Sour Grapes story & Gita

We all have heard the story of the Fox and the sour grapes.

Is that Tyag or Renunciation? - giving up what you don't even have cannot be renouncing???

Or is it giving up action as result not as expected. Did the fox do his best? How did he decide they are sour without tasting?

Or was the Fox limiting himself that he cannot do it...did he ask God to help?

We can analyse any story or situation and that will probably make us critics. Or we can look for learnings.

1. Fox was probably being practical. And if he had to feed his kids found alternate food. THIS IS NOT RENOUNCING

2. Yes he should not have tagged them as sour without reason. DO NOT BE JUDGEMENTAL

3. And if you look at true nature, do Fox usually eat grapes? fruits is one of the many things they eat. Or was he just playing ?

Also remember the sour grapes story was written by a literate man/woman not the Fox. It is not the word from God.

Desiderata & Gita

Have read this poem several times...but the other day while in a Gita discussion, it came to my mind that this connects to teh qualities of Stithpragna in chap 2. Also highlight the good virtues as mentioned in chap 16.  Talks about love and nurturing inner strength, about Peace & God , and that we all are the children of the universe.

The poem somehow connected to Gita and wanted to share.

Verse 2.23 & 2.24

Here is where Krishna explains

Soul cannot be cut
Soul cannot be burnt by fire
Soul cannot be wetted by water &
Soul cannot be dried by air

He is explaining with direct connection to the elements ( Earth, Fire, Water & Air)
Gross to subtle

Earth is the Grossest
& Space/Ether/is the subtlest

Explaining gross & subtle to children is sometimes challenging.
Try doing with the 5 elements
1. Earth - we know, feel, touch, see, hold, cut - the grossest of all!
2. Water - we know, feel, touch, see, hold, but cannot cut - going towards subtle!!
3. Air - we know, feel, touch, hold, but cannot see or cut
4. Fire - we know, feel, see, touch, but cannot hold or cut
5. Space - we just know - out of reach of our 5 senses....most subtle!!!!

And Soul is surely as subtle as it can be

Another explanation of Kauravs and Pandavs

“The Mahabharata is an Epic, a ballad, perhaps a reality but definitely a philosophy.” The Old man smiled luring Dev into more questions.
“Can you tell me what the philosophy is then?” Dev requested.

“Sure. Here goes,” began the Old man. “The Pandavas are nothing but your five senses, sight, smell, taste, touch and sound and do you know what the Kauravas are?” he asked narrowing his eyes. Dev shook his head. “The Kauravas are the hundred vices that attack your senses everyday but you can fight them and do you know how?” Dev shook his head again. 

“When Krishna rides your chariot!” The Old man smiled brighter and Dev gasped at that gem of insight.
“Krishna is your soul, your guiding light and if you let your life in his hands you have nothing to worry.” 

Dev was stupefied but came around quickly with another question. “Then why are Dronacharya and Bhishma fighting for the Kauravas, if they are vices?”
The Old man nodded, sadder for the question. “It just means that as you grow up your perception of your elders change. The elders who you thought were perfect in your growing up years are not all that perfect. They have faults. And one day you will have to decide if they are for your good or your bad. Then you may also realize that you may have to fight them for the good. It is the hardest part of growing up and that is why the Geeta is important.”

Dev sat down on the ground, not because he was tired but because he could understand the enormity of it all. 

“What about Karna?” he whispered.
“Ah!” said the Old man. “You have saved the best for last. Karna is the brother to your senses, he is desire, he is a part of you but stands with the vices. He feels wronged and makes excuses for being the vices as your desire does all the time. Does your desire not give you excuses to embrace vices?”

Another perspective to chapter 2

All thru Chapter 1 Krishna listens to the nervous release of tension by Arjun as a good mate.

Says nothing till Arjun's seeks help & surrenders. First Krishna encourages as a friend and scolds in 2.2. Then Arjun mentions his intent to surrender in Shlok 2.07

Let us remember that the fives senses, collect information and pass to brain.
From Body to mind & then mind seeks help from intellect.
Intellect based on past experiences gives judgement & back to mind
If mind & intellect not in agreement then confusion arises and then body reacts, trembles & sweats due to imbalance.

