The Song Celestial #1

The  Song Celestial  #1

YouTube  Audio

The Bhagavad Gita

Uranda  July 14, 1953 a.m.

We come to our 9:30 a.m. class in the GPC Servers Training School on July 14, 1953, and from the standpoint of learning to understand yourself that you may understand others, and from the standpoint of having a touch, a taste of the beauty that is possible in relationship to language, I would like to consider a little of one of the gems of literature, the Sacred Writings. These Sacred Writings have been translated and retranslated, rearranged by different patterns of priesthood down through a long period of time. This story was written over three thousand years ago, well over three thousand years ago according to the scholars. Actually, they have sought in vain to find its point of origin, so I might tell you what that point of origin is. The story as such was presented to the Orient at about the same time, roughly speaking, not at the same time but in the same period, and in the same manner, as the Story of Job was given to man, and that was in the latter days of the Motherland. Actually we should say somewhere around fourteen thousand years ago.

And the beauty of this story comes down to us in remarkable form. We have to do a little editing; otherwise the meanings get mixed up. Some of the Oriental philosophies that developed under limited patterns of consciousness tended to influence this story. But, if we were to read Shekinah wherever the word Soul with the capital—they use the word “soul” two different ways here, as we may note before we get very far.   But in reading, I attempt to give a little emphasis to the word Soul when it means Shekinah.

Now there have been concepts developed in the Orient which are not quite true to pattern, but here, once we get the symbolism untangled—and it does not take very much editing, but some—the story is true to pattern and exceedingly beautiful. Also, there are parts which have very little meaning to the Occidental mind because the significance of the names and the words utilized are not evident to us, and it is not of sufficient importance to warrant our studying into the matter. It would take considerable time. So, some of these names I just skip when I am reading it to you. Some of them are really tongue twisters—my tongue does not quite get around some of them as well as it might—but the pattern of the vibrational factors in them goes back to the Motherland.

Now a Guru is a teacher, and a teacher in this sense means more than just a school teacher. Teacher means one who is able to impart Heavenly knowledge and understanding, and guide the pattern of life unfolding. In this sense, perhaps, you might say I am a teacher. And a Guru, then, is a teacher; and Nirvanah is Heaven, the Heaven that is at hand. Now just as in the Occident they have gotten mixed up in their patterns, and imagine that Heaven is in some far off place, so did they do the same thing in the Orient. And this, from the Oriental Bible or Sacred Writings, is very remarkable. There are many parts of the Oriental Bible that are of no value or interest to us. But once we get the concept that some kind of a soul inside is growing or developing, or something of that sort, out of it, once we begin to see what the true story presents with the mixtures offered by the priests cleared out, we have here a true part of Holy Writ.

The story, as all good stories do, has a setting. The setting is up on a plain, and the plain is the sphere of life, the plain of life. It does not say so here—you simply have to understand the symbolism, as you do in our Bible—but the plain of life. And there are two armies opposing each other upon this plain of life. On one side there is the pattern as it is symbolized by Arjuna, and on the other side the false son of the blind king. Now the king means exactly the same thing here as it does in the Bible, picturing your mind and its patterns of function. Only here, to make the picture a little clearer, it is a blind king, a blind king who depends upon what his servant Sanjaya comes and tells him. Your servants of the blind king, the mind, depend upon what you see, what you hear, etc, what you touch, what you perceive. Some servant has to come and tell the mind, does it not? Is not the mind a blind king? So let us remember that. While the mind is the king, it is a blind king, and the blind king's sinful son is trying to take over the kingdom, when the kingdom of your body, of course, of your life, properly belongs to Arjuna. And Arjuna is a Prince, a Lord, and his charioteer is Krishna, Krishna the God. I think this symbolism is beautiful beyond description, because this is the case with you. You have the blind king and the blind king has certain sons, certain things that have been produced by the function of the blind king, some sinful sons perhaps, as well as some that are not so sinful. Arjuna.

