Krishna and Arjuna
Dear friends,
I wanted to share a few thoughts this week about self-protection. It is of course a natural instinct. Every living creature does what it needs to do to stay alive, and people are no exception. But there is a confusion over what we ought to be trying to protect. Life is one thing, but…
Each of us protects little aspects of ourselves because of our false belief that it is our little personality that needs protection. I often notice that even amongst deep devotees—those who have truly committed their lives to change and growth—there is an overwhelming desire to shrink and defend rather than to let go and grow. When a flaw is pointed out the immediate natural response is, “That’s not me!” One often becomes annoyed or withdrawn.
There’s a marvelous line in the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna says to his chief warrior Arjuna, just before the battle starts, “What are you so concerned about? You are the immortal soul. Water cannot drown you, fire cannot burn you, wind cannot dry you out, and a sword cannot cut you.” It is just a body that encases the soul. Imagine being so attached to your sweater that you spend a lifetime defending it at all costs!
It is of course natural to defend our little egoic selves, but the fact that it is natural does not mean it is for our best and highest good. We are born with a body that is natural. But if we eat well and work out every day we can vastly improve on what we came in with, to the point where we are actually extraordinarily different and better. So too with our lives. Our attachment to our little ego creates an almost infinite array of problems and pains.
Our personality, foibles, proclivities, and desires are the least important part of us, but are the parts we tend to protect most strongly. May we learn to let go and allow the sweater to be removed, revealing the Omnipresent Spirit within.
Blessings,
David G., manager
for the Gang at East West