Expression Of The Divine🔗

14.26 One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.

14.27 And I am the basis of impersonal Brahman, which is the rightful state of ultimate happiness, and which is immortal, imperishable and eternal.

Krishna concludes the chapter by saying that the transcendental state beyond the three attributes of nature, the guṇas, is Brahman, the ultimate cosmic consciousness. He says you reach this through devotion. He says that He is that Brahman, the Source of eternal bliss.

Krishna speaks as Parabrahma Krishna, the supreme energy and not as Vasudeva Krishna, the individual. He is in the expanded consciousness of Brahman, and beyond the three guṇas. He is the Source of the guṇas.

What is the difference between Parabrahma Krishna (ultimate consciousness) and Vasudeva Krishna (the physical person, the son of Vasudeva)? In the case of an ordinary human being, even though he has the potential of divinity, he has not realized it. So he is different. That is the difference between you and an enlightened master. Both of you are divine to the same extent. Yet you are unaware of your divinity, whereas the enlightened master is fully aware of it.

In the case of Krishna, he is the master. Why then the difference? The difference is not to do with Him. It is to do with us. The frequency of Parabrahma Krishna is not visible to and approachable by mortals. That is why Arjuna had to be given the divine vision to perceive Parabrahma rūpa or viśvarūpa, the cosmic form of Krishna. Even Arjuna, His closest mortal friend, His mirror as the human, could not perceive Him in that cosmic form until he was permitted.

In order for humans to perceive Him and interact with Him, Parabrahma Krishna must become Vasudeva Krishna. To a certain extent He must subject Himself to the play of the guņas.

When an enlightened being has merged with the universal energy and incarnates in human form, that incarnation must have some guņa injected into it. Let us use an analogy here. We cannot make jewelry out of gold when it is completely pure, of 24-carat purity. We must add some impurity such as copper to reduce it to 22 or 18 carat. Then we can make jewelry out of it. Similarly when an enlightened being enters planet earth he must be infused with some satva guņa in order to take human form. Within some time, this satva guņa also disappears, leaving the being beyond the three guņas and once again in an enlightened state.

Each enlightened master is unique in his expression of his experience as the Divine. Some express experiences and some don't. Our scriptures say that if two enlightened masters say the same thing, one is a fake! Each master is unique in his or her expression. The experience is the same, yet the expression is different.

Krishna is different from Buddha and Christ. Each has the same theme of compassion, yet the way the compassion is expressed is different. Buddha expressed it as contemplation and Krishna in joyous abandon. So we choose a master based upon how we vibrate to his expression. If our path is devotion, we gravitate to Krishna; He is lovable. If we are the meditative type, we go to Shiva, the master who taught in silence.

It does not matter who our master is. What matters is our faith, trust and the attitude of surrender. Our master can be an unenlightened being. If we trust him, we can become enlightened, even though he may not be. What matters more is our attitude and approach, our guņa, and not the master's state. Even if we worship a stone and surrender to it, imagining it to be our ultimate savior, we will be liberated. It is true.

The faith and the surrender help us transcend the nature of all activities. We surrender the result of our actions to that master, whomsoever he may be, whomsoever it may be. We do everything contemplating that master and surrender it all at his feet. That attitude alone liberates us. This is what Krishna means by devotion. Nothing more is needed. Krishna is not talking about the flute-playing, yellow-robed Krishna. Anyone that we surrender to totally is Krishna and we then fall into Krishna consciousness. Let us pray to Parabrahma Krishna, the universal consciousness, the ultimate energy, to give us all this understanding in our life, to make us experience the truth that He teaches and to establish us in and make us radiate eternal bliss, nityānanda.

Q: You referred to biological evidence that links our behavior with our cellular formation. Can you please elaborate this point?

Modern science knows there is constant regeneration of cells within our body-mind system. We die everyday. Our body-mind system is estimated to have over 60 trillion cells. Billions of cells die everyday and new cells are born. This process goes on as long as we live. Within two years or so, all the cells in our body get replaced by new cells. This means that every two years we are completely reborn.

