CHAPTER 8: THE ETERNAL SPIRIT

Arjuna said: O Krishna, who is the Eternal Being or the Spirit? What is the nature of the Eternal Being? What is Karma? Who are the mortal beings? And who are Temporal Beings? Who is the Supreme Being, and how does e dwell in the bod!? ow "an #ou, the Supreme Being, be re$membered at the time of death b! those who ha%e "ontrol o%er their minds, O Krishna? DEFINITION OF SUPREME SPIRIT, SPIRIT, INDIVIDUAL SOUL, AND KARMA &ord Krishna said: The eternal and immutable Spirit of the Supreme Being is also "alled Eternal Being or the Spirit' The inherent power of "ognition and desire of Eternal Being (Spirit) is "alled the nature of Eternal Being' The "reati%e power of Eternal Being (or Spirit) that "auses manifesta$tion of the li%ing entit! is "alled Karma' *arious e+pansions of the Supreme Being are also "alled Temporal Beings or ,i%ine Beings' The Supreme Being also resides inside the ph!si"al bodies as the di%ine -ontroller' THEORY OF REINCARNATION AND KARMA The one who remembers the Supreme Being e+"lusi%el! e%en while lea%ing the bod! at the time of death, attains the Supreme Abode. there is no doubt about it' /emembering whate%er obje"t one lea%es the bod! at the end of life, one attains that obje"t' Thought of whate%er obje"t pre%ails during one0s lifetime, one remembers onl! that obje"t at the end of life and a"hie%es it' A SIMPLE METHOD OF GOD-REALIZATION Therefore, alwa!s remember 1e and do !our dut!' #ou shall "ertainl! attain 1e if !our mind and intelle"t are e%er fo"used on 1e' B! "ontemplating on 1e with an unwa%ering mind that is dis"iplined b! the pra"ti"e of medita$tion, one attains the Supreme Being, O Arjuna' One who meditates on the Supreme Being 2as the omnis"ient, the oldest, the "ontroller, smaller than the smallest and bigger than the biggest, the sustainer of e%er!thing, the in"on"ei%able, the self$luminous li3e the sun, and trans"endental (or be!ond the material realit!)4 at the time of death with steadfast mind and de%otion b! ma3ing the flow of bioimpulses rise up to the middle of the e!e brows b! the power of !ogi" pra"ti"es. one attains the Supreme Being' 5ow 6 shall briefl! e+plain the pro"ess to attain the Supreme Abode that the 3nowers of the *eda "all immutable. into whi"h the as"eti"s, freed from atta"hment, enter. and desiring whi"h people lead a life of "eliba"!' ATTAIN SALVATION BY MEDITATING ON GOD AT THE TIME OF DEATH When one lea%es the ph!si"al bod! b! "ontrolling all the senses. fo"using the mind on 7od, and the bio$ impulses (8ranas) in the "erebrum. engaged in !ogi" pra"ti"e. meditating on 1e and utte$ring O1 2the sa"red monos!llable sound power of Spirit4 one attains the Supreme Abode' 6 am easil! attainable, O Arjuna, b! that e%er steadfast de%otee who alwa!s thin3s of 1e and whose mind does not go elsewhere'

