Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do

Saturday, February 4, 2012

As the story in the Bhagavad Gita comes
to a close, Krishna explains to Arjuna how he (and all spiritual seekers) can
benefit from the wisdom contained in their dialog. Anyone who can set aside
their pre-conceived biases and skepticism about these teachings and applies the
principles with dedicated effort will free themselves from bad habits and wrong
inclinations. That person will work through their bad karma from past actions
and begin building a storehouse of good karma that will take them to a virtuous
place. The very act of studying and learning this valuable knowledge is
equivalent to worshiping God. Once learned, the most priceless service you can
offer to God is to teach this kind of wisdom to others. But you should be
careful not to try to convince anyone of its value, especially if they do not
believe in God or are not inclined to want to serve others. You should refrain
from trying to teach others about this if they appear to be someone who lacks
self-control or even if they just don’t want to hear about it.

Friday, February 3, 2012

The image of God is present in the soul
of all human beings. The desire to return to Him is lodged in the hearts of
everybody. If you take refuge in meditating on that part of yourself that is
the image of God and you perform all your actions in service to others, by His
grace you will realize a profound peace of mind and find eternal shelter in His
abode. Because you can do as you wish, the cosmic illusion that is cast by the
way creation appears to operate can compel you to stay bound to this world as
if you were tied to a stone gristmill going around and around in circles. For
the sake of your spiritual growth, listen to the wisdom in this teaching and
keep your devotion steady and strong. It is up to you to apply these principles
and see for yourself what the results are. One path leads to liberation and the
other to bondage.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

If you decide you do not believe anything about God and His image within and, therefore, think that you do not have to fight this spiritual battle, you will find that eventually your inner instincts will compel you to do so. Even if your current identification with your ego and its physical body is so strong that you make no effort to further your spiritual evolution in this lifetime, the process goes on. The universal laws under which creation operates do not cease just because you make no conscious effort to find God. The truth does not need your approval in order to exist. As long as you continue to equate happiness with the satisfaction of your desires and the pleasure of your senses you will be denying yourself the long-term joy of satisfying your soul. Because you are bound to act in particular ways by your past actions (your karma) and your own innate nature (the influence of the three qualities of everything in creation), you must do what you are compelled to do, but you can learn to do those things without attachment to their results. You can do whatever you think will make you happy, but the result is not under your control, so you are fighting the spiritual fight whether you want to or not.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

To reach that state of complete devotion you must have your mind always fixed on God.
You must make identifying with the image of God within you your highest goal.
You must learn to discriminate between reality and the illusion that the world creates.
Then you will find yourself completely absorbed in God and all your actions will be dedicated to
Him. By doing so, you open yourself up to His grace and thereby overcome all
obstacles, but if you do not heed this message because you are still clinging
to your ego, you will find life full of difficulties.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

You are not this mortal body

When you have reached a state of being where you are completely and unwaveringly devoted to God and other people you will become calm and serene all the way down to your soul. You will no longer be subject to sorrow or anxiety because you will not be craving the satisfaction of your personal desires nor will you lament the absence of certain pleasures. You will see the equality in all beings and will have the same regard for everyone. Through that kind of devotion and God’s grace you will come to understand who and what He truly is. At that point, you will know immediately that you are really a part of God’s eternal Spirit and not this mortal body.

Monday, January 30, 2012

The way to realize your oneness with God and everyone else

It has been stated in various ways throughout the Bhagavad Gita that the culmination of all wisdom and the path to absolute freedom lies in keeping your consciousness identified with your inner soul-self, which is the image of God, rather than your ego-self by eliminating your personal desires and any attachment you have to the results of your actions. By resolving to persevere in your efforts to renounce the attractions and repulsions of your body and its senses, thereby avoiding the entanglement of your mind with the fluctuations that result, you can go about the task of refining your understanding of the absolute truth and reality. It helps to be in a relatively sequestered place where you can eat lightly and where things like controlling your body, speech and mind are encouraged. In such a place it is easier to be peaceful and be less concerned about power, vanity, lust, anger and the acquisition of possessions. Then, by continuously engaging in meditation and practicing non-attachment, one becomes free of the ego’s sense of separateness and no longer suffers from the possessive attitude of “me” and “mine.” Regardless of where or how you get there, once you have removed that sense of egoism, you will be prepared to realize your oneness with God.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Improve your inner nature by encouraging positive qualities

You can improve on all aspects of your inner nature by cultivating various qualities within yourself. By meditating on the image of God within and having faith in the eternal hereafter you can elevate your spiritual state and you will naturally have more of a tendency toward serenity, even-mindedness, self-control, honesty and forgiveness. You can increase your leadership abilities by persevering in the face of obstacles and abandoning your fears in favor of courage, resourcefulness, vigor, being resolute and applying all of these with the necessary endurance. Even if you find yourself unable to muster any of these spiritual or leadership skills you can always do whatever work you are inclined to do with an attitude of service toward others and always acting in a way that benefits those around you. When you do your work in that way you are really worshiping the omnipresent creator of all beings and will, therefore, reap the benefits of all those other qualities. Remember, it is better to do the work that comes naturally to you, however imperfectly, than it is to try to be someone you are not, even if you get praised for it. You will not suffer inner conflict if you do work that is your natural calling.