Nothing in this world can destroy it.
Then he goes on and he says the self is to be unseen,
Inconceivable and unchanging.
He reminds Arjuna that if you try to understand the self with the mind,
It will not be possible because it is unseen and inconceivable.
He said that some see the self as a wonder,
Others speak of it as a wonder,
And others hear of it as a wonder,
But even after hearing of it no one can truly understand it.
He is making it very clear to Arjuna that the five senses cannot perceive the Atma.
But if we make our spiritual effort,
If we do our practices,
If we do our Kriya,
If we do our chanting,
Then we slowly start to understand who we are.
And in that understanding all suffering naturally fades away.
So if you'd like to learn Kriya Yoga,
A tool which helps us to understand our true self,
You can feel free to contact me on Instagram at Swami Chidananda.
And if you're in the States or in Europe,
We can try and organize a Kriya practice for you.
Thank you very much.
