On a personal note, this day marks a year since I started this blog. :) I'll be honest - when I first began, I was writing primarily for myself. It was a therapeutic medium by which I could chronicle my thoughts and feelings and view it through the lens of the Gita. Never did I expect that this blog would create opportunities to meet people and develop friendships with individuals from all over the world whose curiosity, comments and encouragement have inspired me so much. To all those who have followed the journey so far (and will hopefully continue to do so!) - you have my deepest gratitude.
Writing on the Gita has brought it to life for me. It's taught that me that it's not just enough to read it as an observer but to experience it. And know what? It's amazing how easy it is to do so. After all, haven't we all felt some degree of despair and hopelessness, what to speak of struggled with discriminating between right and wrong, at some point in our lives? That's exactly what Arjuna goes through at the beginning of the Gita.
Arjuna's internal crisis reveals to us to that happiness and peace of mind is not attained through the externals. It can only be attained when we actually realize that we are spiritual beings having a material experience. Knowledge is not enough, as Arjuna finds out. To theoretically accept "I am the soul" is one thing, but to live our lives in that space is very different.
That is where the practicality of the Gita's guidance becomes strikingly apparent. It not only provides insightful knowledge but explains how to live our lives as spiritual beings at every moment.
On this special anniversary, I'd like to close by leaving you with one of my favorite verses of the Gita which serves to always put things in perspective for me and would like to invite you to leave yours in the comments below!
"O son of Kuntī, the non-permanent 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." Bhagavad-gita 2.14
The more i read it,the more i realise how Gita is the ultimate message of hope.It makes you realise how really there is more to life than our immediate "experience"and it teaches you to deal with the inbuilt sense of forgetfullness we are all born with and forget who we think we are,but rather it helps us to realise and remember who we truly are,where we belong and where we should be heading to..applicable to everyone,applicable to all times and places....
ReplyDeleteThe more i read it,the more I realise that it's the ultimate message of hope....and it taught me that life is about constantly improving oneself and that we are born in a state of forgetfullness,and life is a chance to realise,forget who we think we are and learn to remember who we really are,where we come from and where we should be heading.
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogging Anniversary! I've learned so much from your writing, Vrndavana, and hope you will continue.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Happy Anniversary! As you know, I've posted my last blog post, but I wanted to stop by to say how much I have enjoyed your blog. I've learned so much, and you have inspired me through my reading of the Gita. All the best to you. With gratitude, Galen
ReplyDelete