VEDANTA VISION GITA-MESSAGES REVIEWED BY MODERN URBAN MONKS AND PHILOSOPHERS
[Compilation of Gita Messages from Urban Monks & Philosophers for a Discourse by N. R. Srinivasan, Nashville, TN, USA, March 2021]
In all my recent E-mails on Bhagavad Gita, I have been concentrating on the following message of Gita inspired by the practical-guide-to-life spiritual discourses of Swami Chidananda of FOWAI Forum:
Do your duty to the best of your ability without worrying about the results. Perceive that GOD is present equally in all beings and treat all beings equally. The four goals of human life are: Doing one’s duty, earning wealth, material and sensual enjoyment (with senses under control) and attaining salvation. The aim of the Gita doctrine is to lead one to tranquility, happiness and equanimity. Gita prescribes no rituals and says that the world needs different religions, cults and deities to meet the vastly different needs of individuals.” “Don’t worry, be happy’ may well be the goal of our lives, but the secret of achieving this lies in Gita. The Gita Doctrine is beyond Religious and National boundaries.
Gita’s last sermon is: 1) Do your duty, to the best of your ability, dedicated to the Supreme without worrying about the outcome. Remember the Supreme all the times; 2) Perceive that GOD is within every living being. Mentally bow down to all beings and treat all beings equally; 3) Perceive through the activities of mind, senses, breathing, and emotions that the power of GOD is within you at all times, and is constantly doing all the work using you as a mere instrument.
“Gita has been fundamental text of
ancient Indian culture. The sheer brilliance of the text can be gauged from the
fact that even after thousands of years, the text continues to shape Indian
mind; time has certainly changed the context, but it has not weathered the
essence and vitality of the Gita.
The text is a discourse between Krishna and Arjuna, between two friends,
between a warrior and his charioteer, between baffled lower self and guiding
higher self of man, between human and latent divine in himself. The backdrop is
set in the midst of a war.
Arjuna who is the chief hope of the Pandava-race in a battle against evil and
Injustice finds himself intimidated; the extent of destruction and bloodshed that war will leave its wake breaks down every social and intellectual moral-scaffolding Arjuna has ever known. Grief and sentimentalism overcome him and induce a sense of easy self-righteousness; Victory, honor, glory and a chivalrous fight, which have been his Kshatriya-dharma so far in life, no longer seemed inspiring enough; a world with justice and righteousness is still desired but not to be acquired at the cost of bloodshed in an all-drawing war. So Arjuna casts aside his bow and arrow.
Arjuna is committing the most common human fallacy- being a judge in his own cause; Overcome by sentimentalism, he constructs a web of arguments for his own psychological comfort and finds himself trapped in this web of his own making. But guiding him in the field of battle is Krishna, the friend, the higher self, the divine himself. His gaze penetrates deep into the mind of Arjuna and dissects the web bit by bit. He takes Arjuna into the deepest recesses of human existence and lays out a doctrine which is immense in its scope, eternal in its nature and exacting in its demands.
Krishna tells Arjuna that the war that is about to ensue will happen anyway, with or without him. The people at war were only instruments of divine-working, serving divine purpose- progression of human life and existence. And thus he makes the declaration to Arjuna– “Slain and Thou shall achieve heaven, victorious and you will enjoy the earth, Therefore Arise and resolve upon battle.”
Krishna details out every subtle aspect of human existence to Arjuna- three gunas- sattva, Rajas and Tamas- and the Maya of ego that they construct; doctrine of impersonality which breaks the limiting shackles of ego and unlocks latent universal potential in man; the idea of three Purushas which conceptualizes relationship between crude nature, mind and divine; and a unreserved and perfect consecration of action, knowledge and faith to divine, which brings redemption to every soul- good and evil alike.
The test of a philosophical text should not be how neat and clean moral instructions it can provide, but rather how much it can unsettle the set beliefs and stretch them higher and deeper. Gita scores full marks on that test. You may agree or disagree with what it says but you cannot be indifferent to it; even if it does not provide answers to all your questions, it will certainly enhance the quality of your doubts. And that is worth reading a text for. And perhaps you will find out that’s what Gita intended to do in the first place” --says Saurabh Goyal reviewing Gita.
