The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening: A Practical Commentary for Leading a Successful Spiritual Life

644 Pages·2018·3.4 MB·English

by  Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

The Bhagavad Gita for
Awakening

A Practical Commentary for Leading
a Successful Spiritual Life

Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda
Giri)

Light of the Spirit Press
Cedar Crest, New Mexico

What Readers Say
I've read many, many different translations and commentaries on the Gita; Abbot
George's is hands down one of the most approachable. It is clear, helpful, and has a
vast depth that easily brings both the meaning and value of the Bhagavad Gita to
life. I would highly recommend The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening to anyone that
wants to bring it's lessons into their daily life. —Michael Sabani
Be swept away by the ancient wisdom of the East in this timeless classic that offers
practical solutions to the modern problems of today. Struggling with the constant
tug-of-war between good and evil, our hearts and minds will relish the opportunity
to reconnect with God’s eternal love for us so eloquently illuminated in this book.
A must read for anyone on a spiritual quest for the truth! —Sailaja Kuruvadi
I had read through the original text of the Gita a few years ago and as you could
imagine, the majority of its lessons were lost on me. The version Abbot Burke has
written opened up the lessons the Gita holds in a way that is relatable to a
westerner, and far easier to grasp.
The Gita is full of wisdom that we need to hear, especially in this day and age.
Obviously although it is timeless as the Gita is so ancient, these internal battles are
universal and transcend time and tradition. Being raised in the Catholic faith, I see
parallels to the teachings of the Christ and that message is enhanced greatly. I would
recommend this version to anyone regardless of religious upbringing, as its lessons
are relevant to everyone.
I truly love reading this book. —Caraine Wells
Published by
Light of the Spirit Press lightofthespiritpress.com
Light of the Spirit Monastery P. O. Box 1370
Cedar Crest, New Mexico 87008
www.ocoy.org

Copyright © 2018 Light of the Spirit Monastery.
All rights reserved.
Light of the Spirit Press, Cedar Crest, New Mexico
Translation of the Bhagavad Gita used in this book from
The Bhagavad Gita: The Song of God by Abbot George Burke.
Copyright © 2018 Light of the Spirit Monastery.

