This month we celebrate the Global Peace Day on 21st September. I discovered that to bring a true global peace, the world needs to know the 2 important truths. First truth – it is inner peace that leads to global peace. This means we all need to be healed from our past wounds and hurt. (see my article https://yourpresenceheals.com/peace-begins-healing-pains/ ). The second truth – As there are many students, many paths exist for Self-Realization. This understanding will remove the intolerance for co-existence of other faiths completely!
In support of the second truth, I would like to share a particular chapter of the teaching of Bhagavad Gita. Bhagavad Gita is a sacred scripture of the Vedic culture, it is called the sruti in Sanksrit, meaning something that is heard. Bhagavad Gita is written into the Hindu epic Mahabharata called a purana, an ancient tale. It is part of a story about a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna – a dialogue between man and God. It is the ultimate practical teaching on the inner science of spirituality.
Here is the extract of the translation in Chapter 13 verse 25-27 from the book, Bhagavad Gita demystified by a living enlightened master, Paramahamsa Nithyananda.
Krishna gives various techniques for the path to Self-Realisation. As many disciples, so many paths! Each disciple can have his own path. This is what Krishna says – we can attain the ultimate consciousness through different paths.
Krishna says that through meditation or yoga or knowledge or contemplation or surrendering to the Divine, you can attain liberation. All the different paths lead to the same goal. However, one important thing is that we should know which path is good for us. There are people who simply follow what others are doing. The danger of following blindly is that you will not reach the correct destination. You must know your own path. There are different paths to realise the truth, however, we must understand what our path is. This is where a true enlightened master can help. He knows exactly what the path is for you. He corrects you where you are on the wrong path.
Even with the path of knowledge or philosophical discussion, it can be done in 2 ways. Many people read tons of books, they are the intellectuals. With knowledge without the experience, the knowledge will be just another manifestation of their ego, just to show off. Only if we internalise the knowledge, transformation happens in us. If we discuss for the sake of showing our knowledge and ego, we have made no use of that knowledge.
Krishna gives a wonderful technique, the ultimate technique – the technique of surrendering. He says “Surrendering the outcome of your actions to Me.” This is the most effective technique. Just surrender the fruits of your actions to Him, the universal consciousness. We are taught to take responsibility for our actions by society. That is when the tensions and problems start. Just surrender everything to the Cosmic energy of consciousness. Once we do that, we will feel liberated. We will feel free – this is the easiest path to reach the truth.
A person need not have any spiritual knowledge to begin on a particular path. Even if the person is totally new to spirituality, he can follow a spiritual path. Only a cognitive shift must happen, so many enlightened masters did not have any prior knowledge about spirituality.
One important thing to note is that, just because someone has spiritual knowledge, it does not mean that he is actually a seeker. When an enlightened master speaks about spirituality he speaks from his own experience of the truth. However, when a normal man speaks, it is his ego that is speaking. His so-called spiritual knowledge comes from the intellect, from the ego.
That’s what Krishna says – you do not need prior knowledge about spirituality to embark on a path. Even if someone simply tells you about it and you start following a path, this is enough. But you should know what you are doing and follow your own path!
In essence, with this understanding, we should all welcome many paths and different faiths to co-exist on planet earth. If each faith is able to embrace this truth and develop tolerance for others’ own path to Self-Realisation, the world will be a much more peaceful place to live in where we can celebrate unity in diversity. Namate 😀