the potential to be great!

Verse 4.28: Having accepted strict vows, some become enlightened by sacrificing their possessions, and others by performing severe austerities, by practicing the yoga of eightfold mysticism, or by studying the Vedas to advance in transcendental knowledge.

The Olympics. Although I rarely think of the Olympics when they aren't on tv, by the time they roll around I am hooked and gripped in Olympic-fever.

These talented individuals not only make everything they do look easy but they do so with such focus, determination and confidence. Although the external draw may be the palpable drama and uncertainty of not knowing who will win the gold, there's a huge lesson that we can learn from these individuals.

Everyone has the potential to be great; it just requires proper coaching, faith and focus.

These three elements are necessary for success in all endeavors and even more so when specializing and trying to excel.

1. Proper coaching - this one element could arguably be the most important component to achieving success. Everything else stems from it. Not only does a coach, teacher, guru or guide enable one to learn and hone their skills, such persons provide a support system which is something we all need and crave.

As living beings, we are inspired by loved and encouragement and that's exactly what a qualified coach provides. They also serve as motivators who push us to do more than we ever believe ourselves to be possible of. This is why the concept of guru or a qualified teacher, is brought up again and again in the bhakti texts. It is not only integral to yoga but to life itself.

2. Faith - without having strong conviction that our pursuits are worthy and that we are capable of accomplishing them, it's extremely easy to get distracted and quit. That's why it is important to remember that our faith must constantly be fed. It's not a one time thing! When we associate ourselves with individuals who not only believe in us but are also pursuing a similar path or goal, our faith naturally increases. That's why like-minded association is invaluable.

3. Focus - focus is the result of having a solid foundation of support (through coaching) and faith. It's what allows us to sacrifice and set aside our short-term desires for the long-term goal. Similar to faith, it is something that has to be constantly fed and one of the ways to keep it alive and well is by controlling the mind. The Gita specifically talks about this at length and gives the answer to how we can become focused - through practice and detachment. We continue to do our very best everyday and if we become distracted, we do not dwell on it but pick ourselves up and get back on track.

It's important to remember though that these principles which can lead one to greatness are not reserved for a selected few but are available to everyone. The fact is we all have the potential to be great and are meant for greatness!

a case study

Verse 4.27: Others, who are interested in achieving self-realization through control of the mind and senses, offer the functions of all the senses, and of the life breath, as oblations into the fire of the controlled mind.

If you follow any major news outlet in North America, you've probably heard one name come up quite consistently in the past few weeks - Rob Ford. I bring up this personality today to use as a case study as to what could potentially happen when one does not control their mind and senses.

Mr. Ford, as many of you might know, is quite unbelievably still the mayor of Toronto. After repeated denials, he has finally admitted to binge drinking, smoking cocaine, buying illegal drugs and...well, I'll leave it at that as you can find out more by just Googling if you really want to.

One of the biggest lessons I've learned as an aspiring bhakti yoga practitioner is the fact that everything can serve as a lesson. In this instance, we can learn a great deal from the above-mentioned personality - specifically the consequences of leaving the mind and senses in charge.

One of the greatest benefits of practicing yoga, and specifically mantra yoga, is the increasing ability to control the mind, which is the leader of the senses. The mind, which is constantly accepting and rejecting ideas is perpetually active. That activity, however, needs to be harnessed. And that harnessing power can only come from the intelligence.

It's like a team. All members of a team may have great ideas and in their excitement may start talking over one another. But if the leader of the team is there to harness that energy and creativity, then great things can be accomplished. Without a capable leader, there is potential for frustration and disturbances to arise.

That's exactly what happens if the mind isn't controlled by the intelligence. It spins out of control. This is why discipline and regulation are foundational elements in the practice of yoga. They serve to keep us on track and when the mind starts to wander, the intelligence kicks in and reminds us of the greater goal - to truly connect with ourselves, each other and the Supreme.

For some of us, we've left the senses and mind play the leader for too long and neglected the intelligence. To reverse that situation takes great strength and determination. The key to keeping the inspiration to do so is not expecting results over night. Rather, by approaching every situation as an opportunity for practice, we start to become more aware of our habits and behaviour. It is that awareness that will help us put our intelligence back in control again.

moments of emptiness

Verse 3.42: The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence.

