by Gurani Anjali
In Chapter 11 of the Bhagavad Gita Krishna tells Arjuna, “Be you merely the occasion.”1 The seeker of the truth must understand what that means. Through study, through utmost devotion, through surrender, the seeker comes to understand what that means; and then after understanding, the seeker must act. Not indifferently, but with a great difference, a great strength, inner peace, courage, knowledge and wisdom. Life is a battlefield; every single moment of our life we are facing kurukshetra (the battlefield). Be you ever alert to the moment at hand. Be you merely the occasion.
One must act wisely. It is possible that at a given moment you can be called to do anything. And at any given moment you can become fearless, courageous and fully conscious, as Krishna. Or you may become Arjuna, the doubting one, the fearful one, the one that is whining, crying, not knowing, frightened; at any given moment that could happen. But Krishna’s advice to Arjuna, on the battlefield is, “Be you merely the occasion.”
That’s a very strong message, isn’t it? “Be you merely the occasion.” Which means that you must be selfless, surrendering all your works to the Maha purusha (Great One), offering up all actions, living in that state of selflessness. “Be you merely the occasion.” All ego (asmita), all the kleshas (afflictions) are attenuated. “Be you merely the occasion.” That’s a very tall order, a tremendous one: to be merely the occasion, where you live for the other and you do for the other. “Be you merely the occasion” is a great teaching from Chapter 11 of the Bhagavad Gita.
It is very important and necessary to attenuate the kleshas (afflictions of life). Immediately following Chapter 11, Krishna teaches Arjuna the Yogic way. The Yogic way frees one from the pain of asmita. “Me, me, me poor me. I don’t have enough. I don’t have anything.” That’s a great pain It’s a great suffering. It creates a lot of anxiety, tension – me, me, me. Who am I? Who am I? You’ll get to that eventually. Practicing the yamas (abstinences) and niyamas (observances) are very important. Working on the kleshas is absolutely necessary for us to be in the moment. There is much work to be done. There is much learning, studying, listening, hearing, looking and seeing, before we can see the universal Vision, the universal form. Listening is not the same as hearing and looking is not the same as seeing. Much must be done before we can see existence in non-existence and non-existence in existence; before we can see the manifest and the unmanifest; before we can see the other.
After the great Vision was shown to Arjuna, he was brought to his knees, and then brought back into his own condition. He was brought back and shown what his position was at that moment, and then he was shown how to live the Yogic way of life. Yoga teaches us about the human condition. Yoga teaches about history – your background, your values, all the impressions of your life, all this has to be understood. The seeker of the truth, after much study, begins to realize, “Well that’s the journey of my life. I have come this far and I am here now at this point in my life. I will take responsibility and continue what must be continued and discontinue what must be discontinued” It has to be an act which is willed, by oneself. Language like “I was brought up like this, that’s why I am like this,” you’ve heard many times. “This was the way we were brought up. We can’t help it. I can’t help it; this is the way I was brought up. My mother used to do this, my grandfather used to do this, my grandmother used to do this. This is the way I have been brought up.” And I ask the seeker of the truth, “Are you telling me that you have no choice?”
You can change what must be changed, and continue what must be continued. Replace each negativity that arises in your life with a positive; change it, move it out. It has to be a deliberate act coming from a strong desire to know the truth, the real, consciousness, and to be consciousness itself. One can be in that temple of silence with the Maha purusha (great consciousness).
In this world we all feel like we are homeless. Sometimes, we feel alone, and we say, “I don’t want to be alone.” Even when you are with someone, you feel alone. And you begin to wonder, “Where is my mother and my father? Where is my home? What can I call home?” Throughout life we’ve moved through many, many rooms, going from one place to the other, looking for home. And wherever we’ve been, we’ve been there for just a little while. Everyone in this world feels that. Where is home? Where can I just be—complete? You don’t have very far to look, it is already the case. You are already home. You are that. But living in this world you are always going and looking out of yourself, and you get lost, when all the while you’re already home. The stars, the moon, the rivers, the lakes, the trees, all the pleasures in the world, all the ecstasies, and all the afflictions, the many forces in the world, the gentle expressions and the violent expressions, all this is experienced in this condition, the human condition, in the jiva (individual). Know this truth so you may live in harmony with all living beings. When, due to lack of understanding, this is not comprehended and appreciated, we tend to have combat with every spoken word, every gesture and bodily movement. This is what manifests when this beautiful state of pure unity, of pure Yoga, is not accepted.
When we surrender, everything works out wonderfully. So seek understanding as to how you may serve in this great world of form and color, many sensations, and constant movement. This world is to be seen, held and worshipped with every breath, in every movement.
Worship everything, even that which is ugly. What is ugly to the conditioned mind is not ugly to the conscious mind. Everything that you see demands worship. Therefore, when you meet each other, “Namaste” (salutation of obeisance) is in perfect order. Bowing the head in acknowledgment is a sign of worship. Offering is a sign of worship. Waiting is a sign of worship. Standing still is a sign of worship. Cleansing is a sign of worship. Everything in this world demands worship. When you bow your head in acknowledgment or even stand by a tree and touch it gently, that is a sign of worship. Acknowledging that tree with a slight bow is a sign of worship. Take water by the ocean. Hold it in your hand. Splash it on your face. This is a sign of worship. Everything in this world demands worship.
When we become worshipful, we are worshipped in return. As we bow, everything bows to us. When we smile at someone or anything, it is a sign of worship. When we touch gently it’s a sign of worship. Grasping and clinging shows klesha (affliction). Moving gently in a crowd without disturbing anyone is a sign of worship. Sitting quietly in front of your food is a sign of worship. So many areas of our life demand worship. Do it in silence, no one needs to know. No one has to see what you’re doing. Do it quietly. Don’t draw attention to what you’re doing. Just do it, quietly like the wind that moves everything silently. Like the sun, its warmth is felt silently and quietly it touches everything. Gently bow to everything as a sign of worship. We are to worship all day long, all night long, every minute of our lives. “Be you merely the occasion.” Om shanti.
1. The Bhagavad Gita, perhaps the most widely read text of the classical Indian spiritual tradition, is a dialogue, of 18 chapters, between Krishna and Arjuna. In chapter 11 the unity underlying the manifest world is revealed. The voice of consciousness portrayed by Krishna, the voice of the mahapurusha (great consciousness), the great ‘I am that I am,’ speaks to Arjuna, who has to uphold his dharma, his traditions, his values. He is a warrior and he is bound to fight. It’s a great battle, and he has to fight it. And so the voice of ignorance portrayed by Arjuna seeks understanding from Krishna, portrayed in the Bhagavad Gita as a charioteer. He takes Arjuna on to the battlefield, and Arjuna is frightened. Every single moment of our lives we are facing kurukshetra (battlefield). We must do and we must act. We must act. We must do. But how, but when, but why? So Krishna shows Arjuna his cosmic form, the great Vision. The One without a second.↩