5,000 years Sri Krishna, the All-Attractive Personality of Godhead spoke to his dear friend and student Arjuna the following for the benefit of humanity, then and now. It is ever-present wisdom.
Bg 6.20-23
The stage of perfection is called trance, or samādhi, when one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga.* This is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.
*Yoga is defined as a process to "connect" to the Supreme Lord. There are different types of yoga, or ways to re-connect with the Supreme cross-culturally, using different language. Spiritual acts are intended to reveal different types of relationships one may have with God, Source, the Absolute Truth from which everything emanates. It can be noted that offering prayers, music and service to the Lord, is also "yoga" called Bhakti ; a process of re-connection with the Supreme, through devotional offerings from the heart. A person from any religious tradition who is sincerely striving to re-connect with Source, to love and serve God, is also a Bhakti-yogi.
Bg 10.1
The Supreme Lord said: My dear friend, mighty-armed Arjuna, listen again to My supreme word, which I shall impart to you for your benefit and which will give you great joy.
Bg 10.10
To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.
Bg 10.11
Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.
Bg 18.66
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.
Bg 7.2
I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge both phenomenal and noumenal, by knowing which there shall remain nothing further to be known.
Bg 7.3
Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.
Bg 7.4
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.
Bg 7.5
Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe.
Bg.7.6
Of all that is material and all that is spiritual in this world, know for certain that I am both its origin and dissolution.
Bg 7.7
O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.
Bg 7.8
O son of Kuntī [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.
Bg 7.14
This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.
Bg 7.19
After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.
Bg. 7.24
Unintelligent men, who know Me not, think that I have assumed this form and personality. Due to their small knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which is changeless and supreme.
Bg 7.25
I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My eternal creative potency [yoga-māyā]; and so the deluded world knows Me not, who am unborn and infallible.
Bg 18.58
If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditional life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost.
Bg 18.61
The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.
Bg.18.62
O scion of Bharata, surrender unto Him utterly. By His grace you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme and eternal abode.
Bg 18.63
Thus I have explained to you the most confidential of all knowledge. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.
Bg 18.70
And I declare that he who studies this sacred conversation worships Me by his intelligence.
Bg 18.72
O conqueror of wealth, Arjuna, have you heard this attentively with your mind? And are your illusions and ignorance now dispelled?
Bg 18.73
Arjuna said, My dear Kṛṣṇa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy, and I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.
Note: One may ask, what is the process of surrender unto the Supreme? Different practices are revealed according to the time and place and circumstance; thus over time various religious frameworks highlight various practices, the goal of all ideally being learning how to love God, and oneself. Love of Godhead is already naturally dormant in the heart, it just needs to be uncovered.
To love means to know who you are loving, so the Supreme reveals himself through various means - such appearing personally in different ages and on different planets (See Srimad Bhagavatam), or by sending a saint to represent Him, and by speaking directly from within one's own heart.
According the sincerity level of each person, the Supreme Lord arranges a specific level of instruction and association to manifest for each seeking soul, custom fit for that soul's journey.
In the Vedic tradition, nine processes of surrender and service have been recommended by sages and scriptures - the first three of which are: Hearing of the Supreme (Sravanam), Speaking or chanting of the Supreme (Kirtanam), and remembering the Supreme (Smaranam). A highly recommend simple and sublime method of performing all three services, is by repeating silently or aloud, this maha-mantra prayer:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare
This prayer uses holy names to address the Supreme Being as the All-attractive Source of Divine Love (Krishna), He who is also the Source of all strength and happiness (Rama). It is asking to be engaged in divine service of the Source of Love and Strength and Happiness, by the agency of the Lord's internal spiritual potency of (Hare).
Even a few minutes a day of this process, is a divinely safe and powerful practice, allowing one to gradually feel the uplifting grace and loving presence of the Supreme Lord, within and without.
Bg 9.1
This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.
As eternal individual sparks of the Supreme, we posses free will and choice at every moment.
As recommended by Sri Krishna Himself above "Deliberate on this fully, then do what you wish to do".