We live in a world of contradictions. Although we are supposedly more connected than ever due to cell phones, internet, social media and so many other tools, many are noticing that their relationships are getting increasingly impersonal. Despite advances in technology that are supposed to be making our lives easier, we find more people out of work these days due to those very systems and instruments. Maybe the most frighting of all - in spite of so much knowledge available out there, it seems that many people are more confused than ever...about everything!

Living with confusion and uncertainty without proper guidance or a path inevitably leads to looking for shelter in all the wrong places. It's at these times that mass consumerism and lust can easily sway our troubled hearts.

It's so easy to take shelter in the senses as they serve to distract us from what many of us feel inside:

Our heart is crying out for more.

There lies the problem for many. What is that "more" that the heart is crying out for? If we don't know, we continue to try to find "it" in so many different ways. For some, it may mean finding new and novel ways to give pleasure to the senses. Frustrated or bored with that, it could mean turning to philosophy or speculation and trying to engage and stimulate the intellect. If that fails, then others may turn to philanthropy or even solitude.

To no avail, many who face this emptiness try to hide it under the cover of being busy, yet never really feel satisfied. But we learn to play the game and put on a happy face, right?

Well...for those who are tired of this useless game, a solution is given today. However, it requires a shift in consciousness to say:

"I'm done with living with that gnawing feeling of emptiness and frustration that I've pushed into the recesses of my heart. I'm also done with deluding myself that temporary happiness is enough and am ready to recognize that I deserve eternal happiness and will do what it takes to get it!"

That shift in consciousness will allow us to make another crucial change. Our energy tends to be focused on the senses and how to satisfy them. When we transfer our attention to the intelligence and feed that, a whole new world opens up. By feeding the intelligence with spiritual knowledge, like that given in the Gita, we start to fill in a much needed gap.

Remember that proper guide or path that may be missing? Here it is. The intelligence is supposed to act as the guide by taking shelter of an empowered teacher and being absorbed in the wisdom of bhakti yoga (i.e. the process to connect through love). This way, if the mind tries to take us down our usual path of trying to get a quick fix, the intelligence can actually step in and provide the proper guidance and support that needed to get out of that vicious cycle; furthermore, it will help us on our quest to achieve eternal happiness.

Ultimately, the only thing that will make us happy is genuine and meaningful soul-soul connections. The soul craves relationship, love and service. When it is covered by lust it mistakenly thinks it can get that by ignoring the one person who can give all of that - the Divine.

The path is clear. All it requires is a change of consciousness. The question remains - do you want eternal happiness and are you ready to do what it takes to get it?

bhakti yoga and cheesecake have more in common than you think...

Verse 3.17: But for one who takes pleasure in the self, whose human life is one of self-realization, and who is satisfied in the self only, fully satiated — for him there is no duty.

Are you a lover of cheesecake? Up until a few years ago, I personally didn't care for it. Now, if you were to ask me, I would probably say that it's my favorite type of cake.

I mean c'mon...every layer is just amazing! From the fruit jam on top to the soft and decadent cream cheese centre, it's just so delicious. And the fact that it sits on a base of graham crackers....mmmm....just perfect! Personally, I find it to be an ideal culinary combination of textures, flavours and consistency.

Why the sudden need to highlight my love for cheesecake, you ask? For the simple fact that when I read today's verse it immediately reminded me of cheesecake and I thought, "Cheesecake can act as perfect analogy for bhakti yoga!"

Like the fruit topping which is very visually appealing, the external aspects of bhakti yoga are also attractive and engaging. Whether it be the various asanas (physical poses), to the kirtan aspect (mantra meditation to music ) or even the enlivening sangas (talks and discussions on bhakti), most people would agree that it's a fun process!

But if one goes deeper into bhakti yoga, one finds even greater fulfillment. Again, the parallel can be drawn to the second layer of a cheesecake. A well made cream cheese filling is dichotomous in nature since one may experience it to be light and fluffy but at the same time find it very filling.

