Mindbody
THE SCIENCE OF VEDAS FOR LIFE FULFILLMENT – PART II
In the last article, we expressed curiosity about how to remain in control when the world around us seems to be moving faster and faster towards chaos. In this article, we will set the stage for how the Bhagvad Geeta is designed by its creator to help us with this. This article is about bringing clarity to what the Bhagvad Geeta is and also what it is not.
First and foremost, you must understand the characters in the Bhagvad Gita to be representative of different mind sets. Each character is us, just at different times in our lifetime. We can all identify with a different personality from the Bhagvad Gita at different point in our own lives. Mostly, however, Arjun remains the personification of every person. It is through his character that we are given glimpses of our own nature and how that same nature gives rise to the pain, suffering and chaos that we experience.
Shree Krishna, on the other hand, is the personification of the ideal Guru. Although most people who follow the Hindu way of life consider Shree Krishna as a deity. In this text, he plays the role of Arjun's mentor, guide, therapist, which are all essentially the hallmarks of a guru. Guru is the one who helps us to remove the shadow or the darkness which is causing our pain and suffering. The guru does so by bringing the light of knowledge to us. By reading, understanding and applying the lessons that Shree Krishna teaches Arjun to our own life, we can feel complete within ourselves, face any adversity that life throws at us and always remain happy.
What Arjun poses as his questions to Shree Krishna are the same questions that we have all had to answer inside our own self in times of hardship. And rest assured, if you haven't had them, you will at some point in your life. They are the same questions that each and every human being must contemplate and figure out to get through life successfully. If one figures out the answer to these questions, then they can go through any experience that life can throw at them and always come out a winner. This is why the Bhagvad Gita has survived the test of time and has been regarded by scholars from many different cultures and many different eras to be the perennial wisdom and the authoritative text on how to live a happy and successful life.
Secondly, one can interpret Shree Krishna as a good or a wise person. The role of Shree Krishna in the Bhagvad Geeta is depicted in a way that humanizes him. What he offers as solutions to the suffering that each and every human faces are not performed to magic or miracle. The solutions are within the grasp of every human being and are very practical and applicable to our daily life. As we read and further comprehend the Bhagvad Geeta, we come to realize that most of our suffering is self-imposed. That, we too, just like Arjun, can overcome our suffering and pain.
What's ingenious is that doing so requires no outside resource. Let's understand this. Contained in this single text is all that you can do to conquer the possibility and suffering of life while also creating a life of abundant happiness and success. You need nothing more from the outside!
If this is beginning to sound like an infomercial, like something that is too good to be true and yet too good to miss out on, then you are absolutely right. Even though this book has no marketing or sales gimmick, it has survived the test of time for several thousand years. It is regarded as the oldest text on spirituality that is still relevant today. And by the reviews of scientists and saints from across different eras, you'd be wise not to pass it up.
Let's also consider the name of this book. Literally translated, Bhagvad Geeta is 'the song of the Divine.' Now, mind you, that has a ring of being a religious text. But understand clearly that the Bhagvad Geeta does not require you to believe in any specific God. In fact, you could follow any religion or even be an agnostic. Furthermore, it gives not just one but at least four different paths to conquer the pain and suffering of life. The creator of this text has painstakingly written each and every word and organized the chapters with such dexterity that it walks the reader through the text imparting timeless wisdom while being everything that a best-selling work of prose should be. It delivers mystery, suspense, drama, passion and complex interesting twists and turns in its plot, all in 18 chapters.
Now that we have a general introduction and proper orientation to the Bhagvad Geeta, you can look forward to a chapter by chapter view and analysis of this amazing living text in the upcoming articles in this series. Namaste.
Maulik K. Trivedi M.D. is board-certified in general adult psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry. He specializes in the MindBody approach to behavioral health at Florida Medical Clinic and can be reached at (813) 973-1304.