Arjuna representing the Divine Pattern on earth, carrying the same reality as we have with Moses in the Old Testament and the body of Jesus in the New. That which was revealed through the body of Jesus, or the Christ Spirit, the Christ Reality, is symbolized here by Krishna. Arjuna—the body of manifestation; and Krishna—the Spirit of the manifestation. And in this symbolism there is the portrayal as Krishna is the charioteer driving the chariot, and the horses, the milk-white steeds. Horses carry here the same symbolism that they do in the Bible. The color is significant in every case.   But a horse is a symbol of power. Wherever you find horses mentioned in the Bible in a text giving a portrayal of principle, there they mean power.   What kind of power? White? The milk-white steeds? The Christ Power, that which is of the Divine Pattern of Being. And there may be red horses, the power of physical force; there may be black horses, the power to produce death, nothingness, and so on. The color of the horse signifies the type of power under consideration. And that is true, remember, all the way through the Bible. So horses symbolize power, and Krishna is the charioteer. Arjuna is riding in the chariot. To the outer vision he is the Supreme One, but Krishna is driving the horses. And you begin to sense the extreme beauty and the supreme accuracy of this portrayal in symbolism.

Now, the two opposing forces are drawn up upon the plain of life. Have you ever been in that battle? Do you know anything about it? The control of the sinful son seeking to gain supremacy on one hand and the control of the Divine Pattern of Being seeking for control on the other hand? And so here we begin to consider some attitudes, some things that you have felt. Possibly this beautiful portrayal will bring up some poignant memories, some things you know from the depths of your own heart, and help you to make some deep inside adjustments, and help you to be as Krishna, watching over as you serve others; for until you can be Krishna to someone else, you are not in position to serve. Is not that true? Until you can reveal the True Pattern of being, and until you can rein the milk-white steeds, are you in position to really serve someone else? I think not.

And so the blind king enquires:

   “Ranged thus for battle on the sacred plain—say, Sanjaya!”

That is the servant.

   “…say, Sanjaya! say

   What wrought my people, and the Pandavas?”

And so the processes of perception utilized by the mind—seeing, hearing, etc.

   “When he beheld the host of Pandavas,

   Raja Duryodhana to Drona drew,

   And spake these words: ‘Ah, Guru! see this line,

   How vast it is of Pandu fighting-men,

   Embattled by the son of Drupada,

   Thy scholar in the war. Therein stand ranked

   Chiefs like Arjuna, like to Bhima chiefs,

   Benders of bows …

   Drupada, eminent upon his car … and Drupadi’s—all famed!

   All mounted on their shining chariots!

   On our side, too—thou best of Brahmans! See

   Excellent chiefs, commanders of my line,

   Whose names I joy to count: thyself the first,

   Then Bhishma, Karna, Kripa fierce in fight,” etc.

   … next to these

   Strong Saumadatti, with full many more

   Valiant and tried, ready this day to die

   For me their king, each with his weapon grasped,

   Each skilful in the field. Weakest—meseems —

   Our battle shows where Bhishma holds command,

   And Bhima, fronting him, something too strong!

   Have care our captains nigh to Bhishma's ranks

   Prepare what help they may! Now, blow my shell!’

    “Then, at the signal of the aged king,

   With blare to wake the blood, rolling around

   Like to a lion's roar, the trumpeter

   Blew the great Conch; and, at the noise of it,

   Trumpets and drums, cymbals and gongs and horns

   Burst into sudden clamour; as the blasts

   Of loosened tempest, such the tumult seemed!

   Then might be seen, upon their car of gold

   Yoked with white steeds, blowing their battle-shells,

   Krishna the God, Arjuna at his side:

   Krishna, with knotted locks, blew his great conch

   Carved of the ‘Giant's bone,’ Arjuna blew

   Indra's loud gift; Bhima the terrible —

   Wolf-bellied Bhima—blew a long reed-conch;

   And Yudhisthira, Kunti's blameless son,

   Winded a mighty shell, ‘Victory's Voice,’

   And Nakula blew shrill upon his conch

   Named the ‘Sweet-sounding,’ Sahadev on his

   Called ‘Gem-bedecked,’ and Kasi's Prince on his.

