Every Friday afternoon, a small group of us meet at the Kennedy School to read the Bhagavad-Gita under the guidance of Swami Tyagananda Ji. We cover one chapter every week. The text of the chapter anchors our conversation, but doesn’t limit it. This entry is my first attempt to put in text some of the themes we discuss in our group. Today, I will concentrate on Chapter 5, which we covered last Friday (April 3, 2009).
Chapter 5, called the “The Way of Renunciation,” opens with a pointed question. Arjuna wonders about the apparent contradiction in Krishna’s message: while Krishna advocates renunciation of action, he also urges Arjuna to act. The remainder of the chapter is Krishna’s response. The verses are philosophically intricate and challenging.
One particular theme stood out for me. Verse 20 reads as follows: “Resting in Brahman, with intellect steady, and without delusion, the knower of Brahman neither rejoiceth on receiving what is pleasant, nor grieveth on receiving what is unpleasant” (Swami Sarupananda’s 1909 translation). “Resting in Brahman” refers to the nature of one’s identity. “The Knower of Brahman” rests in Brahman. In other words, the true knowledge of Brahman, unlike other knowledge, completely transforms one’s identity. By knowing Brahman, you become one with Brahman.
What are the characteristics of an individual whose identity has been transcended into Brahman? An important characteristic is “evenness of mind” (Chapter 2, verse 48) where the individual is neither too happy in good times, nor down in bad. But why would anyone be devoid of emotional cycles of ups and downs that the rest of us experience daily? More importantly, how can someone attain such evenness of mind?
The answer lies in resting in Brahman. If you identify more with the cosmic oneness than with the narrow selfishness, there is little reason to partake in the rollercoaster ride of small joys and sorrows. The evenness of mind comes from the tranquility of pure consciousness. The ethereal reality of Brahman is made only of peace.
I have asked many times the question, how do I know what my duty is? I am starting to realize that the question I have been asking is irrelevant. The important question is: in what does my identity rest upon? If it rests up my narrow self, then regardless of what duty I follow, I am only purchasing the ticket to the show of emotional upheavals we all know intimately well. Similarly, if my identity rests in Brahman, then again it is irrelevant what duty I follow because one resting in Brahman will only follow her true nature. It is the sun’s duty to give light, not because it is the “right” thing to do, or that the sun’s “dharma” dictates it, but because the sun simply can’t do anything else.
Swami Ji mentioned that the Sanskrit word swastha comes from the root swa- meaning self, and stha meaning rest. In Hindi, and in my native language Nepali, swastha in common parlance means healthy. But in original Sanskrit, when someone asks if you are swastha, she is literally asking whether or not you are resting in your real self (Brahman). And maybe that’s the only question that actually matters: Are you swastha?
As for me, the quest for a “healthy” life has been elusive.
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