Transcendence – In Gita Verse 2.13 As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.
Krishna, in this verse, addresses the perennial human apprehension – the fear of change. By illustrating the impermanence of our physical form, he unveils the eternity of the soul. Our bodies undergo transitions as silent and subtle as the night giving way to the dawn; similarly, the soul moves from one vessel to another in profound silence. Death is but an experience of this profound silence.
Those seekers who have captured a glimpse of the divine through satori or samadhi attest to this profound silence. The fear of death dissolves for them, as they’ve tasted the essence of eternity.
In my exploration of Bhagavad Gita Verse 1.19, I’ve delved into the fear of silence. Our unfamiliarity with inner silence breeds a host of fears – of death, of loss. Krishna speaks of the sober individual as one who has encountered the profound stillness of satori or samadhi.
Fear of Death Equates to a Partially-Lived Life: Embrace relaxation with the certainty of death; it is the canvas upon which the vibrant colors of life can be thrown with abandon. If today were your last, would you not live with unbridled passion? A life lived in such intensity renders death impotent. And should death still come to those who have lavished in the pure experience of being alive, it arrives not as a foe but as an old friend welcoming them into rest, much like sleep welcomes the weary after a day of labor.
Nothing compares to the immaculate nature of death; it is the zenith of purity.
Being fiercely present in the Now negates concerns for what is yet to come. Tomorrow is self-sustaining. Jesus’ entreaty for ‘our daily bread’ captures the essence of living within the embrace of the present.
The trepidation about relinquishing all that life offers stems from an existence half-lived. In complete living, the concept of time disintegrates, along with mind and space.
The Dichotomy of Existence: Consider the buffalo walking a linear path, contrasting with the Buddha whose existence spans the depths and heights. Each moment then can swell to the richness of eternity.
Do not squander your moments on the insignificant. Rather, live, sing, dance, love with uncontained fervor. When so lived, fears recede into the shadows, and the morrow’s concerns fade into irrelevance. A fully embraced today precludes the need to ponder anything else. Unlived life begets worries and fears.
Endeavor to live wholly, to love passionately, and to turn each instant into a profound joy. Erase fears and embrace the fullness of being.
Krishna, devoid of any intent to incite dread of the future or the desire for victory, introduces Arjuna to the silent path of transcendence. Life, in its essence, is transcendence.
Transcendence is Beyond Dualities: Transcendence cannot be confined to the binaries of positive and negative. It demands of you to be an observer of all – watching the day unfold into night and vice versa, yet never becoming one with either. You are neither dawn nor dusk; you are the witnessing consciousness that transcends both.
Ascend to the center of that consciousness which transcends the duality of existence. True spirituality is neither wholly affirmative (via positiva) nor wholly negation (via negativa) but is the path of transcendence – via transcendentalis.
Amidst the polarities lies the profound equilibrium of transcendence. It is the serene eye of the hurricane, maintaining its calm while the world whorls around it. Therein lies the heart of true transcendence, within this balancing point where opposites merge and stillness reigns.
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