thank you!

Verse 2.57: In the material world, one who is unaffected by whatever good or evil he may obtain, neither praising it nor despising it, is firmly fixed in perfect knowledge.

Role models are so important to have. They give us a sense of hope, inspiration and comfort. My role models are the incredible bhakti mentors that I am blessed to have in my life who are genuinely "unaffected by whatever good or evil they encounter."

They showed me how the practice of yoga isn't about artificially repressing your feelings or trying to ignore your emotions. That's what I used to think not being effected by good or bad meant. It's about operating on a level of gratitude and love.

Why do I mention this? Because those mentors and the Gita have given me the encouragement, strength and inspiration to delve deeper in my own journey of self-discovery. Also, because today marks the 100th post I've written on the Gita. As someone who has started many things and have stopped due to lack of time, lack of inspiration and numerous other excuses, this is a huge! That's why it's so important for me to honour and give thanks to those persons who have made it possible.

Any writing or reflections that have been shared (and will continue to be shared) on this blog is a direct result of blessings and guidance. So I would like to thank you, my dear readers for coming along this journey with me so far. I'm so excited to continue this journey with you! I would also like to thank my parents, well-wishers, spiritual mentors and friends for all their support and loving feedback.

And most of all, I would like to thank Krsna. Thank you for giving us the Gita so that we can truly understand who we really are and giving us the process by which we can realize it; a process that is so practical, relevant, timeless and beautiful.

you have a choice

Verse 2.49: O Dhanañjaya, keep all abominable activities far distant by devotional service, and in that consciousness surrender unto the Lord. Those who want to enjoy the fruits of their work are misers.

Bhakti yoga is a process. It's a process which can naturally be incorporated into any lifestyle with ease. As with any process, it consists of a series of steps and actions that lead to a goal. For those who are interested in the top-most goal (i.e. eternal, everlasting happiness through reconnection with the Supreme), the path is clear. However, for those who may have intermediate goals (i.e. I want to be peaceful, I want to have nice relationships, I want to find meaning in my life etc.), bhakti also outlines perfect processes to achieve these too.

Isn't that awesome? Everything is found in bhakti. So what's the problem? The problem is that some of us may find it challenging to follow steps, what to speak of following them in a specific sequence! Do you ever notice that? Think back to the last time when you had to assemble something. If you're anything like me, you might even forget that the box comes with an instruction manual! I've lost count of how many times I've gotten totally confused and frustrated before remembering, "Oh right. There's a manual. :S Maybe I should look at it!"

Our false ego, that little voice inside us that screams "You're right!" even though deep down we may know we're wrong, often serves as our biggest obstacle. It's that chatterbox that convinces us that we don't need any guidance or help.

By caving into the false ego time and time again, we get robbed of our ability to choose. How? Because the job of the false ego is to keep us entrapped in the conception "I am this body". In fact, the more we identifying ourselves with this illusion, the harder it becomes to take guidance.

And that's exactly what bhakti yoga does. It gives us guidance. One of the most important pieces of guidance that bhakti gives us is: You have a choice to associate with those things that uplift and inspire you.

Note the difference between bhakti yoga and the false ego. Bhakti empowers and challenges us as opposed to the false ego which placates us by saying "It's not your fault. Everything's ok." As spiritual beings, inertia and maintaining the status quo is completely foreign to us. The soul is creative, active, happy, eternal, selfless and always desiring to serve. Remember that the next time you're lying on the couch glued to your TV set!

That's the biggest hurdle we face. Although we may know these things, to actually practice them everyday can be challenging. That's why it's necessary to keep checking to make sure we are actually following the process. If we don't, it's too easy to get lazy and give up. It's only by constantly referring back to our road map, we remain inspired and enlivened.

So remember! You have a choice. Choose to be active, sincere and inspired, everyday!

necessity of guidance...

Verse 2.19: Neither he who thinks the living entity the slayer nor he who thinks it slain is in knowledge, for the self slays not nor is slain.

An interesting paradigm is set forth here which one can easily be confused by. It almost appears that Krsna is saying that nobody can actually kill or harm anybody (please note- this also pertains to animals!!!) since the soul cannot be slain. This could be easily taken out of context so let's clear that up that possible confusion right here, right now.