Arjun was confused as ego had come in : I am fighting, My relatives, the fact that he is part of Pandava and they are fighting for righteousness (PS Bheeshma & Drona had drowned their identities and merged in Kauravas army)

Surrender to Krishna : This signifies - Ego merges into intellect 

Krishna holding reigns (intellect controlling senses) & directing the Jiva

Advice starts from 2.11

Krishna explains by traditional & various logics : 

• Kshatriyas Dharma, people will condemn you 
• Then explains soul being eternal, indestructible. Soul takes birth for experience.

Explains the Stith Pragya.

Material world, senses contact objects and create desires, then anger, Raag & Dwesh or more desires and eventually delusion ....like a boat without Majhi at mercy of wind & waves....till we become a witness to the world and control our senses and be like the ocean that is so full

Rise above  all 3 (BMI) levels of dwandha ( Raag Dwesh) 

2.47 use energy on performing action. Do not dissipate energy worrying about future / result.

Sun rays all around. If focussed thru a lense can burn where the combined rays fall. Focussed efforts have bit results.

Night to usual people, is day for Yogi : 

Night is all darkness, no shapes & forms. Day is bright and forms & shapes

Yogi does not see forms & shapes 

Likes & dislikes due to past impressions, but if aware & do not dwell on them, then, one will not be swayed. Do not let the raag / dwesh overpower you.

A bit of Karam, Dhyan & Bhakti yoga are in this Chapter. Many call this the index to the Gita, as it touches or mentions what comes later.

Karma Phala and Playing Tennis

Karam Phal and Karam Yog are often misunderstood / misinterpreted.

Here is an example that may help.

If one plays Tennis to win, then during teh game the energy is on winning. And at end if one does win, its the temporary happiness and the desire to play to win again. If loose then angry and frustrated.

If playing as a sport or as a form of exercise , the approach and emotions are different. I want to improve my game, get more agile, learn how to tackle the opponent, burn calories, loose some weight  ...and so on.  Now the focus may be one or all these, but the focus has moved away from winning. While playing to burn calories and improve game, as a by product may also win the game....that is a bonus!!!

When focus moves away from result to effort , one can put in 100% effort , else teh contemplation of result dilutes the effort.

Choices in Gita

Many religions , scriptures give instructions. Gita gives you options....make a choice...and makes you aware of possible consequences.

First we are made aware of the different path : Karam Yoga, Dhyan Yoga & Bhakti Yoga.

And in the last chapter Krishna in 18.63 says, have shared all, now do as you deem fit.


True friend, mentor & consultant. Prepared Arjun for taking an informed decision

An interesting visual summarising Chap 1 to 6

The triangle

The triangles is the simplest shape as it takes only 3 lines to create a shape : an enclosed area

Well image these 3 lines to be
- The Object
- The Subject
- The Experience

The self is often caught between these 3 for all thoughts & actions

Now imagine the the lines opening at a point ...say we can disconnect the Experience from the Object  and then also from the Subject...would this be liberation !
Think about it...

Ref 18.18 and parts of Chapter 13 also talk about a similar Triad..

- The Object of Knowledge
- Knower of knowledge
- The Knowledge

Add caption

PORT reduction

Possessions
Obligations
Relationships
Transactions

The above need to reduce gradually when on the spiritual path.

As per Gita if focussed on Karma Yog or Dhyan Yog or Bhakti Yog, this would happen naturally.

New word plays

Look at God in the Picture
Look at God outside the picture


Move from control in your life
To contribute in your life

Comparing Gita and usual way of life

In the usual world (in the corporate world,  at work or at college) one is "Result Oriented" and Gita teaches us to leave result to divine, and focus only on action & duty

In world we compete with all and Spirituality is trying to explain we are all one

Question everything around you has been suggested and practiced around us and the spiritual path is all about accepting

Corporates copyright their works, Spirituality is about right to copy and share with others

In the modern world one hears "you can do it all" and in spirituality its all around your nature calling and your duty

The so called advanced world is about ownership and in the spiritual world one learns that we are not even the doers , just mediums of the lord

The material world is external - You & Others. The spiritual world is internal, you and your true self

The trying to win is actually a loosing strategy as everything is ever-changing. Discovering yourself , an internal journey without competing , to teh eternal truth...leads to the wow" factor...

Arjun thru 18 chapters

Arjun's questions show the evolution on a spiritual path.

What Arjun asks , the quality of his questions get deeper as the Gita progresses.

Delusion
Surrender
Why should I act & not give up
How & why meditate
Show me your form

and eventually
Will do as you say!

The 3 recipients of Gita

When Krishna spoke, Arjun was listening and so was Sanjay & Dhritrashtra.

