Fourteen Worlds

Vedic scriptures speak of fourteen worlds. Seven of the worlds exist of three higher planes: Bhuloka, the first world or earthly plane; Antarloka, the second world or the subtle, astral plane, and Brahmloka, the third world or the causal plane of God. These three planes can also be viewed as dimensions.

Bhuloka is the dense outermost dimension of being and consciousness. It is the physical world perceived by the senses. Antarloka is the intermediate dimension, the sphere of gods and higher beings, that exists in between the earthly plane and God’s plane. It is a subtle, astral dimension of consciousness. Brahmaloka belongs to Lord Brahma, the Creator. It is both the highest and the innermost dimension. It is pure spirit. Brahmaloka is also known as Karanaloka, the causal plane or as Sivaloka, the plane of Lord Siva the Destroyer who, through destruction, causes a new cycle of creation. To reach this plane is to become entirely absorbed or dissolved in the Divine Spirit and to merge into or become One with the eternal God. To enter Brahmaloka is to end the cycle of birth and death.

The seven lower worlds described in the Vedas are located in Naraka, the netherworld belonging to demons and souls that have become distanced from goodness and God. Naraka is the plane of lower consciousness. Its regions are temporary hells of the mind and the universe. They are places where souls way wander for many ages or for just moments. Ancient scriptures accepted the relativity of time and space. Thus, according to Vedic literature, the duration of any soul’s existence in any world depends upon whether the time experienced by a particular soul expands or contracts and upon the time scales that are in play when souls migrate from world to world.

 

 

Chapter 12: Loving God

July 3, 2020, The Gita, A New Translation of Hindu Scripture by Irina N. Gajjar

Commentary and Chapter 12, Loving God

Arjun opens Chapter 12 of the Gita with a question. He says some people love God in His unmanifest form, as a nameless, formless, endless divinity and others love Him in His manifest form, with a picture of Him in mind and he asks Lord Krishna which is best. Lord Krishna’s answers suggest that both are equally best, though loving God without imagining what He looks like is difficult.

The Lord explains that those who love, trust and think of Him are best but that those who are calm, good, and who have self-control also come to Him. He says that He rescues from birth and death everyone who loves Him alone and who worships Him and who acts for Him.

God tells Arjun and us all that if we think of Him, we will love Him. If we cannot think of Him steadily as in meditation, we should practice, and if we cannot do that, we should perfect ourselves by doing everything for His sake. If we cannot act for Him, we should simply remember to detach from the results of our actions which means we should not worry about them and not plan beyond them. This advice puts the Gita’s message in a nutshell.

As to the specifics of the best way to worship and understand God, the general principle stated is clear yet open ended. It is ambiguous unless we see that all the ways merge into one. Lord Krishna says that knowledge is better than practice and that thinking steadily of God is better than knowledge. The best however is doing your duty for God’s sake by renouncing the fruit of your actions. Again, while this seems different from the earlier verse which says those who love and trust Him are best, we need to remember that the ways of worship are interwoven and that they all lead to peace.

In the rest of Chapter 12, Lord Krishna speaks of the persons who are dear to Him. He speaks of an array of traits that such persons possess. This array is comforting because most of us see many of these qualities present in ourselves as well as in others. Many are consistent with our notions of human goodness. Others require effort or understanding. Particularly renunciation of outcomes and detachment from comfort or pain is not easy to appreciate or achieve. However, understanding that detachment and not caring are active and not passive attitudes help. Actively doing the right dutiful thing regardless of results to the best of our wisdom and ability is liberating and brings us calmness and happiness.

God says the persons who are dear to Him include those who are friendly, kind, and unselfish and who hate no one, those who do not mind suffering or pain and those who are happy and forgiving without hoping for pleasures. Also, those whose minds belong to God and whose bodies obey their minds are dear to Him. Those who do no harm, who love the world, who are calm and do not waiver from excitement one moment to anger the next are dear to Him and the unafraid are dear to Him too.

People who want nothing and who are pure and faithful and those who understand that their actions are really God’s actions are dear to Him as are those who do not jump with joy and those who do not hate or suffer or want things. Those who are disinterested in good or bad outcomes and love only God are dear to Him. Those who treat friends and enemies in the same way and who do not care if they are praised or criticized or if they are hot or cold or pleased or displeased are dear to Him.

It is interesting to note that the very attitudes which make us happy in turn make us godly or good and that our happiness and serenity endear us to God. Most if not all these attitudes have been introduced in previous contexts in the Gita, but now they are presented together as qualities we should strive to develop within ourselves. They endow our journey through life with goodness, purposefulness, and stability.

Lord Krishna sums up His devotion to humankind saying that whoever understands and follows His teachings and whoever loves God alone is dear to Him.

Please enjoy Chapter 12 below.

Chapter 12: Loving God

 

Arjun said: Some people who love You, have a picture of You in their mind. Other people love You just as a formless, nameless, endless God. Which people are the best?

Bhagvan answered: I think those who love me and trust Me most always think of Me are the best. But those who have self control and are calm and do good to all also come to me. Those who never stop loving God, even without imagining what God is like, they too come to Me.