Recently, Kalpataru Research has condensed Gita into a tract of 300 topics (trisati) comprising of the most essential teachings of the great spiritual teaching avoiding repetitions and material that does not directly relate these teachings and establishing a continuity of slokas into a spiritual topic including commentaries from great philosophers. Strangely it has not included the more recent interpretations of Jnanesvari, Lokamanya Bala Gangadhara Tilk, Sri. Aurobindo, Mahatma Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave and other Urban Monks in an attempt to recognize Bhagavad Gita as a Prasthana with the other two, Upanishads and Vedanta. Of late, Urban Monks like Chidananda and Jaya Row of Vedanta Vision are engaged in giving lectures on Bhagavad Gita focusing on Gita Doctrine to lead one to tranquility, happiness and equanimity seeking EQ and SQ balanced life. They even say how Gita helps in Modern Management of Organizations, besides individual management of Self thus making it Universal Management guide to all paths of life in the modern world.
I am on the mailing list of Vedanta Vision of Smt. Jaya ROW. She has been delivering a series of lectures on Gita. On February 6, this month she delivered a lecture by Webinar on Zoom on the subject “Conquer Desire, Gain Perfection” from Chapter 3 of Gita that I forwarded to you.
Jaya Row excels in presenting the Gita in a simple manner which makes for easy understanding and application of its message. It is therefore no surprise that Jayaji is one of the most sought after orators, having been invited to prestigious institutions such as the World Economic Forum, Davos, World Bank Washington DC, Young Presidents’ Organization worldwide etc. Let us benefit in our daily life from her wisdom talks on Gita Vision in her own word:
“The Bhagavad Gita has long been a source of inspiration to generations of young Indians seeking Perfection. With its help, they achieved excellence in every field of endeavor – be it surgery, mathematics, art or music.
The Bhagavad Gita is the most enchanting and comprehensive dissertation on how an ordinary mortal can rise above petty, personal preoccupations to become the extraordinary immortal Spirit. It draws from the sublime truths of the Upanishads and presents them as a practical technique of living. The Gita has generated deep interest among seekers of Truth worldwide and has been translated into almost every major language. Yet it is enigmatic and eludes the grasp of most people.
The Bhagavad Gita is part of the great epic Mahabharata. It forms the spiritual core of the Mahabharata. The stories of the Mahabharata lend a charm to the philosophy. They convey the subtle concepts by way of endearing narratives that are easier to understand and remember. While the Mahabharata comprises 97,400 verses, the Gita is a mere 701 verses. Hence it is likened to a pendant on the necklace of the Mahabharata. It was Adi Sankaracharya who extracted the Gita and gave it a special status.
The physical location of the Mahabharata was Kurukshetra, a little north of Delhi. However, the spiritual plane of inner conflict, emptiness and uncertainty is one we are all too familiar with. Though the Gita was given out 5000 years ago it is as alive now as on the day it was delivered. For its contents are eternal principles that apply to all human beings, at all times, anywhere in the world.
The Gita is a dialogue between Krishna, the guru, and Arjuna, his dear friend and commander-in-chief of the Pandava army. The Gita begins at the edge of a battle between two sets of cousins – the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Duryodhana, the Kaurava chief and evil son of the blind king Dhritarashtra, usurps the Pandavas’ kingdom. When all attempts at reconciliation fail and even Krishna is unable to get Duryodhana to see reason the battle lines are drawn. At the zero hour, as the confrontation is about to start, Arjuna asks his charioteer Krishna to drive him between the two armies for a last minute reconnaissance. It is then that Arjuna is overcome with grief and despair on seeing his very own ancestor Bhisma and revered guru Dronacharya in the enemy camp. He views the entire situation from a narrow, personal perspective and loses heart. He lays down his bow and arrow, refusing to engage in combat. Krishna masterfully blends psychology with philosophy and in a short span of eighteen chapters restores Arjuna to his original stature. He gives him the clarity and commitment to fight the battle and win it.
We all have our battles to fight. Battles between our own positive and negative tendencies. Between our higher aspirations and lower indulgences. Between the intellect on the one hand and the mind and senses on the other.