With respect to today's verse, this second layer of bhakti could be compared to a person working in line with their proclivities and qualities and offering the results of that work in gratitude to the Supreme. Like the cream cheese filling it may seem contradictory at first (i.e. how can something light and fluffy be filling!). After all, one continues to do the same work, but now it's spiritual simply because one's attitude changes? Yes, it's true! All it takes is a shift in consciousness to transform something so mundane as work from material to spiritual.

***For those interested in this topic, a great deal has already been explored with respect to working in line with one's nature, most of which was discussed in Chapter 2 (i.e. embracing opportunities).

But today we get to delve into a deeper level of bhakti yoga and that is actually realizing that all happiness can actually be found within. Just like a cheesecake needs a firm foundation to build upon, the foundation bhakti rests on is that of - every living entity is a soul. Furthermore, eternal happiness is an inherent characteristic of the soul. The only reason that we may not be experience that limitless happiness is due to the fact that we identify ourselves to be the body, mind and senses. That's what is being described here today:

"For one who actually realizes and acts on the platform of 'I am the soul', there is no need for them to perform any type of work."

Why is that? Because those proclivities and qualities one may engage to perform work relate to the body, not the soul. The soul only possesses two qualities: to desire and to serve the Supreme.

Ultimately, this is the goal of bhakti - to realize we are eternal souls. However, like anything worthwhile, it doesn't come easy. It takes time and focused effort through the process of associating with advanced bhakti practitioners, reading the bhakti texts and engaging in mantra mediation. The great thing? All of these processes are fun and inspiring!

One important thing to remember is that although the Gita is highlighting the top goal, it's not encouraging us to artificially imitate or "cheat" to get there. If we are caught up in thinking and relating to ourselves as the body, that's ok. We can continue to work according to our nature and offer everything in gratitude. Gradually, by doing that, we will start to experience ourselves as souls. This verse is here as a reminder to let us know there's something even higher.

p.s. Here's to hoping that you view cheesecake in a new light - one filled with bhakti!

the exercise guide

Verse 2.68: Therefore, O mighty-armed, one whose senses are restrained from their objects is certainly of steady intelligence.

I love to ponder the meaning of words. When reading today's verse, the word exercise came to mind and how both it's meanings are so applicable. As a noun, it is indicative of an activity that requires physical effort to help one maintain health and well-being. When used as a verb, however, it means to use or apply something, like a process.

For the past little while now, Krsna has been presenting a practical means by which we can control our senses (i.e. a process to exercise). That is, engagement of the senses as a service as opposed to using them in a self-serving way through the transformation of consciousness. Repeatedly, it's been highlighted that artificial repression of our senses is the difficult path which is not recommended for long term success.

In the beginning, however, some repression is needed and I wanted to highlight that. Even though one may theoretically understand and agree that we can transform our senses as vehicles to help us realize our true selves (i.e. eternal souls), it's hard to kick a bad habit. Simply put, it's hard to stop doing something you've been doing for lifetimes! That is, operating on the "what's in it for me" platform most of the time. This doesn't apply to all of us, but it certainly applies to many of us!

Therefore, in the beginning we may need to voluntarily control our wandering senses; we may have to exercise restraint. Some might question, "Hey, isn't the Gita being contradictory then? On one hand it's saying that we shouldn't artificially repress our senses, but on the other hand it's saying we need to control them."

This is why it's so important to have bhakti guides and friends to help us understand things in context. It's like in colouring. Remember when we were young and it seemed that the whole goal was to just try to colour inside the lines of our colouring book? Those of you who are artistically inclined didn't stay on this level forever. Looking back, some may even comment that it was a necessary exercise to gain more control over the hands. Now as matured and evolved artists, you utilize that control when needed but don't hang on to it since its not the end goal in and of itself.

Similarly, in the beginning, it may be hard for us to always work in the consciousness of service and bhakti. There will be times when we will need to just "say no" to the dictates of our mind. We will need to practice exercising that restraint. Doing that, in combination with practicing acknowledgement for all the gifts we have received from the Divine will, however, lead to the time when we won't need to practice that restraint. It will become natural and joyful.

repression vs. regulation

Verse 2.64: But a person free from all attachment and aversion and able to control his senses through regulative principles of freedom can obtain the complete mercy of the Lord.

