“The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.” (Bhagavad-gita, 2.11)

Download as podcast episode (right click and save)

श्री भगवानुवाच
अशोच्यनन्वशोचस्त्वं प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे
गतासूनगतासूंश्च नानुशोचन्ति पण्डिताः

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ
prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase
gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca
nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ

1. At school

“It was the worst. Every single day. I had to just sit there and take it. The teachers did nothing. They pretended like it wasn’t happening. I think I am scarred from the experience. I am hesitant to talk to anyone now or to try to make new friends. I am afraid that they will eventually descend into the same kind of bullying, which I do not want.”

2. At the office

“It was the worst. They realigned the teams, shuffling the deck, so to speak. I ended up in a room with some of the cruelest people. They must not have had much to do. They spent the whole time making fun of me. I just wanted to complete my assignments. I wanted to pass the eight hours in peace. That never happened.”

3. At the town square

“I merely raised objections to the latest policy. I pointed out the corruption of the officials. I shared with others what I was seeing, in results that contradicted the narrative. Next thing you know, I was made ‘internet famous.’ They posted my picture everywhere, attaching lies and smears to my name. No matter how much I try to tell the truth, no one believes me. What a terrible world!”

4. In the home

“It is really ridiculous. They say the empty can rattles the most. The person who does nothing but scroll through their tablet all day is the first to interfere in the happiness of others. They yell and scream for no reason. There is no support. There is no appreciation. They are like terrorists and I am the hostage. That is how it feels in this relationship. I would give any amount of money to escape.”

5. Over the inherited property and jurisdiction

“Umm, what is going on here? The law is clear. We are supposed to split everything evenly. That is how inheritance works. Why are these people squatting on the property, then? Why are they threatening to take me to court? Why are they so petty? We are supposed to be family. We grew up together. I swear, I wish I never met these people.”

…

The material world is a place of duality, after all. What is good for one person is bad for another. The farmer kneels down in appreciation, thanking the heavens for sending torrents of rain. It was a matter of a few days. That is all the field could survive, without the entire harvest being spoiled. Just in time, the skies opened up and provided the necessary nourishment. This falling of water is such a fixture of nature, necessary for the continuation of life, that Goswami Tulsidas references it to describe the potency of chanting the holy name of Rama.

बरषा रितु रघुपति भगति तुलसी सालि सुदास
रामनाम बर बरन जुग सावन भादव मास

baraṣā ritu raghupati bhagati tulasī sāli sudāsa
rāmanāma bara barana juga sāvana bhādava māsa

“Devotion to Shri Rama is like the rainy season, the wonderful devotees the paddy fields, and the two syllables in Rama’s name the months of Sawan and Bhadon [rainy season], says Tulsi.” (Dohavali, 25)

Meanwhile, the same event, of a heavy rainfall, is devastating to someone who had an outdoor event planned. They have to postpone the proceedings. The commuter is stuck in traffic on the roadways. Another person is taking a side road and they come upon a flooded area. They have to decide whether to take the risk, of driving through and potentially getting stuck. The same rain that is blessed to the field is a danger to the traveler.

Therefore, it is not surprising that while some may hold the greatest affection for the words of wisdom provided in Bhagavad-gita, others take great offense. In one section, Shri Krishna, who is the teacher in that impromptu instructional session, describes how the wise person does not lament for the dead. Their intelligence stretches to the other endpoint in this particular pair of duality. The wise also do not lament for the living. Arjuna, who is the student in that case, should take notice. Arjuna should act based off wisdom. He should understand that worrying about life or death is silly. The superior approach is to continue forward, in carrying out prescribed duties, dharma.

A common objection to this teaching is as follows:

“How could Krishna be so cruel? We shouldn’t lament people who are dying? Are you crazy? I see someone in pain. That is how most people leave this world. I am a human being. I feel their pain. What is wrong in worrying about them? And of course we should care about the living. What kind of advice is this? Krishna wants everyone to turn into a cruel, heartless, and emotionless robot? That is like asking someone to not be a person, if you ask me.”

The above reviewed situations provide but a sampling of the distress experienced in the material world. That distress is so common that you could accurately say that it is the permanent condition. It is the fixture. Its absence would raise suspicions. If I am not being bullied, if everyone is treating me well, if I have no struggles, it must mean that something is wrong. I must be in for it in the future. Otherwise, there is no rational explanation.

The living being is helpless to this bullying. There is nothing they can really do about it. They can wait for time to pass, to hopefully find a better situation. The truth is that the next scene in the dramatic production will have the same vulnerability. That is why the wise choose to set aside lamentation. It is both a coping mechanism and an acknowledgment of the harsh reality in which we find ourselves.

Arjuna happened to be in the category of the jurisdictional dispute. He and his brothers were bullied only because of inheritance. They had the rightful claim to a kingdom, but their cousins objected. Those cousins had no standing based on an honest assessment, and so they resorted to threats, intimidation, and blatant interference. Those cousins tried to kill Arjuna and his brothers many times, through underhanded means. If anyone had justification for being upset, it was Arjuna. Instead, he was concerned with the implications of bringing the criminals to justice. He was concerned with their wellbeing.

The wise person looks for a way out. His Divine Grace Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura would say that the material world is no place for a gentleman. The kind get eaten alive by the wicked. The forces of nature cripple the natural blissful tendency. The constant changes prevent any peaceful condition from remaining. Better to turn towards Krishna, accept His shelter, and reach for the imperishable realm that is the spiritual world.

सर्व-कर्माण्य् अपि सदा
कुर्वाणो मद्-व्यपाश्रयः
मत्-प्रसादाद् अवाप्नोति
शाश्वतं पदम् अव्ययम्

sarva-karmāṇy api sadā
kurvāṇo mad-vyapāśrayaḥ
mat-prasādād avāpnoti
śāśvataṁ padam avyayam

“Though engaged in all kinds of activities, My devotee, under My protection, reaches the eternal and imperishable abode by My grace.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.56)

In Closing:

Desperate for akshara place,
Where no bullying to face.

Which otherwise to shine,
Well known entire time.

In school, work and at home,
No one ever leaving me alone.

Krishna right to Arjuna to say,
That wise above lamentation stay.

Categories: the five

Tags: bhagavad-gita, dailyprompt, hare krishna, life, poem, poems, poetry