However, in the midst of these challenges we need to stand between the two opposing forces and delve deep into our inner being. Find our purpose, our mission, our inner calling. Then we will get the answers and derive the strength to fight and overcome adversity. All problems are self-created. Hence the solutions must also lie within. As long as we look outward the situation will always appear insurmountable. Look within and the problems vanish.
Just as Krishna spoke only when Arjuna completely surrendered and asked for help, the Gita will come alive and speak to us only when we set aside our arrogance and approach it with humility and a desire to learn. As Krishna explains in the Gita, you must have the capacity to surrender in areas where you are ignorant, pranipata, question when you fail to understand, prasna, and cultivate an attitude of service and sacrifice, seva. Then the guru who is jnanina, wise, and tattvadarsina, seer of Truth, will instruct you.
The Bhagavad Gita literally means ‘Divine Song’. Krishna, the Jagadguru or universal mentor, is an expert player of the flute. The flute is a hollow reed with seven apertures. Krishna had mastered the art of evoking melodious music from this humble instrument. The flute represents our personality. The five senses, mind and intellect are the seven windows to the world. Not having learnt and mastered the technique of living, we bring out discordant notes in life. However, when we empty ourselves of negativity, desire and ego, captivating music emerges from our personality. The Bhagavad Gita imparts the art of operating in tune with the world by being in unison with the Spirit.
The Bhagavad Gita draws its knowledge from the Upanishads which in turn gained inspiration from the four Mahavakyas or great aphorisms. An aphorism is a short maxim, brief statement or principle. During the pre-Vedic times the human intellect was sharp and brilliant. The student needed only a suggestion by way of the Mahavakyas. These were four concise, potent statements of fact defining God, Brahman.
Prajnanam Brahma ‘Consciousness is Brahman’. This was called laksana vakya or statement of indication. The guru merely gave out this statement and the student pored over it, reflected upon it and struggled to arrive at the Truth. When he was unable to succeed the guru further elaborated with the second Mahavakya –Tat Tvam Asi or ‘That thou art’, you are God. This was the upadesa vakya or statement of advice. It gives a distinct guideline on how to locate God. The student went back and repeated the third Mahavakya –Ayam Atma Brahma or ‘This Atman is Brahman’. This was called abhyasa vakya or statement of practice. Through consistent application the student finally attained Realization and declared –Aham Brahmasmi or ‘I am Brahman’. Referred to as the anubhava vakya or declaration of experience, it came from the depth of his wisdom.
This method of teaching worked successfully for centuries. Over time the human intellect deteriorated and the student was unable to grasp the Truth. The Upanishads then came into being. They were elucidations of the Mahavakyas and were useful in guiding students to the Self. Much later, a further elaboration by way of the Bhagavad Gita came into being which brought the pristine Upanishadic truths within reach of the common person struggling with the everyday challenges of life. Then commentaries on the Gita appeared and today we need interpretations of even the commentaries!
The need of the hour is peace of mind. A tranquil mind is the foundation on which the edifice of success, happiness and growth can be built. The Gita gives the ability to remain peaceful in the midst of noise and confusion around. It speaks of a dynamic peace where the mind is at rest, intellect sharp and actions brilliant. A peace that cannot be shattered by a changing, undependable world. A strong, resilient peace, not a fragile equilibrium. The world pays homage to one who is at peace.
The theme of the Bhagavad Gita is that you are God. You are not the finite, weak, vulnerable individual you imagine yourself to be. You are the mighty Spirit that makes your heart pulsate, liver and kidneys function meticulously, lungs transfer gases perfectly. You are the Divine Power that lends life to every cell in the body, every emotion in the mind and every thought that flutters through the intellect. You are the same Force that guides the planets around the sun, the Milky Way galaxy in its trajectory and every star and heavenly body in the universe. But for some reason you do not know it. It is this ignorance of your identity that is the root cause of all your troubles. The Gita introduces you to yourself and your divine nature. With this knowledge all sorrows come to an end. You revel in the bliss of your new-found Self.