For the past few verses, Krsna has been highlighting the importance of sense control. However, it should be noted that the aspect of artificial repression, which some may mistake to be the only way to control the senses, has been denounced as being less than optimal. Why is that?

Artificial repression, in this context, refers to forcibly withholding the senses from engaging with their sense objects. Although extremely determined persons can do this for extended periods of time, it takes a great deal of effort. It's not positive in any way, shape or form. The tape player of the mind is set on "Don't, don't, don't..." and for most of us, that's far from enlivening.

The Gita suggests a much more positive and practical approach - regulation of the senses. It takes into account that we are embodied beings who have senses. That means that it's only logical that the senses will want to interact with sense objects! Instead of going to extremes, the Gita speaks of attaining a middle ground. As opposed to over-indulging in sense enjoyment, one can regulate it.

The benefits of regulating the senses are two-fold. First of all, we (as souls), are back in the drivers seat and taking command of the bodies we are currently inhabiting as opposed to letting our senses dictate what we "want". Secondly, regulation allows us to take that time to determine whether or not the activity we want to engage in is beneficial to us or not. What is that judgement based on? The bhakti texts would present the basis for that decision be made on whether it helps us remember that we are eternal spirit souls or whether it only helps reinforce the notion that we "think" we are this body. Furthermore, that time allows us to get into the proper consciousness of doing everything in a spirit of gratitude as opposed to doing it for ourselves.

Regulation has gotten a bad rap when it comes to spirituality, yoga and actually any facet of life. As opposed to looking at it in a negative way, Krsna is inviting us to look at it as a means by which we can live our lives to their fullest potential. As a final thought to meditate on - regulation isn't a lack of freedom. A lack of freedom is being bound by the dictates of our mind senses and constantly succumbing to them. True freedom is being able to make a choice.

how to deal with unwanted and unexpected guests

Verse: 2.56: One who is not disturbed in mind even amidst the threefold miseries or elated when there is happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind.

Unwanted and unexpected guests. What kind of emotion do you experience reading those four words? Elation and happiness or worry and anxiety? I'm guessing most would pick the latter two emotions. ;)

In the world we live in today, it's getting rarer to receive unexpected guests (if you exclude the random door-door salesperson), wouldn't you agree? With the advent of cell phones, email and texting it's much easier to just check in to see if somebody is home before you visit. If you're one those people who feels this way, you may be surprised to find out that there are three unwanted and unexpected guests that show up almost daily (and they certainly don't check in to see if the timing is convenient for you to visit!).

The aftereffects of their visit can be summed up by the words anxious, upset, frustrated, worried and distracted. The Gita speaks about them in detail to educate us so that we can be aware of their effects and become aware of their stealthy attacks. In fact, the Gita expands on how these are the "side dishes" that come along with having a body. The annoying part? You can't request them to be left out. They're part of the whole material body package.

They come in these three forms:

1) Distress that comes as a result of nature.
2) Distress that comes as a result of other living beings.
3) Distress that arises due our own body and mind.

Distress due to nature....the subject matter of many a conversation! When I went to India last month, I got an opportunity to do so many wonderful things and was feeling so grateful. But (isn't there almost always a but?!), it was unbelievably hot. It was so hot that by mid afternoon my clothes would be soaked with so much perspiration that there would be salt stains left behind. Eww...I know. The heat was just unbelievable and definitely disturbed me. I chuckle, because at the present moment there are blowing ice pellets falling outside my window and I'm already dreading my walk to the bus stop. These are just minor examples of the disturbances we may experience as a result of nature, what to speak of huge floods, famines and tsunamis.

The second type of distress may arise due to other living beings. Remember the last time something said something negative about you? Primo example. For many of us, that's one of the things that causes us great disturbance both emotionally and mentally. However, this type of distress is not limited to only other humans. Other living entities also cause us grief. I'm shaking my head recalling an incident last summer when a mosquito was buzzing close to my ear and prevented me from falling asleep for two hours!

