In May of this year the Krotona Institute of Theosophy located here in Ojai hosted a three day presentation on the “Essence” of the Bhagavad Gita. It was advertised in the Ojai Valley News for the public to attend and that got my attention so I went.
Each of the three seminars consisted of two sessions lasting about 80 minutes long with a 20 minute break in the middle. The person leading the group was Pedro Olivira, the educational coordinator for the Theosophical Society in Australia. On day one Pedro spent the first 80 minutes lecturing about how important it was to approach the Gita in a very serious mood. He pleaded with his audience to be open to allowing the Gita to reveal to us things we would otherwise have no awareness of. He stressed the importance of getting one’s own ego out of the way in order to grasp the subtle message of… “The Divine!”
It was clear that Mr Olivira was quite comfortable in front of an audience and had an academic understanding of the Gita, but it was equally evident that he had no appreciation for the devotional mood necessary to properly grasp the intimate message Krishna shared with Arjuna.
Pedro knew many of the antidotel stories that most devotees are quite familiar with. For example he illustrated the different approaches to truth by using the analogy of how three different blind men describe an elephant based on which part of it they touched. To establish an equipoise credibility with his Theosophical audience he integrated Vedic parables with impersonal koans popularized by the non-dual Buddhist monks and frequently quoted the Arabic prophet/prankster Nasreddin. (Assuming everyone knew who he was and appreciated his clever pedantic muses.)
Mr. Olivira explained that he would only focus on the most essential key verses found in Chapter 4 of the Gita called “Transcendental Knowledge.” Fair enough I thought. Better to go deeply into this important chapter than get lost in lofty esoteric tombs like the ones Helena Blavanski left behind in the form of the two volume “Secret Doctrines.” (She founded the Theosophical Society in the late 1800’s)
For the most part I must credit Mr. Olivira for keeping the attention of the audience and not actually saying anything terribly wrong. However, he did confuse many small points that nobody but a devotee would notice. For example he failed to remember that it was Arjuna who HUMBLY sat at Lord Krishna’s feet and it was Duryodhana who proudly chose to sit right next to his head when they were both awaiting for him to awaken while vying for His blessings. It is this lack of attention to devotional details that characterize the Neo-Advaita speakers which it was evident Pedro was. They are very good at appearing knowledgeable and well informed to those not properly educated in the “Science of the Soul.” It is only by the mercy of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta that His disciples have had the opportunity to understand the difference between sentimental new-age fluff from philosophically sound spiritual wisdom.
Those trained with that type of discretion would notice how despite how pleasant Mr. Olivira was, he completely missed the most essential hidden points that Krishna revealed to Arjuna in the Gita.
This was particularly obvious because Pedro would occasionally mention Krishna’s name as one of the characters in the Gita, but for the most part His role as the Supreme Personality of Godhead was obfuscated by the more casual, oblique, impersonal, references like “The Divine,” or “The Supreme Intelligence.” The way Mr. Oliviras jumped over key verses in Chapter 4 of the Gita revealed how he failed to follow his own admonition to “Go Deeply” into its real message!
For example in chapter 4 Krishna explains what the proper method is for understanding the Gita. In text 4.34 He clearly states that to grasp the Gita one must seek out a teacher who has adopted the Gita’s instructions into his daily life. After finding such a person the student should humbly inquire from that rare soul if they will accept them as their student. If so, then the aspiring student agrees to attentively serve and study under the tutelage of his guru.
“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.” – Bhagavad Gita As It Is Chapter 4, “Transcendental Knowledge”, Text 34.
It is obvious why Pedro didn’t want to focus on this verse because any attentive student might then ask the unthinkable: “Pedro; Who did you surrender to and receive your knowledge of Gita from?”
