Geeta in 3 Steps

Is it possible to summarize the entire teaching of Bhagavad Geeta in 3 sentences? Sounds implausible given the depth and breadth of knowledge in this text, however as we reach the mid-point of this life-altering text let’s try to simplify it, especially after the esoteric teachings of last chapter. The fundamental tenets of Bhagavad Geeta are three-fold:

       1) Know your Dharma

       2) Do your Karma

             3) Offer it to Brahman

There isn’t a single verse amongst the 700 verses that doesn’t dive deeper into one of these 3 tenets. Seems simple & it is simple if we can understand and apply it. Let’s go a bit deeper.

Know your Dharma: For a moment, forget about the scripture, forget about spirituality and ask yourself a simple question. A question which we asked when we started this journey: What is your Dharma, your purpose in life? If you asked it to anyone on the planet the most likely answer would be to find happiness. If you probe further and ask if they prefer this happiness to be temporary or permanent, they will probably consider it an inane question. It is plain and simple: your dharma is to find eternal happiness. Whether you lead a completely hedonistic, material life or you are a sage living in the mountains, it is an identical goal you seek. But then what is the problem? Krishna smilingly tells you that you are seeking the goal in a wrong place: this world which is Ashashvatam dukhalayam (v 8.15). You are seeking Eternal in Impermanent (ashashvatam) and happiness in dukhalayam (house of sorrow). Can there be anything more illogical?  Of course, there are glimpses of fleeting pleasures in this world but that’s exactly what they are: fleeting. Its akin to trying to find coolness by plunging your hands in an inferno and yet strangely almost every person you know, including yourself is doing it. Every single anxiety that you have is linked to impermanence: Impermanence of health, impermanence of financial security, impermanence of stature & status or impermanence of life itself which is linked to fear of death. Hence your dharma is to find that underlying permanent truth within you which will lead to bliss and happiness. No person, no situation, no activity should stop you from finding this bliss which is your essential Dharma

Do your Karma: The biggest question most people have is: If search for this truth within is the dharma or purpose of life then does it mean that we should stop doing our regular karma in the world? The answer is: Absolutely not! Again, remember that Krishna is delivering this message in the battleground exhorting Arjuna to fight but with the right spirit and without anxiety. How to do that in our everyday life? If you have really understood the first tenet well, two things will start permeating in your life and in every action. First, you will slowly start seeing the one consciousness pervading across people. Even if its only conceptual it doesn’t matter, as you can’t become Vivekananda in one day who believed: “Every soul is potentially divine”. It will take you time to believe that your annoying boss, nagging relative and everyone else are potentially divine. However, your interactions, your attitude & actions will become more and more pleasant. Secondly and more importantly, you will start seeing the impermanence of every situation whether good or bad. It is almost like playing a virtual reality game, where you are playing with full fervour and intensity but with clear knowledge about the temporary nature of the game and the characters. The real you who is playing the game is neither richer by all the points that you earn in the game, nor is it hurt by all the debacles of the game. When you internalize this, bliss will seep through every karma that you do like never before.

Offer it to Brahman:  The third and final tenet is for one reason only: reducing your ego. As we go from Chapter 9 to Chapter 12, Krishna will hammer this point incessantly. Take the entire feeling of “I, me, mine” out of every action & situation and just offer it to the higher truth (Brahman). If the higher truth seems a bit abstract and tough to focus on, Krishna has a simple solution: Use Krishna as a form to constantly focus on in every situation (v 9.22). Our rituals and traditions are all based around this principle, though we never understood them and always questioned the need to have so many Devatas (deities) in different rituals. Every action from waking up, to showering, eating, working, going to sleep had a ritual or mantra for a deva which is nothing but pointing to the pervading consciousness (deva comes from the word divya which is light of consciousness). Thus, this final step divinizes every action and moves you towards that eternal happiness which is your goal and your right.

As we end, you might have recognized the three tenets as nothing but the three paths of Yoga. Know your Dharma is Jnana Yoga (Path of knowledge), Do your Karma is Karma Yoga (Path of action) and Offering it to Brahman is nothing but Bhakti Yoga (Path of devotion). At this mid-point of our journey, Krishna urges us to know that this eternal happiness is available to us here and now by taking these three simple steps. Just start walking!