Finally, the third unwanted guest that may cause us to be disturbed is our own body and mind. Anytime the body gives us any pain or suffering, it's so hard to stay equipoised. Our mind especially causes as problems. As discussed yesterday, it is constantly trying to find ways so that we may gratify our senses and if it fails, we're in for it. I remember in first year of University I was in so much anxiety thinking I was going to fail my Calculus final that I couldn't get out of bed. My worry literally paralyzed me for an hour. My personal observation is that oftentimes disturbances that arise due to one's own mind and body may be the hardest to overcome.

So why this analysis of these three unwanted and unexpected guests? Because it's hard to know how to deal with an unwanted and unexpected guest if we're not even aware that that's what they are! The Gita is explaining that this is not just a part of "normal life" and it's not something we should just accept. These are incentives to realize that we are not this body.

By recognizing these unwanted guests as temporary visitors, we can choose to stop giving them the power to dictate our emotions, resources and reactions. Instead we can utilize these moments as opportunities to dive deeper into discovering who we really are - the eternal and ever-blissful soul.

mind- friend or foe?

Verse 2.55: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O Pārtha, when a man gives up all varieties of desire for sense gratification, which arise from mental concoction, and when his mind, thus purified, finds satisfaction in the self alone, then he is said to be in pure transcendental consciousness.

A few questions to begin with today: Do you consider your mind to be your servant or your master? Would you like to become a more focused individual? Don't answer these questions right away! Just hang on to them for the moment...

The mind is one complex subject! In fact, there are fields of study dedicated to it such as that of psychology. However, the one thing that psychology has yet to offer is the answer to the question of how to control the mind without trying to repress it.

The yoga texts, specifically the Gita, not only give the answer to this million dollar question, but they also offer more insight as to the nature of the mind. Simply put, the Gita defines the mind as the leader of the senses. The great bhakti master Prabhupada further elaborates, "The principle activities of the mind are of thinking, feeling and willing which are expressed through our senses."

The mind is constantly making plans so that the senses can enjoy. That is, when the mind is not purified. This is an important distinction that the Gita makes. The living entity, the soul, is spiritual. The mind, however, is material. It is not possible to purify the mind with material objects or processes, at least not in any way that has a long-lasting effect. The only way the mind can be purified is through spiritual engagement.

Let's take a moment to talk about what happens with the mind if it isn't purified: it will constantly accept and reject ideas. It does so because it lives in the realm of duality. It assigns labels to people, places, situations and things of "this is good" and "this is bad". Those labels are not founded in any permanence and that is why you may observe that one second you may think something is good and the next second something is bad. For example, say your favourite food is pizza. When you are first eating it, your mind is exclaiming, "So good, we want more!" You're so happy that there's pizza that you keep eating and eating and eating...and suddenly as you finish off that seventh piece and your stomach starts protesting, that same mind starts chastising, "Stop! Pizza bad, causing pain."

Why does the mind do this? Because it is making judgements on behalf of the senses. When the senses feel pleasure, the mind perceives something as good and as soon as it starts causing pain or any type of discomfort, that same thing becomes bad.

One could rightly argue, "But that's necessary isn't it?" On the material platform, absolutely. But remember, the goal of yoga is to transcend the temporary. The pleasure we feel coming from the senses doesn't last and so by constantly letting the mind "make the call" as to what's good/bad or right/wrong, we are operating on the material level. As spiritual beings, we seek eternal pleasure which can only be attained when our mind is spiritualized.

So how do we purify the mind? In the beginning, one can start by trying to control it. The mind is like a little child in that it always needs to be engaged. If it isn't engaged, it just wrecks havoc and that's why "An idle mind is a devil's workshop."

So how does one go about controlling the mind? A word to the wise, artificially repressing doesn't tend to work well. In fact, often times it may even exacerbate the craziness going on inside. The yoga texts present mantra meditation as the solution. In fact, for the current age we live in, mantra meditation is stated be even more effective than silent meditation. With silent meditation, the mind may still be internally going crazy because the senses aren't engaged. Remember how the mind is the leader of the senses? If the mind is going crazy, you can be sure the senses are also crying out for something to occupy them.

Mantra meditation is a sensory experience that calms the mind. By holding mantra beads, one is engaging the sense of touch. Through saying the mantra and hearing it, one is engaging both the tongue and the ears. One can either close their eyes or look at the written words of the mantra and thus engage the eyes. Although not necessary, one can even engage the nose by burning incense or choosing to be outside in the fresh air.

