Gita Introduction

GITA

November 24, 2016

When we are born, we are not born with an instruction manual.  Nothing to tell us what parts are included, where the batteries are, how to turn on, or off, and what this “thing” does or what it's purpose is in this life.

Throughout human history, various sages and wise men have put down a list of the “parts” of a human being, and essentially laid down for us an instruction manual for a human.  However, the form of the manual is not easily understood by the masses of today.  This is an attempt to “translate” the ancient scriptures into a form that is readable by today’s average human.  After grasping the basics, as with anything else, we can progress to the more detailed and more difficult concepts.

The basics, included at birth:

• The body (lowest in the hierarchy but given the most importance, unfortunately) consists of
• Five sense organs.
• Five organs of action.
• Supplied also are the corresponding sense objects in the world.
• The Mind.. The seat of emotion than desires.  The master of the body, constantly demanding, insatiable in its demands.  Oblivious of consequences to the entity.

Five sense organs:

• Touch, skin.
• Taste, tongue.
• Sight, eyes.
• Smell, nose.
• Sound, ear.

Each sense organ has a corresponding sense object in the world.  Contact with a sense object and a sense organ results in immediate pleasure to the body and to the Mind, resulting in a desire (from the Mind – which is the seat of emotions and desires) for more contact with that same sense object.

Interestingly, but quite obvious, the more sense organs a sense object satisfies at the same time, the more valued that sense object becomes to the mind.  For example, a sense object that has a beautiful fragrance only satisfies the sense of smell (nose) and a beautiful melody or song only appears to the in the ancient scriptures of sound ( ear).  But a music video with has both visual appeal to the sense of sight and to the sense of sound is more gratifying to the mind.

In the ancient scriptures,the pinnacle of sense objects has been referred to as “woman” but that refers to any person that the human is attracted to, applying this to the modern age.

“Woman” satisfies all five senses as well as the mind because of satisfying various emotions and desires in addition to satisfying the five senses and the emotions and desires originating in the mind.  So a person to whom one is attracted satisfies six senses (five senses and mind).

Five organs of action:

• Arms, hands.
• Legs, feet, locomotion.
• Organs of excretion.
• Voice box – organ of communication.
• Organs of reproduction.

At a very early age, an infant uses sound to call for its mother.  That organ of communication is being developed to call to oneself the early sense satisfaction (touch, skin, warmth, cuddling, sucking, eating, mother’s voice, smell, etc.).

As the infant grow older, it learns to use hands and arm to bring sense objects closer to the sense organ.  Colorful objects for its eyes, and other objects to put in its mouth.  Since the infant mind is not yet aware of what tastes good and what does not, it does not discriminate between what the hands put in the mouth.

Soon the legs and feet are used to “act” and propel the entire body towards various sense objects.  The sound of mommy, the smell of mommy, various objects to put in one’s mouth, etc.

As the infant grows, toilet training takes place and the organs of excretion are taught control.  By this time, the infant is being taught control and modification of arms/hands, legs/feet, and voice/sound also. ( " don't shout", "don't throw", don't run" )

The organs of reproduction are used for “action” after “maturity” – usually adolescence is when they mature (this is usually after the intellect is developed – see below for intellect – and the development of the intellect is celebrated as a second-birth or coming of age.  The intellect is thus meant for use by the adolescent, or early adult, to control the use of the last organ of action so as to distinguish a human from a lower species, which is often indiscriminate in its use of organs of reproduction in many, but not all, species).

The Mind:

The Intellect:

In the case of a toy, we can see that there is a place where batteries are to be inserted and that the batteries allow the toy to move, to operate – that the batteries give life to the toy.  In case of any living organism there is the lack of a battery compartment, or a battery or an outlet or a switch.  Yet we know that an organism lives and then dies.  No organism is exempt from death.  But just as we are not born with an instruction manual, we are not told “batteries included” or "batteries not included".  So where does the life force in any living organism come from, and what is it?  That is the crux of the whole question and the theory and life itself.  What name shall we give that life force that makes us alive, and without which we die?  Over the centuries, this life force has been called the atman, also known as Consciousness or the Self.

Just as we charge a rechargeable battery by plugging it into a wall outlet and drawing from a much larger source of energy, our atman is a small drop of “life” or “energy” or “consciousness” which has been drawn from a much larger source of the same energy which is known as Brahman (don’t confuse this with Brahmin, an educated, equanimous, person or with Brahma – an imaginary god in Hindu mythology).

Brahman is said to be everywhere, Brahman and atman are said to be something that cannot be seen, heard, smelled, tasted or touched.  Therefore all our sense organs cannot “perceive” Brahman or atman, the self.  One’s mind and intellect cannot imagine Brahman or atman nor conceive of it except in the most rudimentary form – as we are doing now.  This force is also known as God by many religions.  But contrary to many religious beliefs, this life force is essentially just as petrol/gas is for a car – it gives the living organism the energy to live, to operate but it does not dictate the actions nor what happens to the living organism.  You cannot negotiate with it, nor barter, nor plead, or pray to, this life force, Brahman or God.