Krishna is the source, shelter and summit of everything

Some people think of God as a distant being with some remote-controlling mechanism for managing the world. In contrast, with such superficial notions, the Bhagavad-gita reveals that Krishna’s relationship with the world is much more intimate – he is the source, shelter and summit of everything. Source: The Gita (10.08) affirms that Krishna is the Absolute Truth, the cause of all causes, the beginningless beginning of everything. Shelter: We may wonder, “How is he the shelter now? Things look quite godless and unsheltered in the world.” That apparent shelterlessness results because some of us misuse our God-given free will, reject his shelter and create chaos by our self-centered actions. But even those who reject God are still under his jurisdiction through his illusory energy (07.14). This energy makes us dance like puppets, pursuing petty pleasures and getting frustrated by their elusiveness and temporariness. Through such repeated frustration in the school of hard knocks, we gradually learn to make better use of our free will. Just as wrongdoers in a reformatory are still in the state’s jurisdiction, so too are the godless under God’s shelter. Undoubtedly, this shelter is not pleasant. But that unpleasantness is because of our own imprudent choices. Nonetheless Krishna always shelters us more congenially by accompanying us as the Supersoul. He gives us intelligence to learn from both scripture and experience, thereby moving closer to his sublime shelter. Summit: The Gita (10.41) indicates that whatever attracts us, its attractiveness comes from a spark of Krishna’s all-attractiveness. We are usually attracted to the best things in any category – such things reflect Krishna’s glory most appealingly for us. When we thus understand Krishna as the source, shelter and summit of everything, we can increasingly realize and relish our intimate relationship with him.