The key in mantra meditation is to focus on hearing the sound of the mantra. That's it. Just by hearing the mantra, the mind is pulled from it's whirlpool like thoughts and starts resting in the mantra. This is the spiritual engagement we were speaking of before. As one practices this daily and slowly increases their time engaging in mantra meditation, it's amazing how the focus one experiences transfers to all aspects of one's life.

The question may arise then of what mantra to chant. There are so many mantras given in the Vedas. However, the recommended mantra for this age is that of the maha mantra - the greatest mantra which includes all other mantras. That's right. Just by meditating on this one mantra, you get the benefit of chanting every other mantra, even the ones don't even know about!

You may have heard of the maha mantra before but not realized its significance. The mantra goes: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. These three names of Hare, Krishna and Rama refer to names of the Divine. Hare is an address to the feminine divine and Krishna and Rama refer to the the Supreme. The mantra is a call for help to the Supreme consciousness to help us reconnect with our true identity.

So in conclusion, I ask you to revisit the questions I asked at the beginning. The first one is just something to think about. If you answered yes to the second one however, I invite you to try meditating on the Hare Krishna mantra. Just try it for a few minutes everyday when you wake up for a week. If you choose to do so, please write down on your observations. I would love to hear your experience!

lost in the forest

Verse 2.52: When your intelligence has passed out of the dense forest of delusion, you shall become indifferent to all that has been heard and all that is to be heard.

I love the analogy that Krsna gives here of the intelligence passing through the dense forest of delusion. It's so vivid. One can clearly imagine a dark and thick forest which is overpacked with trees so tall that they block out the sun and make it difficult to find a way out.

We are like wayward travellers who have gotten lost in that forest. Due to habituation, we identify ourselves with the scenery and surroundings. Over time, we forget that the forest is not our true home and that in actuality we are travellers. We are travellers who are passing through this forest with the goal of getting back home to our loving family.

In the meantime, although we are attacked by all kinds of disturbances in the form of anger, greed, lust and envy etc., we are ignorant of a way out. In fact, our mind and false ego, who we look to as friends, often serve to only mislead us further. The false ego does so by deluding us to believe that our home is in the forest and the mind does so by only thinking of satisfying the senses.

It seems we are doomed....until, an expert guide who has received perfect knowledge as to how to navigate the treacherous paths, traps and darkness comes to help us. We now have the free will to choose that guidance or to continue spending our time chasing after the fleeting glimpses of happiness while simultaneously trying to avoid distress.

So what do you choose? Are you going to stay in the forest or are you ready to go home? If you're tired of living out of a suitcase, the Gita is lighting up the path.

true yoga

Verse 2.41: Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.

There are many conceptions and ideas about yoga floating around the world today. As yoga becomes increasingly popular, it seems as though it's also becoming increasingly difficult to understand what true yoga is all about.

It's simple really. Yoga is a way of life. It's not something you "do", it's how you live. Since yoga is spiritual in its essence, the ultimate result of living a yogic lifestyle is to reconnect ourselves with the spiritual. What is that spiritual? It is to realize that we ourselves are eternal spirit souls, that all other living entities are also eternal spirit souls and that we are all connected by a common relationship. That relationship is with the Divine, the Supreme, who different people call by various names.

However, for many, that is a lot to take in at once and so the yoga texts take it step by step. First, the yoga texts start with the body, since it is what we mistakenly identify ourselves with. Yoga asanas, or postures, are there to help us experience the body. Think about it. How often during the day do you think about blinking, breathing or even walking? We tend not notice any particular part of our body unless we experience pain there. Through performing various postures, we get to "experience" the body as well as keep it healthy.

For many, that's enough and they are happy to think that is complete yoga. This is, however, just the beginning. Once the body is regulated, it only makes sense that we try to control the wild and turbulent mind. One of the most effective ways of taming the mind is through the practice of mantra meditation. In contrast to trying to empty the mind of all thoughts, which is near impossible to do, mantra meditation engages all the senses. Instead of trying to fight the senses to control the mind, the bhakti yogi uses them as tools.

