09/K.I.N.G

THE MOST CONFIDENTIAL KNOWLEDGE

Valuable things are generally not openly exposed pearls - are hidden within a shell, royalty is surrounded by an entourage. In the same way, the essence of the Bhagavad-gita is nestled in the middle of the conversation - the Ninth Chapter. Here, Krishna outlines the 'king' of all knowledge and the most secret of all secrets. He explains the essence of the Bhagavad-gita, guiding us to that which will fulfil us in the deepest core of our hearts.

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There is a notion that belief in God is intellectually immature or philosophically naïve. Logical and rational analysis of the complexity, design and intricate engineering of this creation, however, makes plain that there must be some conscious intelligence behind it. To categorically deny this suggests a stubborn, irrational and illogical predisposition. Krishna thus explains that this knowledge is state-specific - one must be non-envious and faithful to undestand it. Faith is not opposed to knowledge, but is actually a prerequisite for receiving it.

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Grasping these truths, however, is not straightforward. Just as a child is conceived within the womb, an idea is conceived within the mind. In other words, a concept is contained within something. Since the qualities and characteristics of the Lord, however, are unlimited, they cannot be contained within any boundaries, and thus God's activities and relationships are deemed inconceivable. In this section, Krishna begins to impart knowledge of His inconceivable relationships with the universe and all living entities. This knowledge gives an indication of the unfathomable nature of Divinity, and thus exposes our inability to comprehend such matters using mundane logic and reason.

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Even after exhaustively hearing about the glories and wonder of God's personal form, there are many who still misunderstand Him. Because Krishna appears in a 'humanlike' form, some deem Him an ordinary human being and believe a personal form of God to be an elementary and preparatory concept. Others believe that God manifests innumerable forms represented by the various demigods, each of whom are worthy of worship. Others cannot perceive of anything beyond this universe, and therefore consider the cosmos to be the supreme object of worship. All such persons sidestep the worship of the Supreme Personality, whom one can see face-to-face and have a relationship with. It is not that all paths lead to the same destination, but rather that Krishna awards different results based on the motivation and understanding behind one's worship.

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Krishna thus establishes the personal form of God to be the highest and most complete manifestation of the Supreme. The greater something is, the higher the qualification to achieve it. To get into a good university you need higher grades. To buy a bigger house you need greater funds. Similarly, to approach God in the most intimate and personal way, one requires the greatest qualification - complete purity of consciousness, without any tinge of selfish motivation. Krishna explains that such purity is characterised by complete immersion of mind, body and words in selfless devotional service - hour after hour, day after day, year after year. This is Krishna consciousness, and this is the perfectional climax of the Bhagavad-gita.

"THE GOOD LIFE IS ONE INSPIRED BY LOVE AND GUIDED BY KNOWLEDGE"

~ BERTRAND RUSSEL