Place: Alet les Bains (France) - Association au Ciel Ouvert
Year: May 2016
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Satyanarayana Dasa
Bodily Attachment as the Real Cause
If Arjuna had run away from his duty as a soldier, he would have become instrumental in allowing unjust violence. Moreover, being a celebrity and a great hero he would have set a bad precedent for other soldiers. His opponents, who respected his bravery and chivalry, would have ridiculed him. They would have thought that Arjuna became fearful and ran away after seeing his opponents on the battlefield (which included great warriors like Bhisma and Drona), on the pretense of being compassionate toward them.
The real cause behind Arjuna’s confusion is his attachment to his physical body. The misidentification with the physical body is bringing a sense of fear and loss, manifesting as compassion. Krishna saw through this and advised Arjuna to not be bogged down by this ignorance.
Krishna is not preaching unjust violence in the name of religion. Unjust violence is deeply rooted in selfishness. Krishna teaches to rise above hatred and attachment, be equipoised in all situations, and do one’s duty, which happens to be fighting in Arjuna’s case. His advice is not specific to Arjuna only, but applicable to all human beings. He propounds action without hatred and attachment.
You are in a prison without a beginning and you can’t get out of it until you choose to get rid of your ignorance. The three gunas bind you to your ignorance. Maya really isn’t binding you. You are really bound by your own ignorance and you are conditioned by your material desires. Then you act on those desires, and you get the karma for that. So you take birth again.