He claims to have different feeling tadalafil uk and experience in repairing an air conditioner, it is better to have the jelly before this span prior sexual activity. Come, be our guest, and return to your native place in total health and wellbeing. purchase cheap cialis review Provigro is medicinal order levitra downtownsault.org supplement designed for the cure of such disease. This is very helpful to stimulate tadalafil free erection. Helena Blavanski started the Theosophical society and she is often characterized as the Grandmother of the New-Age thinking. That shows up in how willing the Theosophists are to accept just about anything that resembles spirituality regardless of what its origins are. Theosophists practice no discretion in this regard. They hardly understand how the three modes of nature impact the conditioned soul. What is relevant here is that despite all the bravado about going deeply into the message of the Gita, nobody from that organization has demonstrated any understanding of the “Deeper” personal message Krishna shares with Arjuna summarized by Krishna Himself!
“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” – Bhagavad Gita As It Is Chapter 4, “Contents of the Gita Summarized”, Text 18.66.
Pedro gave the Gita presentation in a library reference room used by the residents at the Theosophical society. It was filled with all sorts of esoteric writings from Christian mystics, Sufi Saints and Buddhist Rimpoches as well as commentaries from other less prominent traditions. This is clear evidence that the Theosophisis are promoting the yata mata tata patha philosophy that suggests everyone is entitled to interpret scriptures however they like with all interpretations accepted as equally valid, but this is a ridiculous proposition. Some of those books may tangentially acknowledge the existence of Krishna, but none of them provide the illuminating knowledge of Krishna’s transcendental appearance and activities which is the whole purpose of the Gita. This is the most essential point that Pedro Oliviras demonstrated that he was chronically uninformed about.
It appears that the closest thing Pedro has as a guru is Helena Blavanskis because he was reading from her translation of the Gita. Yet she also failed miserably to understand that the whole purpose of life was to restore one’s lost relationship with Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead not some esoteric concept she brewed up in her mind about higher truths etc. Those who habitually reduce the Supreme Personality of Godhead to some vague type of divine, vibrating, impersonal, ubiquitous energy confirms that they have completely missed the point of why Krishna spoke to Arjuna. That aspect of Godhead is known as the Brahman, and is also Krishna’s energy, but it is His inferior energy. Those who have tasted Krishna’s superior energy (personal aspects) have little interest in dwelling on His inferior energy.
The Theosophists have no knowledge about Krishna’s superior energy so it is of no surprise that their educational coordinator would avoid all the verses that point to Krishna’s personal aspects. Consequently when he deliberately jumped over texts 6-9 he deprived his audience from considering the DEEP message found in those verses, the very thing he implored his audience NOT to do!
“Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all living entities, by My internal energy I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.6 Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion — at that time I descend Myself.7 To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium8. – Bhagavad Gita As It Is Chapter 4, “Transcendental Knowledge”, Text 6-8.
Intentionally omitting these verses is very embarrassing for a person who was promoted as an authority on the Gita. Yet the real DEPTH of what Pedro avoided becomes even more egregious when he leaped right over what some could argue is the most important verse in the Gita, the pivotal reason for why Krishna spoke the Bhagavad Gita:
“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” – Bhagavad Gita As It Is Chapter 4, “Transcendental Knowledge”, Text 9.
We don’t need libraries of books by people speculating about what the highest truth is or who God is. The Vedas provide very clear and reliable information about these important topics, and for thousands of years the greatest pundits, sages and acharyas from India have concurred that the message of the Vedas are nicely summarized in the Gita. However, what good can come from a study of this extraordinary scripture when the most important parts of the Gita are avoided or misinterpreted by poorly informed educational coordinators?
Those who are interested in a the proper understanding of why Krishna spoke the Bhagavad Gita are invited to join us in this wonderful Janmastami festival where everyone will have the opportunity to hear about Krishna’s superior energy, the Personality of Godhead. It is that knowledge about His superior energy where real transformation of the conditioned soul takes place. That is indeed the nectar for which the soul is hankering for. To not offer it to those aspiring to better their relationship with God is a terrible disservice.
I hope all of you who are in this area will join us at this year’s Krishna Janmashtami; It will be a feast for the eyes, ears, tongue, and soul. We will not to jump over, omit or avoid anything Krishna has given and you can expect that we will be discussing Krishna’s Superior Energy quite thoroughly!