Spiritual Values and The Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita, the famous Hindu text, may help you see beyond the material reality.
Spiritual Values and The Bhagavad Gita
In the Bhagavad Gita, the most celebrated text on self-knowledge (Yoga) of the Indian millennial tradition, there are twenty essential values for those who intend to evolve in the spiritual plane and be one with the world and the with others.
“I believe You are the imperishable, the Supreme to be realized. You are the ultimate resort of the universe.”
To get a sense of the importance of this text in Indian culture, we must recall that Gandhi referred to the Bhagavad Gita as “his mother.” Young Gandhi, who lost his true mother as a child, sought solace and wisdom in the words of this great work, having translated and commented it (from the original Sanskrit for his native language Gujarati) in a series of lectures in 1926, which were to be published almost 30 years later.
In chapter XIII, of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna, who during the text assumes the role of teacher, explains to his disciple, Arjuna, what are there were fundamental values, or qualifications of the mind, for the attainment of self-knowledge. That there is a route, the seeker must follow – and maintain – to gather the understanding of himself. As no one is separated from the whole, as consciousness, and that beyond body and mind, we are all unlimited and full.
Source of Knowledge
“The yogi who diligently strives, perfecting [gradually] through many incarnations, becomes completely free from all sins and reaches the Self-realization.”
In this way, through a process of internal maturation, the seeker is led to see beyond the information captured by his five senses, his worldly experiences and the reality of the material world. The seeker must discover that truth that lies behind the veil of ignorance and dares to answer the basic existential questions – such as “who am I, who created this world, what is my role in society and how do I relate to others?”.
In the Bhagavad Gita, we can find incredible and surprising answers, full of knowledge, capable of nullifying the feeling of insufficiency or separation and complete isolation that sometimes invade our hearts.
Each of these values, by itself, can unfold an immense transformation in our lives
Like a lotus flower which, being born in the mud, blossoms on the surface of the water and goes to the Sun; so is the realization of the human being. Who, after having lived for some time beyond his infinite possibilities, rises to a new age in the path of light, through its own Light – in essence, can feel similar to that which sustains all this universe, all things, and beings.
Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is.
The knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita is perfectly based on the vision of the ancient scriptures of India: The Upanishads. These texts speak of the human person as Being, pursuing total immensity, complete freedom, ultimate and supreme rejoicing; a process of unity with the creator of heaven and of the earth, and, at a given moment, to dissolve our manifestation into a state of unmanifest. Notice that this Being does not refer to the body, to the flesh, nor to the mind and its finite capacities of memory and thought. So, we do not speak from the ego, from the personality. But of an immaterial Being, who in moments of meditation or contemplation, we can feel alive and awake.
These values, models of acting and thinking, may be followed as a kind of vow or promise, called vrata by Indian tradition, and are intended to lead the individual to “see behind the veil,” to identify with the whole, which has neither beginning nor end, is neither an effect nor a cause and everything permeates – Being, beyond name and forms.
If you have come here to read this article, you should certainly want to know what values I am referring to. Without further ado, here they go:
The absence of pride, the absence of pretension, nonviolence, accommodation, uprightness, dedication to the master, purity, persistence, self-control (Bhagavad Gita 13.8).
Detachment from the objects of the senses, and the absence of egoism and perception of pain as suffering inherent in birth, death, old age, and disease (Bhagavad Gita 13.9).
Firm devotion [to the Being] knowing that there is no other [beyond Being], the frequency of a quiet place, the absence of the need for the company of people (Bhagavad Gita 13.11), constant search for knowledge (of Being) and appreciation of the truth (Bhagavad Gita 13.12).
These values are usually explained in detail by sages or teachers who have a thorough knowledge of the scriptures and who are the living example of them. It is not intended to create confusion or difficulty in obtaining this wisdom, on the contrary, the objective is to bring clarity about a subject that is very close to us, the closest of all, the understanding of myself. Hence, tradition advocates the transmission of this vision through the systematic and direct monitoring of the search engine by the master for a period of time.
At this point, check to see if it’s helpful for you to learn more about these values, or, for example, choose one and try to stay true to them. However, note if this makes you a more available person to others, with greater openness, more understanding and loving – these are signs of evolution, inner transformation.
The Bhagavad Gita values, as well as self-knowledge, are not unique to the Hindus, nor to a group, in any historical period. They are addressed to all mankind and are also for you. Use them wisely.
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