   Sikhandi on his car,

   … and Satyaki the Unsubdued,

   Drupada, with his sons, (O Lord of Earth!)

   Long-armed Subhadra's children, all blew loud,

   So that the clangour shook their foemen's hearts,

   With quaking earth and thundering heav'n.

    “Then 'twas —

   Beholding Dhritirashtra's battle set,

   Weapons unsheathing, bows drawn forth, the war

   Instant to break—Arjuna, whose ensign-badge

   Was Hanuman the monkey, spake this thing

   To Krishna the Divine, his charioteer:

   ‘Drive, Dauntless One! to yonder open ground

   Betwixt the armies; I would see more nigh

   These who will fight with us, those we must slay

   To-day, in war's arbitrament; for, sure,

   On bloodshed all are bent who throng this plain,

   Obeying Dhritirashtra's sinful son.’

    “Thus, by Arjuna prayed, (O Bharata!)

   Between the hosts that heavenly Charioteer

   Drove the bright car, reining its milk-white steeds

   Where Bhishma led, and Drona, and their Lords.

   ‘See!’ spake he to Arjuna, ‘where they stand,

   Thy kindred of the Kurus’: and the Prince

   Marked on each hand the kinsmen of his house,

   Grandsires and sires, uncles and brothers and sons,

   Cousins and sons-in-law and nephews, mixed

   With friends and honoured elders; some this side,

   Some that side ranged: and, seeing thus opposed,

   Such kith grown enemies—Arjuna's heart

   Melted with pity, while he uttered this:

    “‘Krishna! as I behold, come here to shed

   Their common blood, yon concourse of our kin,

   My members fail, my tongue dries in my mouth,

   A shudder thrills my body, and my hair

   Bristles with horror; from my weak hand slips

   Gandiv, the goodly bow; a fever burns

   My skin to parching; hardly may I stand;

   The life within me seems to swim and faint;

   Nothing do I foresee save woe and wail!

   It is not good, O Keshav! nought of good

   Can spring from mutual slaughter! Lo, I hate

   Triumph and domination, wealth and ease,

   Thus sadly won! Aho! what victory

   Can bring delight, Govinda! what rich spoils

   Could profit; what rule recompense; what span

   Of life itself seem sweet, bought with such blood?

   Seeing that these stand here, ready to die,

   For whose sake life was fair, and pleasure pleased,

   And power grew precious—grandsires, sires, and sons,

   Brothers, and fathers-in-law, and sons-in-law,

   Elders and friends! Shall I deal death on these

   Even though they seek to slay us? Not one blow,

   O Madhusudan! will I strike to gain

   The rule of all Three Worlds; then, how much less

   To seize an earthly kingdom! Killing these 

   Must breed but anguish, Krishna! If they be

   Guilty, we shall grow guilty by their deaths;

   Their sins will light on us, if we shall slay

   Those sons of Dhritirashtra, and our kin;

   What peace could come of that, O Madhava?

   For if indeed, blinded by lust and wrath,

   These cannot see, or will not see, the sin

   Of kingly lines o'erthrown and kinsmen slain,

   How should not we, who see, shun such a crime —

   We who perceive the guilt and feel the shame —

   O thou Delight of Men, Janardana?

   By overthrow of houses perisheth

   Their sweet continuous household piety,

   And—rites neglected, piety extinct —

   Enters impiety upon that home;

   Its women grow unwomaned, whence there spring

   Mad passions, and the mingling-up of castes,

   Sending a Hell-ward road that family,

   And whoso wrought its doom by wicked wrath.

   Nay, and the souls of honoured ancestors

   Fall from their place of peace, being bereft

   Of funeral-cakes and the wan death-v/ater.

   So teach our holy hymns. Thus, if we slay

   Kinsfolk and friends for love of earthly power,

   … what an evil fault it were!

   Better I deem it, if my kinsmen strike,

   To face them weaponless, and bare my breast

   To shaft and spear, than answer blow with blow.