The Gita zeroes in on desire which stands between you and your Godhood. The formula is
Man – desires = GOD [where G=One who generates; O=one who operates or Maintains; and D=One who causes Dissolution (Srishthi, Sthiti, Laya)--One who is the Creator of the universe who sustains the thoughts and deeds of men--Vidhartara]
The Gita helps deal with desires. The first step is to manage desires with the intellect. The next stage is to reduce, refine and re-direct them with the three pathways of Karma Yoga, Path of Action, Bhakti Yoga, Path of Devotion and Jnana Yoga, Path of Knowledge. Only a handful of desires then remain – desire to realize the Self, serve the guru and engage in the service of humanity. These get eliminated through meditation which is single pointed focus on a mantra or word-symbol under the supervision of the intellect, not allowing the mind to meander to any other thought. When the last trace of thought vanishes the individual merges with the totality. You become GOD”
Aurobindo’s Essays on Bhagavad Gita is a masterly exposition of the pre-eminent Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita appealing to spiritualists and Yoga practitioners. It was after reading these essays, in particular, that in the 1930s President Wilson’s daughter went to Sri Aurobindo and devoted her life - receiving the name Nishtha via his vision in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry.
The Essays of Aurobindo, is a prosaic rendering of 18 Chapters of in 700 shlokas, that are a commentary on Gita that tries to explain what makes it significant for an intellectual Yoga practitioner and Spiritual pursuit. Aurobindo’s text also appears to be a compendium of Upanishads and other theological texts that came before that and condensing everything to a central spiritual message. That way one gets an idea why The Gita is considered the most important book of the Hindu religion like the Holy Bible for Christianity. It is not a very easy read as explanation of theological construct that is more theoretical exposition. If one labors through it, the book does give a reasonable overview of the message of the Gita without over simplifications occasionally with brilliant, it no doubt definitely gives some food for contemplation if read with open mind. I stress the open mind because the theological constructs such as the 3 aspects of God (incidentally Aurobindo links this to the Biblical construct of Father, Son and Holy Spirit of Christianity), concept of Avatars, nature and God, three Gunas etc. do not have any basis in experimental data or mathematical rigor linking to other scientifically proven facts to support them as per the demands of modern science.
Do you want to live life as a puppet, completely at the mercy of the world, or do you want to be free of the persecution of the world and become master of the universe? Gain knowledge of your own Power. Then the universe will transform from a prison-house to a playground. You will enjoy every moment of your life and gain access to the transcendental as well Krishna assures the sincere aspirant of the Divine of spiritual Enlightenment as well as material success. The Bhagavad Gita does not promise a vague, post mortem happiness. Its benefits can be reaped here and now to gain material prosperity, happiness and spiritual Enlightenment. The accent is on consistency of purpose and depth of feeling. Pursue your goal constantly and devotedly and you will achieve it. Whatever action you perform, whatever you perceive, whatever you offer, give or strive for, do it as an offering to the he bondage of actions that yield good and bad results. Thus every mundane action is converted to worship. You will be freed from the bondage of actions that yield good and bad results.
The Message of Gita as exposition in the last chapter by Aurobindo can be summed up as follows:
· We are a mind dwelling in human ignorance or a soul founded in divine knowledge. It is our faith.
· Our sraddha that makes us what we are.
· Our nature is our soul's manifestation, operates by its sanction and embodies its secret self-knowledge and self-consciousness and its will of being in her motions and forms and changes.
· Our being must not become the egoistic creation of Nature, but the largeness of a divine, immortal and spiritual Power. We need to completely consecrate our Self, our nature and our life to the Highest and to nothing else but the Highest.
· Yoga should be at once a Yoga of integral knowledge, a Yoga of the integral will and its works, a Yoga of integral love, adoration and devotion and a Yoga of an integral spiritual perfection of the whole being and of all its parts and states and powers and motions.
· There is an impersonal Self in us which supports the stream of our personality and is one with God's vast and impersonal spirit. God in the world and we in the world are realities; we should accept life and action and do not reject them.
· As the one Self he is here all-pervasive and equal and impersonal in man and animal and thing and object and every force of Nature.
God created humans with masks of Maya, therefore the soul of man lives in the surface fact of mind and life and body and not in his Self and spirit; he cannot see God and himself and the world as they really are, cannot overcome this Maya, and so obliged do what he can with its terms and figures.
We must awake from this light of Maya, that is darkness and live in the luminous truth of the eternal.
