tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73612757071389122632012-01-25T08:06:30.468-08:00As the blazing fire reduces wood into ashes, <br>so does the fire of wisdom reduce all bondage to ashes. <br>— Bhagavad Gita<p>Be transformed by the renewing of your minds. <br>—Romans 12:2</p>Lalita-"Peace Through Kindness"http://www.blogger.com/profile/12055652699157892880noreply@blogger.comBlogger1931100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-78861763693578523662012-01-25T07:42:00.000-08:002012-01-25T08:06:30.501-08:00

Chapter 5, Verse 20"Abiding in the Self,Calm-hearted and free of bewildermentThey are neither elated by the pleasantNor saddened by the unpleasant."Sri Eknath Easwaran:"Those rare persons who are able to receive good fortune without getting excited and bad fortune without getting depressed, who are able to treat those who are good to them with love and those who are not good to them with love,

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Chapter 5, Verse 19"Those whose minds are ever sereneWin the victory of life on Earth.God is pure and ever one,And ever one are they in God."Sir Eknath Easwaran:"What usually happens with most of us is the opposite of even-mindedness. When someone pleases us, we get a sense of exhiliration. When someone says no to us, we get dejected. These fluctuations of the thought-waves reduce our capacity to

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Chapter 5, Verse 18"With the same evenness of unconditional Love,They behold a priest, a cow, an elephant, or a dog,And also one who eats a dog."Maharishi Mahesh Yogi:Wisdom fosters humility. Just as the wise see the distinctions and differences in creation as only temporary with the one underlying Reality infusing them all with consciousness, so do they not insist that things happen in any

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Chapter 5, Verse 17"In the Supreme,With the Buddhi there,The Atman there,Your striving and purpose there,You abide in a state beyond return,Your transgressions having beenWashed away by wisdom."Paramahansa Yogananda:"By beholding the scenes of life as a divine panorama, and by meditation and ecstasy, we gradually come to realize that God is the sole director of the cosmic cinema. The wisdom so

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Chapter 5, Verse 16"When the LightOf the revealed SelfDrives out the darkness,Then the Light of wisdomShines like the mid-day Sun."Father Bede Griffiths:"With this wisdom, we understand the real meaning of the work we are doing. It is coming from God, and as we surrender it to God, we shine with the Light of God within."Eckhart Tolle:"Surrender is the inner transition from resistance to

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Chapter 5, Verse 15"The All-Pervading does not partakeOf anyone's virtuous or evil actions.When wisdom is obscured by ignorance,People become bewildered."Sri Ramakrishna:"The burning lamp gives light to one and all around it. Some use the light for reading sacred books, while others use it for forging documents. The merits and demerits of these several acts do not in any way affect the light

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Chapter 5, Verse 14"Do not say,'God gave us this delusion.'You dream that you are the doer.You dream that action is done.It is your ignorance.Wisdom becomes darkenedBy its absence,And this leads you astray."Sri Krishna Prem:The Self dwells blissfully within, neither acting nor causing to act. Serene in itself, it is untouched by the good and evil deeds of others and constitutes an abode in which

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Chapter 5, Verse 13"Happy is the embodied Self,Dwelling at easeAs Lord of the nine-gated city,Not acting,Nor causing action."Sri Aurobindo:"There are seven gates in the upper body: the two eyes, the two ears, the two nostrils and the mouth. The two gates in the lower body are for evacuation. These are the nine gates."Sri Krishna Prem:"The center within is a window. Just as a window, empty in

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Chapter 5, Verse 12"The resolute in YogaSurrender resultsAnd gain perfect peace.The irresolute,Attached to results,Are bound by what they do."Sri Eknath Easwaran:"We never know if we are going to get a brick or a bouquet. If we knew for certain it would be a brick, there would be no anxiety. We would just say, 'Throw it and be done with it.' For those who carry the Lord in their hearts, however,

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Chapter 5, Verse 11"Surrendering attachment,The sages perform their actions.Body and mind,Sense-organs and discerning faculty,These are instruments only.The wise know themselvesTo be other than the instruments,And thus their hearts are pure.Paramahansa Yogananda:"The nerves are the main pathways of life force in the body. They correspond to the subtler and more intricate currents (Nadis) of the

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Chapter 5, Verse 10"Offering their actions to God,Rajasic and Tamasic desireTake a back seat.The lotus leaf rests, Unwetted by water.They rest in action,Untouched by it."Sri Eknath Easwaran:"The lotus is a favorite flower in the Sanskrit scriptures. It grows abundantly in the pools and lakes of India. Born in the mud at the bottom of the pool, the lotus grows up through the water, rises above its

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Chapter 5, Verse 9"In seeing or hearing,In eating or walking or sleeping,In talking or grasping or relaxing,And even in opening and closing the eyes,At all times they rememberThat senses are interacting with sense-objects."Sri Eknath Easwaran:"In our village in Kerala, bags of rice, water pots, and other heavy burdens are often transported on the head. After carrying a load for miles, when it is

