32. Transcend Vedas

 



Once, a group of friends were travelling and they had to cross a wide river. They made a boat and crossed the river. They then decided to carry the heavy boat with them for the rest of their journey, thinking that it would be useful. As a result, their journey was derailed because there was no river along the route. Metaphorically if the river represents a pain polarity, then the boat is the instrument used to overcome that polarity.

Likewise, there are many instruments and rituals to give us relief from several pain polarities we face in our daily lives. The Vedas -whose literal meaning is knowledge, describe many rituals to provide relief from temporary pain polarities. Many of these rituals are available and are being practiced to this day. It appears logical to turn to these rituals when we face difficulties in the areas of health, business, work and family.

Krishna tells Arjuna not to get trapped by the words of the unwise who promise pleasure both in this life and the afterlife (heaven) by prescribing the outer meaning of the Vedas (2.42-2.46). He encourages him to become atma-vaan (established in self) by transcending the polarities (dwandwa-atheeth) and gunas (guna-atheeth or nirgun) (2.45). When one has access to a big lake, there is no need to depend on a small ditch and similarly, for atma-vaan the Vedas are like that small ditch (2.46).

Wisdom lies in not encumbering ourselves with the burden of the boat on our onward journey. In the same way, wisdom lies in not limiting ourselves to the outer meaning of the Vedas once we understand the futility of pursuing pleasure and power.

At the very beginning, Krishna tells Arjuna that sense-perception brings polarities and to bear with them as they are anitya (impermanent) (2.14). His emphasis is to transcend them and learn to witness these transients. Krishna advocates a joy that is intrinsic, unconditional, and independent of external circumstances, rather than happiness arising from the contact of the senses with their objects, for such happiness is fleeting and inevitably culminates in pain.


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