   So speaking, in the face of those two hosts,

   Arjuna sank upon his chariot-seat,

   And let fall bow and arrows, sick at heart.”

There we have the setting. Have you ever known anything about it? Have you ever seen it, felt it? There we have the setting. What to do about it? What shall be the attitude? And when you see others upon that plain of life, how shall you direct them in the way? What shall you say? And then the servant speaks:

   “Him, filled with such compassion and such grief,

   With eyes tear-dimmed, despondent, in stern words

   The driver, Madhusudan, thus addressed:”

And Krishna says, and here he speaks to you:

   “How hath this weakness taken thee? Whence springs

   The inglorious trouble, shameful to the brave,

   Barring the path of virtue? Nay, Arjun!

   Forbid thyself to feebleness! …”

   “Forbid thyself to feebleness! it mars

   Thy warrior-name! cast off the coward-fit!

   Wake! Be thyself! Arise, Scourge of thy Foes!”

And Arjuna asks:

   “How can I, in the battle, shoot with shafts

   On Bhishma, or on Drona—O thou Chief! — 

   Both worshipful, both honourable men?

   “Better to live on beggar's bread

   With those we love alive,

   Than taste their blood in rich feasts spread,

   And guiltily survive!

   Ah! were it worse—who knows?—to be

   Victor or vanquished here,

   When those confront us angrily

   Whose death leaves living drear?

   In pity lost, by doubtings tossed,

   My thoughts—distracted—turn

   To Thee, the Guide I reverence most,

   That I may counsel learn:

   I know not what would heal the grief

   Burned into soul and sense,

   If I were earth's unchallenged chief —

   A god—and these gone thence!”

Servant:

   “So spake Arjuna to the Lord of Hearts,”

“So spake Arjuna to the Lord of Hearts.”

   “And sighing, ‘I will not fight!’ held silence then. 

   To whom, with tender smile, (O Bharata!)

   While the Prince wept despairing ‘twixt those hosts,

   Krishna made answer in divinest verse:”

Krishna:

   “Thou grievest where no grief should be! thou speak'st

   Words lacking wisdom ! for the wise in heart

   Mourn not for those that live, nor those that die.

   Nor I, nor thou, nor any one of these,

   Ever was not, nor ever will not be, 

   For ever and for ever afterwards.”

There is a statement of Krishna's that the people of the Orient and those who have taken philosophies out of the Orient have forgotten, because there are supposed to be young souls growing up, etc., etc., the progress, progression of souls and all that sort of thing—human fancy, entirely! What was it Krishna said here? “Thou speak'st words lacking wisdom,” wisdom, the sense of the fitness of things. “For the wise in heart,” for those who let wisdom into the emotional pattern, the heart, the feeling nature, “mourn not for those that live, nor those that die. Nor I, nor thou, nor any one of these, ever was not, nor ever will not be, for ever and for ever afterwards.”

   “All that doth live, lives always! To man's frame

   As there come infancy and youth and age,

   So come there raisings-up and layings-down

   Of other and of other life-abodes,

   Which the wise know, and fear not. This that irks —

   Thy sense-life, thrilling to the elements —

   Bringing thee heat and cold, sorrows and joys,

   'Tis brief and mutable! Bear with it, Prince!

   As the wise bear. The soul which is not moved,

   The soul that with a strong and constant calm

   Takes sorrow and takes joy indifferently,

   Lives in the life undying! That which is

   Can never cease to be; that which is not

   Will not exist.”

Now, there is a key statement of being, but it cannot be immediately comprehended by the mind that imagines things are where they are not and imagines that things that are not that which is will never cease to be, and that which is not will not be. The unreal, as we speak of it, is not going to take permanent form, and the real is not going to pass away. That which is can never cease to be; that which nis not will not exist.

   “To see this truth of both

   Is theirs who part essence from accident,

   Substance from shadow. Indestrucitible,

   Learn thou! the Life is, spreading life through all;

   It cannot anywhere, by any means,

   Be anywise diminished.”

Perhaps in the manifestation of a given level, but the Life does not die.

   “It cannot anywhere, by any means

   Be anywise diminished, stayed, or changed.

