Essence of the Bhagavad Gita's Teachings

Here are the life teachings and lessons derived from Shrimad Bhagavad Gita:

• Understanding the Bhagavad Gita:

  • To grasp the real beauty and purpose of the teaching, one must "pierce the outer covering" and read "behind the covering—and between the lines" to find the esoteric teachings.

  • The text has seven superimposed layers of teachings, allowing each person to extract lessons according to their individual stage of spiritual "unfoldment".

  • Each reading of the Gita will bring to light new beauties as the reader's mind grows.

• Facing Challenges and Duty:

  • In times of confusion and indecision about "Right Action" and "Duty," seek divine instruction.

  • Prepare to fight life's battles, being willing to accept whatever outcome—pain or pleasure, loss or gain, victory or defeat—with the sole concern of having done one's best.

  • Engage in the task before you with a mind freed from egotism and selfish expectation, centered upon the Real Self.

  • The "eternal teaching of Yoga" often decays over time, losing its inner spirit, but Truth is declared anew to devotees.

• Nature of the Self and Reality:

  • The truly wise grieve neither for the dead nor the living, as they view Life and Death as mere surface aspects of a deeper Being.

  • The Absolute is indestructible, and no one can destroy the Imperishable One.

  • Finite bodies are merely enveloping coverings for the soul and will perish; the "Real Man" is not these bodies.

  • None can truly slay or be slain.

  • Recognize the Real Self as higher than the Senses, Mind, and Will, and use the power of the Real Self to conquer Desire.

  • The Universal Life (Brahma) has no beginning and can be called neither Being nor Non-Being.

  • The Soul is the "superior nature" that observes, directs, protects, and partakes of Life within the body.

• The Secret of Work and Action:

  • Constant activity is a universal law; no one, even for a moment, can remain inactive.

  • He who restrains sense-organs but dwells on sense-objects in his mind is deluded.

  • Perform dutiful and proper tasks unattached and free, for the sake of Duty to the Real Self alone, not for motives of reward or gain.

  • Avoid the temptation of Inaction, even when the hope of reward is lost.

  • The developed and enlightened should act for the common cause and universal law, not from attachment to personal ends.

  • Place the responsibility for action upon the One (the Real Self), not on the personality.

  • It is not wisdom to unsettle the minds of the undeveloped with half-truths.

  • Those who follow these teachings with confidence and faith shall be freed even by works and action.

• Spiritual Knowledge and Wisdom:

  • Many saturate themselves with the "letter of the spiritual writings" but miss their true "spirit," delighting in technical controversies instead of seeking the spiritual goal.

  • Spiritual teachings instruct thoughtful ones to rise above the "Three Qualities or Gunas" (Sattvas, Rajas, Tamas) and be free from the "pairs of opposites" (changeful things of finite life).

  • Fix your mind in earnest contemplation of the Spirit to reach harmony with your Real Self.

  • The "Light of Wisdom is oft obscured by the Smoke of Ignorance," but those who pierce it perceive the bright Flame of the Spirit.

  • Better than the sacrifice of objects is the offering of Wisdom.

  • Spiritual knowing comprehends all action.

  • Acquire wisdom through study, thought, service, and investigation.

  • When the pupil is ready, the Master appears; wait in patience and confidence for knowledge.

  • Having acquired wisdom, one is freed from confusion, misunderstanding, and error, knowing all beings as part of the One Life.

  • Great faith and mastery of the Personal Self lead to Wisdom and the path to Supreme Peace.

  • The ignorant and those of little faith do not find the path; without faith, there is no happiness or peace.

  • Spiritual Knowledge, by attaching oneself to Wisdom, cuts asunder the illusion of doubt, leading to freedom.

• Renunciation and Self-Mastery:

  • True renunciation is not merely abstaining from action, but performing righteous action without attachment to its fruits.

  • Performing duty honorably, without seeking reward, is both renunciation and right action.

  • For those who attain wisdom, Calm Meditation and Serene Peace of Mind are preferred.

  • The wise man rests in the "Reality" found within himself, recognizing that beyond it, there is no greater satisfaction.

  • Recognize one underlying Essence pervading all life and things, and view all pain and pleasure as equal.

  • The mind is restless, unsteady, turbulent, strong, stubborn, and difficult to control, but possible to master.

  • Faith and righteousness lead to preservation and eventual rebirth in conditions conducive to further attainment.

  • Nothing once gained is ever lost by death; attainment is preserved for the reborn soul.

  • The earnest seeker of Truth, driven by faith and love, is considered the most devoted Yogi.

• Spiritual Discernment and Omnipresence:

  • Fix your mind firmly upon the Divine to know the truth without a doubt.

  • All nature, wisdom, glory, strength, and love of right action emanate from the Divine.

  • The world is under the illusion of the three qualities (Gunas), but the Divine is untouched by them; those who see beyond the illusion come to the Divine.

  • Worship of lesser gods leads to finite rewards and shadow-worlds; worship of the All leads to the world of Reality.

  • At the hour of death, fixing the mind on the Divine leads straight to the Divine; one's "Ruling Passion" determines destiny.