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Chapter 5, Verse 8" 'I am not doing any work,'Think those who are in syncWith the higher powerAnd have experienced the truth."Srila Prabhupada:"Although people in Krishna consciousness appear to be acting 'normally,' underlying their behavior is the constant awareness of their actual position which can be expressed as 'spiritual engagement.' When material consciousness is operative, the senses

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Chapter 5, Verse 7"Wholehearted in devotion,Masters of body and mind,They know their SelfAs the Self of all beings.They are dear to everyoneAnd everyone is dear to them.No work stains thoseWho are pure."Father Bede Griffiths:"The person who is totally integrated and totally one with the inner center is one with creation, with humanity, and with God. This is the final stage. To become aware of

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Chapter 5, Verse 6"But renunciation, Arjuna,Is difficult to attainWithout the Yoga of holy work.When the wise are one in YogaThey soon become one in God."Father Bede Griffiths:"The path of Sannyas [renunciation] is difficult without work. At the time of St. Benedict [father of the Benedictine order], there was much discussion in Christian circles as to which was the better, the common life or the

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Chapter 5, Verse 5"Take either pathAnd tread it to the endWhich is the same.They see indeed the truthWho see that both pathsLead to the SelfAnd both leadTo selfless action."Sri Aurobindo:"The wise know that actions are not theirs, but Nature's, and by that knowledge they become free. They do no actions, though actions are done through them. They are awareness of the Self personified. They see all

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Chapter 5, Verse 4"Fools say that renunciationAnd Karma Yoga are separate,But the wise do not.When you practice one of them deeply,You gain the rewards of both."Sri Krishna Prem:"The interpreting mind asserts that these are incompatible ideals and with simple logic seeks to lead you in one direction or the other. Cling instead to the inner wisdom of the soul, which will teach you how these

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Chapter 5, Verse 3"When renunciates neither crave nor hate,Their renunciation does not waver.They neither long for one thingNor loathe its opposite.The chains of their delusionAre soon cast off."Sri Aurobindo:"The demon's craving to break and slay what opposes him are impossible in the calm, peace, and all-embracing sympathy and understanding of true renunciates. They have no wish to injure, but

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Chapter 5, Verse Krishna says,"Action rightly renouncedBrings freedom.Action rightly performedLikewise brings freedom.Of the two,Karma Yoga is better."[I don't resonate very well with the idea of one path being pronounced "better" than another, because it's a set-up for the competing schools to miss the forest for the trees. In light of this feeling, I originally chose Prabhavananda & Isherwood's

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CHAPTER FIVETHE YOGA OF RENUNCIATIONArjuna says,"You praise both renunciationAnd the Yoga of holy work, Krishna.Of these two, tell me in truth,Which is the better path?"Paramahansa Yogananda:"When Yogis begin to meditate deeply, they often are so happy with their new world of inner perceptions that they wonder: 'Should I ever return to the activity of the world? Should I not rather confine myself

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Chapter 4, Verse 42"Therefore, with the sword of wisdom,Kill the doubt born of ignoranceThat lies in your heart.Be one in harmony and in YogaAnd arise, great warrior, arise!"Sri Aurobindo:"Arjuna, still in the ignorance, may feel in his heart the call of right and justice and may argue in his mind that abstention from battle would be a mistake entailing responsibility for all the suffering that

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Chapter 4, Verse 41 "Those who make pure their works Through the practice of Yoga And whose doubts are torn to shreds Because they rest in the Self, Have hearts that are poised in the Being of the Atman, And are free from The bondage of action." Sri Aurobindo: "The sign of the divine worker is that which is central to the divine consciousness itself, a sublime inner peace which depends upon

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Chapter 4, Verse 40 "The ignorant, the faithless, And the doubters are lost. They can never truly be happy In this world nor the next." Sri Krishna Prem: "The doubt referred to here is not simply intellectual doubt, which is the usual precursor to any advance in knowledge. Still less is it doubt of orthodox dogma, for all clinging to dogma must be destroyed, root and branch. Rather, it is the

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Chapter 4, Verse 39 "Resolute, mastering the senses, Those with strong faith become wise; Once they realize true wisdom, Supreme peace is sure to follow." Sri Eknath Easwaran "Shraddha is not blind faith, but rather a deep conviction based on personal experience. As you progress on your path, you will begin to see an inner power guiding and protecting you in even the most difficult

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Chapter 4, Verse 38 "There is no purifier on Earth As great as this wisdom. Those made whole in Yoga Experience this truth In their heart of hearts." Srila Prabhupada: "There is nothing so sublime and pure as this transcendental wisdom, the mature fruit of devotional service to the Lord. When one is situated in it, one need not search for peace elsewhere, for that peace is felt within oneself.

