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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 - Lesson 12 of 17

Character Sketch

  • Śakuni, the maternal uncle of Duryodhana embodies the pattern of self-hatred, which is cunningness personified.
  • Droṇa represents all the best knowledge one imbibes and the teachers one encounters, who guide us but are unable to take us through to the ultimate flowering of enlightenment. It is difficult to give them up since one feels grateful to them. This is where the Enlightened Master, the incarnation steps in and guides us.
  • Duryodhana, represents one's ego or root-pattern, the most difficult to conquer as it leads one to self destruction. One needs the full help of the Master here. It is subtle work and even the Master's help may not be obvious, since at this point, sometimes the ego makes us deny and disconnect from the Master as well.
  • Karṇa is the repository of all good deeds and it is his good deeds that stand in the way of his own Enlightenment. Śrī Kṛṣṇa has to take the load of Karṇa's puṇya, his meritorious deeds, before he could be liberated. The Enlightened Master guides one to drop one's attachment to good deeds arising out of what are perceived to be charitable and compassionate intentions. He also shows us that the quest for and the experience of enlightenment is the ultimate act of compassion that one can offer to the world.

Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa, the 8th most powerful purnāvatar of Ṃaha Viśnu, is the embodiment of pure celebration, boundless love, compassion, and completion.

Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa is the only incarnation demonstrating and expressing Ṣarva Ṃangalatva all the auspicious qualities and all dimensions of an avatar during His physical happening. The līla Bhagavan Ṣri Krsna is one of sheer innocence and simplicity, in a peace-loving, diplomatic, conflict-free way.

Karṇa is the repository of all good deeds and it is his good deeds that stand in the way of his own Enlightenment. Śrī Kṛṣṇa has to take the load of Karṇa's puṇya, his meritorious deeds, before he could be liberated. The Enlightened Master guides one to drop one's attachment to good deeds arising out of what are perceived to be charitable and compassionate intentions. He also shows us that the quest for and the experience of enlightenment is the ultimate Till now everyone blames Bhagavan Sri Krishna for this Kurukshetra war but that's the greatest sacrifice Bhagavan Sri Krishna did to save the planet Earth. If Kurukshetra was not conducted at that time under the controlled conditions and direct supervision of Bhagavan Sri Krishna, planet Earth would not have survived more than three years.

Character Sketch act of compassion that one can offer to the world. Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa, the 8th most powerful purnāvatar of Ṃaha Viśnu, is the embodiment of pure celebration, boundless love, compassion, and completion. Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa is the only incarnation demonstrating and expressing Ṣarva Ṃangalatva all the auspicious qualities a nd all dimensions of an avatar during His physical happening. The līla Bhagavan Ṣri Krsna is one of sheer innocence and The wide spread availability of the Astra shastras without Shastra, without the knowledge and vision, was posing a huge threat to the whole of humanity and planet Earth, and for life itself. The greatest achievement of Bhagavan Sri Krishna is destroying all the weapons in one controlled condition and saving planet earth, eliminating the nuclear weapons and the knowledge of these nuclear weapons to save humanity from total annihilation.

conflict-free way.

simplicity, in a peace-loving, diplomatic,

Bhagavad Gītā appears in the heart of Mahābhārat in Bhīṣma Parva, the sixth chapter of its eighteen chapters. Veda Vyāsa, the narrator, in glorifying the Gītā sings, 'the one who drinks the water of Ganges (the sacred river for Hindus) attains liberation, what to speak of the one who drinks the nectar of Gītā?

Gītā is the essential nectar of the Mahābhārat, bhāratamṛta sarvasvam as it is directly spoken by Nārāyaṇa, Bhagavān kṛṣṇa Himself.'

The armies assembled in the vast field of Kurukṣetra, now in the state of Haryana in modern day Bharat. All the kings and princes were related to one another, and were often on opposite sides. Facing the Kaurava army and his friends, relatives and teachers, Arjuna was overcome by remorse and guilt, and wanted to walk away from the battle out of total powerlessness unbecoming an invincible warrior among warriors.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa's dialogue with Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra out of His utmost concern and love for him and humanity is the content of Bhagavad Gītā. Of its seven hundred and forty-five (745) verses, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa sings the Gītā in six hundred and twenty (620) verses responding to Arjuna's fifty-seven (57) enquiries.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa persuades Arjuna to give-up his powerlessness unfitting an Ārya—the spiritually evolved one who understands human life and urges him to raise himself again as Parantapa—the conqueror of enemy, and take up arms and vanquish his enemies. They are already dead,' says Śrī Kṛṣṇa, 'All those who are facing you have been already killed by Me. Go ahead and do what you have to do. That is your responsibility. Do not worry about the outcome. Leave that to Me.'

dūreṇa hyavaraṁ karma buddhiyogād dhanañjaya buddhau śaraṇamanviccha kṛpaṇāḥ phalahetavaḥ

O Dhanañjaya, beyond the action with selfish motive is Yoga (of action) in wisdom [buddhiyoga]. Wretched are those whose motive is the fruit (outcome) Surrender yourself fully to the wisdom of completion

Stand up with the courage of authenticity in all actions.