Now we come to the main point of today's verse, which speaks of the intelligent. Did you know that the bhakti texts categorize the mind and intelligence as being different? In fact, there is a hierarchy. The intelligence is higher than the mind which is higher than the senses. Higher than the intelligence is the soul. Are you noticing a pattern here? The first two steps began with first understanding the nature of the senses and the mind and then regulating them. Now we move on to the intelligence...which begs the question: what does one do with the it?

One purifies the it by hearing from advanced bhakti practitioners and reading the bhakti texts. Here, Krsna the ultimate yogi, is giving the characteristics of a person who has purified intelligence- they are resolute in purpose and their aim is one (i.e. they are focused). In addition, to help us diagnose ourselves, he also gives a description of those persons whose intelligence is not purified - they are irresolute and scattered. But that isn't all. The aim and the purpose of such intelligent persons is also given. It's not that one can be resolute about anything and that should be the benchmark by which we assess purified intelligence. Purified intelligence means one's aim is on living a bhakti lifestyle, a yogic lifestyle. That lifestyle in no way discounts achieving success or aspiring for greatness, it just means that it is done so in a spirit of gratitude (i.e. karma free).

The crux, or most important step for all those aspiring to live a yogic lifestyle really centres on understanding and controlling the mind. That's exactly what Krsna will speak of in the verses to come. So stay tuned! It could change your life and turn you into a focused and empowered individual.

fight!

Verse 2.33: If, however, you do not perform your religious duty of fighting, then you will certainly incur sins for neglecting your duties and thus lose your reputation as a fighter.

Krsna is encouraging Arjuna to fight. Growing up with the culture of bhakti being practiced by my parents, I have to admit that this always confused the heck out of me! The path of bhakti is all about compassion, love, tolerance, humility and respect. Krsna encouraging Arjuna to fight seems completely contradictory to the essence of bhakti. So what gives?

It was only when I studied the Gita under the guidance of extremely advanced and qualified bhakti practitioners that I began to understand something crucial. There is a time and place for everything. Nothing is good or bad. Take for example a knife. In an expert surgeon's hand, it's an instrument of healing and help whereas in the hands of a criminal it can be used to inflict harm.

In this case, Arjuna is a leader, an administrator and a protector. Therefore it is his duty to take care of those who depend on him. Duryodhana, who wrongfully usurped the kingdom, is not a qualified leader due to the fact that he took power through trickery and force. We forget that the consciousness of anyone in a position of power has a direct impact on others. In this case, since Duryodhana is the epitome of selfishness, deceit and unlawfulness, this is what would get propagated within the kingdom.

Krsna is not asking to Arjuna to fight for himself, but on behalf of his subjects who need to be saved from this type of rule. Imagine a parallel situation. A thug is harassing someone on the road. A policeman is witnessing the situation and realizes that to help the victim, he might need to inflict some force on the thug. Thinking that utilizing force is always bad, he simply walks away. Do you think the policeman did the right thing?

Most people would probably agree that the policeman's inaction could be considered even worse than what the thug was doing! It is the policeman's duty to help those who are in need. The application of force and fighting is sometimes necessary to help those who are dependent and helpless.

Consciousness is also extremely important. Krsna is not encouraging Arjuna to fight so that he can enjoy the kingdom. Similarly, the policeman or law enforcement officer should not be motivated to help others just for recognition. It is a duty, a responsibility.

In today's day and age, the concept of acting in the right consciousness and out of duty are foreign concepts, what to speak of the fact that we don't have very qualified leaders and protectors. But that doesn't mean that the aspiring bhakti yogi doesn't fight. Oh no, we do. Our fight though is against our mind that compels us to remain complacent and lazy when actually we should endeavour to be spiritually active. Reading bhakti texts, hearing inspiring talks and engaging in mantra meditation all take effort.

It's about time, place, circumstance and above all motivation. Everything can be utilized in bhakti, even applying a little force.

good and bad

Verse 2.6: Nor do we know which is better — conquering them or being conquered by them. If we killed the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, we should not care to live. Yet they are now standing before us on the battlefield.

