The Bhagavad-gita’s fundamental teaching (02.13) is that we
are not material bodies but are spiritual beings.
Even when we understand this intellectually, we can’t
abruptly reject our bodily identity. Pertinently, the next verse (02.14)
recommends that we stick to our dharmic duties by tolerating bodily stimuli
like heat-cold or pleasure-pain. And the next verse (02.15) assures that such
dutiful living, unswayed by bodily stimuli, will grant immortality. As the soul
is known to be immortal, this verse’s assurance essentially means that we will
realize our spiritual identity.
When we tolerate bodily inconveniences while practicing
bhakti-yoga, we periodically relish a profound non-bodily fulfillment that
vindicates the reality of our non-material side.
The Gita’s trajectory of thought suggests that we can
progress towards realizing “I am not the body” by striving to live according to
the understanding, “I am more than the body.” Living thus means that we don’t
let the body’s needs and drives consume all our time. We give our non-bodily or
spiritual side due attention by practicing diligently a process for self-realization.
The best such process is bhakti-yoga because it engages the body in the service
of Krishna, thereby transforming it into a tool for raising our consciousness
to the spiritual level.
When we tolerate bodily inconveniences while practicing
bhakti-yoga, we periodically relish a profound non-bodily fulfillment. This
fulfillment vindicates for us the reality of our non-material side. We infer
that since the fulfillment is obviously not coming from bodily gratification,
it must be coming from our spiritual side that is being nourished by our
devotional practices.
Such insights inspire us to intensify our devotional
service, thereby triggering further insights. Gradually, our realization rises
from “I have a non-material side” to “My non-material side is the real me. I am
a spiritual part of Krishna meant to love him eternally.” This realization
ultimately catapults us to the supreme liberation – ecstatic life with Krishna.
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