"A man's own natural duty, even if it seems imperfectly done, is better than work not naturally his own, even if this is well performed. When a man acts according to the law of his nature, he cannot be sinning.Therefore, no one should give up his natural work, even though he does it imperfectly. For all action is involved in imperfection, like fire in smoke."
How many people are running after jobs because they pay the highest, even though they may not be happy doing the jobs? How many people are running after fame, even though their lives become miserable in attainment of that fame? How may people slave all day so they can do what they love as a hobby? How many are completely confused, not knowing what to do and running from one kind of work to another?
My Gurudev put a lot of emphasis on this section of the Gita, perhaps because he was teaching in the west, where many urban people struggle with unhappiness in career, family and find it difficult to know their natural place in the scheme of life. This may be the ennui of modern life that is spreading around the globe. During times of transition as we are now experiencing, discovering one's natural duty sometimes is a deeply spiritual and psychological process of differentiation or as Jung has named "individuation." What is your thread that connects you to the Divine? What work gives you contentment, even though you may face challenges and may not be the best at it?
Unfortunately, modern education is not geared to helping the child or the young adult develop according to his/her own tendencies. Modern education shapes people for the marketplace. I don't suggest that we be impractical but that we look at life from a broader perspective - one of developing the human being to his/her fullest along the lines of their natural calling as well as developing a society which will welcome such a worldview.
Whenever a student used to come to Gurudev with a problem at work, he would listen, consider the unique situation and advise but also, he would guide the student to think first about whether he/she is really fulfilling what they should be doing.....There is no simple answer or formula that works for everyone. We can only take the Gita as a guideline and check in within ourselves - are we doing violence to ourselves? Are we listening to the small inner voice? Or are we instead being confused by the demands, expectations of others and the influence of media? Are we confused by our own false images of ourselves? Are we trying to keep up with the neighbours in wealth and status?
"United with me, you shall overcome all difficulties by my grace. But if your heart is full of conceit, and you do not heed me, you are lost. If, in your vanity you say: "I will not fight," your resolve is vain. Your own nature will drive you to the act. For you yourself have created the karma that binds you. You are helpless in its power. And you will do that very thing which your ignorance seeks to avoid."
"The Lord lives in the heart of every creature. He turns them round and round upon the wheel of His Maya. Take refuge utterly in Him. By His grace you will find supreme peace, and the state which is beyond all change."
It is brought to our attention how God's power lives within us - in every heart. His creative power of Maya, which conceals this knowledge from us, nevertheless holds us within its grasp. By grace, we can be brought beyond the concealing power in the world of change and duality to the state of changeless eternity.
"Now I have taught you that wisdom which is the secret of secrets. Ponder it carefully. Then act as you think best. These are the last words that I shall say to you, the deepest of all truths. I speak for your own good. You are the friend I chose and love."
What is very important in this section is that the Lord tells us that He loves us. Not only is He asking for our love, but He is giving us his friendship. When He speaks to Arjuna, He speaks to human beings, women and men, children and adults alike: "You are the friend I chose and love." In this we go from the esoteric and the sublime to the very prosaic grounded life on this earth. God loves us as we are. He has shared his deepest truths, wisdom, secrets of secrets. Regardless of having opened Himself up and revealed Himself to Arjuna, He grants the gift of free will always - "act as you think best." Isn't this what we yearn for most? We wish to be free to choose and to be trusted to choose wisely. The Lord lets us know that He has shared His wisdom with us for our "own good." Now it is up to us to decide how to apply the wisdom He has given us to our daily lives, to the decisions we have to make in our own life circumstances.
How many people are running after jobs because they pay the highest, even though they may not be happy doing the jobs? How many people are running after fame, even though their lives become miserable in attainment of that fame? How may people slave all day so they can do what they love as a hobby? How many are completely confused, not knowing what to do and running from one kind of work to another?
My Gurudev put a lot of emphasis on this section of the Gita, perhaps because he was teaching in the west, where many urban people struggle with unhappiness in career, family and find it difficult to know their natural place in the scheme of life. This may be the ennui of modern life that is spreading around the globe. During times of transition as we are now experiencing, discovering one's natural duty sometimes is a deeply spiritual and psychological process of differentiation or as Jung has named "individuation." What is your thread that connects you to the Divine? What work gives you contentment, even though you may face challenges and may not be the best at it?