   But for these fleeting frames which it informs

   With spirit deathless, endless, infinite,

   They perish. Let them perish, Prince! and fight!

   He who shall say, ‘Lo! I have slain a man!^’

   He who shall think, ^‘Lo! I am slain!^’ those both

   Know naught! Life cannot slay. Life is not slain!

   Never the spirit was born ...”

   “Never the spirit was born; the spirit shall cease to be never;

   Never was time it was not;

   End and Beginning are dreams!

   Birthless and deathless and changeless remaineth the spirit for ever;

   Death hath not touched it at all, dead though the house of it seems!

   Who knoweth it exhaustless, self-sustained.

   Immortal, indestructible—shall such

   Say, 'I have killed a man, or caused to kill?'

   Nay, but as when one layeth

   His worn-out robes away,

   And, taking new ones, sayeth,

   ‘These will I wear to-day!’

   So putteth by the spirit

   Lightly its garb of flesh,

   And passeth to inherit

   A residence afresh.

   “I say to thee weapons reach not the Life;

   Flame burns it not, waters cannot o'erwhelm,

   Nor dry winds wither it. Impenetrable,

   Unentered, unassailed, unharmed, untouched,

   Immortal, all-arriving, stable, sure,

   Invisible, ineffable, by word

   And thought uncompassed, ever all itself,

   Thus is the Soul declared!”

Now this is the description really of Shekinah. Thus is Shekinah known!

Let us go back for a moment. “Impenetrable,” by that which is not like unto itself, “unentered,” by that which is not subject to it, “unassailed,” by those who would fight against it, “unharmed,” by those who would destroy it, “untouched,” by those who refuse to respond to it,  “immortal,” in relationship to those who reject it,  “all-arriving, stable, sure, invisible, ineffable,” beyond description, “by word and thought uncompassed, ever all itself.” Thus is Shekinah known.

   “How wilt thou, then —

   Knowing it so—grieve when thou shouldst not grieve?”

There is one of the greatest lessons necessary to those who would truly serve, for if you grieve for those who reject the things of God you destroy your own ability to serve, and you fail those who do respond, those who will receive. Grieve not for those who turn away, those who go down to the gates of death. Grieve not; for, lo, there are those who will respond, those who will receive the Word, those who will receive the Life, if you will but hold steady and true.

   “How wilt thou, then —

   Knowing it so—grieve when thou shouldst not grieve?

   How, if thou hearest that the man new-dead

   Is, like the man new-born, still living man.”

Now, that has gotten twisted up there a little, but you know what it means.

   “One same, existent Spirit—wilt thou weep?

   … mournest thou,

   Chief of the stalwart arm! for what befalls

   Which could not otherwise befall? The birth

   Of living things comes unperceived; the death

   Comes unperceived; between them, beings perceive:

   What is there sorrowful herein, dear Prince?

   Wonderful, wistful, to contemplate!

   Difficult, doubtful, to speak upon!

   Strange and great for tongue to relate,

   Mystical hearing for every one!

   Nor wotteth man this, what a marvel it is,

   When seeing, and saying, and hearing are one!”

Here we have one of those evidences of how the change of one little letter, just one letter slipped in by a priest who was copying the manuscript, can change things so much. I left that letter out when I read it. This last line, the last two lines:

   “Nor wotteth man this, what a marvel it is,

   When seeing, and saying, and hearing are done!”

This is the way it is in the book. It is little things like that that have changed the Oriental philosophy from a philosophy of life to a philosophy of death. People say, “Well, they have the Great Masters over there somewhere. “Look at the living conditions and ask yourself where are the Great Masters! Oh, there are words of Holy Writ. They had a Bible just as surely as we did, but they ignored it just as surely as the people over here did. So, instead of saying, “What a marvel it is, when seeing, and saying, and hearing are done, leave the “d” off and you are right. Just one letter! And if you are awake, you recognize such things.

   “Wonderful, wistful, to contemplate!

   Difficult, doubtful, to speak upon!

