attitude and the senses

Verse 2.9: Sañjaya said: Having spoken thus, Arjuna, chastiser of enemies, told Kṛṣṇa, "Govinda, I shall not fight," and fell silent.

The sanskrit to today's verse includes one of numerous names of Krsna - Hrisikesa. Hrisikesa means he who is the master of all senses. Arjuna in saying that he will not fight is taking on the position of all of us. He is still putting his personal sense gratification first. He is thinking that performing his duty as a warrior will bring him pain and so is situated in the "I am this body, and everything, whatever we find in this world, belongs to me" mentality.

But, as most of us have already figured out, this doesn't work. We can of course adopt this mentality, but it doesn't take us very far. Instead it brings us frustration and anxiety. Like a small child who is throwing a tantrum, we refuse to accept that there may be another alternative.

As aspiring bhakti yogis, the knowledge that Krsna is the master of all senses can be an impetus for us to a run an experiment. As one of the greatest bhakti yogis, Srila Prabhupada, writes "Krsna is the mater of the sense, and therefore, whatever senses I have got, the master is Krsna, the proprietor is Krsna. So when our senses are engaged in the satisfaction of the master of the senses, that is called bhakti."

Our senses can ultimately only be utilized for one of two things: ourselves or in the service of pleasing God. What many don't realize is that pleasing God will always bring us happiness whereas selfishly trying to satisfy our own senses, without acknowledging God for everything that we receive, only serves to further inspire us to become more selfish and illusioned.

See, the senses are not the problem in and of themselves, they just act as a medium. It is the attitude in utilizing this medium. This is not to say that we should never try to take pleasure in our senses, it is just the way we go about it. Bhakti is so practical that it explains to us in great detail how all the senses can be used:

Once there was a great king called Ambarisa who was (and is still) famous amongst bhakti yogis. He is held as a role model because despite having all the luxuries associated with royalty, his only interest was the spiritual welfare of his people. He is known as one of the greatest practitioners of bhakti yoga since he used all of his senses to bring pleasure to Krsna.

With his words he would describe the glories of Krsna, with his ears he would hear the words spoken by or about Krsna and his eyes would be engaged in seeing Krsna's form, temples and holy places. His sense of smell would be engaged in smelling the fragrance of various scents offered to the Lord and his sense of touch would be used in serving great bhakti yogis.

Try it and see for yourself. A simple way to begin this experiment is to simply become more aware of everything that is being given to you and take the time to say "Thank you Krsna." You'll begin to see that your whole world will change for the positive.

A practical guide to responding to challenging situations

Verse 1.21-22: Arjuna said: O infallible one, please draw my chariot between the two armies so that I may see those present here, who desire to fight, and with whom I must contend in this great trial of arms.

As I've mentioned before, I love philosophy and logic but above all what I cherish the most is practical application. Here we see Arjuna facing a challenging and adrenaline inducing situation in the midst of a large crowd. We've all been there before. Think back to when you last felt this way. Perhaps it was was when you were speaking in front of a large audience or perhaps you were running for the bus and tripped and fell in front a group of people (been there, done that).

In those situations, it's very easy for our minds to "freak out" and for us to react without thinking. We forget cool logic and taking those deep long breaths and instead get caught up in the excitement, anxiety, embarrassment or whatever else of the moment. This verse is a goldmine of information to teach us how we can handle such circumstances with grace.

Just see how Arjuna is so methodical. He not only wants to gauge the situation but wants to break it down so he can assess the important variables.

Firstly he asks Krsna to move him to the best vantage point, in this case between the two armies. Similarly, we too in any situation should try to move into the appropriate perspective whether it be mentally, emotionally, intellectually or physically. For example, when in a heated argument with someone, sometimes the best thing to do is politely excuse oneself. Cool off a bit and then come back once you've had a chance to look objectively at the situation. Or the situation maybe such that we need to "walk a mile" in the other person's shoes so that we can better understand where they are coming from.

Secondly Arjuna wants to understand the mentality of those present before him. As the saying goes, "The face is the index of the mind." The soul is sensitive by nature. We've all had those moments where we can feel that someone is being sincere and when they just want something from us. If we look for it, it's there. Paying attention and watching a persons's reactions when we interact with them will help us to determine whether we're getting through to them or if we need to find another way.

Finally, Arjuna then wants to figure out who the major players are. Who are the persons that he needs to watch out for. Brilliant! Arjuna is so intelligent. By identifying those persons, whether they be friends, allies or those who may challenge us, it can help calm our fears. How? Because we're not facing the unknown anymore. Instead, by recognizing their mentality and having a better idea of what they stand for, we will be able to better anticipate what they may bring to the table.

Amazing isn't it? I never realized that this formula for responding to challenging situations was here until reading the Gita today. Just goes to show that bhakti is practical and useful in everyday life. That's why bhakti isn't just a spiritual path, it's a way of life.