  • The "Path to Spirit" (the Imperishable) is for those who have mastered their minds, controlled their passions, and practiced continence and godly study.

  • Control senses, concentrate the mind inward, and repeat the mystic syllable "Aum" for supreme bliss at death.

  • The Yogi, learned in truth, surpasses rewards from sacred writings, worship, sacrifices, austerities, and alms-giving, reaching the Supreme Goal.

• Kingly Knowledge and Universal Perfection:

  • The "wisdom royal" or "kingly science" sets one free from evil and misfortune.

  • The Divine is the Path, Comforter, Creator, Witness, Refuge, Friend, Origin, End, Creation, Destruction, Storehouse, Eternal Seed, Death, and Immortality, Being and Non-Being—the One beyond both.

  • Those who worship the Divine in its Essence come to dwell with the Divine.

  • The Divine accepts offerings from humble and simple folk based on the spirit of the gift, not its value.

  • Perform all actions as earnest offerings to the Divine to be delivered from the bonds of action and its consequences.

  • All who seek sanctuary in the Divine, even those born of sin, can tread the highest paths if they place their hopes and faith upon the Divine.

  • Regard Earth as a finite, transitory abode; fix your mind on the Divine to be blended into the Divine and reach the Supreme Goal.

  • The Divine is birthless, beginningless, eternal, the Supreme Lord from whom all emanates.

  • Reason, Knowledge, Wisdom, Patience, Truth, Forgiveness, Self-mastery, Calmness, Pleasure and Pain, Birth and Death, Courage and Fear, Mercy, Joy, Charity, Earnestness, Fame and Infamy—all qualities flow from the Divine.

  • The universe is an emanation of the Divine, which fills it in invisible form, sustaining all things yet remaining separate. The Divine is the "essential principle in the seed of all beings and things".

• Universal Manifestation:

  • The Divine can grant a vision of its "Supreme and Absolute" form, encompassing the entire Universe as "Many within the One".

  • One must beg forgiveness for familiarity when comprehending the infinite nature of the Divine.

• Yoga of Devotion:

  • Those with minds fixed on the Divine as God (manifest form) with unwavering faith are most devoted.

  • Worshipping the Divine as the Absolute (unmanifest) is harder for the finite mind but also leads to the Divine.

  • If direct mental fixation is difficult, seek the Divine through Practice and Discipline or Service through Right Action.

  • Those who receive divine teachings with faith and devotion are dearly beloved by the Divine.

• The Knower and the Known:

  • Spiritual Wisdom (Dnyana) includes freedom from self-esteem, hypocrisy, and injury to others; it inculcates patience, rectitude, respect for teachers, chastity, steadfastness, self-control, freedom from sense-attachments, and pride.

  • Spiritual Wisdom brings constant realization of the true nature of birth, death, sickness, decay, pain, and imperfection.

  • It also brings a loosening of personal attachments and equanimity of mind, regardless of events.

  • Spiritual Wisdom leads to a desire for unfailing devotion in secluded places and a distaste for crowds, along with a love of the Spirit pervading all things.

  • Comprehending Nature (Prakriti), Soul (Purusha), and the Principles of Nature (Gunas) leads to liberation from mortal birth.

  • Some perceive the Universal Soul through meditation, others through renunciation of action, and others through service of right action.

  • Even those who hear teachings from others, if they manifest earnest faith and attention, can lay the foundations of immortality.

• The Three Gunas (Qualities):

  • Sattvas (Truth), Rajas (Passion), and Tamas (Indifference) bind the soul to rebirth through attachment to wisdom, harmony, action, things, sloth, idleness, and folly, respectively.

  • Wisdom and harmony pertain to Sattvas; action and possessions to Rajas; sloth, stupidity, and indolence to Tamas.

  • Overcoming Tamas and Rajas allows Sattvas to reign; overcoming these Gunas helps one surpass their effects and achieve union with the One.

  • One who is self-reliant, balanced between pleasure and pain, values stone, iron, and gold equally, regards praise and blame with equal emotion, knows no difference between friend and foe, and has forsaken worldly ambition, has surpassed the Three Gunas.

  • Complete devotion to the Divine leads one beyond these qualities and prepares for blending with the One.

• Consciousness of the Supreme:

  • The Ashwattha (sacred tree, symbol of the Universe) represents universal existence; cutting it down with "Discriminative Non-Attachment" leads to the One Supreme Soul.

  • Those freed from pride, ignorance, and delusion, who contemplate the Real Self and are free from desires and "Pairs of Opposites" (pleasure/pain), ascend to an eternal plane.

  • The deluded do not see the soul when it leaves or remains in the body, but the Wise Ones see and understand.

  • Industrious meditation can lead to "inward sight" to perceive the soul within.

  • The light of the sun, moon, and fire all originates from the Divine.

  • The Divine nourishes all living things, is the life-giving force in plants, and the Vital Force within the body, inspiring breathing, digestion, assimilation, and elimination.

  • The Divine is in the hearts and minds of men, and from it proceeds memory, knowledge, and their absence.

  • All that is known from the Vedas, the wisdom of the Vedanta, and the knowledge of the Vedas, is the Divine.