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Chapter 4, Verse 37"Just as a blazing fireTurns wood to ashSo does the fire of wisdomTurn Karma to ash."Swami Shivananda:"When there is no desire for the fruits of action, then action loses its potency to bind. This is reducing Karma to ash."Paramahansa Yogananda:"The wise act only in the freedom of the intuition-tuned will, a spontaneous movement authentically bubbling up from that calm, still

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Chapter 4, Verse 36"Even if you wereThe foulest of sinners,The boat of wisdomWould carry youLike a raftOver all your regrets."Sri Eknath Easwaran:"The compassionate Buddha was fond of representing himself as a boatman offering to take us to the other shore that is Nirvana. Krishna, too, sometimes speaks of himself as the boatman (Kaivartakah Keshavah) who will ferry us across the river of life to

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Chapter 4, Verse 35"When steady wisdom is yours, Arjuna,You will never fall back into confusion.In its light, you will see the entire creationWithin your own AtmanAnd yourself in me."Swami Shivananda:"Krishna is saying to Arjuna in so many words, 'When you make this wisdom continuous, you will never again be subject to confusion or error. You will behold the underlying basic unity. You will

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Chapter 4, Verse 34"Those who themselvesHave seen the truthCan be your teachers of wisdom.Ask questions of them,Bow unto them,And be unto them a servant."Father Bede Griffiths:"Krishna is not talking about an academic knowledge which can be acquired by study, but a wisdom which requires the cultivation of qualities such as humility, receptivity, compassion and surrender."Swami Satchidananda:"This

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Chapter 4, Verse 33"Better than any ritualIs the offering of wisdom.Wisdom is in truthThe end of all holy work."Father Bede Griffiths:"Make an offering of all external actions to spirit within, to this inner core which is the presence of God, the presence of the divine wisdom within. In this way, all exterior actions are interiorized and become expressions of the inner life of spirit."

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Chapter 4, Verse 32"Many forms of worshipMay lead to freedom, Arjuna.All these are born of action.When you know this,You will be free.Father Bede Griffiths"The teaching of the Gita, therefore, is that we are to transform all our work into worship and that whatever work we do is to be offered to the higher power. With this attitude of worship, we become free."Sri Aurobindo:"These forms are all

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Chapter 4, Verse 31"Immersing themselvesIn the essence of worship,They become free;While non-worshipersAre deprived of peace."Paramahansa Yogananda:"With deference to your dignified status as a human being, let the spirit of worship permeate all of your activities. Avoid the aimless existence. Do not be like a football kicked about by the hobnailed boots of circumstance."

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Chapter 4, Verse 30"Others regulate what they eatTo weaken their sensual attachmentsAnd thus achieve self-mastery."Paramahansa Yogananda:"Some Yogis teach their students to consider the stomach as though it were divided into four parts. Rice or other solid food may fill two parts after eating, and one part may receive liquids such as lentil soup or milk. The remaining one-fourth part is to be

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Chapter 4, Verse 29"Others, intent on control of their life-force,Regulate inhalations and exhalationsAnd thus gain mastery.The flow of their breath becomes peaceful."Paramahansa Yogananda:"All of creation is a manifestation of force. Everything that was, is, or shall be is nothing but the different modes of expression of this universal force. Universal Prana is the immanent energy or force which

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Chapter 4, Verse 28"Some practice austerities.That is their way of worship.Others offer their wealth as worship,Or their Yoga practice,Or their sacred studies,Or their knowledge."Sri Eknath Easwaran:"In order to progress on the path, we can all follow this principle of worship and give some of our time, talents, resources, skill and love to those around us. The more we give, the more we shall

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Chapter 4, Verse 27"Others offer their breath of lifeAnd also the powers of lifeInto the fire of an inner unionLighted by a flash of vision."Swami Shivananda:"Just as a lamp is kindled by oil, so also is the fire of Yoga kindled by meditation. When the Yogi concentrates the mind, the senses and the breath dissolve into their cause."Sri Aurobindo:"There is the discipline by which, when the Self is

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Chapter 4, Verse 26"Some withdraw their senses from contact with exterior sense-objects.For these, hearing and the other senses are the offeringAnd self-discipline the sacrifical fire.Others allow their minds and senses to wander unchecked.Their path is to see the Self within all exterior sense-objects.For these, sound and the other sense-objects are the offeringAnd sense-enjoyment the

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Chapter 4, Verse 25"There are some YogisWhose worshipIs an offering to the gods.Others offer as worshipTheir own soulsInto the fire of God."Paramahansa Yogananda:"There are many, many deities in the universe. The Tantra Shastra, a scripture dealing with chants and fire ceremonies, describes in detail the specific vibratory chants and root sounds to be intoned during a fire ceremony to invoke the

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Chapter 4, Verse 24"God is the offering.God is the offered,Poured out by God.Those who see GodIn all their workIn truth have found God."Sri Aurobindo:"This then is the knowledge in which the liberated ones do their acts of worship. It is the knowledge of the entire unity. The universal energy into which the action is poured is the Divine. The consecrated energy of the giving is the Divine.

