Time for Your Soul to Rise

Love Notes from the Song of God:
Wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita

I do not long for victory, O Krishna, nor kingdom nor pleasures...
–Bhagavad Gita 1.32   The words of Krishna, the divine Self, to the seeking soul, Arjuna.


As we begin to awaken spiritually, the time comes when we recognize that there are limits to what the material world can do for us. We begin to see that no matter how much wealth, pleasure, victory or fame we achieve—it will not bring the lasting fulfillment we seek. Those things cannot provide lasting fulfillment because their nature is finite and changeable.

Arjuna declares that he not looking to attain those things because he knows they will not bring him the happiness and freedom he deeply desires. He says, “Even if I win, I can’t see what will take away this sorrow of mine.” That is the crux of it. He has reached that place in life where he knows that what the world can give him, even if he is highly successful, is not going to satisfy his soul. It is not that these things are not good, or even useful, it is simply that they are incapable of giving him what he truly wants.

Most of us spend decades, and some spend their entire lives, chasing after happiness, inner peace, knowledge and freedom. We look to this thing or that, this relationship or that, to provide us with happiness that will last, only to be disappointed again and again. But instead of questioning our “looking”, we question what we have found. We think the flaw is with the job or with the other person, or with the particular circumstance. So we keep looking “out there” until we come to a crisis, like Arjuna, where we say, I can’t do this anymore. I can’t live this way anymore. This doesn’t work. And, often, like Arjuna, we say, I know this doesn’t work, but I don’t yet know what does work.

This realization is the beginning of a prayer, a life-transforming prayer. It is a prayer that invites the soul to regain its rightful place in our lives. When we chase after happiness, self-esteem, security, or well-being in the countless ways we can think to do that instead of questioning our “looking” – instead of questioning the direction of our attention, the soul is ignored. But when we say—“this isn’t working, I can’t keep doing this, I can’t live this way anymore”—then the second part of the prayer follows, which is: Help me. I am ready to listen. I can’t do this on my own.

This prayer for higher guidance is the prayer of discipleship, of becoming a “learner.” It is opening to the higher true Self. It is turning to God, the divine Friend, the Lord of Love that dwells within our own hearts. When Arjuna makes this turn from looking outward to seeking divine guidance within, the transformation begins.  (Gita 2:7)

Krishna, the Divine Friend, provides insight into Arjuna’s true nature as the foundation for his fulfillment.  Imagine the following words as counsel of the divine Self expounding on this instruction, offering the deepest encouragement to live a Self- and God-realized life. You are grieving, and in despair because you are confused about what is true. You are infatuated with your beliefs. You are trying to hold on to this wrong thinking. It is time for you let go. Time to live with faith. It is time for you to stand up and be willing to live your authentic life.

It is time to take your right place. No more letting habits hold you back. No more indulging in moods, or worry, or fear, or grief. No rehashing the past, going over and over old mistakes and wounds to your heart. No more trying to control the future because you can’t let go and trust. No more neglecting your soul with poor self-care and over-extending yourself beyond your limits. No more burdening yourself with feelings of unworthiness.

This message is for every seeking soul, for every one of us who years to know lasting fulfillment. It is time for the soul to rise. It is time to use our wisdom guided will to fight those familiar habits and tendencies, to free ourselves from whatever stands in the way of our full expression.  Stand up and fight!

—Ellen Grace O’Brian

Ready for Transformation

Love Notes from the Song of God

This ancient yoga (the way of Self- and God-realization) is today declared by Me to you, since you are my devotee and friend. This secret is supreme indeed.   
 –Bhagavad Gita 4.3 The words of Krishna, the divine Self, to the seeking soul, Arjuna.

The universal, eternal teaching, the secret of all secrets, is simply this: there is only one Reality. This divine Reality, this Supreme Consciousness, is all in all. It is never born; It never perishes. And you, my dear friend, are That. This Self is the Self of all. This ancient teaching of oneness is only given to those who are ready; those whose hearts and minds are receptive. It is given when we are ready to listen and to live in harmony with this truth. Once we know this truth about life, it changes everything. It is the great secret that is right before our eyes, once they are opened.

The Bhagavad Gita, which means “The Song of God,” is a dialog between Lord Krishna, representing our Higher Self or God within us, and the warrior Arjuna. This dialog takes place in the midst of a great battle. Arjuna faces the necessity of going to war against his own kin—his family members, his friends and former teachers, in order to reclaim his rightful place as heir to the kingdom.

The opening scene is a description of the battlefield, of all of the warriors poised for a great slaughter. But this battlefield is not an ordinary battlefield. It is called Dharmakshetra Kurukshetra, which signifies the battlefield of the Kurus but more significantly it means—the field of righteousness. This field is our consciousness. It is the place where the battle between our own higher drives and lower tendencies, our soul’s inspiration and our ego’s inclination, takes place. This is an inner battle and it is the one that every person encounters on the path to spiritual maturity.

