The Spiritual Import of the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad gita-21-2.

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29/01/2018

21.The Lord Dwells in the Hearts of All Beings- 2.

2.1
The Bhagavadgita is very eloquent in its explanation of the manner in which one has to direct one’s conduct and express one’s outlook in relation to these forces. It is always insists, throughout, that we have a sattvic attitude, and not merely a rajasic, or much less a tamasic attitude.

The idea behind it is that the supernatural element or the principle of universality is to guide our destiny, our conduct, our actions and our outlook, and we should not be directed by our individual proclivities, idiosyncrasies, instincts, sentiments or desires, nor should all these be decided by the existence of outward objects.

Our conduct, our behaviour, our entire outlook, our experiential attitude should not be decided upon by the existence of things outside. Nor should this decision be a consequence of our inward sentiments and ways of looking at things. That is the meaning of saying that it is not enough if we are merely tamasic or rajasic.

We have to be sattvic, which means our stand should be on a third superintending, transcendent, universalising feature which is God present—divinity manifesting itself in some form, in some degree, in some intensity of manifestation.

2.2
Humanly this attitude is impossible. Ordinarily no human being can think in this manner, because either each one thinks for himself from his own individualised body-mind complex point of view, or it is entirely decided by the factors preponderating outside.

We either take our stand on the conditions prevailing outside, or we are propelled by our own prejudices and preconceived judgments. Not for a moment would it be possible for ordinary human beings to stand above these two clutches and take an impartial attitude towards both sides.

That impartiality of outlook is called the sattvica bhava.

There is the finger of God operating in some element, in some form, and herein is the inner significance of what is known as karma yoga—action based on understanding, and understanding of that collaborating principle operating between the inward and the outward factors, the subject and the object.

It is difficult for the mind to grasp and more difficult to put into practice.


To be continued ...

Swami Krishnananda

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