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Chapter 4, Verse 23 "When the bonds have been broken,And the mind is rooted in wisdom,Everything that is doneBecomes worship.How can such actionsBring evil?"Krishna Prem:"When it becomes clear that every material manifestation is an aspect of the Supreme Self, a wave on the sea, it will be evident that there must be a way of action which does not bind the soul. This is the realization that is

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Chapter 4, Verse 22"What God's will bestows,The wise ones receiveAnd are contented.Pain follows pleasure;They are not troubled.In success or in failure,They are even-minded.Their works do not bind."Sri Aurobindo"All dualities are surpassed and reconciled. Good happenings and evil happenings, so important to the human soul subject to desire, are to the wise ones equally welcome, since by their

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Chapter 4, Verse 21"Not hoping nor lusting,Fearless and serene,Calling nothing their own,They actAnd do not miss the mark."Sri Aurobindo:"Skill in action is easier when done tranquilly in Yoga with the Divine than when action is done in the blindness of hopes and fears. The wise know that the power bestoyed will be adapted to the fruit decreed, the divine thought behind the work equated with the

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Chapter 4, Verse 20 "Surrendering all thoughts of outcome,Unperturbed and independent,They do nothing at all,Even when fully engaged in action."Swami Shivananda:"The same idea of inaction is repeated in order to produce a deep impression in the mind of the Yogi. Such people are ever satisfied and do not depend upon anything external to themselves, just as a person who has the favor of the king

Krishna Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684212608265606239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-18034941259514760672011-03-23T05:06:00.000-07:002011-03-23T05:35:15.760-07:00

Chapter 4, Verse 19"With no desire for success,No anxiety about failure,And indifferent to results,They burn up their actionsIn the fire of steady wisdom."Sri Krishna Prem:"It is not action that binds, for the surging tides of the manifested cosmos are as truly the manifestation of the supreme Self as is the calm bliss of that same stainless, witnessing Oneness. What binds us is an unskillful

Krishna Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684212608265606239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-1804825839779603252011-03-16T11:22:00.000-07:002011-03-16T11:41:52.214-07:00

Chapter 4, Verse 18"The realized human beingWho sees inactionIn the midst of actionAnd actionIn the midst of inactionIs yoked."Sri Eknath Easwaran:"Once at Gandhiji's Ashram I walked about in the neighborhood of his little cottage and observed an unending stream of political leaders from Britain and India coming to him throughout the day. I wondered how he was able to bear the pressure of these

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Chapter 4, Verse 17"You need to understand what action isAs well as what wrong action and inaction are.The true nature of action is profoundAnd difficult to fathom."Paramahansa Yogananda:"True inaction occurs when the Self-realized have freed themselves from all Karma-producing actions, both bad and good. They have reached the state of inaction, which is the complete freedom from the necessity to

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Chapter 4, Verse 16"What are action and inaction?Scholars are confused by it.I shall teach youAnd free you from harm."Sri Aurobindo:"Divine works are not measurable by any outward standard through which they may be recognizable to an external gaze. The signs by which Krishna distinguishes divine works are profoundly subjective and intimate. The stamp by which they are known is invisible. The

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Chapter 4, Verse 15"This is how actions were doneBy liberated soulsIn ancient times.Follow their example.Do your actionsAnd surrender the outcomes."Swami Shivananda:"Knowing that the Self has no desire for the fruits of action and therefore cannot be tainted by them, and knowing that no one can be tainted when working without egoism, attachment, and the expectation of fruits, perform your duties.

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Chapter 4, Verse 14"No Karma affects me,Nor do I aspire for its fruits.Whosoever truly knows this about meIs never bound by Karmic reaction."Maharishi Mahesh Yogi:"In this verse the teaching springs from the knowledge of the essential nature of Krishna who is beyond the relative and the non-relative, beyond the diversity of creation and the unity of spacious awareness, but holds within himself

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Chapter 4, Verse 13"I founded the four-fold caste systemWith the Gunas appropriate to each.Although I did this,Know that I am eternally inactive."Sri Aurobindo:"Krishna is not addressing the four-fold order in the narrow sense in which it is commonly understood, nor is it to be regarded as an eternal and universal social order. The four-fold order of society is in actuality the concrete form of a

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Chapter 4, Verse 12"Some people worship the godsFor success in their worldly undertakings.Material success can be gained quicklyHere on Earth."Sri Eknath Easwaran:"Every desire is a prayer. When people obsess about money, even though they may call themselves atheists, even though they may wear a button proclaiming 'I don't believe in God,' they are really saying to the Lord within, 'Please give

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Chapter 4, Verse 11"However people try to reach me,I return their love with my love.Whatever paths they may travel,Those paths lead to me in the end."Swami Chidbhavananda:"Different kinds of food suit different beings. What is food to one may be poison to another. But each being receives nourishment from the food it takes. Religions are also diverse to suit the varying temperaments and