A perfect perfection comes only by living in the supreme and the whole Divine. The first necessity, the original radical step is to turn away from all that belongs to our lower Nature and fix ourselves by concentration of the will and intelligence on that which is higher than either will or intelligence, higher than mind and heart and sense and body. And first of all we must turn to our own eternal and immutable Self, impersonal and the same in all creatures. . Be that, be the eternal self, and be the Brahman.
It is desire that makes you go on saying I and mine. Slay then desire; put away attachment to the possession and enjoyment of the outward-ness of things. Separate yourself from all that comes to you as outward touches and solicitations, as objects of the mind and senses. Learn to bear and reject all the rush of the passions and to remain securely seated in your inner self even while they rage in your members, until at last they cease to affect any part of your nature. Bear and put away similarly the forceful attacks and even the slightest insinuating touches of joy and sorrow. Cast away liking and disliking, destroy preference and hatred, and root out shrinking and repugnance. Let there be a calm indifference to these things and to all the objects of desire in all our nature. Look on them with the silent and tranquil regard of an impersonal spirit. The result will be an absolute equality and the power of unshakable calm that the universal spirit maintains in front of its creations, facing ever the manifold action of Nature.
Look with equal eyes; receive with an equal heart and mind all that comes to you, success and failure, honor and dishonor, the esteem and love of men and their scorn and persecution and hatred, every happening that would be to others a cause of joy and every happening that would be to others a cause of sorrow. Look with equal eyes on all persons, on the good and the wicked, on the wise and the foolish, on the Brahmin and the outcaste, on man at his highest and every pettiest creature
Draw back from this external formation to your inner silent self; you will see that you the Purusha are inactive, but Nature continues to do always her works according to her Gunas. Fix yourself in this inner inactivity and stillness: no longer regard yourself as the doer. Remain seated in your Self above the play, free from the perturbed action of the Gunas. Live secure in the purity of an impersonal spirit.
Consider the action of the Jivanmukta, the works of the Siddha.
The first step on the free, the equal, the divine way of action is to put from you attachment to fruit and recompense and to labor only for the sake of the work itself that has to be done. An entirely desire- less and disinterested working of the personal will and the whole instrumental nature is the first rule of Karmayoga. Make of all you do from the greatest and most unusual effort to the smallest daily act, make of each act of your mind, each act of your heart, each act of your body, of every inner and outer turn, of every thought and will and feeling, of every step and pause and movement, a sacrifice to the Master of all sacrifice and Tapasya.
Next know that you are an eternal portion of the Eternal and the powers of your nature are nothing without him, nothing if not his partial self-expression. Surrender all your actions in the silence of your Self and spirit to the transcendent Master of your nature. This way of divine works is a far better release and a more perfect way and solution than the physical renunciation of life and works. A work done by you must be free and desire- less; work done without desire creates no reaction and imposes no bondage. Done in a perfect equality and an unmoved calm and peace, but without any divine passion, it is at first the fine yoke of a spiritual obligation, kartavyam karma, then the uplifting of a divine sacrifice; at its highest it can be the expression of a calm and glad acquiescence in active oneness. An integral union of the individual's being with the Divine Being is the condition of a perfect spiritual life.
Each man has a Swadharma, a law of his inner being which he must observe, find out and follow. Follow then the law of your Swadharma, do the action that is demanded by your Swabhava whatever it may be. Reject all motive of egoism, all initiation by self-will, all rule of desire, until you can make the complete surrender of all the ways of your being to the Supreme.
Complete surrender of your whole self and nature, this abandonment of all Dharmas to the Divine who is your highest Self, this absolute aspiration of all your members to the supreme spiritual nature. If you can once achieve it, whether at the outset or much later on the way, then whatever you are or were in your outward nature, your way is sure and your perfection is inevitable.
cCommentary by Swami Chinmayananda on the Holy Geeta
The Song of Eternity — A dialogue between Lord Krishna, the divine in us, and Arjuna, the symbol of our deluded ego (Jeevabhava) — How our mental confusion, delusion, desires, passions, etc. destroy our inner peace and how to overcome them is indicated — Geeta is a consolation to the bereaved, disillusioned, disappointed, morally slipped and spiritually fallen — It is a guidance to a politician, businessman and teenagers. The grand vision of the universe and all pervasiveness of God indicated — The secret of action pointed out — How one can step up efficiency, inner peace, concentration, usefulness to others and joy to himself is indicated — Tips for effective meditation given — Nature of the perfect man pointed out — Science of spiritual growth, spiritual fall and impotent stagnation is indicated — The beauty of the spirit and the ways of reaching the divine goal are indicated and that is the glory of Geeta.
