Godliness – In Gita Verse 4.23 The work of a man who is unattached to the modes of material nature and who is fully situated in transcendental knowledge merges entirely into transcendence.
Krishna reminds us that as human beings we need to only focus on the growth in consciousness. Without any judgement and comparison – comparison with others and also with us – we need to take all our actions which can grow in consciousness. Universe has made everything in existence different and unique. Universe wants human beings to respond to the present moment in their uniqueness. Which is new, fresh. If we respond from our uniqueness we transcend material nature to our godliness.
Being unique is everybody’s nature; being special is relative. When you start feeling that you are special you are comparing yourself with somebody. Special is in comparison to somebody; unique, there is no comparison. Unique means you are alone as you are – how can you be compared? You cannot compare a car with an elephant. They are so different, how can you compare them? Each individual is so different from any other individual that there is no possibility of comparison. Uniqueness is everybody’s nature, but specialness is comparative. Uniqueness is religious, specialness is political. When you claim that you are special you are claiming that you are higher, superior to others; that others are lower, inferior to you. You bring the other in when you use the word special and this is violent. To compare yourself with somebody in any way is violent because he is he and you are you, and you are both so different. The very idea of comparing is stupid.
Through comparison misery arises: either you feel you are inferior, then there is misery, or you start feeling you are superior, then too there is misery. If you feel superior, ego arises – and ego hurts. If you feel inferior, ego is wounded – and those wounds hurt. You may feel superior to one person but what about others? You may one day or other come across somebody to whom you feel inferior. With one person you may feel intelligent, with another you may look like a pygmy. With one you may feel beautiful, with another you may start feeling ugly.
When you carry the idea of comparison you are carrying seeds of illness which will create misery and nothing else. Comparison creates hell. Heaven is an inner space where you live an uncompared life. You simply live yourself; it is your life, you are you. Just think of the beauty of it, the tremendous purity of it. You are simply you. Then you are beautiful. Are you ugly? Are you intelligent, or unintelligent? If you are simply you, and there is no comparison, how can you say you are this or that? Then both disappear.
There arises neti-neti, neither this nor that. Then you are simply there.
Just think: the whole world disappears and you alone are left. God takes away the whole world and only you are left, nobody else. Then what will you be – strong, weak, intelligent, unintelligent, beautiful, ugly? Then who will you be? All comparisons will disappear, you will simply be yourself. That is the way to be.
Right now, be that! Don’t create unnecessary misery for yourself and for others. Start living your unique life.
Uniqueness is everybody’s nature. With the feeling of being special ambition enters, comparison enters, jealousy enters, conflict enters. You become political. Then you start pulling others down because you have to be superior. Then you start fighting, struggling, and then you start using all sorts of means. You have to prove and perform and your whole life is wasted in this nonsense.
Krishna is saying that once you are with yourself, you will know your uniqueness, from that uniqueness any action will be able to transcend our material nature to godliness. As when you act from your uniqueness not only you will act without comparison but also without any desire for achievement. You will find certain joy in doing your act. It has got nothing to do with your achievements. You will be overflowing with joy, that is your Godliness.
Tags: Godliness