   Strange and great for tongue to relate,

   Mystical hearing for every one!

   Nor wotteth man this, what a marvel it is,

   When seeing, and saying, and hearing are one!”

Now, do you have to die to reach that state when your seeing and your saying and your hearing are one?  One in what way?  One in purpose, one in function, perfectly integrated in relationship to the Divine Pattern of Being. So often people see that they ought to do this, but they do that. They are not integrated. But, when seeing and saying and hearing are one, if saying and doing, all one—the alignment of the individual, being with one accord in one place, one human being.

   “Wonderful, wistful, to contemplate!

   Difficult, doubtful, to speak upon!

   Strange and great for tongue to relate,

   Mystical hearing for every one!

   Nor wotteth man this, what a marvel it is,

   When seeing, and saying, and hearing are one!

   “This Life within all living things, my Prince!

   Hides beyond harm; scorn thou to suffer, then,

   For that which cannot suffer. Do thy part!

   Be mindful of thy name, and tremble not!

   Nought better can betide a martial soul

   Than lawful war.”

Now, remember this next point coming up. It is absolutely vital. Perhaps you have seen it in my function, a little anyway. But remember it.

   “Happy the warrior

   To whom comes joy of battle—comes, as now,

   Glorious and fair, unsought.”

We do not seek for a battle. We do all honorable things to negotiate and avoid a battle; but, are we afraid of a battle? What think you? No. No, we are not afraid of the battle and we are not going to back down from a battle. Oh, we may use a little strategy once in a while to fool or delude the enemy. You know, you do not have to be honest with the devil. That is one of the wonderful things. Be honest with God, but never try to be honest with the devil. Most people think that honesty is being honest with the devil, and their lives show it. They will be dishonest with God in order to be honest with the devil. Over and over again we see it. The people who come to you for help have functioned on that basis. So, do not try to be honest with the devil. It does not pay, it is not necessary, and you cannot be honest with the devil without being dishonest with God. And you cannot be honest with God without being dishonest with the devil. So, make your choice. And it is easy, so easy to make that choice. But now, remember:

   “Happy the warrior” [the server]

   “To whom comes joy of battle.”

Now battle needs to be seen in an all-enfolding sense here, but it meets the conflicts too, because we have to meet the conflicts in life.

   “Happy the warrior

   To whom comes joy of battle—comes, as now,

   Glorious and fair, unsought; opening for him

   A gateway unto Heav'n.”

Now the human mind has jumped to a conclusion: Heaven is far off up in the sky, so the warrior must die in battle to go to Heaven; and if a man dies in battle, he is sure of going to Heaven. Now, we see that misinterpretation of this statement, filled the Japanese viewpoint, for instance. In the so-called Second World War their warriors felt,  “Well, now, there might be a question about going to heaven, but if I die in battle I'll be sure to go to Heaven, so here's my chance,” and they had what they called the “suicide” pilots and suicide raids of various kinds. They just came on. They were not caring about winning the battle; they were going to Heaven. Now we see how human beings have misunderstood this text as surely as they have misunderstood this text, because Heaven is at hand:  Opening the gate­way into Heaven, or unto Heaven. It does not say into. “Unto,” unto, right here on earth. Opening the Divine Pattern of Being here on earth, the Kingdom of Heaven that is at hand—exactly the same thing.

   “Happy the warrior

   To whom comes joy of battle.”

Now, what is the joy of battle? Up to a certain point we have concern about individuals. We will do everything we can to avoid the battle as long as it is an honorable action, true to our purpose. But there comes a point where you cross a line, you cross a line, and the opposing forces have utterly refused, whatever they may be, to come into the Pattern of the Divine Design. Well, then, from there on you are the warrior—no longer the negotiator; the warrior. And, when the foe falls, you do not gloat over it but you are not sad about it. There is a joy of battle. We will be happy when that necessity passes. But, do not ever waste time being sad about those who go down in the battle of life! It is a sheer waste of time! It is a sheer waste of energy and opportunity! You cannot waste time being sad for those who go down in the battle without at the same time betraying your trust and failing God, and those whom you should be serving. Is that hard-hearted? Not at all. This, Blessed Ones, is the instruction offered to you. By whom? By the Lord of Hearts, the Lord of Love!