Srila Prabhupada, one of the foremost bhakti yogis of our time, paints a beautiful analogy to help us understand this concept. If a man is living in an apartment and you somehow drive him away from that apartment illegally, what will happen? The man will have to go out and seek some other shelter. The fact remains, however, that you driving him away illegally from his rightful place of shelter. This is a criminal act punishable by law. One cannot try to justify that by saying, "Although I have driven him away, he'll find some other place." That maybe true, but since it was his legal position to live in that apartment and since you forcibly drove him away you will be tried as a criminal and punished.

Similarly the same truth applies here. This is the greatness of realized and pure bhakti yogi practitioners. They can make seemingly confusing and intricate concepts so easy to understand.

The law, in this case, is a universal one propounded by numerous traditions, philosophies and religions: Thou shalt not kill. So, if one tries to drive another living entity out of his/her dwelling (i.e. their material body), what will happen? That soul be subject to another birth in another body according to their past karma. Though that soul will find another body to inhabit, it still holds true that you drove that soul of it's body illegally (i.e. the law states that thou shalt not kill). That means that you will be subjected to the laws of karma and will be held accountable and be punished for this crime.

This simple verse illustrates the complexities and nuances of bhakti. It is so easy to take things out of context if one does not have a proper guide to teach them. Still not convinced? Let's try to put this in a way that's extremely relatable. If you are really close to somebody and they say something, isn't it only natural that you will understand the subtexts that may underline their tone, choice of words and mood? That you will be able to glean what they really mean although others may not get it? Similarly, only those who are close to Krsna and who truly understand him, like Srila Prabhupada, can truly explain to us what Krsna is saying.

Remember, the Gita is a conversation so we can't just think to come into a conversation between two extremely close friends and hope to understand it on our own. We need a guide who is also dear to Krsna to explain it to us. Bhakti is all about personalism, so it's important to understand how to practically apply that even in the study of such great bhakti texts, like the Gita.

the easy way

Verse 2.16: Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent [the material body] there is no endurance and of the eternal [the soul] there is no change. This they have concluded by studying the nature of both.

Would you consider yourself to do/learn things the hard way or the easy way? Think about it...carefully. On greater inspection, personally, I've realized that my tendency is to do things the hard way. In fact, most of the material world seems to like to do things the hard way.

The clear indication of that is our tendency to just not "get it". For example, we all have experiences of trying to achieve something by doing the same thing over and over again thinking that "this time it will be different." This pretty much sums up our experience in the material world. Constantly hitting our heads against the wall without getting what we want.

That's doing things the hard way. In fact, Einstein said it best, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results."

So here, Krsna is telling us, "I"m giving you the answer. Not only I, but the great souls, have concluded that the material body is temporary and the soul is eternal." All we need to do is take this to heart. But oh no, our ego is thinking we know best and that we need to figure it out. What actually gets accomplished in the end with this thinking? Nothing. More frustration and anxiety.

This highlights the importance of taking bona fide guidance, not just in our spiritual lives, but in everyday life as well. Can you imagine trying to learn all the parts of a car, how they function and how they interact with one another on your own? It's not to say that one couldn't do it, it's just that it's the hard way! Instead if we learn from an expert mechanic and study under their guidance, everything is sped up.

So that's what the Bhagavad-gita and bhakti yoga is all about. It's the easy way to help us reconnect with God. So it's up to you, what are you going to chose in your material and/or spiritual life? The easy way or the hard way?

guru

Verse 2.7: Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of miserly weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me for certain what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.

I've been waiting for this verse for over a month now! This is one of the most important verses in the Gita and signifies a major turning point not only in the conversation but in Krsna and Arjuna's relationship.

All this time, Arjuna has been venting to Krsna about his confusion as a friend. He hasn't asked for answers or reached out for guidance. Now, Arjuna is asking for guidance. He is submitting himself to Krsna as his student.

Let's explore that word submit. One definition of the word means to yield oneself to the authority or will of another. That's pretty strong, stuff. This is what a real guru (spiritual teacher) and student relationship looks like. This type of relationship can only exist when there is strong faith and trust, on both sides. The student has faith and trust that this person can help them re-awaken their relationship with God and the guru has faith and trust that their student is genuine and sincere in his/her inquiry. How and why else would anyone want to "submit" oneself to another person? Essential to submitting oneself to a spiritual teacher is also the acknowledgement that "We don't know it all."

