The first chapter in Bhagavad-Gita is known as Arjuna
Vishada Yoga (Arjuna’s despondency). Where is this despondency coming from?
Lots of our daily activities go unnoticed. We do not pay attention to them so
much and we just do them. Minutes, Days, years pass by without our knowledge. Not
everything goes as we planned. Some of the incidents cause painful memories,
long lasting impressions and cause sorrow. People around us, situations, and
sometimes our loved ones may be the cause of our sorrows. Are they really
problems or antagonistic situations?
What we can learn from the first chapter in Bhagavad-Gita?
To understand the meaning of love, Attachment and Delusion
in the battlefield of life.
What are the reasons for the Attachment to be transformed to
the level of Delusion?
How this so called Attachment and delusion leads to fear, anger
and sorrow?
How can we face these difficult situations in life without
losing our sanity?
Love: This is the purest of all. Just love itself does not
cause sorrow or unhappiness because pure love does not expect anything in
return. Pure love only knows giving.
People can feel the love from someone but they are afraid that they might lose
this.
Attachment: This happens through our senses or through the
mind. Unborn in the womb of a mother already has some kind of attachment before
he comes out into this world. After we are born, we are attached to people by
relation, friendship, region etc. This attachment also does not pose problem as
long as we are bound by our limitations and follow the rules of society. We
just need to fulfill our responsibilities. There is another kind of attachment
that is more powerful than any of these attachments and is the root cause of
all the other attachments. That is the attachment with the body. When we
usually talk about ourselves we are talking about the Body. This feeling of “Me
and Mine” is kept beyond all the relationships. We can offer all kinds of
advice until the problem hits us. Then problem appears to be too big and there
begins of battle of life.
Moha (delusion): The real persona comes out when the feeling
“Me and mine” is expressed. From this evolves anxiety, anger, fear, jealousy,
revenge, helplessness and complacency. Our life will depend on our responses
during these special circumstances. These feelings will cause long lasting
impressions and they cripple us in this life and future births. That’s why Arjuna said “Krishna! My moha is
removed after listening to your teachings”.
He was then able to participate in the war without any reservations.
The first verse in Bhagavad- Gita goes as follows.
Dharmakshetre Kurukshetre samavetaa yuyutsvah!
Maamakah Pandavaashaiva kimakirvata sanjaya!!
Here Dhrutharashtra used the word “Maamakah” which means his
sons, his allies and whoever is representing him in the battlefield. The
Pandvas also belong to him and they are his brother’s children. He is related
everyone but he has delusional kind of attachment towards his own. He knows
that his side is not following the dharma. But he felt Pandavas did not follow
the dharma that’s why he said DharmaKshetre – Kurukshetre. He was asking the
Sanjaya indirectly, what adharma was done by Pandavas in defeating Bhishma. He
was attached to his body after his side lost the war. He could not leave the
luxuries of palace life. Here we have to understand that his love towards his
side is because of his own infatuation of himself. In a similar way, we all
become delusional because of this “Me & Mine” feeling. This in turn creates
deeper sorrow and despondency.
Arjuna fought so many wars prior to the battle of
Mahabharata. He killed so many out siders in previous wars but when it came to
kill his own kith and kin, he was worried about sins. He became despondent all
of a sudden. Sri Krishna could have told him to just fight but he had to reveal
all the inner secrets of our Upanishads.
If we want to solve our problems we have to learn to change
ourselves to the core. The world around us is not going to change but our view
of the world has to change. We have to see the world as it is created. Then
only we will be closer to the truth. We
should never shy away from the truth. So many came and left in this world but
the world never stops.
The fundamental principle that we have to learn in this
process:
We have to understand our role in every aspect of our life,
every relation, every job, and how much our involvement should be in each
interaction. Each interaction needs to be righteous. The so called “Me and
Mine” feelings should not trip us into a delusional state. Then only we will
realize the ultimate truth that is absolute bliss.
OM SRI SAMARDHA SAINATH MAHARAJKI JAI!
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