I always find it incredibly amazing when things just line up in place. Some may call it coincidence, serendipity or luck, but I am more convinced then ever that it is direct reciprocation from God. The only thing we need to do is wake up and pay attention! Something that I certainly need to work on. :)

I bring this up because today's verse talks about duality and wouldn't you know, I was just listening to a talk on duality this morning. For those who may not understand what the bhakti texts speak of when they refer to duality, it is the aspect of labelling things as good or bad, hot or cold, black or white etc... Duality is something that surrounds us and is a large part of the material experience we are undergoing. There is a beautiful verse in the Vedic text called Caitanya Caritamrita that speaks on duality which I'd like to refer to here. The text is spoken in Bengali and I'll include it since it's so beautiful:

'dvaite' bhadrābhadra-jñāna, saba — 'manodharma'
'ei bhāla, ei manda', — ei saba 'bhrama' (CC. Antya. 4.176)

The translation is as follows: "In the material world, conceptions of good and bad are all mental speculations. Therefore, saying 'This is good' and 'This is bad' is all a mistake."

What I've always found of interest in this verse is the translation to the word 'manodharma' which means "religion of the mind." Have you ever thought that of your mind as having its own religion? Well, it does! And that religion is to categorize things as good or bad. See when the mind is trapped in the illusory conception of life (i.e. seeing everything separate from God), then its only frame of reference is to see everything in relationship to the body. Hence, the religion of the mind is different for every living entity since its frame of reference is itself. "Itself" here being the material body and not the true self- the soul.

It's a valuable lesson to keep things in perspective. We all go through moments, minutes, months and even years of feeling confused, hurt, resentful and misunderstood. When we feel this way it's because we are seeing good and bad in relationship to something that is only temporary - i.e. our material body. We get so worked up, no? Then we feel justified to act in a way that is unbecoming of a true lady or gentlemen.

I've taken to running my own personal experiment. I've stopped trying to label things that are and aren't happening to me as good or bad. Instead, it's simply an "experience". Although I'm still in the initial stages of my research, I notice that my mind isn't as disturbed as it normally is. Instead of boiling up inside and feeling that/it/he/she is good or bad, I consciously try to simply observe the situation, note the feelings that come up (bhakti is not about becoming numb or emotionless!) and try to look for the root cause of my emotions. Every single time, I've come to the conclusion that when I start to label something as good/bad it's because I'm perceiving the situation a certain way in relation to my body. I'm either feeling that I don't get enough credit, honour, glory, am misunderstood....the list can go on forever.

If we could only look for the lesson, life really wouldn't be so complicated. I'll end today by relating a small story that my spiritual teacher shared in a class today.

Close to thirty years ago, my guru was living in an asrama and was heading up a project to distribute bhakti texts across North America. The asrama received a new leader in charge and for whatever reason he would take to putting down my spiritual teacher. My teacher related how much this hurt his heart. He never told anyone, but at a certain point in time it was starting to become unbearable (i.e. he felt the situation was really "bad"). However, he was praying to Krsna to please help him and it just so happened the person who was insulting him went away for a few days. During that time, my teacher was asked to give a series of classes on a beautiful bhakti text called the Srimad Bhagavatam.

The story and texts he was asked to speak on were in relation to a great bhakti yogi who was being insulted. There, that bhakti yogi responds to the insults by saying that he is not affected since all the insults are in relationship to his body and not his true self - the soul. So why should he feel hurt or disturbed, since it actually has no meaning! My spiritual teacher felt such relief in these words and in fact from that day forward started to feel grateful to the person who was insulting him!!! He felt that, "This person is helping me to realize that I am not this body." When this person came back to the asrama, my teacher started noticing that this person stopped insulting him after some time. In fact, years later, this person actually came and apologized profusely to my teacher.

I find this experience so inspiring. It goes to show that everything we undergo here in this material world is simply happening to teach us that we don't belong here. The body we are in right now is not our permanent residence and so everything that we undergo that is seemingly good/bad is simply a tool to help remind us of that.

So the next time you feel something is good/bad, try not to engage in the religion of the mind. Instead, look for the beautiful lesson that is actually of value - we are spiritual beings having a material experience.

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.