The Teachings of Krishna

The Teachings of Krishna is based on the famous Bhagavad-gita. Unlike other works on the subject, this one is not just yet another translation of the great classic, but, rather, a lively synthesis of Krishna's dialogue with His friend and disciple, Arjuna, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, some 5,000 years ago.

Through selected verses, insightful quotes, and vivid explanations, the reader will readily appreciate the sustained relevance of Arjuna's questions about the meaning of life and benefit from Krishna's enlightened answers. It is a long-awaited modern and authoritative rendition of the timeless message of the Gita, aimed at students and lay readers eager to learn about the very foundation of the Vedic approach to self-fulfilment.

Excerpt

Krishna at once quashed the impersonal philosophy of oneness, which holds that our distinctiveness as entities is merely an illusion, and that we will all merge into Brahman to become One. The truth is that, from body to body, we all maintain our individuality; illusion merely veils our spiritual and eternal identity. The wise person, however, is not fooled by the temporary and changing appearance of material bodies around him. He sees only the infinitesimal soul within every body and the Supersoul ready to guide him, if he so wishes. Therefore, the external changes to the body under the influence of material nature do not trouble the truly wise.

We all are successively children, adolescents, and adults. Even when we grow old we will always feel like the same person, probably somewhat physically diminished, yet still animated by the same inner energy. There is no doubt that over the course of our lives, our bodies change constantly and will continue to do so even when we die. But we will never lose our individuality along the way, as we will never lose it in the beyond. However, as long as we remain in the clutches of the material illusion and seek to dominate everything around us, we will keep changing bodies. Although our bodies weaken and finally die, the soul does not change; it is always alive and strong.