Krishna's Counsel: Lessons from the Gita

In this passage, the focus is on Krishna’s gentle rebuke of Arjuna’s despondency at the start of Chapter 2, reminding him that despair leads neither to heaven nor respect on earth. The speaker explains that leaving the spiritual path brings inner torment—once one has tasted divine peace, worldly pleasures cannot satisfy, and life becomes a kind of hell. True sin lies not in mistakes but in self-condemnation. Instead of calling oneself a sinner, one should acknowledge errors as God’s play, opening the heart to His grace. The key is to act while remembering that God is the real doer, allowing life to flow under His guidance. The speaker shares personal experiences with Yogananda, including struggles with self-effort and the realization that divine help and a Guru’s guidance are essential for transformation. Ultimately, despair must be replaced with faith, surrender, and trust in God’s purifying presence.

Chapter 1, Stanza 6

We have enormous power but may waste it. For mental clarity, health in body and mind, as the Bhagavad Gita recommends, learn to control the life force and sexual impulse. Swami says that just as the Native Americans have rites of passage for their young, all young people would best be taught the importance of using the life force wisely once they reach adulthood. Young people can learn the dignity of becoming adults and about the responsibility they have to their bodies and to society to be clear channels of physical and spiritual power.

Sex and sense enjoyment are not bad or wrong, yet we do pay a price. The choice is ours. This talk offers a deep and generally unknown teaching about the nature of human life-force and why one might choose to conserve it. In yogic tradition, it is well known that the power lost during sexual emission is the very life-force that sustains us physically, mentally, and spiritually. Celibacy leads to greater mental power.

The depletion of life-force through overindulgence in sex (and lack of self-control in general) has a cumulative negative effect on one's mental clarity and overall health. Many sincere seekers have found that overindulgence in any sense pleasure actually dims their awareness or strengthens the feeling of being separate from God or one's Highest-Self.

In this passage, the speaker reflects on Bhagavad Gita 2:3, where Krishna urges Arjuna to reject weakness and rise with courage. “Unmanliness” here is not about gender but about imbalance—over-reliance on reason without feeling, or emotion without wisdom. True strength lies in being a whole human, combining will and devotion. Love, whether for truth, wisdom, or God, gives the courage to face trials. The speaker explains that Arjuna’s reluctance to fight symbolically represents our own resistance to overcoming ingrained tendencies and self-definitions—such as pride, ego, or past habits—that seem too revered or integral to destroy. Yet spiritual growth requires transcending these self-definitions to discover our true nature beyond individuality. Personal anecdotes highlight how natural tendencies arise from past lives, shaping us but not defining our essence. The path demands courage born of love to let go of illusions of self-importance and embrace the infinite reality of the soul.

This passage marks the transition from Bhagavad Gita’s first to second chapter, where Arjuna, lost in self-pity and grief, sets the stage for Krishna’s guidance. The speaker relates personally, recalling a period of intense inner struggle while serving his Guru. Though longing for peace and God, he simultaneously feared them, feeling torn between spiritual aspiration and subconscious resistance. This confusion, like Arjuna’s turmoil, led to deep suffering and self-pity. The speaker emphasizes that doubts cannot be resolved by reason alone, as satisfying one only gives rise to more. Instead, the way forward lies in love and faith. Overcoming doubts strengthens the soul, just as a bone becomes stronger after healing from a break. Though plagued by inner conflict at the time, his trials eventually forged unshakable faith. The key message: love—whether for Guru, God, or others—dissolves doubt and leads the soul out of confusion into spiritual strength.

Swami Kriyananda, reflecting on Krishna’s words in the Bhagavad Gita, emphasizes the importance of living fully in the present. Past and future are hidden from our perception, yet they influence us—past actions shape current circumstances, and present choices create future outcomes. Dwelling on regrets or anxieties only burdens the mind and weakens effectiveness. Concentration, he explains, is the key to success, and it flourishes when we release grief and focus on the moment at hand. True success is not measured by wealth or worldly gain, but by actions that bring happiness, expand consciousness, and deepen compassion. He warns that defining success through selfish aims leads to emptiness, while giving and self-expansion lead to fulfillment. Whether in business, relationships, or spiritual life, right action is guided by clarity, calmness, and presence. By centering in the here and now, we can fight the inner battle against lower tendencies and cultivate lasting peace and joy.