buddhiyukto jahātīha ubhe sukṛtaduṣkṛte tasmādyogāya yujyasva yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam

Endowed with the wisdom of evenness of mind, move away from both good and evil deeds in this life. Devote yourself to yoga. Authenticity in action is yoga

Authenticity in action is yoga.

karmajaṁ buddhiyuktā hi phalaṁ tyaktvā manīṣiṇaḥ janmabandhavinirmuktāḥ padaṁ gacchantyanāmayam

The wise, having abandoned the outcome of their actions and possessed of knowledge of completion, are freed from the cycle of birth and death. They go to the state that is beyond all sorrow

Stay fully in the space of completion, and based on the truth of integrity and authenticity, act.

yadā te mohakalilaṁ buddhirvyatitariṣyati tadā gantāsi nirvedaṁ śrotavyasya śrutasya ca

When your wisdom takes you beyond delusion, you shall be indifferent to what has been heard and what is yet to be heard

Pick up authenticity as your strategy plan in every moment of your life.

śrutivipratipannā te yadā sthāsyati niścalā samādhāvacalā buddhis tadā yogamavāpsyasi

When you are not confused by what you have heard and your wisdom stands steady and unmoving in the Self, you shall attain Yoga, Self– realization

Surrender yourself to practice integrity in thinking and authenticity in action.

Kṛṣṇa begins revealing the truth of authenticity, the strategy of life, the strategy that will make Arjuna succeed and expand!

What is Authenticity?

Authenticity is you being established in the peak of your energy, the peak of your capability, and responding to life from who you perceive yourself to be for you and who you project yourself to be for others, and what others expect you to be for them.

Kṛṣṇa gives the ultimate winning strategy of life to Arjuna—to stand up with the courage of authenticity in all his actions, yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam. Arjuna can complete his root pattern of fear, only when he raises and expands himself fighting as a kṣatriya warrior.

Only then Arjuna will be authentic. Listen. Life is expansion. Life is expansion. When you feel, 'Wow, I am going to expand, expand, expand! Authenticity is the best principle,' then understand, you are entering into akśardhām eternal life!

Break the pattern of—' am I never going to rest or what?' Why do you need rest? Increasing the speed of running is rest. Make it into flying! That is rest. You see, when you drive or run on the road, there is friction. If you want bliss, joy, peace, don't reduce the speed of life; reduce the friction. Just take off!

Kṛṣṇa adds, 'When you are centered in wisdom of completion you will no longer be deluded by what you hear. When you are no longer deluded by what you have heard, you are liberated.

Kṛṣṇa says, 'Don't be inactive, do what you need to do. Do it with no expectations and no attachment to results. Do it with a centered mind, and in wisdom of your own inner calling, and not because of something you have heard. You will then go beyond all suffering and be liberated.'

These steps are so simple that everyone can practice them; in fact everyone should practice them. Stay fully in the space of completion, and based on the truth of integrity and authenticity, act. You can never go wrong.

Listen. With integrity you experience the space of positivity. With authenticity you experience the space of possibility. Only a man who lives authenticity is a liberated one, a yogi, the one devoted to authenticity in action. Only when you surrender yourself to practice integrity in thinking and authenticity in action— yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam, you will realize that you are responsible for success and fail-ure, for good or bad, for everything you experience. You drop your attachments and your fear patterns, and experience self-realization.

❖ Helping the children align to the principle of authenticity.

  • ❖ Helping each child connect to their inner wisdom through completion.

❖ Helping each shield go beyond attachments.

❖ Helping each child bring integrity in their thinking and authenticity in their action.

❖ Helping each child go beyond the fear of saying or doing something wrong.

  • ❖ What is authenticity?
  • ❖ What is the ultimate winning strategy of life that Kṛṣṇa gives to Arjuna?
  • ❖ How can Arjuna complete with this root pattern of fear?
  • ❖ How do you know whether or not you have entered eternal life?
  • ❖ What is the pattern that needs to break in order for life to overflow in you?
  • ❖ Why is being centered in the wisdom of completion important?
  • ❖ What space opens up when you practice integrity?
  • ❖ What space opens up when you practice authenticity?
  • ❖ What will happen when you surrender yourself to practice integrity in thinking and authenticity in action?

MATERIALS NEEDED:

  • 1. Pen
  • 2. Pencil
  • 3. Paper
  • 4. Eraser

PROCEDURE

Ask the children to draw the toy they are most attached to and to share what they like about it with others. Once they are all done sharing, ask them to give the drawing to another child as if they were letting go of the actual toy. You drop your attachments and your fear patterns, and experience self-realization.

INFERENCE

By letting go of the drawing, the child learns that self-realization happens when we reach the space of completion, beyond fears and attachments. End the activity by reiterating the importance of completing with fears and attachments.

PROCEDURE:

Ask children to pair up and recreate the scene where Kṛṣṇa is speaking to Arjuna based on their understanding of the lesson. Give them some time to rehearse and then ask them to present in front of the class.

INFERENCE

Whether your understanding is complete or not, engaging in action without being bothered about the result will infuse authenticity in you.Ask the children to share about their experience of expressing authentically

MATERIALS NEEDED: Paper, Pen or Pencil.