• Good and Evil Natures:

  • Characteristics leading to "Heavenly Rewards" and "Liberation" include fearlessness, purity of heart, steady attention to wisdom, charity, self-mastery, true religious inclination, earnest study, temperate living, right action, truthfulness, freedom from anger, renunciation, equanimity, love and compassion for all beings, mildness, modesty, discretion, dignity, patience, fortitude, chastity, forgiveness, and freedom from vainglory.

  • Evil characteristics leading to "repeated birth" and "Bondage" include hypocrisy, pride, arrogance, conceit, anger, harsh speech, and ignorance.

  • Lust, Anger, and Avarice are the "destroyers of the soul" and passages to "Hell of Lower Re-birth"; men should avoid them.

  • Renouncing these and freeing oneself from the Tamas Guna (Dark Quality) leads to the Heavenly State of Divine Union.

  • Acquaint yourself with the highest Spiritual Teachings to understand Right Action and Wrong Action.

• The Threefold Faith:

  • Faith, food, worship, and charity manifest in three forms (Sattvakee, Rajasee, Tamasee) according to a person's nature.

  • Those of Sattvas Guna (Truth) worship the Absolute Spirit; Rajas Guna (Desire) worship lesser gods; Tamas Guna (Darkness) worship departed spirits, ghosts, etc..

  • Charity given for its own sake, disinterestedly, at due time, place, season, and to proper objects is of Sattvas Guna.

  • Charity given with hope of return, or begrudgingly, is of Rajas Guna.

  • Charity given out of place/season to unworthy objects, ungraciously, without the spirit of charity, is of Tamas Guna.

  • Whatever is performed without faith is without merit or virtue.

• Renunciation and Freedom:

  • Virtuous and religious actions (worship, devotion, austerity, charity) are not to be forsaken, as they are purifiers.

  • Perform such actions for their inherent worth, without hope of reward, renouncing merit or consequences.

  • It is folly to abstain from action, as the mortal body necessitates it.

  • The "Renouncer of the Fruit of Action" (Tyagee) is one whose judgment is sound, risen above doubt, and accepts successful or failed results without attachment.

  • The "Fruit of Action" is threefold (desired, detested, mixed), accruing after death or in rebirth; but if fruits are renounced, none accrues.

  • The Three Moving Causes of Action are Knowledge, Object of Knowledge, and Knower. The threefold accomplishment of an action involves the Implement, the Act, and the Agent.

  • Wisdom of Sattvas Guna understands the One Principle prevailing in all nature. Rajas Guna wisdom sees manifold principles. Tamas Guna wisdom sees no principle beyond form, without cause or origin.

  • An agent free from selfishness and personal pride, with fortitude and resolution, who disregards rewards, is moved by Sattvas Guna. An agent driven by desire, passion, selfish gain, avarice, and joy/sorrow is moved by Rajas Guna. A stupid, slothful, inattentive, stubborn, indiscreet, careless, inactive, and dilatory agent is moved by Tamas Guna.

  • Intelligence that knows when and how to act, what is fear/fearlessness, and what is freedom/bondage, comes from Sattvas Guna. Intelligence warped by personal desire is from Rajas Guna. Intelligence, mistaking wrong for right, seeing things distorted, is from Tamas Guna.

  • A will that controls the self, mind, actions, organs, and body with devotion and firmness is from Sattvas Guna. Will that is firm in selfish pursuits is from Rajas Guna. A will that holds fast to folly, ignorance, sloth, superstition, bigotry, foolish vanity, laziness, and fears is from Tamas Guna.

  • Pleasure from "Work Well-done" (Sattvas Guna) is like poison at first, but nectar at the end. Pleasure from "union of senses with objects" (Rajas Guna) is nectar at first, but poison at the end. Pleasure from "idleness, indolence, drowsiness, drugs, intoxication" (Tamas Guna) is poison at both beginning and end.

  • It is foolish to imagine one's task is the hardest or that others' tasks are defect-free.

  • A mind unattached, controlled, and with desires dead, achieves the Highest Perfection of Freedom by performing work without desire for fruits.

  • Beware of self-sufficiency and half-wisdom; one's nature and character will compel one to fulfill their "Natural Duty".

  • Give your heart, mind, soul, understanding, thought, and attention to the Divine; serve, worship, and bow only to the Divine for salvation.

  • Forsake every other teaching, philosophy, science, or religion, and fly to the Divine alone to be delivered from sins.

  • These divine teachings are not for those who have not subdued their bodies, are not servants of the Divine, are unwilling to acquire wisdom, or despise the Divine.

  • Those who teach and spread this divine wisdom to servants of the Divine will be dear to the Divine and surely come to the Divine.

  • Those who read, hear, and study these teachings with faith and without reviling will have their feet directed toward the Path of Happiness and Peace.

  • Confusion and distraction of thought, arising from ignorance and illusion, can be cleared by Divine Power and understanding, leading to acting according to the light of teachings.

  • Wherever the words of the Divine and the Prince are known, prosperity, attainment, happiness, blessing, and peace will follow.

  • When truly understood, the message of the Master will bring peace and inner wisdom to all who read or hear it.