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Chapter 4, Verse 10"Released from greed,Fear, and anger,Absorbed in meAnd burnt cleanIn the fire of wisdom,They find their true home."Sri Eknath Easwaran:"In the very depths of our meditation, when we are no longer aware of the body or monkey-mind, when concentration is complete, we become free from selfish attachments to money, material possessions, and people whom we may try to manipulate,

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Chapter 4, Verse 9"Those who know the nature of my taskAnd my divine birthAre not rebornWhen they depart the body,But in truth come to me."Sri Aurobindo:"The work for which the Avatar descends has both an outward side and an inward one. The outward side is the divine force acting upon the external world in order to maintain and reshape there the Dharma, the divine law by which the Godward effort

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Chapter 4, Verse 8"In every age I am bornTo deliver the holyAnd to destroy the sin of the sinnerFor the fulfillmentOf the kingdom of righteousness."Sri Aurobindo:"There are two aspects of the divine birth. One is a descent, the birth of God into humanity, God manifesting in the human form, the eternal Avatar. The other is an ascent, the new birth of the human being into God, rising into the

Krishna Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684212608265606239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-89913073496195972782010-12-29T04:37:00.000-08:002010-12-29T05:20:52.145-08:00

Chapter 4, Verse 7"When goodness grows weakAnd evil increases,My spirit arisesOn Earth."Sri Krishna Prem:"Though unborn and undying, yet does this wisdom-love manifest in human souls from time to time, and especially during times of great spiritual stress when materialism and the cosmic forces of disharmony are exacting their price upon the peoples of the Earth, leading them away from contact

Krishna Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684212608265606239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-90512950886614649832010-12-22T06:19:00.000-08:002010-12-22T06:43:39.086-08:00

Chapter 4, Verse 6"I am the birthless,The deathless,Lord of all beings.I seem to be born.It is only Maya,My wondrous,Creative power."Father Bede Griffiths:"Maya originally meant something like 'magic power.' It is the power which creates, the power which produces. It can be used for a magician who creates an illusion, and that is how it gradually acquired the sense of illusion. But in the

Krishna Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684212608265606239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-8349654018400016572010-12-15T05:40:00.000-08:002010-12-15T05:55:30.558-08:00

Chapter 4, Verse 5Krishna says,"You and I, Arjuna,Have lived many lives.I remember them all.You do not remember,O scorcher of enemies."Sri Eknath Easwaran:"It is not necessary to believe in reincarnation in order to lead a spiritual life. Whether we believe in one life or many, we can all meditate and become masters of our minds and bodies. There is even some danger in blindly accepting

Krishna Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684212608265606239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-83370086582625219752010-12-07T14:42:00.000-08:002010-12-07T14:46:29.979-08:00

Chapter 4, Verse 4"Vivashwan was born long before you.How am I to believeThat you were the firstTo teach this Yoga?"Sri Aurobindo:"The practical intelligence of Arjuna is baffled by the Lord's assertion that it was he who in ancient times revealed to the Sun god the same Yoga, since lost, which he is now again revealing to Arjuna. The question provokes the famous and oft-quoted statement of

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Chapter 4, Verse 3"Today I reveal to youThis Eternal Yoga,Secret Supreme,Because of your love for me,And because I am your friend."Father Bede Griffiths:"It is said of all ancient teachings that they come down from the beginning of time. Yoga is said to be primeval in the sense that it has been passed down from the beginning. There is great truth in the notion that none of these things are

Krishna Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684212608265606239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-54246015013703381792010-11-24T07:10:00.000-08:002010-11-24T07:21:57.348-08:00

Chapter 4, Verse 2"And so the sages,Who were kings,In royal successionCarried it onwardsTill at length it was lost,Forgotten by humans."Srila Prabhupada:"The teaching was especially meant for the saintly kings as they executed its purpose while ruling. Five thousand years ago on the field of Kurukshetra it was stated by the Lord himself that the disciplic succession had been broken, and therefore

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CHAPTER FOURACTION AND INACTIONVerse 1Krishna says,"I revealed this everlasting YogaTo Vivashwan, the Sun god,Father of light,So many ages ago.He in turn revealed it to Manu,Father of humans.Next, his son, King Ikshvaku,Learned it from Manu."Sri Krishna Prem:"Krishna reveals the source and credentials of the teaching. It is nothing 'new' that is being set forth; nor is it intended to form a new

Krishna Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684212608265606239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-51247518217443919852010-11-10T04:33:00.000-08:002010-11-10T05:01:47.725-08:00

Chapter 3, Verse 43"Knowing the Self, Arjuna,And sustaining the selfby the Self,Defeat this difficult-to-conquerEnemy known as Rajasic desire."Swami Shivananda:"Thus in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, the science of the Eternal, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the third discourse entitled: 'The Yoga of action.'It is difficult to master this

Krishna Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684212608265606239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-35763101833739635832010-11-03T05:57:00.000-07:002010-11-03T06:35:56.866-07:00