Swami Kriyananda, reflecting on Krishna’s counsel to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, explains that the true battle is against one’s lower self, though outer battles for righteousness may also be necessary. He recounts standing up for his beliefs despite personal hurt, emphasizing loyalty to truth over institutions. Truth, he says, is an experience, not merely a belief, and God meets each soul at its own level of understanding. Quoting the Gita’s verse on how people behold the soul with wonder, he describes varied spiritual experiences—visions of light, deep wisdom, and the blissful sound of OM heard in meditation—which serve as guiding beacons for right action. Without such experiences, most people remain absorbed in worldly desires and reactions, lacking direction. Kriyananda urges using personal life experiences to discern what uplifts versus what degrades, noting that joy, expansion of consciousness, and selflessness are reliable signs of the higher path. True guidance comes from living and knowing these truths directly.

Swami Kriyananda, reflecting on Bhagavad Gita verse 31, emphasizes the importance of unwavering commitment to one’s dharma, or rightful duty. Once the right course is recognized—whether in spiritual practice or breaking a harmful habit—hesitation and half-measures only weaken resolve. He warns against “playing with delusion,” noting that old subconscious tendencies can easily resurface if given even a small opening. Using examples from the Mahabharata, personal anecdotes, and spiritual counsel from Yogananda, he stresses that past weaknesses, like addiction, must be decisively cut off, not gradually reduced. True safety lies in vigilance until full realization of one’s divine nature is attained. Overconfidence in one’s spiritual strength can invite downfall, as temptations often hide in the subconscious. Just as a farmer must plow forward without looking back, the seeker must commit completely, avoiding divided energy or nostalgia for past attachments. Determination, clarity of purpose, and immediate, total action are essential for spiritual victory.

Chapter 2, Stanza 31

Chapter 1, Stanza 5

In this discourse, Swami Kriyananda reflects on stanza five of the Bhagavad Gita’s first chapter, explaining that each warrior mentioned represents a spiritual quality essential for inner growth. “Kashiraja” symbolizes upward-flowing discrimination, the ability to choose what raises one's energy toward higher consciousness. This discernment is vital in spiritual life, guiding choices that align with upliftment rather than indulgence.

Kriyananda emphasizes energy awareness, drawing from yogic teachings and Patanjali’s Eightfold Path, highlighting stages such as asana (still posture), pranayama (energy control), and pratyahara (withdrawal of the mind from the senses). He stresses that breath and energy are closely connected, and true inner transformation happens as energy is withdrawn and directed upward. Qualities like “Purujit” (internalization of the mind), “Kuntibhoja” (steadiness in posture), and “Shaibya” (adherence to virtue) are key forces in overcoming delusion. Ultimately, contentment and inward focus lead the soul toward liberation and divine realization.

In Bhagavad Gita verses 38–39, Arjuna hesitates to fight after realizing the war would destroy his own family, eroding traditions and leading to moral decay. The speaker explains this as symbolic of a seeker’s struggle to relinquish attachments to identity, societal roles, and family approval in pursuit of spiritual truth. True progress requires readiness to sacrifice everything, even relationships, for the higher goal. Arjuna’s concern also reflects the loss of inner “family” — personal qualities and self-definitions — which can feel like losing oneself. The discourse expands to stress women’s essential role in preserving societal and spiritual integrity, warning that disrespect toward women weakens civilization. Men’s outward energy and women’s inward focus are complementary, and both reason and feeling are vital for balance. Societies thrive when these qualities coexist equally; neglecting either leads to disharmony. Arjuna’s dilemma ultimately mirrors the universal challenge of transcending ego-based definitions to realize spiritual unity.