where are the scanned in images available, please?
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Dick Mays <dickm...@...> wrote: > > Forwarded from a friend: > > Maharishi's translation of Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7, Verse 20 > > > > > > > Dear Friend, > > I hope you will enjoy the following quote from Maharishi's new book: > Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7, Maharishi's Unedited Commentary > > This book has been offered to all guests that participated during the > Guru Purnima Celebration 2009, MERU, Vlodrop. > > Also enclosed is a scanned copy of the reference mentioned in the quote. > > All the best, > > Jai Guru Dev > > > > <http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UnKPHmiFgTQ/SmGyiMGj5dI/AAAAAAAAAn4/0ZD-eeOP_zo/s1600-h/B.Gita+7.20+devanagari+rc.jpg> > > Maharishi's translation of Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7, Verse 20: > > Those whose knowledge has been carried away by this or that desire > resort to other Gods, observing this or that rule, led by their own > nature. > > > In his commentary of Chapter 7, verse 20, Maharishi makes the > distinction between all the different Laws of Nature (Gods) that > individually promote different streams of relative life and evolution > as compared to the Home of all these Laws of Nature --- the ultimate > basis and all encompassing WHOLENESS (Transcendental Pure > Consciousness --- the Self) which is more than the collection of > parts. > > Maharishi's commentary on Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7, Verse 20: > > The sequence of words is important. > > Contentment is gained by resorting to Being, desires are fulfilled by > resorting to different Gods*. Gods are pleased through specific > channels** of observances, and modes of observances may be selected > according to one's own nature. This shows that there are various ways > to please one God. > > Here the contrast is between resorting to Me and resorting to Gods. > This verse shows how going through various desires one takes 'many > births', as stated in the previous verse. > > Those for whom the goal of life is obscure keep themselves engaged in > the activity of maintaining life. They see not why and for what life > is to be maintained. All their intelligence and strength is used for > the purpose of amassing more comforts of life, and their desires are > concentrated on what will bring them greater material glories. In > their attempt to fulfill their increasing desires, they turn to > higher powers in Nature and follow the prescribed rites and ways to > win their blessings. 'This or that rule' means some specific rites > prescribed by the scriptures. > > 'As different men have different likes and dislikes, so also > different Gods, or higher powers in Nature, have their own tastes, > their own likes and dislikes.. The rites that are prescribed in the > scriptures to please a certain God are set forth according to the > nature of that God. Following those rites, the devotees of Gods > receive blessings to fulfill their desires. > > 'Knowledge has been carried away' means Self Consciousness and Divine > Consciousness, has been distorted, transcendental Self Consciousness > has been replaced 'by this or that desire'. The teaching is that > desire distorts the state of Being. Thinking and desiring are opposed > to the state of Being. The state of Transcendental Consciousness, or > the state of Being, which is gained during Transcendental Meditation, > is disturbed when the mind comes out in some thought. What one thinks > is immaterial in this case. It is the rising of a thought that brings > the mind out of that state of Pure Consciousness. That is why the > Lord says 'this or that desire'. Even if one thinks of God it is a > thought, and with this thought the mind comes out of Pure > Consciousness. So the teaching is that desire or thought takes one > out of one's essential divine nature. > > Another teaching that is implied here is that it is not an arbitrary > principle that desire inevitably forces the mind out of the inner > divine nature of transcendental Self Consciousness. It is not true > for everyone that knowledge is led away by this or that desire. To > give this idea the Lord says 'those whose knowledge...'. This means > there may be those whose knowledge is not carried away by desires. > They are those for whom the state of transcendental Self > Consciousness, or Being, is so concentratedly infused into the nature > of their minds that even when they are out in the field of thought > and action their consciousness is held by Being. > > In this state they may entertain this or that desire and engage > themselves in any activity. They may even undertake to worship other > Gods, but they will not lose their eternal freedom in Divine > Consciousness. > > This verse does not mean to condemn desires and worship of other Gods > according to one's 'own nature'; it only deplores the state of mind > of those who have not gained a firm fixity of Being and who have not > secured for themselves a steadfast state of Being --- who are like > those who plunge into water without knowing how to swim. > > 'Safety first' should be the principle of everyone's life. The depth > of the pond will swallow anyone who is unaware of how to maintain > oneself on the surface.. > > The world of desire and action will rob anyone of his natural state > of divine bliss if he has not equipped himself with the knowledge and > experience of Being, which alone is capable of maintaining his state > of divine freedom in his life in the world. > > > > * Maharishi brings to light that the Vedic Devata [Gods] are the Laws > of Nature that administer the entire universe and maintain it in > perfect order. They are the impulses of Creative Intelligence > responsible for creation, maintenance, and evolution of everything in > the universe; they are the creative powers of the cosmic dimension, > permeating the whole creation. > > The Vedic Devata are the administrators of every aspect of creation; > they are the lively intelligence present in every point, every grain, > of creation. In the same way that the law of gravity exercises its > 'rulership' over the attraction between different masses, the Vedic > Devata exercise their administrative role over every form and > function in creation. For example, the Vedic Devata that administers > silence is called Shiva, and the Vedic Devata that administers > dynamism is Vishnu. > > The Vedic Devata are not separate from the ultimate reality of the > Self --- Atma --- the Unified Field of Natural Law. Every point of > creation, manifest or unmanifest, animate or inanimate, microscopic > or cosmic in dimension, in its ultimate reality is nothing but the > Unified Field. Every individual Law of Nature or any collection of > the Laws of Nature, acting under any circumstances within time and > space, is nothing but the dynamics of the Unified Field --- the Vedic > Devata. > > The Vedic Devata are the integral aspects of our own human > physiology. They are embodied in every human being, and have the same > forms and functions as described in the Vedic Literature. The Vedic > Devata are present in the physiology of everyone, irrespective of > ones caste or creed; irrespective of which political party one > associates with, or in which geographical area one is born. The Vedic > Devata therefore are not religious, philosophical, or poetic > concepts, but a scientific reality. (Celebrating Vedic Devata in the > Human Physiology, referring to the book by Raja Raam ) > > ** See Chapter 3, Verse 11. (See the enclosed scanned copies) >