Chapter 3, Verse 42"They say that the power of the senses is great,And it is.But greater than the senses is the mind.Greater than the mind is the Buddhi.Greater than the discerning facultyIs the spirit in all."Srila Prahbupada:"In the Katha Upanishad there is a similar passage in which it is said that the mind is superior to the senses and their objects. If, therefore, the mind is directly

Krishna Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684212608265606239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-61564593553409991862010-10-27T06:40:00.000-07:002010-10-27T07:32:43.368-07:00

Chapter 3, Verse 41"Therefore set your sensesIn harmony, Arjuna.Then the delusionThat prevents youFrom knowing the truthWill be destroyed."Question: "We must have purpose on our life's journey. Otherwise, we will just drift. Purpose means future, does it not? How to reconcile this with living in the present moment...with setting our senses in harmony?Eckhart Tolle:"When you are on a journey,

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Chapter 3, Verse 40"Rajasic desire stands firmlyIn the senses and the mind,Obscuring wisdomAnd perplexing the embodied Self."Paramahansa Yogananda:"When the senses and the mind are wet with the waters of material desire, like water-soaked matches, they fail to produce the spark of wisdom. When Yogis meditate deeply and dissolve perception and thought in stillness, the Sun rises from the

Krishna Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684212608265606239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-68634285126821920912010-10-13T05:51:00.000-07:002010-10-13T05:57:21.045-07:00

Chapter 3, Verse 39"Wisdom is destroyed, Arjuna,By the constant enemy of the wise,Which, flaring up as unskillful desire,Blazes with flames insatiable."Paramahansa Yogananda:"The materialist identifies with the body surfaces and is goaded to action by sense inclinations. The wise watch and govern the mind processes with discernment. Materialists do not understand the destructive power of

Krishna Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684212608265606239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-1501084435897339812010-10-06T05:33:00.001-07:002010-10-06T05:48:37.611-07:00

Chapter 3, Verse 38"Wisdom is clouded by unskillful desireAs fire by smoke,As a mirror by dust,And as an unborn babeBy its covering."Paramahansa Yogananda:"When the soul's pure nature is hidden behind Sattwic (harmonious) attributes, as a fire is covered by smoke, the veil is easily dispersed by a fresh breeze of discernment. Even through this screen, the soul's dazzling joy can be partially

Krishna Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684212608265606239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-38262428775032160562010-09-29T04:19:00.000-07:002010-09-29T04:46:30.444-07:00

Chapter 3, Verse 37Krishna says,"Rajas Guna has two faces,Lust and rage,The ravenous, the deadly.Recognize them well. They are your enemies."Sri Aurobindo:"Within our nature lies our wholeness and each one of us is to strive to actualize that wholeness along the lines of our personalities, our Swadharma, in the midst of life and action. But if we seek this wholeness only in life's externals, we

Krishna Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684212608265606239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-59482341147650847062010-09-24T10:29:00.001-07:002010-09-24T10:46:21.793-07:00

Greetings from Bali...Chapter 3, Verse 36"What is it that drivesMe to an evil action, Krishna,Even against my will,As if some force made me do it?"Swami Shivananda:"Often we come across this in our own lives. We don't want to do certain things. We even know it's terribly wrong. But still some force seems to be pushing us: 'Go ahead. It's okay.' "[The devil made me do it.]Srila Prabhupada:"

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Chapter 3, Verse 35"Do your duty,Though it be humble,Rather than another's,Even if it be great.To die in one's duty is life.To live in another's is death."Swami Satchidananda:"No two snowflakes are the same. You too are unique. You have been created with certain abilities that no other person has. That's your Swadharma, your individual path, the inner law of your being. Find out what your

Krishna Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684212608265606239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-67784653671915962422010-09-08T06:32:00.000-07:002010-09-08T07:29:23.168-07:00

Chapter 3, Verse 34"The attraction and aversionWhich are felt for different objectsAre natural.Do not fall under their power.They are obstacles."Eckhart Tolle:"What is a negative emotion? It is an emotion that is toxic to the body and interferes with its balance and harmonious functioning. Fear, anxiety, anger, bearing a grudge, sadness, hatred or intense dislike, jealousy, envy...all these

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Chapter 3, Verse 33"Even the wise actIn accordance with their inner nature.All beings follow their tendencies.What use is any external restraint?"Sri Aurobindo:"This seems, if we take it at face value, to be a hopelessly absolute assertion of the omnipotence of nature over the soul. It does not mean that we are to follow any impulse, even though evil, which what we call our nature dictates to us

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Chapter 3, Verse 32"But those who scorn my teachingAnd do not follow itAre lost.They lack spiritual discernmentAnd are blind to wisdom."Paramahansa Yogananda:"Intelligence is a complex force of consciousness by which experiences of the phenomenal world can be seen in a larger framework. Intelligence was not gifted to humanity just for its own sake, but for the purpose of discerning thought and

