The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening A Practical Commentary for Leading a Successful Spiritual Life Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri) Light of the Spirit Press Cedar Crest, New Mexico What Readers Say I've read many, many different translations and commentaries on the Gita; Abbot George's is hands down one of the most approachable. It is clear, helpful, and has a vast depth that easily brings both the meaning and value of the Bhagavad Gita to life. I would highly recommend The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening to anyone that wants to bring it's lessons into their daily life. —Michael Sabani Be swept away by the ancient wisdom of the East in this timeless classic that offers practical solutions to the modern problems of today. Struggling with the constant tug-of-war between good and evil, our hearts and minds will relish the opportunity to reconnect with God’s eternal love for us so eloquently illuminated in this book. A must read for anyone on a spiritual quest for the truth! —Sailaja Kuruvadi I had read through the original text of the Gita a few years ago and as you could imagine, the majority of its lessons were lost on me. The version Abbot Burke has written opened up the lessons the Gita holds in a way that is relatable to a westerner, and far easier to grasp. The Gita is full of wisdom that we need to hear, especially in this day and age. Obviously although it is timeless as the Gita is so ancient, these internal battles are universal and transcend time and tradition. Being raised in the Catholic faith, I see parallels to the teachings of the Christ and that message is enhanced greatly. I would recommend this version to anyone regardless of religious upbringing, as its lessons are relevant to everyone. I truly love reading this book. —Caraine Wells Published by Light of the Spirit Press lightofthespiritpress.com Light of the Spirit Monastery P. O. Box 1370 Cedar Crest, New Mexico 87008 www.ocoy.org Copyright © 2018 Light of the Spirit Monastery. All rights reserved. Light of the Spirit Press, Cedar Crest, New Mexico Translation of the Bhagavad Gita used in this book from The Bhagavad Gita: The Song of God by Abbot George Burke. Copyright © 2018 Light of the Spirit Monastery. 1. SEL032000 SELF-HELP / Spiritual 2. REL032030 RELIGION / Hinduism / Sacred Writings First edition, (December 2018) Credits: The cover contains an illustration of Krisha and Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra based on a painting by the Rajasthani artist Bhanwar lal Girdhari lal Sharma Contents The Bhagavad Gita–The Book of Life The Battlefield of the Mind On The Field of Dharma Taking Stock The Smile of Krishna Right But Wrong Birth and Death–The Great Illusions Experiencing The Unreal The Unreal and the Real The Body and the Spirit Know The Atman! Practical Self-Knowledge Perspective on Birth and Death The Wonder of the Atman The Indestructible Self “Happy The Warrior” Buddhi Yoga Religiosity Versus Religion Perspective on Scriptures How Not To Act How To Act Right Perspective Wisdom About the Wise Wisdom About Both the Foolish and the Wise The Way of Peace Calming the Storm First Steps in Karma Yoga From the Beginning to the End The Real “Doers” Our Spiritual Marching Orders Freedom From Karma “Nature” Swadharma In the Grip of the Monster “Devotee and Friend” The Eternal Being The Path Caste and Karma Action–Divine and Human The Mystery of Action and Inaction The Wise in Action Sacrificial Offerings The Worship of Brahman Action: Renounced and Performed Freedom (Moksha) The Brahman-Knower The Goal of Karma Yoga Getting There The Yogi’s Retreat The Yogi’s Inner and Outer Life Union With Brahman The Yogi’s Future Success in Yoga The Net and Its Weaver Those Who Seek God Those Who Worship God and the Gods The Veil in the Mind The Big Picture The Sure Way To Realize God Day, Night, and the Two Paths The Supreme Knowledge Universal Being Maya–Its Dupes and Its Knowers Worshipping the One Going To God Wisdom and Knowing Going To The Source From Hearing To Seeing The Wisdom of Devotion Right Conduct The Field and Its Knower Interaction of Purusha and Prakriti Seeing The One Within the All The Three Gunas The Cosmic Tree Freedom The All-pervading Reality The Divine and the Demonic Faith and the Three Gunas Food and the Three Gunas Religion and the Three Gunas Tapasya and the Three Gunas Charity and the Three Gunas Sannyasa and Tyaga Deeper Insights On Action Knowledge, Action, Doer, and the Three Gunas The Three Gunas: Intellect and Firmness The Three Kinds of Happiness Freedom The Great Devotee The Final Words Get Your Free Meditation Guide Glossary About the Author Light of the Spirit Monastery Reading for Awakening from Light of the Spirit Press Bhagavad Gita–The Book of Life S everal thousand years ago in north-central India, two people sat in a chariot in the midpoint of a great battlefield. One of them, the yogi Arjuna, knew that it would be not be long before the conflict would begin. So he asked Krishna, the Master of Yoga (Yogeshwara), what should be his attitude and perspective in this moment. And above all: What should he do? There was no time to spare in empty words. In a brief discourse, later turned into seven hundred Sanskrit verses by the sage Vyasa, Krishna outlined to Arjuna the way to live one’s entire life so as to gain perfect self-knowledge and self-mastery. The battle was ferocious and–as always with war–everyone lost. But when Vyasa wrote his epic poem, the Mahabharata (The Great Indian War), he put Krishna’s inspired teachings into it as a precious jewel. Instantly they were extracted, named Bhagavad Gita (The Song of God), and circulated throughout the subcontinent. That was several thousand years ago, and today the Gita is found in nearly every household in India and has been translated into every major language of the world. Literally billions of copies have been handwritten and printed. (A few years ago a spiritual organization in South Africa printed one million copies for free distribution.) When Rudyard Kipling became a Freemason in Lahore, four scriptures were on the altar, including the Bhagavad Gita. What is the appeal of the Gita? First of all, it is totally practical, free of any vague or abstract philosophy. During my first trip to India over forty years ago, I heard about a yogi who lived in a small houseboat on the Ganges river in the holy city of Benares (Varanasi). He never spoke or wrote, yet every day for many years people came to him for advice. How did he manage? He had a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, and after he was told the problem or question he would open the book, point to a portion, and the inquirer would have a perfect and complete solution to the trouble. My own spiritual awakening began by kicking me out of the nest of comfortable religion into a vast world of realities I had no idea how to cope with. I floundered around in the sea of my new horizons until one day I bought a paperback edition of the Bhagavad Gita. I did not read it, I inhaled it. I was not reading the words of a long-dead teacher: my own Self was talking to me in the pages of that little book. Nor did I learn anything from the Gita–I remembered that which I had always known. Eternal Self spoke Eternal Truth. The Bhagavad Gita changed my life by giving me Life that has never ended. Nothing has ever arisen in my life, internal or external, that the Gita has not made clear and enabled me to deal with or understand. Yet is it not dogmatic. At the very end Krishna says to Arjuna: “Now I have taught you that wisdom which is the secret of secrets. Ponder it carefully. Then act as you think best.” No threats, no promises, no coercion. It is all in the reader’s hands. Even better: the Bhagavad Gita tells us that we can attain a Knowing beyond even what it tells us. And it shows us the way. It is a wise resolve to read the Gita every day without fail for the rest of one’s life.