Bhagavad-gita in A.C.R.O.N.Y.M

Eminent scholars, scientists and philosophers have recognised the profound wisdom and insight that the Bhagavad-gita offers. Henry David Thoreau once commented, “In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita, in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seem puny and insignificant.”

What follows is a humble attempt to present a chapter-by-chapter acronym overview of the Bhagavad-gita. My aim was not to draw out every single philosophical point, but rather to highlight key concepts in each chapter. Hopefully this overview will assist readers in understanding the flow, context and practical application of these timeless spiritual teachings. This ancient conversation is one of the most logical and comprehensive philosophical presentations I have ever come across, and I would encourage readers to invest some time in scrutinizing the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, translated by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

This overview may also assist teachers of the Bhagavad-gita in their attempts to share this wisdom with others. Above all, I undertook this exercise for my own spiritual development with the sincere hope that someday I will genuinely live these teachings.

The overview can be accessed at:

http://sutapamonk.blogspot.com/p/bhagavad-gita.html

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The Dancing God

Frederick Nietzsche is famous for his audacious proclamation “God is Dead”. Interestingly, the German philosopher did say something further, albeit in jest. Walter Kaufman translates Nietzsche’s quip - “I should believe only in a God who understood how to dance.” Clearly, the philosopher had a particular picture of God in his mind’s eye. Nowadays I use the word ‘God’ with great caution, not knowing exactly what kind images it conjures up. As one philosopher noted, “if God had a house on earth, people would probably break his windows.”

Maybe Nietzsche thought of God as a ruthless judge; the grim old man who sits on a high chair and hurls down thunderbolts every time someone deviates. Maybe he thought of God as an ego-maniac; the attention seeker who needs to be at the centre of everything, harboring a deep fear that someone somewhere is having a good time without him. Maybe he thought of God as an emotionless and irrelevant energy, disinterested in the people and devoid of reciprocal relationships. Maybe he thought of God as a mythological creation of the power hungry elite, used to keep the masses in line and maintain the status quo.

Ancient Sanskrit texts describe Krishna as “Raso vai sah” – the very embodiment of affectionate relationships, loving relish, and transcendental sweetness. I was just in Vrindavana, the place which is famous for its sacred spots where Krishna danced with His most confidential devotees in the dead of the night. Now I am in Mayapur, West Bengal, the ancient town where Krishna advented himself 500 years ago as Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Caitanya was renowned as nataraja, the “great dancer” who loudly chanted and danced through the streets in spontaneous unbounded spiritual love. The extraordinary revelation is that God is a person who is full of color, character and bliss. He knows how to have a good time, and is much more interested in relishing the sweetness of love, than the regulated worship of those who approach Him in awe and reverence.

pic above: Caitanya and his brother Nityananda dance in spiritual happiness

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Spirit + Ritual = Spiritual

Some 4,000 miles away from London, I am currently in the ancient and holy town of Vrindavana. Krishna, the speaker of Bhagavad-gita, roamed these lands over 5000 years ago. From the external point of view there seems to be widespread poverty and decrepit infrastructure, but from the spiritual point of view this town is thriving. Crowds of pilgrims, bustling temples, lavish worship and constant devotional chanting fills the air at all hours. A visitor, however, challenged me with a thought-provoking inquiry. Why spend so much money on flowers, dresses and golden ornaments for elaborate temple worship? Wouldn’t God be happier if we spent that money on helping the poverty stricken? Is God pleased when we offer Him sumptuous feasts while thousands of malnutritioned individuals lie on the temple doorstep? Are we satisfied in building huge ornate marble temples while orphaned children suffer in makeshift shanty towns? Have we become so interested in our own spiritual wellbeing that we’ve lost touch with the ‘real’ world?

Religious worship is aimed at reviving our dormant relationship with the Divine. These acts of worship are not simply token deeds, but thoughtful activities meant to invoke a sense of awareness and personal relationship with God. While we are impersonal and insensitive toward the Divine, it is very difficult to be personal and sensitive toward the multitude of living beings around us. Scriptures do state that one who simply performs ritual worship, but does not work to alleviate the sufferings of others is a neophyte and elementary practitioner. However, that does not deem ritual worship void. Performed in the proper spirit, such rituals invoke a deep spiritual vision, where one becomes sensitive to everything in the universe, seeing different creations as part of the Divine. On that level, the spiritualist feels the sufferings of others as his own suffering, and dedicates his life for their upliftment.

The ultimate welfare work is to reconnect people back to their spiritual nature. It is this disconnect which is the root problem in our modern civilisation. A spiritually ‘connected’ individual can effectively benefit humanity by simultaneously serving the needs of the body, mind and soul. We may serve others without seeing any need for a God in the picture, but such efforts may not be as comprehensive and lasting as we would like. Time, energy and resource spent in strengthening our personal connection with the Divine will ultimately benefit the entire world in a very tangible and practical way.

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