After attaining 1e, the great souls do not in"ur rebirth in this miserable transitor! world, be"ause the! ha%e attained the highest perfe"tion' The dwellers of all the worlds 2up to and in"luding the world of the "reator4 are subje"t to the miseries of repeated birth and death' But, after attaining 1e, O Arjuna, one does not ta3e birth again' EVERYTHING IN THE CREATION IS CYCLIC Those who 3now that the duration of "reation lasts 9':; billion !ears and that the duration of des$tru"tion also lasts 9':; billion !ears, the! are the 3nowers of the "!"les of "reation and destru"$tion' All manifestations "ome out of the primar! material 5ature during the "reati%e "!"le, and the! merge into the primar! material 5ature during the destru"ti%e "!"le' The same multitude of beings "omes into e+isten"e again and again at the arri%al of the "reati%e "!"le. and is annihilated, ine%itabl!, at the arri%al of the destru"ti%e "!"le' There is another eternal trans"endental e+isten"e 2higher than the "hangeable material 5ature4 "alled Eternal Being or Spirit that does not perish when all "reated beings perish' This is also "al$led the Supreme Abode' Those who attain the Supreme Abode do not ta3e birth again' TWO BASIC PATHS OF DEPARTURE FROM THE WORLD This Supreme Abode, O Arjuna, is attainable b! unswer%ing de%otion to 1e within whi"h all be$ings e+ist, and b! whi"h the entire uni%erse is per%aded' O Arjuna, now 6 shall des"ribe different paths departing b! whi"h, during death, the !ogis do or do not "ome ba"3' <ire, light, da!time, the bright lunar fortnight, and the si+ months of the northern solsti"e of the sun = departing b! the path of these "elestial "ontrollers, !ogis who 3now the Spirit attain the Supreme' Smo3e, night, the dar3 lunar fortnight, and the si+ months of southern solsti"e of the sun = de$parting b! these paths, the righteous person attains hea%en and "omes ba"3 to earth' The path of light of spiritual pra"ti"e and Self$3nowledge and the path of dar3ness of materialism and ignoran"e are thought to be the world4s two eternal paths' The former leads to sal%ation and the latter leads to rebirth as human beings' TRANSCENDENTAL KNOWLEDGE LEADS TO SALVATION Knowing these two paths, O Arjuna, a !ogi is not bewildered at all' Therefore, one should be re$solute in attaining sal%ation = the goal of human birth = at all times' The one who 3nows all this 3nowledge goes be!ond getting the benefits of the stud! of the *e$das, performan"e of sa"rifi"es, austerities, and "harities. and attains sal%ation'

CHAPTER 9: SUPREME KNOWLEDGE AND THE BIG MYSTERY

&ord Krishna said: 6 shall re%eal to !ou, who do not disbelie%e, the most profound se"ret trans$"endental 3nowledge together with trans"endental e+perien"e' a%ing 3nown this !ou will be freed from the miseries of worldl! e+isten"e'

KNOWLEDGE OF THE NATURE OF SUPREME IS THE BIGGEST MYSTERY This Self$3nowledge is the 3ing of all 3nowledge, is the most se"ret, is %er! sa"red, it "an be per$"ei%ed b! instin"t, "onforms to righteousness (,harma), is %er! eas! to pra"ti"e, and is timeless' O Arjuna, those who ha%e no faith in this 3nowledge do not attain 1e, and follow the "!"les of birth and death' This entire uni%erse is an e+pansion of 1ine' All beings depend on 1e (li3e a "hain depends on gold, and the mil3 produ"ts depend on mil3)' 6 do not depend on 2 or affe"ted b! 2 them. be"ause 6 am the highest of all' &oo3 at the power of 1! di%ine m!ster!. in realit!, 6 2the sustainer and "reator of all beings4 do not depend on them, and the! also do not depend on 1e' (6n fa"t, the gold$"hain does not depend on gold. the gold$"hain is nothing but gold' Also, matter and energ! are different as well as non$different)' 8er"ei%e that all beings remain in 1e = without an! "onta"t or without produ"ing an! effe"t = as the might! wind, mo%ing e%er!where, eternall! remains in spa"e' THEORY OF EVOLUTION AND INVOLUTION All beings merge into 1! primar! material 5ature at the end of a "!"le of just o%er :>> trillion solar !ears, O Arjuna, and 6 "reate them again at the beginning of the ne+t "!"le' 6 "reate the entire multitude of beings again and again with the help of 1! material 5ature' These beings are under "ontrol of the modes of material 5ature' These a"ts of "reation do not bind 1e, O Arjuna, be"ause 6 remain indifferent and unatta"hed to those a"ts' The di%ine 3ineti" energ! (1a!a) 2with the help of material 5ature4 "reates all animate and inani$mate obje"ts under 1! super%ision, and thus the "reation 3eeps on going, O Arjuna' WAYS OF THE WISE, AND OF THE IGNORANT ARE DIFFERENT The ignorant persons despise 1e when 6 appear in human form, be"ause the! do not 3now 1! trans"endental nature as the great &ord of all beings, and ta3e 1e for an ordinar! human being' The! are unable to re"ogni?e 1e, be"ause the! ha%e false hopes, false a"tions, and false 3nowled$ge. and possess delusi%e @ualities of fiends and demons' But great souls, O Arjuna, who possess di%ine @ualities 3now 1e as immutable. as the material and effi"ient "ause of "reation, and worship 1e single$mindedl! with lo%ing de%otion' 8ersons of firm resol%e worship 1e with e%er$steadfast de%otion b! alwa!s singing 1! glories, stri%ing to attain 1e, and prostrating before 1e with de%otion' Some worship 1e b! a"@uiring the 3nowledge of 7od' Others worship the infinite as the One in all (or non$dual), as the master of all (or dual), and in %arious other wa!s' EVERYTHING IS A MANIFESTATION OF THE ABSOLUTE 6 am the ritual, 6 am the sa"rifi"e, 6 am the offering, 6 am the herb, 6 am the mantra, 6 am the "lari$fied butter, 6 am the fire, and 6 am the oblation' 6 am the supporter of the uni%erse, the father, the mother, and the grandfather' 6 am the obje"t of 3nowledge, the sa"red s!llable O1, and the *e$das' 6 am the goal, the