Swami Chinmayananda, pioneered the art of conveying sublime knowledge intricately wrapped in Sanskrit scripture through the medium of English discourse and commentary. On realizing the true purpose of life, he worked tirelessly and with tremendous energy for more than four decades to spread the message of Vedanta. A great writer, leader, patriot and spiritual giant – He brought about a spiritual renaissance of the Vedantic heritage to the world. A powerful orator with his own brand of wit and humor; he paints vividly the wisdom of the ages in front of us. His commentary on the Bhagavad Geeta and Upanishads are considered one of the best ever for their clarity and crisp logic.
Although there are many commentaries on the Geeta, it is the careful analysis and brilliant reasoning of Swami Chinmayananda’s version that makes it so exceptional. There is a constant attempt to bring forth from each verse not only its literal meanings but also its hidden import that reveals a wealth of knowledge.
The Holy Gita or the Song of the Celestial is a dialogue between the Lord and a man of action set amidst the din and roar of war. The good and evil forces within are represented in the battlefield of life.
Man often finds himself in a crisis, wherein he is psychologically unable to cope with the situation on hand, or even decide the right course of action. In this inner turmoil, there is a great battle between the positive and negative indications.
The Holy Gita portrays the great spiritual struggle within man and guides him towards his inherent divinity and positivity in doing so, this Celestial Song explains the nature of man, his purpose in the world and the means for him to attain his goals. In short, it is a complete manual for achieving success in life.
The Holy Gita is the heart of the great Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. It is the quintessence of the philosophy of Vedanta. This commentary on the Holy Gita by Swami Chinmayananda is one of the finest ever written that has inspired many modern urban monks and philosophers. His extremely logical explanations in contemporary and powerful language coming from a scientist, have appealed to the millions of people, from young to adult, around the world.
Weekend with Wisdom: Yoga of the Bhagavad Gita by Chidananda
Indica Yoga kicks off Gita Jayanti celebrations with a three day Weekend with Wisdom webinar series on Yoga of the Bhagavad Gita. Each day is dedicated to a different form of yoga- day one for Jnana-yoga, day two for Karma-yoga and day three for Bhakti-yoga. The webinars will be presented by Swami Chidananda ji, Head, FOWAI forum and a leading Vedanta teacher and speaker on human values for more than three decades.
Swami Chidananda has been a Vedanta teacher and speaker on human values for more than three decades. After he served for 5 years as the resident Vedanta teacher in San Jose, California, in the mid-1990s, his work has been mostly in India and the USA. Since 2006, he heads FOWAI FORUM, a non-profit that disseminates philosophical and spiritual knowledge with special coverage of Indian ethos.
Numerous talks by him are on YouTube at the FOWAI channel. The author of seven books, he is especially known for his presentations on Bhagavad Geeta and the Upanishads. Hailing from the Udupi district in Karnataka, he has been living in Solan, Himachal Pradesh, since 2013.
He had begun with a career in electronics engineering, with a BE from Mysore University and an MTech from IIT Madras. Then he served Chinmaya Mission, the organization of Swami Chinmayanandaji, for 18 years and the Foundation of Jiddu Krishnamurti for 10 years.
I have been graced by HH. Swami Chidananda who had accepted to receive all my E-mails addressed to Active Participants of Hindu Reflections. I have been forwarding his messages with my limited knowledge providing background explanation for a better and quick grasp of his lectures delivered on YouTube with time limitations. I have also been occasionally blessed with appreciations for my renderings.
A Brief Synopsis of Swami Chidananda’s Current Webinar Zoom lectures
Jnana-yoga: This “Way of the Head,” is not dry, bookish scholarship but the wisdom marked by fine intelligence, which separates the truth from all falsehood. It is about knowing the spiritual nature of ours as distinct from the physical body and even from the subtle mind. It is the discipline that leads to Self-realization where we discover our true being as Existence-Awareness-Bliss (sat-chit-ānanda). The Geetā provides plenty of instructions and pointers towards this inner awakening.