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Chapter 3, Verse 31"Those who follow my teachingAnd who have faithAnd a strong willFind their freedomThrough skillful work."Swami Chidbhavananda:"Wanderers who are unable to find out by themselves the intricate path to their destination place faith in those who have gone that way and follow their instructions. By this means they are sure to find their way. Earnestly digesting the understandable

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Chapter 3, Verse 30"Offer to me all your works,Resting your mind in me,Remaining free from vain hopesAnd selfish preoccupation.Basking in this inner peace,Fight the fight."Mahatma Gandhi:"Those who understand that the Atman inhabiting the body is a part of the Supreme Atman will dedicate everything to him, even as the faithful servant acts as a mere shadow of his master, dedicating to him all

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Chapter 3, Verse 29"Those who are deludedBy the properties of natureGet attached to the actionsOf those properties.The wise do not upsetThe dull-wittedWho are unaware of them."Maharishi Mahesh Yogi:"After committing a theft [or a murder], the unenlightened might use the following excuse: 'It was only the three Gunas acting on each other that did this act, while my Self was uninvolved.' They make

Krishna Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684212608265606239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-58352406024014252002010-07-28T06:41:00.000-07:002010-07-28T07:07:15.961-07:00

Chapter 3, Verse 28"But those who know the relationBetween the properties of nature (Gunas) and actionsRealize how these propertiesWork upon other properties.Those who understand these workingsDo not get attached."Mahatma Gandhi:"As digestion and similar processes [like shaping our bones, growing our hair, and coloring our eyes] go on automatically and we claim no agency for them, we being

Krishna Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684212608265606239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-14130186867430581852010-07-21T08:18:00.000-07:002010-07-21T19:31:05.748-07:00

Chapter 3, Verse 27"Actions are universally performedBy the three modes [Gunas] of primordial nature;But those deluded by ego-consciousnessImagine, 'I am the doer.' "Ram Dass:"Krishna is saying in so many words, 'Look, you're not doing anything. It's a delusion to imagine that you are. You're not the actor. What's happening is just a sum total of millions of laws playing themselves out through

Krishna Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684212608265606239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-48805713769573062392010-07-14T06:47:00.000-07:002010-07-14T08:18:23.588-07:00

Chapter 3, Verse 26"The wise do not unsettleThe minds of the ignorantWho are attached to action.The wise show by exampleHow work is holyWhen the heart of the workerIs fixed on the highest."Sri Krishna Prem:"At the beginning of the path, students may be filled with despair at the thought of the joyless life which awaits them when all the desires which make life seem worth living are slain. This is

Krishna Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684212608265606239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361275707138912263.post-77460048290475726932010-07-07T08:05:00.000-07:002010-07-07T08:18:47.906-07:00

Chapter 3, Verse 25"Though the unwise cling to their actions,Watching out for results,The wise are free from attachments,Acting unselfishlyFor the good of all the world."Maharishi Mahesh Yogi:"Since the ignorant are attached to the fruits of their actions, the actions make a deep impression upon them and sow the seeds of future Karma. The liberated ones are free from the bondage of their actions

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Chapter 3, Verse 24If I did not performThe prescribed duties,Chaos would overpower all beings;I would be the cause of confusion.Humankind would be destroyed."Srila Prabhupada:“In order to check social disturbances, there are prescribed rules and regulations by which the population can automatically become peaceful and organized for spiritual progress in life. Although such rules and regulations

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Chapter 3, Verse 23"If I did not continue to work,Untiringly as I do,Humanity would still follow me,No matter where I led them.Swami Shivananda:"Krishna is saying in so many words, 'If I became inactive, people would imitate me and pass into a state of sloth. Duties according to the code of morals governing the order of society and the stages of life would not be completed. Chaos and confusion

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Chapter 3, Verse 22“I have no work to doIn all the worlds, Arjuna,For they are mine.I have nothing to obtain,Because I have all.And yet I work.”Srila Prabhupada:“One who must receive the results of work has some designated duty, but one who has nothing to achieve certainly has no duty.”[…and by receiving those results dutifully, i.e., equanimously, without attachment, by offering them immediately

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Chapter 3, Verse 21“By observing the actions of the great,Others find their rule of action.The paths of the greatBecome guides to the world.”Swami Shivananda:“We are social animals. We are imitating animals, too. We take our ideas of right and wrong from those who are our models. We try to walk in their footsteps.” Maharishi Mahesh Yogi:“Although indirectly stated, the message is conveyed from

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Chapter 3, Verse 20"King Janaka and othersReached wholenessThrough selfless action.Let your aim beThe good of all,And then carry onYour task in life."Sri Aurobindo:"There are few more important passages in the Gita than these striking seven verses. Let us understand that the philosophy set forth in these verses is not to be interpreted as simply a philosophical justification of social service.

