GITA FOR CHILDREN PART 40 (Continued from the previous issue)

To access all the previous issues of Gita For Children, please click here.

46. After a long spell of silence, Arjuna now speaks. He says, ‘Krishna, all that You say is theoretically very nice. But I really can’t see how many of the mundane things we do in day-to-day life can be sanctified. Take breathing for instance. Everyone breathes all the time. You say sanctify Time. Well, how do I sanctify the act of breathing, which I do non-stop?’

47. Krishna smiles and says, ‘I am glad you have asked this question. Let us examine this breathing process. There are two steps, inhalation and exhalation, agree? Now examine a bit further and focus on the sounds generated during these two steps. During inhalation, the sound that is generated is: Soooo…and likewise, during exhalation the sound generated is: Huuuummm. Thus the two sounds are “So” and “Hum”. What do they mean? “So” means “That”, and what exactly is “That”? It is God! “Hum” means “This”, meaning “I”. Putting these two together, you get the message, “I Am That” or “I am God!”

48. ‘Just think about it; your body, through Divine dispensation, is giving you this message that you are God, 21,600 times a day! Does anyone ever take even a minute off to focus on this message and its significance? No! You asked Me how to sanctify the breathing process. Well, just slowly breathe in, and then slowly breathe out. Concentrate on the sounds generated, and on their inner meanings. If you did this, then you would be sanctifying the breathing process!’

49. ‘Arjuna, it is all a matter of thinking and trying. If you really wanted to, and if you really felt that God is everything, you would automatically start associating Me with every act you do. You might do it consciously or even unconsciously; that does not matter. The fact that you are associating every work with God and doing it for His pleasure is all that matters.’

50. ‘In short, the simplest way of sanctifying Time is to think always of God, believe that everything you do is for God, and finally offer everything to God. Now tell Me, what is the difficulty in doing all this? I don’t see any difficulty at all; just that people don’t want to be bothered about this, and would instead like to entertain themselves in every possible stupid way. I am not responsible for such irresponsible behaviour!’

51. Arjuna is lost in thought hearing all this. Dimly he hears the voice of Krishna and snaps to attention. He hears Krishna saying, ‘Arjuna, time is getting along. Everyone is waiting and I had better wrap up. In life, everyone without exception must do his or her duty properly, consciously and with dedication, to the station one is born.’

52. ‘One should not quit saying, “No Sir, this is not for me,” and things like that. The rule is: “You must like what you are doing, rather than trying to do what you like.” If say, everyone in a kingdom wanted to be the king, what would happen to that kingdom?’

53. ‘Society needs all kinds of people and that is why God in His Infinite Wisdom has created diversity. Diversity serves a purpose. However, the individual, while always being in harmony with this external diversity, must also act in harmony with the underlying unity, that is the Divine Principle.’

54. ‘You are born a soldier, and you must do your duty as a soldier. You can’t suddenly quit, talking like a Sannyasi (ascetic). Rather, you must have the detachment of Sannyasi and do your duty like a soldier. Understand?’

55. ‘In other words, no matter in what situation life places a person – as a farmer, teacher, housewife or whatever - the person must do the duty appropriate to the situation but in conformity with the dictates of the Atma (spirit within). That is what Atma Dharma is all about it. And that is the essence of what I have been telling you all along.’

56. ‘By the way, do you know something? You protested that you would not fight. Let us say you do go on strike, and the war has started without you. You know what would happen? In five minutes, you would pick up your bow and arrows and enter the battle! You know why? Because of your Gunas! Being a soldier is in your blood! That is why you have been born a soldier! I know about your Gunas, and that is why I have given you this part in My Cosmic Drama!’

57. ‘So, My dear Arjuna, understanding that this is all a Drama, a Cosmic Drama to be more precise, and realising that you are merely a puppet in the hands of God in this unfathomable Drama, go out there and do your duty as you ought to. This is what every single person ought to do every single moment. Duty, duty, duty. It is to teach you how to do your duty, that I have come down as man, and am performing duties all the time even though I really have no duty to perform!’

58. ‘Arjuna, I think have said all that is necessary. It is now up to you. The ball is in your court. Just remember, most blessed you are for I have revealed to you the greatest of Truths, and explained the greatest of mysteries.’

59. ‘Once more, fix your thought on Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me, and offer everything you do to Me. By so doing, you shall come to Me without fail. This is My solemn promise to you for you are truly dear to Me!’

60. ‘I have said many things, and you might even be confused. So I shall make it absolutely simple. Don’t bother if you do not understand spiritual philosophy. Just take total refuge in Me. Surrender fully to Me. And just keep doing what you have to. I shall take care of all the rest – this I assure you!’

61. ‘Arjuna, what I have said to you is most profound. It is not merely meant for you but indeed for the whole of mankind, and for Eternity! It is My Message to man! He who listens to this and follows it is dear to Me. He who spreads this Message is also dear to Me. ’

62. ‘All those who follow My Message would be liberated from evil and rise to the world of the virtuous. O Partha, have you listened to all that I have been saying with an attentive mind? What do you intend to do now?’

63. Arjuna replies with great humility, ‘Lord, by Your Grace, my ignorance has been destroyed. My doubts have got dispelled, and I now understand what precisely my duty is. I vow that I shall do precisely as You command.’

64. As Krishna’s immortal exhortation comes to a close, Sanjaya tells the blind King Dhritarashtra, “This is the wonderful conversation between God and man that I have been privileged to see, hear and report to you. I am filled with ecstasy and blessed indeed I am to have seen and heard it all.”

65. “O King! Know this to be true. Where there is Krishna and where there is Arjuna, there, be rest assured, would one find Victory, Prosperity, Glory and Justice. Indeed, this would be so in all places and at all times, when the end is good and so are the means for achieving that end. For, a good end means God, while good practices mean the observance of Dharma.’

66. “God is Dharma, and it is by adhering to Dharma alone that one can reach God! One who strays from Dharma will ultimately perish, though he may appear to succeed in the interim. This, O King, is the essence of God’s Message to man.”

- END OF THE BOOK -

 

To access all the previous issues of Gita For Children, please click here.

 

– Heart2Heart Team

---