Of course, it is harder to love God without imagining what He is like.

But I quickly rescue from birth and death whoever loves only Me and does everything for Me only and worships Me all the time.

So think of Me and you will surely love Me. If you cannot think of Me steadily, without stopping, then you must practice. If you cannot even practice, then do all you can for My sake. You will become perfect just by doing things for My sake. If you cannot manage even this, then just remember not to worry about the results of what you do.

Do not plan for things to turn out the way you want them to, but simply do your best. Do your best and don’t think about what will happen next.

Knowledge is better than practice and thinking steadily of God is better than knowledge. But best of all is doing your duty for God’s sake.

She who hates no one, who is friendly, kind and unselfish is dear to God. She who does not worry about suffering or pain is dear to Me. She who does not hope for pleasures and is forgiving and always happy is dear to Me.

He whose mind is joined to God, whose body obeys his mind, and whose mind belongs to God, that person is very dear to God.

He who does no harm in the world and who loves the world is dear to Me. He who is always calm and who is not happy and excited one moment but angry the next, is dear to Me. He who is unafraid is dear to Me.

He who wants nothing, who is pure and faithful is dear to Me. He who understands that all he does is really done by God, that person is dear to Me.

She who does not jump with joy or hate or suffer or want things is dear to Me. She who gives up both good and bad, and loves only God is dear to Me.

She who treats friends and enemies alike is dear to me. She who doesn’t care if she is praised or criticized, or if she is hot or cold, or happy or unhappy, She is dear to Me.

They who understand and follow all these teachings of Mine are dear to Me. The person who loves nothing but God, only God, is very dear to Me.

The Gita is available for purchase on Amazon. Buy your copy today!

 

 

Becoming a Yogi

A person’s karma—or self-created destiny—determines whether the new body that his or her soul acquires will be born in the world of the wise and pure or in the lower world in the body of a senseless deluded being. The Gita is a guideline for uplifting the soul so that it ascends to the world of higher beings.

The passages in the Bhagavad Gita that pertain to “science of yoga” instruct humankind on how to better its karma and ultimately attain enlightenment. They intermingle with the “scripture of knowledge” passages which are philosophical in nature and pertain to the unmanifest world of spirit. Yoga in its broadest sense means the path to union with God which can be described as the joining of individual consciousness to the universal consciousness. A yogi is a person who has attained a consciousness that approaches the universal consciousness. Such a person, ruled more by spirit than by body, is wise.

Many passages in the Gita describe yogis and instruct us on how to become yogis:

The person whose spirit rules her completely is ruled by God.

The person has self-control.

She is calm no matter what happens.

She is calm if she is cold or hot.

She is calm if she comfortable or uncomfortable.

She is calm if she praised or criticized.

The person who has self-control never changes.

A piece of stone and gold are the same to her.

A wise person like this is called a yogi.

(Gita 6:6, 7, 8)

 

This excerpt is from On Hinduism by Irina Gajjar. Learn more about the book at http://irinaspage.com/philosophy/on-hinduism/

The Self

I am made of earth, water, fire, air,
ether, mind, reason, and the self.
These eight things are one side of Me.
The other, higher side of Me
is what makes the whole world exist
And is called the “life principle.”

(Gita 7:4, 5)

 

The self when it pertains to the body or to the material aspect of God means ego. It differs from the Self with a capital letter which means the sense of being. The Self is the life principle or the essence of life. It is God unmanifest. It is the spirit that sparks the eternal soul of living beings. It resides within our temporal minds and bodies but it is not of the mind or body.

The concept of reincarnation underpins the Vedic belief that the eternal soul attains salvation by merging into God. A spark of God’s marvel illuminates the soul which is confidence to the cycle of birth and death until it dissolves into God. When that occurs, the soul’s spark becomes one with the flame that is God and the soul experiences total bliss.

This excerpt is from On Hinduism by Irina Gajjar. To purchase the book, visit our Amazon Link.

The Knower and the Known

Although God cannot be understood by the mind, God can be known by the spirit. In chapter seven of the Gita, Lord Krishna tells Arjun that he will understand God after knowing him. God says that He knows all beings, but they do not know Him. People cannot see God because confusion and desire cover their minds, but they can reach God by seeking Him.

The Sanskrit language distinguishes between spiritual knowledge (seeing, knowing) and rational knowledge (understanding). We can come to know God only by seeing Him. Trying to understand God is a path to knowing Him, yet we cannot understand God without knowing Him. This is an apparent paradox, not a real one. It means that we must take steps toward understanding God in order to experience God. While the absolute cannot be understood by our finite mind, it can be known by our infinite soul. However, the soul can only experience the truth if the mind strives for it to do so. Reason or understanding is a path that leads to spiritual knowledge, but only spiritual knowledge has the power to reveal God.

The Gita understands God to be both the knower and the known, or that which we wish to know. He is the great soul, the individual soul called Atman. He is spirit. God is the knower of the universe and the knower of the “field” which means the human body as well as all embodiment. “Field” refers to place or area, like “field of knowledge.” The term field implies that the body is a place where action or conflict occurs. Lord Krishna delivered the Bhagavad Gita on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, also known as the field of Dharma or righteousness.