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Chapter 3, Verse 19“As for you,Perform KarmaAs your dutyWithout attachmentTo results.The one who discharges KarmaWithout attachmentReaches the Supreme.”Sri Eknath Easwaran:“As we gain this freedom of action, we will begin, ever so gradually, to realize we are instruments while the Lord is the operator. This truth, no matter how dimly perceived, produces tremendous motivation for removing every

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Chapter 3, Verse 18“They have no reasonTo do anythingOr not to do it.They depend on no one.They have no reason to.”Eckhard Tolle:“Be still. See how the tree is completely itself. Unlike humans, it has not split itself in two. It does not live through mental images of itself, so it does not need to be concerned with trying to protect or enhance those images. It is not only one with itself, but

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Chapter 3, Verse 17“But those who delightIn the Atman,Who feel pure contentmentAnd find complete peaceIn the Atman,Are no longer obligedTo perform any kind of action.”Swami Chidbhavananda:“When the lower mind gets turned towards the Self, its activities automatically diminish. The last of all its activities is to get established in the Self. The river is active until it reaches the ocean. On

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Chapter 3, Verse 16"Those who play no partIn the acts thus appointedMiss the mark.Know this, Arjuna,Their lives are for nothing."Sri Aurobindo:“In the Gita there is very little that is only local and temporal; its spirit is large, profound and universal. By giving an ampler scope to the teaching than that which belonged to the country and epoch five thousand years ago, it grows in depth, truth

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Chapter 3, Verse 15"Arjuna, understand that every act of worshipIs born from the eternal, infinite God.He is present in every act of worship."Swami Satchidananda:"The gist of this chapter is that we are all born to act, which is Karma, and when our Karma, our doing, is selfless, worship is born of that. Make your actions worshipful.” Ram Dass:"When I was studying with Baba Hari Dass, I learned

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Chapter 3, Verse 14"Food is the life of all beings,And all food comes from the rain above.This rain is the water of life.It comes from worship."Sri Eknath Easwaran:"Delicate relationships exist throughout nature. In India, vast forests have been cut down, and now people are worrying about lack of rain. This reminds me of Gandhi, a skilled ecologist, who was so careful about using resources that

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Chapter 3, Verse 13"The good eatWhat the gods leave behindAfter the offeringAnd get relief from sin.But the ungodly,Cooking good foodFor the greed of their stomachsMiss the mark."Sri Eknath Easwaran:"What is important is what we do with the energy that food gives us. As Jesus told the Pharisees, 'Not what goes into the mouth defiles a person, but what comes out of it.' Of what use is it to

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Chapter 3, Verse 12“Nourished by your worship,The gods will grant your prayer.But the one who accepts their giftsShowing no thanks,Thieves from the gods.”Srila Prabhupada:“All the necessities of life that human society requires are supplied by the gods, agents of the Lord. Without the Supreme Lord, there can be no profuse sunlight, moonlight, rainfall, breeze, etc., without which no one can live

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Chapter 3, Verse 11“By worship you will nourish the godsAnd the gods will nourish you in turn.By nourishing one anotherYou will reach the highest.”Paramahansa Yogananda:“Among the customs of all ancient peoples were nature rites whose purpose was to acknowledge humanity’s dependence upon the natural forces and bounty of the environment. Instinctively, they recognized the debt and reverence owed

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Chapter 3, Verse 10“The Lord of creation formed worshipTogether with humanity, and said,‘By worship you will always be fruitful.Duty well done fulfills desire.’”Swami Satchidananda:“Let your life be worship, Yajna, from sunup to sundown and from sundown to sunup. Worship is the law of life. This is said only to humankind because all of the other species unconsciously do it naturally.

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Chapter 3, Verse 9 “Karma binds youTo the material worldExcept when actionsAre performedAs worship of God.Therefore, performEvery actionSacramentally,And be freeFrom all attachmentTo results.”Swami Shivananda:“People who do actions as worship of God are not bound. Their hearts are purified by performing actions for the sake of the higher power. Where this spirit of unselfishness does not govern

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Chapter 3, Verse 8“Activity is better than inertia. Act, but with self-mastery. If you are lazy,You cannot even sustainYour own body.”Paramahansa Yogananda:“In his absolute nature as spirit, God transcends all the activity of creation, yet his power is active in every atomic cell of the vast body of the physical cosmos. God expects us to perform similarly the duties connected with daily life and

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Chapter 3, Verse 7“The truly admirable onesAre those whoFree from attachmentTo results,With their mindsRuling its powersIn harmony,Engage in the YogaOf consecrated actionOn the pathTo union with the Self.”Sri Ramakrishna:“A deadly cobra was a terror to travelers in a woodland. The locality was specificallly avoided for this reason. Once a holy man inadvertently passed that way. The venomous

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Chapter 3, Verse 6“Those who withdraw from actions,But ponder their pleasuresAre deluding themselvesAnd spoiling their questFor the deepest truth.”Paramahansa Yogananda: “To renounce worldly pleasures without forsaking them inwardly, just to impress others or to escape into a less taxing reclusive sanctuary…this is hypocritical. But to seek God in a positive, active way, even though there is

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