supporter, the &ord, the witness, the abode, the refuge, the friend, the ori$gin, the dissolution, the foundation, the substratum, and the immutable seed' 6 gi%e heat, 6 send as well as withhold the rain' 6 am immortalit! as well as death, 6 am also both the eternal Absolute and the temporal, O Arjuna' (The Supreme Being has be"ome e%er!thing) ATTAIN SALVATION BY DEVOTIONAL LOVE The doers of the rituals pres"ribed in the *edas, the drin3ers of the ne"tar of de%otion, and whose sins are "leansed, worship 1e b! doing good deeds for gaining hea%en' As a result of their meri$torious deeds the! go to hea%en and enjo! "elestial sense pleasures' The! return to the mortal world 2after enjo!ing the wide world of hea%enl! pleasures4 upon e+$haustion of the fruits of their good Karma' Thus following the injun"tions of the *edas, persons wor3ing for the fruit of their a"tions ta3e repeated birth and death' 6 personall! ta3e "are of both spiritual and material welfare of those e%er$steadfast de%otees who alwa!s remember and adore 1e with single$minded "ontemplation' O Arjuna, e%en those de%otees who worship the deities with faith, the! also worship 1e, but in an improper wa!' Be"ause 6, the Supreme Being, alone am the enjo!er of all sa"rifi"ial ser%i"es, and &ord of the uni%erse' But people do not 3now 1! true trans"endental nature' Therefore, the! fall into the re$peated "!"les of birth and death' Worshippers of the "elestial "ontrollers go to the "elestial "ontrollers, the worshippers of the an$"estors go to the an"estors, and the worshippers of the ghosts go to the ghosts, but 1! de%otees "ome to 1e, and are not born again' LORD ACCEPTS AND EATS THE OFFERING OF LOVE AND DEVOTION Whosoe%er offers 1e a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water with de%otion. 6 a""ept and eat the offering of de%otion b! the pure$hearted' O Arjuna, whate%er !ou do, whate%er !ou eat, whate%er !ou offer as oblation to the sa"red fire, whate%er "harit! !ou gi%e, whate%er austerit! !ou perform, do all that as an offering unto 1e' #ou shall be"ome free from the bondage 2good and bad4 of Karma and "ome to 1e b! this attitu$de of "omplete renun"iation' The Self is present e@uall! in all beings' There is no one hateful or dear to 1e' But, those who worship 1e with lo%e and de%otion are %er! "lose to 1e, and 6 am also %er! "lose to them' THERE IS NO UNFORGIVABLE SINNER E%en if the most sinful person resol%es to worship 1e with single$minded lo%ing de%otion, su"h a person must be regarded as a saint be"ause of ma3ing the right resolution' Su"h a person soon be"omes righteous and attains e%erlasting pea"e' Be aware, O Arjuna, that 1! de%otee shall ne%er perish or fall down' PATH OF DEVOTIONAL LOVE IS EASIER

An!bod! "an attain the Supreme Abode b! just surrendering unto 1! will with lo%ing de%otion, O Arjuna' Then, it should be %er! eas! for the wise and de%out sages to attain the Supreme Being' There$fore, ha%ing obtained this jo!less and transitor! human life, one should alwa!s worship 1e with lo%ing de%otion' Alwa!s thin3 of 1e, be de%oted to 1e, worship 1e, and bow down to 1e' Thus uniting !ourself with 1e b! setting 1e as the supreme goal and the sole refuge, !ou shall "ertainl! "ome to 1e'