Krishna's Counsel: Lessons from the Gita

Swami Kriyananda explains Krishna’s teaching in Bhagavad Gita 2:11, where the wise grieve neither for the living nor the dead, as the soul is eternal. The spiritual path requires slaying delusion and lower tendencies—not destroying the self, but redirecting energy toward God. Even in worldly battles, just action taken with the right attitude carries no bad karma; harm arises only from wrongful intent. Using examples like resisting communism, Kriyananda notes that fighting evil can be a spiritual duty. Death does not end life—the soul continues until all desires, even small ones, are transcended. In divine ecstasy, all selfish desires are dissolved and qualities are transformed into their higher expressions. Life and death are both expressions of God, to be accepted with joy. By living selflessly and uplifting others, one prepares for liberation into God or higher realms, ultimately realizing that the soul’s true home is not this world, but the divine.

Swami Kriyananda, commenting on Bhagavad Gita 2:17, explains that the eternal Spirit, God’s unchangeable consciousness, pervades all creation and is imperishable. God created the universe from His own bliss, for it is the nature of bliss to express and expand itself. Creation follows cycles—manifestation and dissolution—reflecting God’s desire to enjoy Himself through many forms. While suffering exists, ultimate joy lies in the soul’s destined reunion with God. Like a good story, life’s challenges make the ending more fulfilling. All saints, regardless of tradition, affirm that realization of God is worth every trial. Though some saints, bound by their religious context, do not openly teach truths like reincarnation or yoga, they inwardly know them. Spiritual truth transcends dogma and is the same in every faith. Kriyananda urges seekers to look beyond opinions and doctrines, following what resonates deeply within, for the soul’s true fulfillment lies in oneness with the eternal, ever-blissful Spirit.

Swami Kriyananda, reflecting on Bhagavad Gita 2:22, explains that the soul discards the body like worn-out clothing, taking on a new one when needed. True innocence comes in two forms: ignorance and wisdom, with the latter arising from transcending worldly illusions. The wise remain childlike at heart, free from self-importance. Aging or life stages should not define identity; one must avoid becoming a “psychological antique.” All responsibilities—family, business, or duty—should be seen as God’s, acting without attachment to results (nishkama karma). Mistakes are part of learning, and one should never equate them with personal worth. Conscience, not public opinion, should guide actions. Kriyananda warns against overreliance on government promises and excessive money printing, predicting economic hardship. Regardless of circumstances, remember life is a temporary dream; be a good “guest” in the world, contribute positively, and keep your awareness anchored in the infinite, your true and eternal home in God.

Swami Kriyananda, reflecting on Bhagavad Gita 2:24, explains that the soul is immutable, eternal, and untouched by time or space—both of which are illusions. He shares teachings from his guru and spiritual anecdotes to illustrate that reality exists only in the eternal present. Perspective and distance are mental constructs; truth is “center everywhere, circumference nowhere.” Science cannot reveal this level of understanding, but yoga and devotion can. Kriyananda recounts an encounter with the ancient Book of Bhrigu, which accurately described his life centuries in advance, illustrating that time does not exist for higher consciousness. Through countless past lives, humans seek fulfillment until they realize their true goal is God. Just as the past is a dream, so is the future; both veil the reality that we are already one with God. Spiritual progress is simply removing layers of delusion and living in the eternal now, where divine truth and freedom are found.

The soul is never touched. Time and space are just delusions and do not really exist. God and Truth is Center everywhere, circumference nowhere. Reality is that one essential point of who you are. You understand things in terms of your own self, your own essence. Everything is happening right around you - different waves on the eternal ocean. Look forward to that day (although we are there already, Swami says) living and being in the Eternal Now. It is our own habits, inclinations, and ignorance that are barriers to true sight.

Swami Kriyananda, commenting on Bhagavad Gita 2:59–61, explains that merely abstaining from sense pleasures doesn’t remove their hold—the “taste” lingers until one experiences the Supreme Spirit, after which nothing but the Infinite satisfies. Even wise, self-controlled individuals can be swept away by latent desires (sanskaras) if senses remain untamed. True mastery requires withdrawing energy from the senses, as yoga teaches, and anchoring the heart in deep devotion, which makes lesser attractions powerless.

