The Philosophy of the Bhagavadgita : 15.1 - Swami Krishnananda.

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Final Day at Vedanta Unveiled Camp:

The concluding day marked a journey of reflection and introspection at the Vedanta Unveiled Camp. In the morning session led by Swamini Vimalananda, the misunderstood Varna system was explored, emphasising its foundation in guna and karma for societal harmony, and how it is intrinsic to our own body structure as well. Delving deeper, she illuminated the significance of the Pancha Maha Yajna – underscoring our debts to Devatas, rishis, pitrs, fellow humans and other beings – with a call to uphold our duty to protect, preserve and serve.

Over the course of seven enlightening days, seekers immersed themselves in the wisdom of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15, guided by Pujya Swami Tejomayananda. Swami Advayananda delved into the nature of the Self, emphasising its infinite qualities and omnipresence. In parallel, Swamini Vimalananda's sessions shed light on diverse topics, including aspects of Self-realisation, conquering fear and achieving completeness through identification with the Atman.

The camp reached its pinnacle with a devotion-filled Guru Paduka Puja and a dignified Valedictory function. These concluding sessions beautifully encapsulated the spiritual journey, leaving hearts enriched and minds awakened to profound insights.

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Saturday, 02 Dec 2023 07:20. 

Chapter 15: The Way and the Goal-1.

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Chapter 15: The Way and the Goal-1.

The glorious vision of the Cosmic Form was magnificently described in the Eleventh Chapter; and towards its end it was also suggested that nothing but whole-souled devotion can be an appropriate means to this great achievement. Now the Twelfth Chapter commences with a query which immediately follows as a consequence of this suggestion.

This Great Being, the Supreme Absolute, is capable of attainment through utter self-transcendence alone, a sacrifice of the self in the All-Self. It appears that this experience is impossible of attainment unless the soul raises itself to the status of this Supreme Omnipresence. But this requirement on the part of the soul seems to be a practically impossible affair, and the only thing that appears to be available to the soul is humble devotion and surrender of itself to the Great Lord. Which of the two methods is to be preferred—a humble and simple surrendering of oneself to the Glory of the Absolute in utter childlike behaviour of dependence, or a strenuous effort to rouse oneself to the Being of the Absolute itself, by communion of self with Self, in an impersonal merger of the individual in the All?

The Great Master is, indeed, very considerate in his reply, and gives an emphatic solution to the effect that in the light of the difficulties that are involved in the practice of an impersonal meditation on the Absolute, devotion to the very same Being in a personal relationship is to be regarded as the better way. Here, in this so-called preference of the one to the other, no comparison is involved. Generally, when we make a choice, a sort of comparison or contrast seems to be unavoidable, and a sense of inferiority is associated with that which is not preferred. But not so here is the case.

The love of God which the soul evinces in its aspiration for liberation is not in any way incompatible with the fire of the spirit which bursts forth in the form of a melting away of the self in the All, in a supreme immanence of impersonality. For those who are embodied, people who cannot avoid the notion of the body, those whose consciousness is lodged in a physical tabernacle, for such persons any kind of conception which is wholly impersonal is unthinkable. We as human beings cannot imagine what utter impersonality is, because he who is a person cannot think of the impersonal. To be able to appreciate the significance of utter impersonality, one has to rise to the level of this capacity to appreciate. The feeble instrument of human individuality, which is the mind lodged in this body, cannot comprehend the lofty meaning of the spiritual impersonality of God. Such being the case, “I feel,” says Krishna, “that devotion to the Supreme Person is preferable, and both these methods are paths that lead to the same goal.”

Whatever be the method that we adopt will not matter much, inasmuch as the attainment is going to be uniform, and common in either case. An unnecessary subjection of oneself to torture under the notion of austerity, or tapas, while the body is not prepared for it, would be unwelcome on the spiritual path. Spiritual practice is not a mortifying suffering; it is not a sorrow that we are courting as a part of the requirement on the way. In fact, the growth of the spirit from the lower level to the higher is like the spontaneous expansion of the dimension of anything that grows in the world, and when there is a healthy growth of anything there is no pain involved in that process. The flowering of the bud is not a painful process, but the crushing of the bud in order to make it blossom with force would be an unnatural effort. The spiritual practice in the form of meditation on God should be a spontaneity of the efflorescence of consciousness, and not any kind of painful pressure exerted upon the will, the mind, the feeling or the body. “Considering all these aspects,” says Krishna, “love of God as the Supreme Person is welcome, and to people in this world that is the only way possible.”

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To be continued

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