   “Happy the warrior

   To whom comes joy of battle—comes, as now,

   Glorious and fair.”

Be sure it is fair.

   “Unsought.”

Never seek a battle. We do our best to avoid it honorably.

   “Comes …

   Glorious and fair, unsought; opening for him

   A gateway unto Heav'n. But, if thou shunn'st

   This honourable field …

   If, knowing thy duty and thy task, thou bidd'st

   Duty and task go by—that shall be sin!”

And how true.

   “But, if thou shunn'st

   This honourable field …

   If, knowing thy duty and thy task, thou bidd'st

   Duty and task go by—that shall be sin!

   And those to come shall speak thee infamy

   From age to age; but infamy is worse

   For men of noble blood to bear than death!”

How true, is it not? For men or women of noble blood. And if we are not of noble blood we do not belong to the King's Court, in the Kingdom of Heaven at hand. Infamy!

   “And those to come shall speak thee infamy

   From age to age; but infamy is worse

   For men of noble blood to bear than death!

   The chiefs upon their battle-chariots

   Will deem ‘twas fear that drove thee from the fray.”

Did you ever notice that with respect to human beings? You may go so far negotiating, seeking to help them to clear the pattern, everything honorable that you can do; but if you back down because you say, “Well, I know a higher law,” or, “I understand this,” or, “I understand that. I'm just going to back down,” what will your adversary say? “‘Twas fear that drove thee from the fray.” Did you ever see an exception to that? I will say you did not, not once. They will say,  “‘Twas fear that drove thee from the fray, “and then is there any chance whatsoever that you can help that person? That person is on the wrong path. Suppose he survives the fray without actually physically dying, just defeated? He finds that his defeat is his victory. You found that out with me, have you not? You have to come to the point of defeat to know victory. And if I had withdrawn from the fray, what would you have said?  “Well, he's afraid or he does not know what he is doing,” or something of that sort. Then, could I have helped you ever? No. The opportunity would be gone. But suppose someone survives defeat? He finds therein, yielding to the Divine Plan, the sure Victory. And remember that. We do not seek a battle, but when it comes, glorious and fair, unsought, we recognize that there is a gateway to Heaven at hand, not to death but to the fulfilment of the Divine Plan; because when you win, if you are on God's side, the other person is losing but he is winning because he loses. And the moment he loses, do you step in and gloat over it and say, “Now, look where you are. I've got you down there in the dust at last”? No, no. You could have put the person in the dust a long time ago if you had wanted to, if it had been wise or proper. That is not our purpose. You do not go around knocking people down just because we can. That is a bully. But when we win in the battle, we do our best not to hurt any more than we have to, but we do not hesitate to hurt enough to make it get home, to make it real. And, the moment there is defeat, there is, from our standpoint, a sharing of Victory, because in God there is no defeat, and having lost in the conflict that person is no longer outside of God but shares the Victory with that which defeated him. Do you see that? It is a vital point. And unless your attitude is right in these things toward your Servers, you will not succeed. There are untold millions of earnest men and women seeking to serve on earth in various capacities who do not understand these things, and they defeat themselves—they defeat themselves.

   “But, if thou shunn'st

   This honourable field …

   If, knowing thy duty and thy task, thou bidd'st

   Duty and task go by—that shall be sin!

   And those to come shall speak thee infamy

   From age to age; but infamy is worse

   For men of noble blood to bear than death!

   The chiefs upon their battle-chariots

   Will deem ‘twas fear that drove thee from the fray.

   Of those who held thee mighty-souled the scorn

   Thou must abide, while all thine enemies

   Will scatter bitter speech of thee, to mock

   The valour which thou hadst; what fate could fall

   More grievously than this? Either—being killed —

   Thou wilt win Swarga's safety, or—alive

   And victor—thou wilt reign an earthly king.