Wishing everyone,
Peace, Love, Introspection, and Ever-Increasing Happiness
Bg 6.20-23
The stage of perfection is called trance, or samādhi, when one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga.* This is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.
*Yoga is defined as a process to "connect" to the Supreme Lord. There are different types of yoga, or ways to re-connect with the Supreme cross-culturally, using different language. Spiritual acts are intended to reveal different types of relationships one may have with God, Source, the Absolute Truth from which everything emanates. It can be noted that offering prayers, music and service to the Lord, is also "yoga" called Bhakti ; a process of re-connection with the Supreme, through devotional offerings from the heart. A person from any religious tradition who is sincerely striving to re-connect with Source, to love and serve God, is also a Bhakti-yogi.
Bg 10.1
The Supreme Lord said: My dear friend, mighty-armed Arjuna, listen again to My supreme word, which I shall impart to you for your benefit and which will give you great joy.
Bg 10.10
To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.
Bg 10.11
Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.
Bg 18.66
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.
Bg 7.2
I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge both phenomenal and noumenal, by knowing which there shall remain nothing further to be known.
Bg 7.3
Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.
Bg 7.4
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.
Bg 7.5
Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe.
Bg.7.6
Of all that is material and all that is spiritual in this world, know for certain that I am both its origin and dissolution.
Bg 7.7
O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.
Bg 7.8
O son of Kuntī [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.
Bg 7.14
This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.
Bg 7.19
After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.
Bg. 7.24
Unintelligent men, who know Me not, think that I have assumed this form and personality. Due to their small knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which is changeless and supreme.
Bg 7.25
I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My eternal creative potency [yoga-māyā]; and so the deluded world knows Me not, who am unborn and infallible.
Bg 18.58
If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditional life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost.
Bg 18.61
The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.
Bg.18.62
O scion of Bharata, surrender unto Him utterly. By His grace you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme and eternal abode.
Bg 18.63
Thus I have explained to you the most confidential of all knowledge. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.
Bg 18.70
And I declare that he who studies this sacred conversation worships Me by his intelligence.
Bg 18.72
O conqueror of wealth, Arjuna, have you heard this attentively with your mind? And are your illusions and ignorance now dispelled?
Bg 18.73
Arjuna said, My dear Kṛṣṇa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy, and I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.
Note: One may ask, what is the process of surrender unto the Supreme? Different practices are revealed according to the time and place and circumstance; thus over time various religious frameworks highlight various practices, the goal of all ideally being learning how to love God, and oneself. Love of Godhead is already naturally dormant in the heart, it just needs to be uncovered.
To love means to know who you are loving, so the Supreme reveals himself through various means - such appearing personally in different ages and on different planets (See Srimad Bhagavatam), or by sending a saint to represent Him, and by speaking directly from within one's own heart.
According the sincerity level of each person, the Supreme Lord arranges a specific level of instruction and association to manifest for each seeking soul, custom fit for that soul's journey.
In the Vedic tradition, nine processes of surrender and service have been recommended by sages and scriptures - the first three of which are: Hearing of the Supreme (Sravanam), Speaking or chanting of the Supreme (Kirtanam), and remembering the Supreme (Smaranam). A highly recommend simple and sublime method of performing all three services, is by repeating silently or aloud, this maha-mantra prayer:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare
This prayer uses holy names to address the Supreme Being as the All-attractive Source of Divine Love (Krishna), He who is also the Source of all strength and happiness (Rama). It is asking to be engaged in divine service of the Source of Love and Strength and Happiness, by the agency of the Lord's internal spiritual potency of (Hare).
Even a few minutes a day of this process, is a divinely safe and powerful practice, allowing one to gradually feel the uplifting grace and loving presence of the Supreme Lord, within and without.
Bg 9.1
This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.
As eternal individual sparks of the Supreme, we posses free will and choice at every moment.
As recommended by Sri Krishna Himself above "Deliberate on this fully, then do what you wish to do".
Wishing everyone,
Peace, Love, Introspection, and Ever-Increasing Happiness