Since this is a scientifically established fact, why is it that the miseries of our old cells get carried into the new cells? Why do our diseases continue after the cells die? What is the connecting link? Science does not have an answer. Yet interesting experiments show the path.

Let us say that you take a blood sample and you separate out some cells. From those cells, you extracted the DNA and keep it outside your body. Experiments have shown that when you react with emotions and release hormones, the DNA in the dish that is separate from your body releases the same hormones. If you become angry and release adrenalin inside you, the DNA outside releases the same adrenalin. If you become fearful, your DNA that is outside releases the same fear hormones. These dishes with the DNA were placed a few miles away and the same results happened.

In another set of experiments, scientists exposed the DNA samples to various emotions. I have spoken elsewhere about Dr. Masaru Emoto's book, The Hidden Messages from Water. This Japanese scientist showed that water samples showed significant change in their molecular structure when exposed to different types of human emotions. These experiments are also shown in the movie, 'What the Bleep Do We Know?'

Here, DNA samples were exposed to emotions. Scientists found that positive emotions made the DNA grow and negative emotions made it shrink. When treated with love, even the DNA of people affected with HIV and cancer showed improvement and resistance to further deterioration.

Another set of experiments involved fundamental light particles called photons. A photon placed in a vacuum chamber tended to move around randomly. When a DNA sample was introduced into that chamber, the photon started revolving around the DNA. It was as if this elemental particle detected another element of higher consciousness and obeyed it by rotating around it, in the same manner as planets rotate around the sun.

Even stranger was that when the DNA sample was removed from the vacuum chamber, the photon continued to rotate in the same orbit that it followed when the DNA was inside the chamber. It was as if the energy of the DNA stayed on even though the DNA was physically removed.

Scientists are taking baby steps in understanding what the vedic scriptures established five thousand years ago. The Vedas speak about the energy field that is imperishable even when matter is destroyed. They describe the mindset as an energy form that continues across death into a new body. They explain how this energy influences our behavior beyond time and space.

Saṁskāras or these engraved memories, are energy. They can be positive or negative energy. As long as the saṁskāras continue, they influence the material nature of the body-mind system. Even if the cells die and new cells are born, as long as the energy of the old cells is not transformed, the new cells will be influenced and affected. Cancers and ailments continue.

This is why we place so much emphasis in training you to understand saṁskāras and in teaching techniques that help dissolve saṁskāras in our Life Bliss Programs. You may think it is a tall claim, but these techniques transform your very DNA. They transform the energy behind your genes so that new cells are no longer affected by the negativities of the old cells.

Thus ends the fourteenth chapter named Guṇatraya Vibhāga Yogaḥ of the Upaniṣad of Bhagavad Gita, the scripture of Yoga, dealing with the science of the Absolute in the form of the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna.

Only Doubts

CHAPTER 15

When we question, we reveal our arrogance and aggression. When we doubt, we exhibit our ignorance and seek clarity.

◆ You say that Arjuna has fallen silent. You imply Arjuna still has doubts. How does one differentiate whether one has doubts or questions? If we suppress doubts thinking they are questions, won't it create more confusion?

◆ We have been told that charitable activity is good. I am confused when you say charity is not always good. Please explain.

◆ You say that your use of the term 'ego' is synonymous to Freud's usage but not the same. Please explain.

◆ Can Near-Death-Experiences lead to enlightenment?

◆ Swamiji, * you say conditioning makes us do what we do. Isn't there a built-in programming of the human body-mind system that dictates what we do?

◆ Swamiji, * you talked about the importance of ashram communities in spiritual development. What about people who cannot live in such communities? Can they progress?

◆ Swamiji, * you talked about yoga. Modern people practice yoga as a form of exercise for wellness. Is this wrong?

◆ Swamiji, * you have explained so well about how the mind works. How can we use this in our daily activities?

◆ Swamiji, * if we are interconnected at the level of the mind and higher levels, why don't we feel this connection? How do we get connected?