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What Good Does THE Bhagavad Gita Do?
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An old farmer lived on a farm in the mountains with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Bhagavath Gita. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.
One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa! I try to read the Bhagavath Gita just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bhagavath Gita do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water."
The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. |
The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home.
Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.
The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty.
Out of breath, he said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!" "So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket." |
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The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.
"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bhagavath Gita. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Krishna in our lives!"
SPIRITUAL COMMENTARY
Why should we read the Bhagavad Gita, even if we can't understand even one Sanskrit word? Why it is that such an ancient book as the Bhagavad Gita has become so popular today?
It only proves the strength of the noble teachings that are involved in it, and that these universal principles endure even though they are expressed in different ways in the various philosophic scriptures of the world. It is an intensely practical book, and in many ways one of the most beautiful. It helps us to understand how we can live in society and still make spiritual values the real motivation of our lives. Because what the Gita enjoins is the importance of the inner life; that this is what motivates us, and what motivates all life in the universe.
Each of us must find his way, each of us his own path in life. So many are asking questions: what is this business of living all about? How can we come to terms with ourselves and add richness and meaning to our daily lives?
One delightful analogy, which actually came from the Mahabharata, from which the Gita is taken, points out the folly of anyone accepting the teachings in blind faith, for we cannot know the true nature of things if we just listen without really reflecting and questioning, any more than the spoon can have any idea of the taste of the soup. This is where the reason must come in, but more than that, the intuition and the power of discrimination. When Arjuna was so despondent, Krishna urged him to "seek this wisdom by service, by intense searching, by inquiry and by humility."
May the Bhagavad Gita become an integral part of our lives and clean the charcoal of our inner divine spirit and may Lord Krishna polish our hearts and minds to shine bright like the perfect diamond!
Illustrations: Sai Aditya, SSSU
- Heart2Heart Team
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