Unfortunately, modern education is not geared to helping the child or the young adult develop according to his/her own tendencies. Modern education shapes people for the marketplace. I don't suggest that we be impractical but that we look at life from a broader perspective - one of developing the human being to his/her fullest along the lines of their natural calling as well as developing a society which will welcome such a worldview.
Whenever a student used to come to Gurudev with a problem at work, he would listen, consider the unique situation and advise but also, he would guide the student to think first about whether he/she is really fulfilling what they should be doing.....There is no simple answer or formula that works for everyone. We can only take the Gita as a guideline and check in within ourselves - are we doing violence to ourselves? Are we listening to the small inner voice? Or are we instead being confused by the demands, expectations of others and the influence of media? Are we confused by our own false images of ourselves? Are we trying to keep up with the neighbours in wealth and status?
To love is to know me,
My innermost nature,
The truth that I am:
Through this knowledge, he enters
At once to my Being.
All that he does
Is offered before me
In utter surrender:
My grace is upon him,
He finds the eternal,
The place unchanging.
"United with me, you shall overcome all difficulties by my grace. But if your heart is full of conceit, and you do not heed me, you are lost. If, in your vanity you say: "I will not fight," your resolve is vain. Your own nature will drive you to the act. For you yourself have created the karma that binds you. You are helpless in its power. And you will do that very thing which your ignorance seeks to avoid."
This is not an unusual situation. We often decide not to take up a difficult and challenging task facing us. We may have very good reasoning for avoiding a conflict or a task because it feels too hard. The Lord reminds us to release our egos, our conceit, and move forward in union with Him. For with God, all things are possible. By God's grace, things are possible that seem impossible from an egotistical point of view. In fact, we may have to face the difficulty anyway, but without faith and centering ourselves in God, we may lose ourselves in the problems. Avoidance is not possible and the wisdom to act appropriately is also not available to us without God.
"The Lord lives in the heart of every creature. He turns them round and round upon the wheel of His Maya. Take refuge utterly in Him. By His grace you will find supreme peace, and the state which is beyond all change."It is brought to our attention how God's power lives within us - in every heart. His creative power of Maya, which conceals this knowledge from us, nevertheless holds us within its grasp. By grace, we can be brought beyond the concealing power in the world of change and duality to the state of changeless eternity.
"Now I have taught you that wisdom which is the secret of secrets. Ponder it carefully. Then act as you think best. These are the last words that I shall say to you, the deepest of all truths. I speak for your own good. You are the friend I chose and love."What is very important in this section is that the Lord tells us that He loves us. Not only is He asking for our love, but He is giving us his friendship. When He speaks to Arjuna, He speaks to human beings, women and men, children and adults alike: "You are the friend I chose and love." In this we go from the esoteric and the sublime to the very prosaic grounded life on this earth. God loves us as we are. He has shared his deepest truths, wisdom, secrets of secrets. Regardless of having opened Himself up and revealed Himself to Arjuna, He grants the gift of free will always - "act as you think best." Isn't this what we yearn for most? We wish to be free to choose and to be trusted to choose wisely. The Lord lets us know that He has shared His wisdom with us for our "own good." Now it is up to us to decide how to apply the wisdom He has given us to our daily lives, to the decisions we have to make in our own life circumstances.
Give me your whole heart,
Love and adore me,
Worship me always,
Bow to me only,
And you shall find me:
This is my promise
Who love you dearly.
Lay down all duties
In me, your refuge.
Fear no longer,
For I will save you
From sin and from bondage.
This is the grand finale of the Bhagavad Gita. This is His promise to devotees. The path of devotion is complete surrender to the Lord and it is the best way to free oneself from fear, sin and bondage. Take refuge! This means whole-hearted life in the Lord - all service is offered up to Him, all thought, all action, all feelings, one's will, one's body, one's life is lived in and through Him. We allow ourselves to be instruments of the Divine. We restrain our egoistic impulses so that God's light can shine through us. We take Him up on His promise. We accept. We learn to receive. When the Lord promises, it is not the false promises given by human beings that we may have experienced. God is faithful and true. We need to let go of any cynicism, doubt, that may have developed through our lives and open up to greatest of all loves.
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