9/5/2014 The Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga of Devotion

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The Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga of
Devotion
08 Apr 2014 3 Comments
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Questioner: Sadhguru, can you please explain what Krishna says in
Chapter 12 of the Bhagavad Gita, Yoga of Devotion?
Sadhguru: Yoga of Devotion. Arjuna asked, Who is considered more
perfect those devotees who worship you and are thus always united with
you in love, or those who worship the eternal and indestructible and
unmanifest? The Lord of Sri said, Those who surrender themselves to me
and fix their total devotion on me and worship me eternally with their
minds absorbed in me, I consider them to be the most devoted to me.
However, those who are devoted to the unmanifest, that which is beyond
all senses, all pervading, they also attain me. But those who are absorbed
in the unmanifest face excessive tribulation, as for the embodied being the
path of that course is difficult to tread. But, O Arjuna, those whose minds
are absorbed in me in total faith and who are engaged in devotional service
unto me, for them I give deliverance from the cycle of birth and death.
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9/5/2014 The Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga of Devotion
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Even if you have
lived a stupid life,
still ultimate
release will not be
an issue once you
are in a certain
presence, unless
you really screw it
up in the final
moments of your
life.
You cannot experience that which is unmanifest you can only believe in
it. Even if you believe in the unmanifest, it is going to be very difficult for
you to develop and keep up intense love and devotion towards that which
is not. It is so much easier for you to hold your focus of devotion towards
that which is. At the same time, he says, If someone is capable of holding
their devotion to the unmanifest, they will also attain me. When he says
me, he is not talking about himself as an individual, he is talking about
that dimension which includes both the manifest and the unmanifest. If
someone takes that route, they will also come to me, but it involves much
tribulation, because directing your emotions towards something that is
not here is difficult for you. You need a form, a shape, a name something
that you can relate to in order to steadily keep up your devotion.
As for the embodied being, the
path of that course is difficult to
tread. This means, if you, as a
being who has a body and an
intellectual discretion, dedicate
yourself to an unmanifest
dimension of existence, every day,
your intellect will question
whether you are really going
somewhere or wasting your time.
For beings who are not embodied,
it is more of a possibility, because
they do not have to struggle with
their intellect they go by their
tendencies. If they are spiritually
oriented, they generally orient
themselves towards the
unmanifest not out of conscious
choice but out of their tendencies.
Therefore, for a disembodied being, a being who is beyond the limitations
of the five elements, who is beyond the limitations and the discretion of
the intellect, that is a more suitable path. But for an embodied being, it is
better to direct your emotions towards something that you can relate to.
That is why he says, being focused on him as a live person, it is much
easier to attain. Looking for the unmanifest can become a philosophical
drama within yourself, without you making an inch of progress.
But, O Arjuna, those whose minds are absorbed in me in total faith and
who are engaged in devotional service unto me, for them I give deliverance
from the cycle of birth and death. This not only Krishna said any being
who is fully realized always says this in one way or another. When people
ask me questions like, Will I get mukti in this janma [birth]? I tell them,
Just get onto my bus. You dont have to drive you just sit in the bus.
But your ego is such that you want to do the driving too. There are many
people who sit in the backseat and keep driving usually, they only apply
brakes.
If you are in a certain presence, your attainment at the last moment is not
an issue. The question is how beautifully you live the remaining part of
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your life. Even if you have lived a stupid life, still ultimate release will not
be an issue once you are in a certain presence, unless you really screw it up
in the final moments of your life. If even at the last moment, you do not
have the necessary sense and you get into a huge sense of anger, hatred, or
desire, life may perpetuate itself. Otherwise, once you made the mistake of
sitting with me, when you die, you will be dead for good. That is what he
says here too. These translations into English are not quite accurate. What
he actually says is, If at least for one moment, you are truly absorbed in
me, you will attain.
He tells Arjuna, Dont bother about the result of the war. You are here.
You have to fight. Whether you win or not is a question of capabilities and
other factors. Just fight, and do it well. If you win, enjoy the kingdom. If
you die, anyway I ensure your ultimate wellbeing. Again he is making
clear that when it comes to external situations, he cannot ensure
everything. With the internal, there is absolute guarantee. But he says, I
will make sure there will be no more birth for you. This is true with me
too. I can ensure that you will not have another birth, but I cannot ensure
that you will have a breakfast tomorrow. That may look ridiculous to a
logical mind, If you can ensure such a big thing, why cant you ensure the
breakfast? That is the reality of life. I cannot ensure tomorrows breakfast
for you, but I can ensure your ultimate wellbeing. When it comes to inner
dimensions, I can completely take charge. When it comes to outside
situations, there is no guarantee everyone has to strive.
Editors Note: Watch the Leela series, where Sadhguru explores the life
and path of Krishna. Available as a free webstream one part every
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gokulishanga 5 months ago
Atlast, found the bus and the driver.. Wish, no brakes by me from here on

2


Reply
Ceekaykay 5 months ago
Tomorrows breakfast You can not guarantee
But timeless bliss beyond this life you do
I will go by the second choice given free
And hope to make your prophesy come true.........
Pranams to Sadhguru

1


Reply
Amit 5 months ago
"once you made the mistake of sitting with me, when you die, you will be dead for
good."
Thank you Sadhguru! We are blessed!

1


Reply
Ceekaykay 5 months ago > Amit
Being dead for good means no more roller coaster rides of pleasure and
suffering in future life times....living and dying...living and dying.....


Reply
Omkar Narayan 5 months ago > Amit
I hope you are not misinterpreting "me" as physical body of Sadhguru. In
this sentence he is talking in context of ABSOLUTE HIS AS
NOTHINGNESS. So, it really means if once you experience this
nothingness, it will be your last death having a body.


Reply
Keerthana Sukumar 5 months ago
Thank you Sadhguru.


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