Karma-yoga: Self-interest is like a thorn in the flesh, hurting us all the time. Spiritual ignorance makes us believe that we are smart if we can advance our own personal wealth, power, fame etc. The truth however is that our joy will know no bounds when we learn the art of being engaged in meaningful action without making an issue of “What’s there in it for me?” This noble way of emphasizing “giving” and de-emphasizing “receiving” is karma-yoga.
Bhakti-yoga: This “Way of the Heart” finds a prominent place among all the teachings of Geetā. “Reach me through single-pointed devotion, O Arjuna” says Shri Krishna. What we offer can be a leaf, a flower, a fruit or a spoonful of water but the love with which we do it is important. Surrender to the Lord, who resides in everybody’s heart, is declared the sure means to liberation.
--Indic Today December 15, 2020
Amazing Book on “The Vedic Approach to Management for a Sustainable Leadership”
"Unlike data, information & knowledge - Wisdom is Eternal, Vedic word विद् represents greater Wisdom and it is about knowing your own true Self and your mind to achieve perpetual peace, sustainable prosperity & eternal bliss - harmoniously. The Vedic Approach to Management for a Sustainable Leadership presents how this wisdom of the Rishis can be used by individuals across the geographies, race, religion and cultures to attain calm mind, social peace and harmony, amid great many detrimental factors, for a sustainable wealth creation." writes U Mahesh Prabhu, the Author of the above book. This is equally applicable to Gita being one of the Triune of Prasthanatraya.
Management is crucial – not just for individuals in leadership positions, but for anyone with responsibilities. Managing is about utilizing limited available resources to create value, generate wealth and achieve viable prosperity. While there is no shortage of appealing and entertaining definitions on the subject matter; the knowledge and approach to achieve these objectives are limited.
The oldest works on management and leadership – Arthashastra and Artha Sutras – were written by the Vedic Rishis (sages) over thousands of years. These Rishis even offered Pro Bono services to the Kings; as their Rajaguru (Royal Mentors). Some of these Rajagurus even helped to build some of the most powerful and prosperous empires of their times. Recently, we have heard about Vidyaranya and Vijayanagara Empire. Their teachings on management, leadership, and wealth creation are not driven by ephemeral processes; but by helping individuals to achieve and retain a calm mind to identify challenges, create credible strategies to achieve daunting objectives.
In his book U. Mahesh Prabhu, a seasoned international media, management, and political consultant, presents as to how by knowing, understanding, and realizing, these timeless yet time-tested Upanishadic teachings modern individuals and leaders can achieve greater clarity, create fine opportunities, even amid great uncertainties, and attain sustainable prosperity.
No doubt Yogasans (as Yoga is known), Dhyana or Meditation, and Ayurveda are by far the most relevant and accessible aspects of Vedic and Gita Knowledge. However, they are not all. As you shall see in Chapter one of his book, Upanishadic knowledge systems were not limited to mind and body; but have a more significant application in the areas of management, leadership, politics, and diplomacy.
We must look at Upanishadic and Gita knowledge and messages, not as a mere spiritual or religious material; but in the context of a text that can help individuals at a personal, familial as well as institutional level. Going through the wisdom of Vedas and Gita we must establish Vedic & Gita Management as a credible management discipline and practice to address trivial to complex aspects of management and leadership for all times. Upanishads and Gita provide us practical and pragmatic insights to our lives and organizations better! This had been the approach of some of the urban monks of modern times with their scientific background.
Work commitment
Gita says that the men of small knowledge are very much attached to the flowery words of the scriptures as phalasrutis, that recommend various fruitful activities for elevation to heavenly planets, resultant good birth, power, and so forth. It always says that the individual should not be attached to the fruits or results of action. The Gita states that working for the sake for working will never get what one wants. Working with an eye to the anticipated benefits, means that the quality of performance will surely suffer. People suffer from mental anxiety for the future. People believe that the results only motivate them and lead to better performance. However, the Gita says that the doer is responsible for his actions and the super-soul is responsible for the results. It is He who decides when to give and what to give. The epic states that the best way to be efficient is the doing the work itself. One should adopt the right attitude of work preventing ego, and speculation on future gains or losses. The lord Krishna advices that one should discharge one’s responsibilities without focusing on the selfish gains.
