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“Spiritual
hunger is common to all; but tastes differ.
There are different forms of God to suit all tastes.” - Swami
Yogaswarupananda, of the Divine Life Society, a Vedanta-based foundation in Rishikesh.
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Each
religion, by the help of more or less myth which it takes more
or less seriously, proposes some method of fortifying the human soul and enabling it to make its peace with its destiny.
-George
Santayana |
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Time
spent laughing is time spent with the Gods. - Japanese Proverb
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The
Gita’s Relevance in Modern Times
BY
Gyan
Rajhans P.
Eng.
No
doubt, the modern men and women are far ahead of the older
generations in material possessions, affluence, knowledge of
science, space and technology, but on what a terrible price?
Haven’t we become restless and uneasy souls
in quest of content, peace and harmony ? But the crux of
the question is : Is there, indeed, any practical way out to it? Are
there practices easily |
practicable
in the midst of all sick, hurry and divided aims and disputes and
distractions of contemporary life for realization of supreme glory
and happiness? Precisely in response to these queries I have decided
to show the relevance of the Gita in modern times.
The
Bhagavad Gita (see the The
Immensity of the Hindu Scriptures),
one of the world-scriptures today guides the lives of people all over the
world in modern times. Mahatma Gandhi regarded it as Mother to whom the
children (humanity) turned when in distress. In the whole world literature
there is no book so elevating and inspiring as the Gita. It is a universal
scripture for people of all temperaments and for all times.
The
Essence of the Gita
Human
being is a composite of three fundamental factors, viz., feeling,
cognition and will. There are people with three kinds of temperaments -
the active temperament, the emotional and the rational. So, there are the
three Yogas - Jnana
Yoga for the man of enquiry and self-analysis or rational temperament.
Bhakti Yoga for the man of
emotional temperament, and Karma Yoga for the man of active temperament. One Yoga
is as efficacious as the other. The Gita formulates the theory of the
three paths - that of Jnana (knowledge). Bhakti
(devotion) and Karma (action).
According to its teachings, there is no conflict among the three. It
harmonizes the philosophy of action, devotion and knowledge. All three
must be blended harmoniously if one wishes to attain perfection.
Relevance
in Modern Times
The
modern man and woman in this first decade of the 21st century are greatly
in need of an effective guide to light. They are confused. They are
groping. They see only problems everywhere and no solutions are to be
found anywhere. He does not know which way to turn, what course to adopt
and how to move towards better state of things. Therefore, their life is
filled with restlessness, unhappiness and complication. The Bhagavad Gita
contains words of wisdom and practical teachings that contain the answer
to the above mentioned condition of the present day human individual.
The
Bhagavad Gita is a message addressed to each and every human individual to
help him or her to solve the vexing problem of overcoming the present and
progressing towards a bright future. This Holy Scripture is not just an
"old scripture", nor is it just a book of "religious
teachings", or even a Hindu holy book. It transcends the bounds of
any particular religion or race, and is actually divine wisdom addressed
to mankind for all times, in order to help human beings face and solve the
ever present problems of birth and death, of pain, suffering, fear,
bondage, love and hate. It enables man and woman to liberate himself or
herself from all limiting factors and reach the state of perfect inner
balance, inner stability and mental peace, complete freedom from grief,
fear and anxiety. Within Gita’s 18 chapters is revealed a human drama.
This is the experience of everyone in this world, the drama of the ascent
of man from a state of utter dejection, sorrow and total breakdown and
hopelessness to a state of perfect clarity, understanding, renewed
strength and triumph.
Each
chapter holds for the modern man and woman an invaluable new lesson and
imparts a new understanding in a marvelous way. The mystery of man, this
world and God is explained as perhaps nowhere else. The workings of human
mind - the real problem to his/her welfare and happiness - how to overcome
them, what the path to blessedness is as also the path to eternal death,
the secret of self-mastery and the way to peace amidst human duties and
activities - all these and more we find in this great treasure.
Gita
is not merely an excellent repository of ancient wisdom and esoteric
oriental mysticism. Take, for example, the Yoga
as described above. Yoga, India
so much prides herself on, is according to the Gita not a mystic word or
an impracticable term, but a simple lesson and duty of life which it is
easy for men and women to practice without taking resort to reclusion,
austerities and renunciation of duties and obligations to their families,
communities and countries. That is, Yoga
can be adopted and absorbed as an item of one's daily routine of life like
several other items of daily existence, and practiced even for a fragment
of time in spite of, and amidst, hard pressure of time and tremendous
other odds and ends. There is, thus, scarcely any book, to my knowledge,
which profuses to do so much plain talking on such topics as Yoga,
Karma and attainment of
happiness.
Suggestions
for Modern Generations
To
the modern man and woman regardless of his or her religious belief, I
would suggest that he/she carefully reads through the entire book once.
Then he/she should commence it a second time. Upon the second reading
he/she should adopt the method of selectivity, not in reading but in what
he/she takes from it. Such things as seem to be particularly Hindu and
therefore, perhaps, not acceptable to him or her as a person of another
faith, he/she can just pass by without being perturbed. But everything
else that is of a purely philosophical, psychological, ethical and
psychical nature that he/she can grasp and assimilate fully. He/she will
be wonderfully enriched and supremely blessed. His or her life will become
new from that moment. All clouds will vanish. Light will fill the heart
and mind. I commend this wonderful gift of God unto every modern man and
woman towards his or her highest welfare and supreme blessedness.
Previous
Columns
________________
Gyan
Rajhans, an internationally recognized health & safety professional
has been broadcasting the only non-commercial Vedic religion radio
program in North America since 1981 & worldwide web cast on www.bhajanawali.com
since 1999. Mr. Rajhans has published extensively on religious and
spiritual matters. Some articles are available on the Bhajanawali web
site. He has translated Sri Mad Bhagvad Gita in English for the younger
generation. Mr. Rajhans has been conferred various titles, including that
of Rishi by Hindu Prarthana Samaj of Toronto Hindu Ratna
by Hindu Federation of Toronto. He received an award for 2005 in the Internet category -
Opinion - for his Spirituality columns in South Asian Outlook e-Monthly,
from Canadian Journalists' and
Writers' Club (CEJWC), now re-named as Canadian
Ethnic Media Association.
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