The Guide Within-Hindu Article

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The guide within

 

 

CHENNAI, SEPT. 20. Man is governed by his surface tensions which

determine his actions. A `mad' person often gets deluged by such

emotional turbulence, but sometimes even the sane get influenced by

them. Only by consciously moving away from instinctive behavioural

patterns could a person experience the full force of his inner

consciousness, and align his mind, body and life as an integrated

whole. In His infinite benignity the Supreme has made available holy

texts helping a seeker gain true insights and experience God. The

Omniscient manifested as a cowherd, far away (not attainable to some)

and delivered the Bhagavad Gita so that human beings could comprehend

and attain salvation; for what is one if not an enemy of the Lord if

one lacks true wisdom?

 

In his discourse, Sri R. Narasimhachari said that assimilation of

knowledge through reading scriptures (sastras) is very difficult for

most people since the mind is given to wandering on many wavelengths.

The Gita leads a seeker steeped in the ocean of ignorance to the

realisation of God even when performing his duties. The guidelines

stated with regard to the meaning and import of existence, the

perennial values and moral firmament leading up to intuitive

knowledge form the basis for amalgam of spirit and mind. Many

questions then arise. Scholars point out that what is not prevalent

in common practice will not be stipulated in the sastras

(instructions) and vice versa. An aspirant may also wonder as the

number of commentaries available to pursue. These commentaries on the

Gita available to us are all a result of avowal of the writers, men

steeped in higher knowledge, particular brand of traditions which may

repudiate those of others. Thus there are three requisites for

producing anything in this world. Just as how the pot comes from the

mud, knowing which everything of mud is known, likewise the Supreme

evolves in this world, as He states in the Gita, ``Though unborn and

immortal and also the Lord of all beings, I manifest myself through

my own divine potency... whenever there is decline of

righteousness.'' God as the supporting, controlling principle of the

soul is the inner guide, the in-dweller (antaryami). Often He who is

present in the inner layers of a soul is unrecognised, since the

requisite knowledge is yet to fructify. Till such a state is reached

a seeker would do well to do his duty without attachment, or expect

returns, but move in the ways delineated by God.

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