He shares Yogananda’s insights that even saints can fall until they realize their oneness with God beyond ego identity. There are two samadhis: sabikalpa (still ego-aware) and nirbikalpa (ego dissolved). Only in the latter is liberation secure. Yet no sincere spiritual effort is ever lost—God ensures progress across lifetimes. Once the desire for God awakens, it relentlessly draws the soul back to Him, making all else unsatisfying. In the end, every seeker must return to the Infinite for lasting freedom.

This talk reflects on the first chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, where Arjuna hesitates to fight his own kinsmen—symbolizing our inner struggle against harmful tendencies that feel like part of ourselves. The speaker explains how the mind invents endless rationalizations to cling to delusions, excusing greed, anger, pride, or judgment by comparing faults or blaming others. True wisdom lies in recognizing these flaws within ourselves rather than condemning others. Even goodness is not ours, but God’s presence shining through once egoic “sheaths” are removed. The Gita describes the three gunas: tamas (ignorance and attachment to bodily pleasures), rajas (restless activity), and sattva (clarity with traces of ego). Spiritual growth requires transcending these qualities and overcoming habit, which resists change by insisting “this is who I am.” Real sincerity means being true to the higher self, not enslaved to lower desires. The message: rise above delusion, and remember God as the doer.

In this talk on Bhagavad Gita 2:55–57, the speaker explains that one established in wisdom is free from desire, unshaken by sorrow, and unmoved by pleasure. Such steadiness is not a final achievement only for saints but a state we can affirm at every stage of life. He outlines Patanjali’s eightfold path—not as a rigid system, but as progressive stages: moral discipline (yama, niyama), stillness of body (asana), control of energy (pranayama), interiorization (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and finally samadhi, where ego dissolves into oneness with God. Yet each stage must be affirmed inwardly even as one practices externally—for example, renouncing harmfulness not out of repression, but from feeling oneness with all. The greatest obstacle is ego, which cannot eliminate itself, making attunement with a true Guru essential. Freedom grows through detachment—mentally burning desires nightly, training the mind to accept even life’s worst possibilities, and sharing every experience with God. In detachment, life becomes richer, pain loses its sting, and even challenges transform into divine play.

In this reflection on Bhagavad Gita 2:71, true peace is described as arising when one surrenders all desires, becomes content in desirelessness, and transcends the ego. To the worldly mind, individuality seems absolute, but the wise recognize all beings as expressions of one Self. Hurting others is hurting oneself; blessing others is blessing oneself. Enlightenment is thus a “remembering” of our divine nature, not acquiring something new. Ego is likened to flames on a stove, appearing separate but sustained by one underlying source. Compassion, then, is not about absorbing others’ suffering but helping them from the strength of inner bliss—like saving a drowning person from the shore. Saints radiate joy that uplifts others without words, drawing people naturally. Unlike self-involved analysis, divine bliss dissolves subconscious burdens, revealing oneness with all creation. Anchored in that joy, nothing can harm you, for bliss itself becomes the unshakable weapon against delusion.

Swami Kriyananda, reflecting on Bhagavad Gita 1:17, explains that the unchangeable Spirit is not only pervading all things—it is all things. God is the underlying reality, hidden behind appearances, much like smoke hides fire. Our personal realities often differ from cosmic reality, and suffering arises when our thoughts are misaligned with truth. Happiness and unhappiness are both transient states, but happiness is a closer reflection of divine bliss. Real change comes from raising our consciousness, which dissolves mental “sheaths” of ego, attachment, and negativity. A higher state of mind brings clarity, empathy, and the ability to see others’ realities. Flexibility of thought—whether in adapting to cultures, learning languages, or embracing new perspectives—expands our awareness. True mastery lies in shedding the sense of separateness and tuning into the universal Spirit. By cultivating openness and higher consciousness, we align with our true nature and experience life with deeper understanding and joy.