Chapter 5 - The Bhagavad-Gita for Children

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10.0pt"> CHAPTER

5 THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION

5.5in 6.0in"> Jai: Previously, you mentioned two paths. Which path is

better for most people, Grandma, the path of spiritual knowledge

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> or the path of selfless service?

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> Grandma: A person who has the true

knowledge of God believes that all work is done by the energy of Mother Nature

and he or she is not the real doer of an action. Such a person is called a

Samny|si or renunciant and has

Self-knowledge. A KarmaYogi works without a selfish motive for the fruits of

work. Selfless service or KarmaYog forms the basis of renunciation (Samny|sa).

Self-knowledge leads to renunciation. KarmaYog prepares one to

automatically receive the knowledge of God (Gita 4.38, 5.06), So both paths

finally lead to God. Lord

10.0pt">Krishna considers KarmaYog the better of the two paths because it is

faster and easier for most people to follow. (Gita 5.02) Jai: Doesn’t

the word renunciation usually mean leaving worldly possessions and living in an

Ashram

or in a lonely place? Grandma: The word ‘Samny|sa’ in the strict

sense

means renouncing (or giving up) all personal motives, worldly possessions and

objects. But it also means living in society and serving society by doing one’s

duty without a personal motive. Such a person is called Karma-Samny|si.

1"> Some spiritual leaders, such as Adi Sankar|ch|rya, consider the

path of renouncing all worldly possessions as the highest path and the goal of

life. He himself became a Samny|

11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">si when he was

a young boy. Lord Krishna says: An enlightened Samny|si sees the

Lord in all. Such a person looks at a learned, an illiterate, the rich, the

poor, an outcast, even a cow, an elephant, or a dog with an equal eye. (Gita

5.18) I am going to tell you the story of a great spiritual leader, hero,

guru, Samny

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">|si and thinker. His name is Adi Sankar|ch|rya. A

student of the Gita owes him great respect and obeisance.

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5.5in 6.0in" align="center">5. Adi Sankaracharya Adi Sankaracharya (or

Sankara) is the author and promoter of non-dualistic philosophy of Vedanta. It

states that entire universe is nothing but God. He was born in the

state of Kerala in the year 788 A.D. By the age of eight, he learned all four

Vedas, and by the age of twelve, was well versed in all Hindu scriptures. He is

believed to be Lord Shiva in human form.

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5.5in 6.0in"> He wrote many books, including a commentary on the

Bhagavad-Gita, Upanishads, BrahmSutra and many others. The holy Bhagavad-Gita

was hidden in Mahabharata as a chapter before Sankara brought it out to us.

Sankara took the Gita from Maha

'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">bharata, gave it chapter

headings, and wrote the first commentary of the Gita in Sanskrit. The first

English translation of the Gita was done by a British ruler in 19th century.

Sankara established four main monasteries in different corners of

India: at Shringeri, Badrinath, Dwarka, and Puri. He stopped the spread of

Buddhism on Hindu ideals and restored Hinduism to its past glory. According to

his non-dual philosophy, the individual soul (Jeeva) is Brahma (God), and the

world is the play of Maya, the illusory energy of Brahma. He certainly was a

Self-realized man. But at first, he had the feeling of duality, of high and low

class. His faith in the absolute God (Brahma) was not very firmly established in

his heart.

1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in">One day he

was going to the Shiva temple in the holy city of Banaras after bathing in the

holy Ganga river. He saw an untouchable, a butcher, carrying a load of meat.

The

butcher came on his way and tried to touch his feet in respect. Sankara shouted

angrily: “Get out of the way! How dare you tou

10.0pt">ch me? Now I have to take a bath again.” “Holy sir,” said the butcher,

“I have not touched you, nor have you

touched me. The pure Self cannot be the body or the five elements (see Chapter

13 for details) out of which the body is created.” Then Sankara saw the vision

of Lord Shiva in the but

New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">cher. Lord Shiva had Himself come to

Sankara to firmly implant the non-dualistic philosophy in him. Sankara was a

much better person from that day by the grace of Lord Shiva. This

story illustrates that equality with all beings is difficult to

practice all the time. To have such a feeling is the mark of a truly

God-realized person or a perfect Samnyasi. Chapter 5

summary: Lord Krishna considers the path of Selfless service (Seva) to humanity

without attachment to its results as the best path for most people. Both paths,

the path of Self-knowledge and the path of Seva, lead to a happy life here on

the earth and

Nirvana after death. Samnyasa does not mean leaving worldly possessions. It

means not being attached to them. An enlightened person sees the Lord in all

beings and treats everybody equally.

1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in"> "Gurur

Brahma Gurur VishnuGurur Devoh Maheshwar;Gurur Shakshat ParambramhaTashmai Shri

Gurur Veh Namah"May the Merciful Sri Sai Baba always shower His grace on us and

our families and remove our problems and anxieties by giving us all - strength

, goodluck, success and happiness with peace of mind.Sai bhakt,Deepa

Hdebu7366