Krishna introduces Arjuna to the concept of dharma. In Hinduism, dharma denotes the behaviours that are considered to be in accord with order and custom, behaviours that makes life and the universe possible, including duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and the right way of living.
++++++++
After Krishna’s revelation that the soul is immortal and the path to liberation lies in the living of a selfless existence, Arjuna then questions the need to carry on with the struggles and dilemmas of daily life now that he has come to know that life is eternal and having that knowledge should lead to immediate liberation.
Krishna goes on to say that liberation only takes place at the point of physical death, and until then, the right duties and selfless actions in the material world are still required in order for spiritual advancement. Doing the right things in the knowledge that he is an eternal beings will ease his mind and no harm can come to him.
Krishna states that we must contribute “our verse” to the Song or Melody Of Life (literal translation of Bhagavad Gita), using our own unique talents that benefit all, failing to do so will only lead to the betterment of the physical and material self.
In the beginning, humans begin living off the efforts of others, some never break free of that cycle, choosing to remain inert and spiritually unevolved.
Over several incarnations, some develop talents but only use them for the benefit of themselves, acting purely in a selfish way.
Eventually, some will evolve beyond the need to satisfy themselves and individual wants and use their talents selflessly for the betterment of all.
Those that refuse to work are not on the path to liberation. Those that use their gifts but only for selfish gains can see the path to liberation. Only those that use their talents to the best of their ability for the greater good and do so without seeking reward take the path to liberation.
Krishna’s advises Arjuna not to force his new found knowledge and understanding onto others that are not yet ready, as it will only disturb them. Spiritual evolution matures at an individuals pace, and if it is meant to happen, they will become aware of the eternal soul when they are meant to.
Trying to “save” another is to do the work of the ego. When our dharma or duties are performed in the right way, others will come to know the right actions and their own evolution and liberation will follow.
Finally, Krishna instructs Arjuna to detach himself from desire and aversion as both have their roots in the ego and by doing so, he may enter the realm of higher consciousness.
The ego is the enemy of the soul.
++++++++
The answer to the ultimate question may always evade us.
Irrespective of whether consciousness continues on after physical death, our actions and behaviours whilst we are alive can positively impact the world we live in and those that surround us right now, so why would we not?
Even if there is a “Universal Credit System” (not in the Schwab-ian sense where “you will own nothing and you will be happy” although that is very Bhagavad Gita-like), living in the right way and doing the right things makes our difficult and problematic existence on Earth worthwhile.
If I was to die tomorrow, I believe I would be back at here before I knew it, starting all over again, having only attained a few cosmic credits over my fifty two year run, an application for permanent residence refused immediately.
I guess we all start off lazy, feeding off others, as babies and infants we have to.
With maturity and the right guidance (externally and perhaps internally), we learn to adapt to our environment and become self-sufficient. Without it, some never break free, endlessly grinding out a miserable and impoverished existence, never able to realise any potential, until the reaper comes knocking earlier than expected.
Some do come to realise that potential and happiness comes from the connections that we have with our internal self, external others and by avoiding the pull of materialism, maturing and evolving both ourselves and possibly the universal consciousness (should that exist).
It seems that “three is the magic number” and the Hindu triple-tiered system of the Guna (Tamas – ignorance, inertia, laziness; Rajas – passion, activity, movement; Sattva – goodness, calmness, harmonious) fits well with an objective view of society as a whole. We have many relationships in our lives and could map those we know to such levels.
I have been through the first two levels for sure. At Tamas, I sponged off my parents during my “wilderness years” after leaving school with no real qualifications and no job, smoking enough weed daily to down a herd of elephants.
At Rajas, I acquired a role as a government official (a haven for potheads) and then in the private sector, so for the last thirty plus years I have supported myself and my family, but did most of that with a materialistic mindset, often falling foul to my ego and aversion.
Perhaps only now am I starting off on at Sattva, commencing on a journey similar to the eight fold path of Buddhism (or Buddha-Dharma as Steve Hagen simply describes it) by living out life with right and more selfless intentions.
Harold Ramis encapsulated the eternal return and a life transformed from self to selfless perfectly with the film Groundhog Day, which is in my opinion, once of the most profound and impactful movies of the modern era.
Protagonist Phil Conners evolves (reincarnating time and time again) from Tamas to Rajas to Sattva over the course of the 1h42m run time, eventually escaping Samsara and reaping the rewards (even though he did not want for them in the end) by doing the right things, living the right way.
We all appear to have a choice, a lower path – a looping road that brings us back to where we started – repeating endless cycles of the same without getting anywhere, or a higher path – that leads to us to liberation, peace and maybe the eternal.
Using “Matrix-ian” parlance, it appears that at some point in our life, we are presented with a door, whether we chose to walk through it is up to us.
And it seems not to be our place to force the awakening of others. We can of course share passive pearls of wisdom but it will be our actions that truly define us not words. What we do and the way we do it may be the nudge some need for them to reflect on their own behaviours, their own dharma.
I had another long doorstep conversation recently, not with my racist neighbour this time, but with a pair of lovely ladies from the Jehovahs Witnesses. The old me would have told them in no uncertain terms to bugger off and shove The Watchtower where the sun don’t shine, instead I connected with them for over twenty minutes on life, the universe and everything, and whilst I knew they had a motive for knocking (egoistic according to Krishna), I let that pass on through and thoroughly enjoyed our conversation. They left smiling and wishing me a happy life, and I them.
Not too dissimilar than Arjuna, I have yet to truly break free of the shackles of materialism, and I keep promising myself that things will be put right when I retire in three years and twenty one days (not that I’m counting).
Knowing that the soul is immortal is of course fundamentally different than the belief in one, and whether we ever come to know only time will tell.
I have had no Krishna-like experience, nor am I synesthetic, so have no real knowing other than having the ability to tap into the universal energy field through reiki and meditation for metaphysical healing, witnessing a sea of synchronicities, and listening to unexplainable anecdotes from trustworthy friends and family.
On contributions to the song of life, I believe that my moral compass (learned the hard way) has been passed on to my children; my renewed faithfulness and loyalty to my wife continues; my support as a true friend and respectful neighbour goes on; my mentorship and coaching to colleagues at work never abates; my blog which has (hopefully) shared some pearls of wisdom has been helpful to the few if not the many over the last twelve years.
When retirement does come, more can and will be done. More time brings more opportunities, with community work, authorship and wellbeing teaching all being front of mind, activities which certainly enrich my life and hopefully others too….