Class Summary for March 25, 2018 - Chapter-2: 13 to 18

Summarized by Partha Turaga:

----- Chapter 2, Verses 13-18 -------------------

Krishna continues explaining what the existence of "beyond body" identity truly is. Just as this identity exists as the body passes from childhood, youth and old age so too this identity carries from one body to another body after death. The person who recognizes this is firm and does not grieve about this transition. Gurudev's video humorously talks about this identity renting a body. It needs rest for the body, 3 meals a day. If it is not taken for then this identity leaves. It will then look for another such body. 

The body feels all the pain and pleasure, heat and cold. It is always in contact with sense objects. And like all physical objects, it has a beginning and an end. These sensations need to be endured. We should always have the awareness that this too will pass away. The person who is not afflicted by these opposites, to whom pleasure and pain, is the firm one. 

This person is capable of realizing the immortality of the Self. The Self is the transcendental Truth or the eternal perfection. This is what is referred as immortality in these verses. So, if we associate with the body then there is 'death'. If we associate with the identity and realize the impermanence of the body then death has no meaning. We are then on the path to realize the Self, the transcendental Truth or the Eternal perfection. Continuing this concept Krishna says that what is temporary being is not real and what is non-being is real & permanent. This has been seen by knowers of truth. In the world of being, everything is changing. This is the constant cycle of life and death. However, this cycle exists on a changeless substratum. That substratum is real. Pursuit of Realization is the realization of this substratum. Men of knowledge have known this - "The essence". This essence is all pervading and indestructible. Nothing can cause the destruction of this essence. Thus, though the bodies of embodied Self have an end, the Self itself has no end. The Self is eternal, indestructible and incomprehensible. Thus, Krishna advises Arjuna to fight on. 

This principle can also be adopted in meditation as we try to reach that thoughtless state or atleast the in-between state. This approach can be approached in Advaita like way or in a Dvaita like way. In Dvaita, we can pray in front of the Pratima (dedicated image) of Radha-Krishna and have a Bhakta relationship with that Pratima. We could also meditate trying to realize the Brahman - all-pervading. Either path helps us progress in our spiritual journey. 

Aside: We also had a conversation about relationship between real & permanent. Does permanent necessarily mean real. Here, we talked about relative reality. The phase where things that are not necessarily real but appear real. So, this is phase of relative reality. A classic example if for a person mistaking a rope for a snake. That snake is real to him till he realizes that it is a rope. This state is called relative reality.