Our material conditioning has brainwashed us into thinking that we can figure everything out. This is the influence of the ego. However, to be an authentic student, we need to push that big, fat ego out of the way and face reality. The reality is when it comes to spiritual life, we don't know much. Why? Because real spiritual knowledge is not book learned. Yes, understanding philosophical concepts is important, but more important is to realize that knowledge. We need someone who has faced the trials and tribulations that one will undoubtedly encounter on the path of bhakti, who hasn't given up and has (as the Gita will describe in Chapter 4) seen the truth. One who has realized knowledge.

On the path of bhakti yoga, there are principles and details. Realized knowledge means being able to apply these principles and details according to time, place and circumstance. For example, one who is just learning how to cook is on the theoretical platform. Such a novice may think that certain spices are only used for certain dishes. But for one who has realized knowledge, they understand that spices not only accentuate dishes, they can be combined and even be used medicinally.

Arjuna is realizing that he is a novice. He knows a lot of theory but he is having trouble applying it practically. He has also realized that is leading him to only think in the short-term. Being intelligent, he understands that what is best may not be what feels good right away. So what does he say? He tells Krsna, "I am asking You to tell me for certain what is best for me." He is asking his guru, Krsna, for help.

The word guru is tossed around so flippantly these days. It's become like the word mantra and has entered mainstream vernacular. The downside to this is the fact that many people don't have a clue what guru means. Guru in sanskrit translates not only to mean teacher but to mean "heavy". See, having a guru is not a fad and the guru is not there to make you feel better materially. A true guru, a genuine bhakti yogi, is there to help you on your spiritual journey to reconnect with Krsna.

I remember when I was searching for my Guru in 2004-2005. I had met several authentic, powerful and realized bhakti yogis but I kept coming back to one person. I remember revealing my heart to this bhakti yogi and asking hims "What should I look for in a guru?" I'll never forget what he told me. He said, "You don't need someone who'll pat you on the back and say 'Good job!' all the time. You need someone who will ground you." Eventually that is the person who so kindly agreed to guide me on the path of bhakti yoga and I'm still in the process of learning how to submit myself to his spiritual guidance. Being a student is just a great responsibility as being a guru.

This is a very important point. Not only is it important to realize the need to have a bona fide spiritual teacher to guide one in their life, it's also essential to understand what having a guru means. It is a great gift and one that should not be taken lightly. In fact it is said: From Krsna we are given Guru, and it is Guru who can give us Krsna.

weakness

Verse 2.3: O son of Pṛthā, do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy.

Weakness of heart tends to get in the way of doing our duty. I recognize this everyday. The moment you commit to something, immediately you are tested. To give a small but illustrative example, my intention and personal promise has been to write something on a verse of the Gita everyday (notwithstanding severe illness). However, almost everyday I have to fight to keep this mini-vow. Sure, there are days when I'm actually "itching to read and write" but normally, not so much.

Similarly, we have a duty to respect each and every living entity, but sometimes it can be difficult. Although we may not like it, a spider or ant has just as much a right to inhabit the space we occupy as we do. But we don't recognize this very often. The reason for that is weakness of heart.

Weakness of heart is a very broad subject, but here I'd like to focus on lack of determination and proper guidance. If one is not guided properly, it is very easy to be swayed. I see this all the time in the practice of bhakti yoga. My spiritual mentors and role models have all been guided so expertly in their own cultivation of bhakti that nothing can stray them from the path. Hence, when I interact with them, I constantly feel inspired and enthused. I also feel my own faith grow tremendously. However, those who like to "do what the spirit moves them" are often easily won over by different philosophies, ideas and honeyed words. That is why I always try to remind myself of one of my favourite phrases from the Gita speaks on this point directly, "One's associations and ambitions develop according to the company one keeps."

With that guidance automatically comes focus. If cannot stand up for and believe in our convictions then its is very easy to be unfocused. Conviction brings about focus because it allows the path to become clear.

In this material world we live in, the two prevalent things we encounter is a lack of proper guidance and a lack of proper focus. Here we see Arjuna undergoing the same confusion we experience (often daily!). Arjuna is not sure what the proper path is to take and hence he doesn't know what to do.

So, we can all learn from Arjuna how to defeat these petty weaknesses of heart. We too can ask for guidance from a bona fide and authoritative source (i.e. the bhakti yogi who walks the talk) and ask for encouragement and support so that we too may become convinced and focused to do the right thing.