1. SEL032000 SELF-HELP / Spiritual 2. REL032030 RELIGION / Hinduism / Sacred Writings
First edition, (December 2018) Credits: The cover contains an illustration of Krisha and Arjuna on the
Battlefield of Kurukshetra based on a painting by the Rajasthani artist Bhanwar lal Girdhari lal Sharma
Contents
The Bhagavad Gita–The Book of Life
The Battlefield of the Mind
On The Field of Dharma
Taking Stock
The Smile of Krishna
Right But Wrong
Birth and Death–The Great Illusions
Experiencing The Unreal
The Unreal and the Real
The Body and the Spirit
Know The Atman!
Practical Self-Knowledge
Perspective on Birth and Death
The Wonder of the Atman
The Indestructible Self
“Happy The Warrior”
Buddhi Yoga
Religiosity Versus Religion
Perspective on Scriptures
How Not To Act
How To Act
Right Perspective
Wisdom About the Wise
Wisdom About Both the Foolish and the Wise
The Way of Peace
Calming the Storm
First Steps in Karma Yoga
From the Beginning to the End
The Real “Doers”
Our Spiritual Marching Orders
Freedom From Karma
“Nature”
Swadharma
In the Grip of the Monster
“Devotee and Friend”
The Eternal Being
The Path
Caste and Karma
Action–Divine and Human
The Mystery of Action and Inaction
The Wise in Action
Sacrificial Offerings
The Worship of Brahman
Action: Renounced and Performed
Freedom (Moksha)
The Brahman-Knower
The Goal of Karma Yoga
Getting There
The Yogi’s Retreat
The Yogi’s Inner and Outer Life
Union With Brahman
The Yogi’s Future
Success in Yoga
The Net and Its Weaver
Those Who Seek God
Those Who Worship God and the Gods
The Veil in the Mind
The Big Picture
The Sure Way To Realize God
Day, Night, and the Two Paths
The Supreme Knowledge
Universal Being
Maya–Its Dupes and Its Knowers
Worshipping the One
Going To God
Wisdom and Knowing
Going To The Source
From Hearing To Seeing
The Wisdom of Devotion
Right Conduct
The Field and Its Knower
Interaction of Purusha and Prakriti
Seeing The One Within the All
The Three Gunas
The Cosmic Tree
Freedom
The All-pervading Reality
The Divine and the Demonic
Faith and the Three Gunas
Food and the Three Gunas
Religion and the Three Gunas
Tapasya and the Three Gunas
Charity and the Three Gunas
Sannyasa and Tyaga
Deeper Insights On Action
Knowledge, Action, Doer, and the Three Gunas
The Three Gunas: Intellect and Firmness
The Three Kinds of Happiness
Freedom
The Great Devotee
The Final Words
Get Your Free Meditation Guide
Glossary
About the Author
Light of the Spirit Monastery
Reading for Awakening from Light of the Spirit Press
Bhagavad Gita–The Book of Life
S
everal thousand years ago in north-central India, two people sat in a chariot in the
midpoint of a great battlefield. One of them, the yogi Arjuna, knew that it would
be not be long before the conflict would begin. So he asked Krishna, the Master of
Yoga (Yogeshwara), what should be his attitude and perspective in this moment. And
above all: What should he do?
There was no time to spare in empty words. In a brief discourse, later turned into
seven hundred Sanskrit verses by the sage Vyasa, Krishna outlined to Arjuna the
way to live one’s entire life so as to gain perfect self-knowledge and self-mastery.
The battle was ferocious and–as always with war–everyone lost. But when Vyasa
wrote his epic poem, the Mahabharata (The Great Indian War), he put Krishna’s
inspired teachings into it as a precious jewel. Instantly they were extracted, named
Bhagavad Gita (The Song of God), and circulated throughout the subcontinent.
That was several thousand years ago, and today the Gita is found in nearly every
household in India and has been translated into every major language of the world.
Literally billions of copies have been handwritten and printed. (A few years ago a
spiritual organization in South Africa printed one million copies for free
distribution.) When Rudyard Kipling became a Freemason in Lahore, four
scriptures were on the altar, including the Bhagavad Gita.
What is the appeal of the Gita? First of all, it is totally practical, free of any vague
or abstract philosophy. During my first trip to India over forty years ago, I heard
about a yogi who lived in a small houseboat on the Ganges river in the holy city of
Benares (Varanasi). He never spoke or wrote, yet every day for many years people
came to him for advice. How did he manage? He had a copy of the Bhagavad Gita,
and after he was told the problem or question he would open the book, point to a
portion, and the inquirer would have a perfect and complete solution to the
trouble.
My own spiritual awakening began by kicking me out of the nest of comfortable
religion into a vast world of realities I had no idea how to cope with. I floundered
around in the sea of my new horizons until one day I bought a paperback edition of
the Bhagavad Gita. I did not read it, I inhaled it. I was not reading the words of a
long-dead teacher: my own Self was talking to me in the pages of that little book.
Nor did I learn anything from the Gita–I remembered that which I had always
known. Eternal Self spoke Eternal Truth. The Bhagavad Gita changed my life by
giving me Life that has never ended.
Nothing has ever arisen in my life, internal or external, that the Gita has not
made clear and enabled me to deal with or understand. Yet is it not dogmatic. At
the very end Krishna says to Arjuna: “Now I have taught you that wisdom which is
the secret of secrets. Ponder it carefully. Then act as you think best.” No threats, no
promises, no coercion. It is all in the reader’s hands.
Even better: the Bhagavad Gita tells us that we can attain a Knowing beyond even
what it tells us. And it shows us the way. It is a wise resolve to read the Gita every
day without fail for the rest of one’s life.