Of Desires and post BG blues

The Bhagavad-Gita talks about the concept of redemption from the vicious circle of life, death and rebirth among other things. It preaches many ways to cut away from materialism. Karma Yoga - being the act of performing our duties without expectations of a reward, it says is one way to attain unity with the so-called eternal truth - the Brahman. The ideology of an all pervading, everlasting Brahman aims to focus all the energy of a person into attaining this union.

I remember my father asking a question to an ascetic at Iskon once. He asked, "Why am I here?". I was a school going kid back then and did not seem to understand the question. Now I find myself asking the same kind of questions, perhaps a little too early in my life. Desire for money and comfort is a common factor that will dictate most of our actions. The problem arises when it becomes the only factor driving our wheels. A little thinking can make one realize that the quest for money and happiness is never ending if we do not decide to live in and partly for the moment. Dreams are good, but it is absolutely necessary to hold them in check so we do not miss out on the tangible present, daydreaming about a wispy, yet to arrive future.

There are some very important points to be taken away from a reading of the Gita. The difference between renunciation and non - attachment, the concept of action without expectation, tolerance towards people and tranquility of emotions are only some that I can list. But I do not agree with the concept of total material aversion. Materialism is needed in controlled doses in order to be acceptable in the world and in turn to accept yourself. As long as we keep in mind that the money we set out to earn should forever be the means to an end and not the end itself, we will do fine. The Gita talks of an ideal Yogi as a person who is unmoved by just about anything. What then, is the point of living? How are we supposed to make sense by driving ourselves with devotion towards a far-fetched notion of a supreme being? How will anyone be at peace by disregarding the tangibility of a loved one's feelings and aiming for a so called higher union? Towards the end of the book, I am left with an almost conceited image of God with its endless attributions of anything and everything to the Brahman.

Based on this particular interpretation, to me, the Bhagavad-Gita is a mixed bag. I'll accept the goodies and Lord Krishna can keep the rest. The good part about the Gita is its possible detachment form religion, when treated strictly as a moral/spiritual thesis. Especially for people like me who do not encourage a substantial belief in the conventional God, although I would'nt go as far to call myself an atheist; everyone has his/her own God. This reading does not have me leaning either way from my current stance, but is helpful in tweaking a few spiritual screws in the contemplative realms of my system.