This excerpt is from On Hinduism by Irina Gajjar, to purchase the book, visit Amazon.

 

God’s Power and Grandeur

 

Perhaps the most awesome verses in the Gita are those that speak of God’s power and grandeur, depicting Him in all aspects and all forms. God is earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, reason, the seed of all beings, Om, and the Self. Gold lives in the heart of all living things. Everything that is glorious or brilliant or strong is a spark of His brightness. He is the essence of life. God is Brahma, the Creator who caused the world to be and from whom all things come. He is Vishnu, the Preserver. In this form God is a wonderful sight adorned with jewels and weapons, and heavenly garlands, and covered with fragrant paste. He holds the whole world by just a flicker of His divinity. As the Destroyer, He is Shiva who makes all the worlds afraid. He appears in multiple colored forms. He has large shining eyes and a wide open mouth filled with terrible teeth. His awful brightness burns the universe.

Yet, howsoever the ancients described God millennia ago and however we may visualize God today, the Bhagavad Gita explains:

God is beyond what your mind can understand.

God shines like the sun

Far beyond darkness of ignorance.

(Gita 8:8)

This excerpt is from On Hinduism by Irina Gajjar. To read more or to purchase the book, visit Irina’s website at www.irinaspage.com.

A Dialog Between God and Arjun

The Gita is structured as a dialog between God and Arjun. The first chapter describes Arjun on the battlefield facing his enemies. Earlier, both he and his opponents called upon Lord Krishna for help. Krishna offers his entire army to one side and Himself as charioteer to the other. Arjun chooses Lord Krishna. But even with God by his side, Arjun feels dejected and filled with doubt. His mind starts spinning. He sees his wise old uncle, his teacher, and his cousins facing him and he cannot make himself fight:

How, Krishna, can I fight Bhishma and Drona with arrows on the battlefield?

I respect them.

It is better to live as a beggar, but without killing, because after killing them our hands will be stained with their red blood.

(Gita 2:5,6)

This excerpt is from On Hinduism by Irina Gajjar. To read more from On Hinduism or other of Irina’s books, visit www.irinaspage.com.

The Forward March of Science

The forward march of Science without spiritual awareness is bound to become a self-defeating march, because the more we bite off the pie of knowledge, the bigger the pie becomes leaving our portion smaller and smaller. The more humankind learns, the more remains to be learned. As our knowledge of the universe expands, our understanding contracts. The better our information, the more apparent become its flaws. The universe is infinite, but our capacity to know it is not. The further afield we go to seek knowledge, the deeper we must probe within ourselves to find it:

 

You will see the whole world

In your heart

And then in God

(Gita 4:35)

Read more from Irina Gajjar’s blog at www.irinaspage.com.

Hindu Texts

Hindu texts contain the oldest documented repository of modern day philosophical and scientific knowledge. Vedic tradition distinguishes eternal unchanging reality, which begins with a breath, from temporal ever-changing unreality, which begins with infinitesimal particles of matter. It recognizes the existence of multiverses. Ideas that today float between science and science fiction—precursors of scientific discovery—abound and astound in ancient Hindu scriptures and legends.

In Hindu thought, God alone creates, sustains, and destroys time. God also has the power to expand and contract time. As time cannot be realized apart from God, God is time. Brahma sleeps, the universe ceases to be.

 

When He awakens, He recreates it.

Brahma’s day lasts a thousand ages

And Brahma’s night lasts a thousand more.

Only the wise

Know this truth

About Time

(Gita 8:17)

This excerpt is from On Hinduism, by Irina Gajjar. You can purchase the book from Amazon or read more from Irina at www.irinaspage.com.

Incarnations of Vishnu

Ten incarnations emanate from Vishnu. The last, Kalki, is yet to come. Rama, Krishna, and Buddha are His seventh, eighth, and ninth incarnations respectively. All three were originally historical personages, though the dates of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna’s lives are not established.

Rama and Krishna’s stories are told in the two grand Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. These works came to full fruition after the Vedic era introduced by the Aryans, but they were centuries in the making. Many components of the epics antedate Aryan predominance in India, be they of Vedic or of indigenous origin. The chronology of the Aryan cultural sweep does not put the age of the Vedic literature at issue because its roots antedate its appearance in India.

Rama, the son of a King, is the hero of the grand Ramayana, which tells of his early life, his exile in the forest, and his battle to rescue his wife, Sita, who was abducted to Sri Lanka by the demon Ravana.

Lord Krishna was a cowherd, much-beloved from the time he was a baby filled with mischief. He was flutist and a charmer who teased the gopis milkmaids and who won the hearts of all whose hearts he touched. Krishna’s devotees worship Him with single-minded love, finding ecstasy in simply uttering his name. His dark blue skin comes from absorbing the poison of a five-headed snake he killed. Many worship Radha, Krishna’s beloved, as one with Him because her devotion both controlled and reflected His divinity.