PREFACE
by Swami Nikhilananda
Among the sacred books of India the
Bhagavad Gita occupies a very high place. The study of the Gita, the
Upanishads, and the Brahma-sutras, with their commentaries, is a
discipline for orthodox Hindu sannyasis of the Vedantist school.
Hindus of all denominations-householders and sannyasis, men and
women, young and old-derive spiritual Inspiration from its study. A
wandering monk, who has given up all earthly possessions, often
carries a pocket edition of the Gita. It is an excellent manual of
Hinduism.
The teachings of the Gita are presented
in the form of a dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna. The
background of a battle-field imparts a dramatic charm. Sri Krishna…
is the Lord Himself in a human form. A student absorbed in the book
often forgets its historical character and feels as though many of
its inspiring passages are directly addressed to himself by the
Lord, who is the Inner Guide of all. The suggestiveness of the book
is almost without limit if it is read with the right attitude of
mind. Many of the passages, written in aphoristic form, can be
memorized and recalled at the time of meditation or in those moments
of life when spiritual inspiration is required.
There are many who regard the story
behind the Gita not as historical fact but as an allegory. To them
Arjuna represents the individual soul, and Sri Krishna the Supreme
Soul dwelling in every heart. Arjuna's chariot is the body. The
blind King Dhritarashtra is the mind under the spell of ignorance,
and his hundred sons are man's numerous evil tendencies. The battle,
a perennial one, is ever going on between the power of good and the
power of evil. The warrior who listens to the advice of the Lord
speaking from within will triumph in this battle and attain the
Highest Good.
The Hindu philosophers have never been
satisfied with the mere intellectual understanding of a religious
treatise. Scripture is simply a key to the infinite storehouse of
knowledge that lies within every human soul. The purpose of
philosophy, darsana, is to enable its student to see the Truth, that
is, to realize It in direct experience. Hence certain moral and
spiritual disciplines are necessary in order to create the right
mood for study of the scriptures. Hinduism lays down four such
disciplines, namely, discrimination between the Real and the unreal;
renunciation of the unreal; the acquisition of six virtues: control
of the mind, control of the senses, forbearance, restraining the
mind from being distracted by worldly objects, faith in the words of
the teacher and the scriptures, and concentration; and lastly, the
longing for liberation. Inwardness of spirit, cultivated through
self-control and contemplation, enables the student of the
scriptures to grasp their subtle meaning, which otherwise remains
hidden from the mere intelligent reader.
…The Gita enables one to grapple with
the problems of daily life from the higher standpoint of Spirit. May
we always remember that our life on earth has a purpose larger than
we see.
Ridgely Manor Stone Ridge, N. Y. August 17,
1943 |
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