Soul-less Existence

I have been an agnostic for many years now. I go to Hindu temples occasionally, just to get some peace in their solitude at uncrowded times. I like the silence of the churches even more, but have not gone to a church in a long time. I do not like proselytization, so I am careful to avoid such interactions, irrespective of the religion. I do not know Sanskrit (or even Hindi), so it is not possible for me to understand religious chants in most Hindu temples, unless these are performed in Tamil (my mother tongue). If I do not understand, then it means that I stay ignorant of the potentially important meanings of Vedic chants.

Most people in my network know my proclivities, and so some of them were very surprised when I signed up for a Bhagavad Gita online class. I have not read the Gita (the ancient Hindu text) till last month, but have read about its impact and importance, even from a Western perspective. I made the decision based on the suggestion of a close friend and ex-colleague, who described to me how it has changed his life. Not that I wish to change my life now (!), but I thought let me at least learn the mysteries of the Bhagavad Gita.

Almost immediately I realised that the Gita is not a religious text (I am reading a great book on the Gita now – Mr D.M. Sinha’s “Srimad Bhagavad-Gita for All – Unveil the real ‘You'”). There are many books available on the Gita – you will be spoilt for choice. You also have some fabulous podcasts, the one I am using is by Swami Sarvapriyananda, who is the resident Minister of the Vedanta Society of New York. Just google him, or hit his YouTube channel. He is entirely non-religious in his explanation and interpretations of the Gita and has dedicated his life to the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and to Vedic learning. There are even intense debates between him and Western philosophers available on YouTube.

I am generally not in favour of Swamis or Gurus, who position themselves as one or two steps closer to God than ordinary mortals (like you and me). I have never been taken in by the preachings of some of the most venerated Gurus of South India, though my extended family vouches by a couple of them (I do not wish to name these Gurus). My family understands my predilection for agnosticism based on my own life experiences, and respects it. And, I respect their preferences.

So, it was surprising to them that I referred to the podcasts on the Gita by Swami Sarvapriyananda! I listen to this Swami at least a few times a week – his lectures are long, so I listen to some 20 minutes on a particular Chapter of the Gita (like a verse or two). He has provided illuminating insights to my ignorant mind in a very balanced manner.

Gita, in essence, provides a practical methodology for living your life without harming others – it helps you to accomplish the difficult balance that your life demands. Some of the teachings of the Gita may not be in sync with your own thoughts, and I raised the queries in my online class. I was told that I would find the answers to my questions later in the Gita (later Chapters, not so early). I keep reading and hearing about Karma and Dharma. I am not going to explain these heavy concepts in this short blog post. There are (and will be) many epithets that one would come to like in the Gita, for example: “Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional”.

Our life is all about pursuit of happiness and elimination of suffering, right? Gita explains that happiness lies within oneself; so you have to look within yourself and not outside. I did not understand that all of us are “spiritual beings having a temporary human experience” till I heard this from the Swami in his podcast.

Gita emphasises the critical importance of “making up your own mind to take some action and thereby fix your own life”. It is entirely on YOU. Everyday we all face challenges in life – can we afford not to take action and fix the problems? We have to. It is imperative. The solid emphasis is on action.

But do not harm others even unintentionally. Take good actions which will result in good karma. Take actions to solve your problems, but not at the expense of someone else. Note that action is always better than inaction.

We must remember one basic tenet (amongst many of them!): Good people will always want to change, and make changes to their life; Bad people will not. If I am willing to change, it demonstrates my confidence in myself that I can change my life for the better. You don’t have to preach to others. Fix your own life first. If you are willing to change, it means that you are open to learning. You can learn from many sources, one such source is the Gita.

Remember, good karma will lead to your happiness, which is what you always wanted in your life, right? On the other hand, bad karma will lead to inevitable unhappiness.

It is possible to lead a spiritual life and discover your soul, without being innately religious. This satisfies my preference and allows me an impartial exploration of the mysteries of such an existence. I have embarked on such a journey, but there is a long way to go. And may be I would possibly move from what I thought (incorrectly as it seems) from a soul-less existence towards actually discovering my own soul.

I will do couple more posts as I go along this journey, which is rather interesting and meaningful, not because of my stage in life, but more because of its purpose and insight into my own life.

Many of you might have been exposed to the Bhagavad Gita, and if so, please share your learning, and the impact it has had on your own life.

Have a good week ahead,

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan

30th April 2023