How each one received it or perceived it has a learning for us all

Sanjay represents Vivek Buddhi (wisdom) and in contrast Dhritarashtra represents blindness or unwisely used intelligence. In other words, Sanjay can see divinity through all gross appearances (Maya), whereas Dhritarashta, being of lower intellect, is stumped by Maya and only perceives gross appearances. 

These differing perceptions are shown by the following three elements / examples of Maya:

1. Causation 
All matter is simply a transformation of pre-existing elements which were created by God. 
Analogy:
Sanjay, of higher intellect, will be able to realise that a tree rose from a small seed, but Dhritrashtra, of gross intellect, will only be able to perceive the tree for a new entity and not as a product of the seed.

2. Time
The three tenses of time (past, present, future) are all caused by Maya (passing of days and nights). 
Analogy:
A car is circling the base of a hill. Dhritrashtra, standing at the bottom of that hill, (low-level intellect) will only be able to perceive the movement of the car in the three tenses: coming, gone behind the hill, going to come. Sanjay, standing at the top of hill (higher level intellect), will be able to understand the continuous movement of the car without tenses because he is not blocked by the hill (Maya). 

3. Space
All matter is essentially made up of atoms, which are largely made up of empty space, and energy points that occupy negligible space. Hence, most tangible things are essentially empty space and energy. Dhritrashtra can only see the gross appearances of these atoms that are arranged in different ways to form different tangible entities (E.G. Table, chair, pot). Sanjay can identify the minuscule energy points  through all the empty space due to his superior intellect.


Analogy:
Arjun looked past the large quantity of empty space (material things like soldiers and weaponry) and identified the energy points that seemed small but were of actual value (Krishna). Duryodhan was caught up in the Maya and perceived the empty space to be real and of value. Hence, he chose the empty space over the energy point (materials over God) and made the mistake of choosing quantity over quality. ( He chose the army and not Krishna !) 


Arjun - in direct connection with God
Sanjaya - the well controlled 
Dhritrashtra - The one blinded with Moha

CHAPTER 1 : A NEW PERSPECTIVE

This chapter is the transitioning from the Mahabharat tale into the Arjun & Krishna dialogue about Knowledge/Wisdom/Advice

Dhritrashtra speaks his one and only shlok and in that too his attachment for his sons drips in his words, as he asks "what are my sons and the Pandu sons doing at battle field?"  Feel the yours & mine, duality here.

Kuru in shlok 1 means action. Kurushetra is the place / world of actions.

Note that the first word of first shlok is "dharam"  and the last word of last shook is "mam" that is mine . Its all about My Dharma.

Arjun speaks 20+ shloks in this chapter, of the total 85 that he speaks in the entire Gita.

There is lot of fact based statements here and mentioning the various people. Each person has a story and a reason to be here and how he has also contributed to the war. Almost like a quick recap of the Mahabharat story and why this war was happening due to the choices & actions of the characters in past.

Further if one introspects we have traits of all such characters in us. On days we behave like Dhritrashtra, in total attachment to our kids / or blind to our duty. Or like Drupad wanting revenge. Or selfish like Duryodhan or deluded like Arjun or evolved and preach like Krishna.....

All characters are within an average being at different points of time in life, till we progress on the spiritual journey.

The symbolism in Arjun's chariot as well as in the names of conches is very interesting too.

Duryodhan rants of in his self centred style. Arjun starts in an egoist manner to check out the enemy and later is deluded. Then is talking about the deaths and widows & orphans the war will cause.

Duryodhan wants to protect Bhishma as he is the trump to his victory & Arjun slides into an emotional crisis with the thought of fighting / killing Bhishma.

Duryodhan is instigating Drona against Drupad & Dhrishtadyun. Whilst Arjun can't bear the thought that he has to fight his own teacher.

Duryodhan is proud about the quantity of his army. Arjun was not able to accept that his family & teachers could be on the enemy side and he has to fight them.

Bhishma means very dangerous. He represent the various beliefs that we have gathered over the years  and we alone have the choice and ability to give them up. Hence, death by choice. He knew God but did not change his stance.

The key being that emotions & attachments wrecks duty.

Also Arjun being a capable & wise person, is confused and deluded. This can happen & does happen to all.

Chap 1 is important to build context. To make us aware that we have ability for doing wrong and leading to disasters. To enable us accept that we need to follow the principle and not a person.