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When we correct our mistakes, they are always forgiven and God is the
only witness for the change in our attitude. Apologies are again not by
words but we can display through our sincerity in correcting our actions!
> All of us are prompted to do Karma by our nature (Gita 3.33). But we
have to
> strive not to let our senses conquer ourselves (Gita 3.34). The Gita
and the
> Brahma Sutra both say that all sin (including future ones) can be
> burned up by the fire of GYAna. Sins are forgiven if one does the
> praayashchitta japa without the thought "I am doing the japa." This is
the
> view of advaita vedanta, and I am sure all religions have different
views
> regarding expiation from one's sins.
> (One of the central tenets of Christianity is to ask forgiveness of
one's sins.
> "Lord Jesus, have mercy on me" is a regular prayer for some Christian
sects.)
The term "excuses for an action" differ from "mistakes made during
actions." The Lord will not forgive excuses but always will forgive our
mistakes! If we build expectations on the results of an action, we
experience illusionary sins. Sin is a notion created by the mind based
on beliefs on social and religious traditions. Sin and Praayashchitta
are both illusions that counter acts each other. Praayaschitta is a
religious remedy for the sin virus seeded by religion in the human mind!
According to my understanding of Gita, the duty of Arjun the soldier is
to fight the war and he has no excuses. In fact in chapter 18, verse
66, Lord Krishna assures Arjun:
Sarvadharmaan parityajya maamekam sharanam vraja
Aham tvaa sarvapaapebhyo mokshayishyaami maa shuchah
According to the moral and ethical values of the society during
Mahabharat time, killing the teachers and relatives was a great sin.
Arjun was also afraid that the war will destroy the moral, ethical and
ritualistic duties of the society after the war. Lord Krishna tells him
not to worry about the results of the war but to trust the Lord. If Arjun
dedicates life, actions, feelings and thoughts with an attitude of
surrender to the Lord, the Lord will guide him through his life and he
will have no fears. One of the biggest obstacles for human action is
fear generated in the human mind. Moral, ethical and social values cause
the germination of fear in human mind which prevents human actions that
violate those values. When we develop the faith that the cause of all
actions is the Lord then our fear will disappear! When we surrender our
body, mind, intellect and soul to the Lord then fear can no longer exist!
The difference between the Kartha (doer) and the Karan (the cause) will
melt and disappear. We will become totally free from fear and excuses for
our actions!
Gita's idea of forgiveness is much more direct and powerful than
the teachings in Christianity. When we surrender our personality to the
Lord, we surrender all our actions and their results to the Lord. This
change in attitude permits us to enjoy full freedom with no fear for our
actions! We become the witness our own life and we can enjoy without
judging and evaluating our path!
> I do not believe that I am eligible to write on the essence of the
Gita.
> When even geniuses like Shankara and Ramanuja disagree, I cannot even
dream
> of attempting such an endeavour.
Excuses have no excuse! We don't need to pretend that we are Shankara or
Ramanuja. Fortunately we exist at a different point of time and we need
to be just ourselves. Our only qualification is to complete our action
and we are not qualified to judge!
> I might have agreed with you if you had said "Mahabharata" instead of
the
> "Gita." The Mahabharata is a treatise on dharma (virtue), artha
(wealth),
> kama (pleasure) and moksha (salvation). The Gita is the "moksha
shastra"
> portion of the Mahabharata which deals *exclusively* with salvation.
Which
> is why Shankara and Ramanuja and others, who are interested in the
salvation
> of souls, comment on the Gita, and quote the rest of the Mahabharata
only on
> rare occassions.
Vedavyasa has skillfully organized a Hindu Philosophical Course
with theoretical and applied components. He discusses the philosophical
ideas in Bhagavad Geeta. He dramatizes the practical aspects using
Mahabharat and other Puranas. Characters of episodes in Mahabharat and
Puranas became role models to understand and follow the Dharma and Values
conceptualized in Geeta. Prof. Jeff Hooks, Communications Department,
St. Peters Junior College, Florida conducts a course on Bhagavad Gita.
His Home Page showed below contains the course materials:
http://splavc.spjc.cc.fl.us/hooks/hooks.html
Let me quote his views on Gita that appear to agree with my view points -
"I agree with my student that listening to the Gita is not only much
easier but also more historically appropriate than reading it. The
material in the book was part of an oral tradition long before it was
written down, so it was, in fact, created to be listened to, not to be
read. As part of the Mahabarata, the longest epic poem ever written, the
Gita has many characteristics that identify it as a work of oral
literature: it is dramatic, repetitious, poetic, and hyperbolic. The
drama can best be appreciated if one puts the events of the Gita into the
context of the Mahabarata."
It is true that the Mahabharat is more relevant in the first
two chapters and become more subtle in the later chapters. These are my
views and I respect your view point which appears different from mine. I
accept that there can be more than one opinion on relevance and purpose
of Gita.
> I do not consider myself to be an intellectual debater who has perfect
> understanding of the Gita" -- to mean that I did not believe that I
alone had
> the correct understanding of the Gita and that everyone else was wrong.
> I humbly agree with many of the great interpreters of the Gita.
> I hope I have made myself clear now.
Thanks for your change in attitude. I am glad to see your clarification.
We as finite human beings can't visualize the infinite TRUTH and we have
no way to judge right and wrong.
> If you define "success" as "spiritual success," I concur. But if you
mean
> success in the material world, I disagree. For as I have quoted in my
earlier
> postings, there is no encouragement in the Gita to strive for material
success,
> nor any promise of such.
Success or failure does not exist in spiritual life! Success and
failures are measured only in material life! Gita doesn't promise
success or failure. Nevertheless, people happen to witness successes and
failures as they cross the bridge of life. Those who follow the
guidelines of Gita can develop an attitude to accept successes and
failures with an even mind! The material life transforms into a spiritual
life with such a change in attitude.
Finally let me thank you once again for your thoughtful view points.
Keep it up with your good work.
With my regards and best wishes
Ram Chandran
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