Arjuna is a successful and accomplished warrior. The duty before him is to fight to occupy his rightful place in the kingdom which has been usurped by his ne’er-do-well cousins. It is his duty and that of his brothers, to rule this kingdom, but there are squatters in high places who won’t budge, who won’t leave without a fight.

Who are these evil cousins? They are symbolic of our own lower tendencies—anger, lust, greed, ignorance, selfishness, pride, laziness—and so forth. There are 100 of them. They are the habits and tendencies that rob our bodies and minds of vital force. They are our unchecked, ego-driven desires that crowd out the still, small voice of the soul’s guidance.

Arjuna does not want to fight this battle. He’s confused, he’s depressed, and in despair. He’s overwhelmed. He can’t see any way to succeed. Here is his dilemma: Even if he is victorious over his relatives, he can’t imagine what life without them would be. He’s between a rock and a hard place. He is in a crisis. He can’t go back and he doesn’t want to go forward. This is a crisis of faith.

Have you ever had a time in your life when you knew you had to make a change but you couldn’t see your way through it? You knew there was a situation, a habit, or way of being that you had to let go of but you could not imagine how your life would be without it? Couldn’t see how you would cope, be happy, or succeed?

Arjuna’s dilemma is the crisis we must face on the journey of soul awakening, when we are ready to take the next step toward spiritually conscious living. It arises when we become aware that there is something else we truly desire. We recognize that if we keep living in the same way, we are not going to find it. We want to live another way but we don’t yet know how to do that. This is the beginning of spiritual transformation and the doorway to discipleship. We are ready.

          —Ellen Grace O’Brian

Listening

Love Notes from the Song of God

A lifetime is not sufficient to master all the scriptures. So know the essence of the scriptures. 
   –Sri Lahiri Mahasaya

Study of scripture is an essential part of religious and spiritual discipline. Since the ultimate goal of religion is to awaken to the Truth of our innate spiritual nature—to realize who we are, what our life’s purpose is, and how to live it—study of scripture provides an avenue for encountering and contemplating the teachings that guide us to this goal. Spiritual Truth is eternal and the way to realize it is universal. The scriptures, as revelations of Truth, can shine a light upon our path and help to awaken our dormant innate wisdom. The Truth we are looking for is not external, something to be acquired from without. Nor is it new, something yet undiscovered. That which we seek is within us, the knowledge of our essential Self. How do we encounter the Self and discover the Truth for ourselves? Study of scripture can help, especially if approached in an intentional way.

There are many ways to approach the study of scripture—including exploration of the origins of the work, its historical context, nuance of word usage and meaning and its metaphysical meaning. For the truth seeker approaching scripture as an inspiration to spiritual insight and a guide to daily life, there are three essential steps that support insight. These three steps help us assimilate the teachings so that the scripture comes alive for us. It moves from the page (or the words of the teacher), to the mind and heart, and then into action, inspiring a new way of living.

These three steps identified in Vedic teachings are called (in Sanskrit): shravanam, mananam, and nidihyasanam. Shravanam means hearing or listening. It refers to hearing the words of the scriptures from, and studying with, a qualified teacher. This may be in a setting where the teacher’s words can be heard, or it can be receptivity to the teacher’s written word as a commentary on the scripture. We begin with listening. Perhaps we have “heard” the scriptures for years but never really listened, never had the experience of profoundly receiving what was heard. Usually it is the contact with the spiritual teacher that makes true listening, or shravanam, possible. When the scriptures are illuminated by the teacher, or guru, our own understanding is quickened. Suddenly, the words have life, and meaning. Study with the teacher offers transmission of the teacher’s spiritual insight, awakened consciousness, and connection to the divine grace of the tradition that the teacher represents. We can also benefit on many levels—physically, mentally, and spiritually—from hearing the mantric vibration of the sacred words and phrases of scripture.

Mananam is reflection, using our intellect to discern the truth of the teachings. When we hear or read the scripture, that study should be followed by reflecting upon its meaning until understanding dawns, our doubts are removed, and insight is clear. This is how we begin to consciously assimilate the wisdom of the scriptures. A good exercise at this point is to write about our understanding, and put the teachings into our own words.

Nidihyasanam is meditative contemplation. In this step, the initial insights are taken into meditation with the intention to know the truth about what is being examined. The Truth we seek is within, thus we direct our attention and awareness to the revelation of innate knowledge. When the mental field becomes clear in meditation, we have the ability to examine, and discover, whatever we seek to know. When insights about the nature of Reality are revealed in meditative contemplation, this further purifies our mental field and clarifies our understanding, which positively affects our experience of life. The essence of the scripture comes alive in us through our insight and direct experience of it. Our perspective changes and the teachings can be integrated into how we live.

—Ellen Grace O’Brian