   Therefore, arise, thou Son of Kunti! brace

   Thine arm for conflict, nerve thy heart to meet —

   All things alike to thee—pleasure or pain,

   Profit or ruin, victory or defeat:

   So minded, gird thee to the fight, for so

   Thou shalt not sin!”

Well, I will read just a little more here.

   “Thus far I speak to thee … unspiritually —”

That is, from the outer realm of form.

   “Hear now the deeper teaching …

   Which holding, understanding, thou shalt burst

   … the bondage of wrought deeds.

   Here shall no end be hindered, no hope marred,

   No loss be feared: faith—yea, a little faith —

   Shall save thee from the anguish of thy dread.”

“Faith—yea, a little faith — Shall save thee from the anguish of thy dread.”

   “Here, Glory of the Kurus! shines one rule.”

One Law, we say, one steadfast Law.

   “While shifting souls have laws many and hard.

   Specious, but wrongful deem

   The speech of those ill-taught ones who extol

   The letter of their Vedas.”

That is, their Bibles.

   “Saying, ‘This

   Is all we have, or need.”

“Specious, wrongful deem the speech of those ill-taught ones who extol the letter of their Vedas, saying, ‘This is all we have, or need.’”

   “Being weak at heart

   With wants, seekers of Heaven: which comes—they say —

   As ‘fruit of good deeds done;’ promising men

   Much profit in new life for works of faith;

   In various rites abounding; following whereon

   Large merit shall accrue towards wealth and power;

   Albeit, who wealth and power do most desire

   Least fixity of soul have such.”

Now, the bait that has been used by virtually all of the philosophies that have been extended to human beings has been something of wealth and power. You can get an automobile, you can get a house, you can have money in the bank, you can have this, you can have that, you can have the other thing. The honey, the sticky stuff, that snares the fly. But here we read—and it is, oh, so true!

   “Albeit, who wealth and power do most desire

   Least fixity of soul have such, least hold

   On heavenly meditation. Much these teach,

   From Veds, concerning the ‘three qualities;’

   But thou, be free of the ‘three qualities,’

   Free of the ‘pairs of opposites,’ and free

   From that sad righteousness which calculates.”

There is one that drives home. “But thou, be free of the ‘three qualities,’ free of the ‘pairs of opposites,’ and free from that sad righteousness which calculates.”

   “Self-ruled,” Shekinah-ruled,

   “Arjuna! simple, satisfied!

   Look! like as when a tank pours water forth

   To suit all needs, so do these Brahmans draw

   Text for all wants from tank of Holy Writ.”

And it is not limited to the Brahmans, is it? “Look! like as when a tank pours water forth to suit all needs,” so do these teachers and preachers, etc., “draw text for all wants from tank of Holy Writ.

   “But thou, want not! ask not! Find full reward

   Of doing right in right! Let right deeds be

   Thy motive, not the fruit which comes from them.”

Now there, is an important point. “Let right deeds be thy motive, not the fruit which comes from them.”

   “And live in action! Work! Make thine acts

   Thy piety, casting all self aside,

   Contemning gain and merit; equable

   In good or evil …

   Yet, the right act

   Is less, far less, than the right-thinking mind.

   Seek refuge in Shekinah; have there thy heaven!

   Scorn them that follow virtue for her gifts!”

There is one that strikes home. “Scorn them that follow virtue for her gifts.”

   “The mind of pure devotion—even here —

   Casts equally aside good deeds and bad,

   Passing above them. Unto pure devotion Devote thyself:

   … When thy firm soul

   Hath shaken off those tangled oracles

   Which ignorantly guide, then shall it soar

   To high neglect of what's denied or said,

   This way or that … in doctrinal writ.”

There is one that should be inside of you always, and remember it. “When thy firm soul hath shaken off those tangled oracles which ignorantly guide, then shall it soar to high neglect of what's denied or said, this way or that way, in doctrinal writ.” There is one to remember, that your soul may be firm:

   “Troubled no longer by the priestly lore,

   Safe shall you live, and sure; steadfastly bent

   On meditation.”

That is centering in Reality.

© emissaries of divine light