“When one develops self-control through proper training and patience, one develops a peaceful mind—this, and not meaningless acquisition and reckless pampering of senses and ego, which is the real source of happiness. It is not just temporary ‘peace of mind’ that Gita speaks of but getting established in Peace.”
Through extensive study of the Bhagavad Gita, it can be concluded that management has been part of lives since ages. Before the management thinkers came to being, the various Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita has provided evidences for this. It supported various management principles giving them a different angle and different perspectives. If managers would follow the teachings of Lord Krishna, they may follow the correct code of conduct to achieve the right goals using right methods.
Benefit #1: There will be continuous improvement in the way work is carried out due to the practice of Karma Yoga. The organization will move towards perfection in all its Operations. Wasteful work and inefficient tasks will be identified and removed from the system. Productivity will increase manifold. Cycle Time will reduce dramatically.
Benefit #2: It will eliminate all job-related stress. There will be healthy relationship between employees at all levels. People will start enjoying their work and will look forward to more challenges.
Benefit #3: Employees can be retained longer in an organization. Attrition levels will come down drastically, since the employees will realize that they can achieve their personal goal only by working in an organization that follows Vedantic Management.
Benefit #4: Since the employees will put their heart and soul in the work, the organization will be able to leverage on the hidden potential of the employees.
Benefit #5: The skill sets, capabilities and the level of maturity of the employees will be enriched through their own self-motivated effort (of performing Karma Yoga). This can be used to strengthen the existing core competencies of the organization and for developing new markets/ products with the possibilities of increasing the market share.
Vedanta Approach of Management promotes enjoy working for the organization resulting in increased productivity. Quality of life will be improved since it is independent of the material success.
“The Bhagavad Gita is perhaps the most systematic scriptural statement of the Perennial Philosophy,” wrote Aldous Huxley in his Introduction to the translation of the Gita by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood.
Mahatma Gandhi considered the Gita as the universal mother who turns away nobody; her door is wide open to anyone who knocks. Gandhi said, “When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad Gita and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it every day.”
Song of the Celestial is a message of eternity, and it has a timeless significance for every one of us. It does not get rusted or worn out by the movements of time or the changes that take place geographically, socially or politically. The vicissitudes of life have no impact upon this message, because it arises from a source which transcends the transitions of life. The Gita although at least three millennium old, contains profound truths of great relevance to contemporary society not only in India, but the entire world.
Bahāʾī Faith, religion founded in Iraq in the mid-19th century by Mīrzā Ḥosayn ʿAlī Nūrī, who is known as Bahāʾ Allāh (Arabic: “Glory of God”). The cornerstone of Bahāʾī belief is the conviction that Bahāʾ Allāh and his forerunner, who was known as the Bāb (Persian: “Gateway”), were manifestations of God, who in his essence is unknowable. The principal Bahāʾī tenets are the essential unity of all religions and the unity of humanity. Bahāʾīs believe that all the founders of the world’s great religions have been manifestations of God and agents of a progressive divine plan for the education of the human race. Despite their apparent differences, the world’s great religions, according to the Bahāʾīs, teach an identical truth. Bahāʾ Allāh’s peculiar function was to overcome the disunity of religions and establish a universal faith. Bahāʾīs believe in the oneness of humanity and devote themselves to the abolition of racial, class, and religious prejudices. The great bulk of Bahāʾī teachings is concerned with social ethics. The faith has no priesthood and does not observe ritual forms in its worship. Bahá'u'lláh's message to his fellow Sufis and mankind was that although a seeker of the Divine Essence can develop his consciousness considerably in this world, true contact with the Essence is impossible. Full development can only come through recognition of the Messenger and obedience to His Laws.
Does this just echoes the essence of Gita that more than 3 million years ago delivered to the world prescribing no rituals. We all need guidance from Gita for spiritual development: “World needs different religions, cults and deities to meet the vastly different needs of individuals. Perceive that GOD is present equally in all beings and treat all beings equally. Practice to lead a life of tranquility, happiness and equanimity. Let us not be confined to Religious and National boundaries but go beyond”
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