197. Personality Determines Path

 


Drona was a master of archery who was teaching archery to his student Arjuna. Another student, Ekalavya also wanted to learn from Drona, but Drona refused to teach him. Ekalavya went back, installed a statue of Drona and learnt archery by imagining the statue to be the real master. As per legend, he turned out to be a better archer than Arjuna. This story brings out many angles in the areas of the master-student (guru-shishya) relationship and attaining knowledge.

This story helps us understand when Krishna says, “Some behold the Supreme Soul within themselves through meditation (dhyan); some through the cultivation of knowledge (sankhya yoga); others through the path of action (karma yoga) (13.25). There are still others who are unaware of these spiritual paths, but they listen to others (saints) and begin worshipping the Supreme Lord. They also attain immortality” (13.26). Like Ekalavya, we too can perceive Paramatma directly within ourselves or like Arjuna, by listening to saints.

There is no perfect path in a spiritual quest. Depending on one’s personality, it differs from person to person. For the heart oriented, it is through devotion (bhakti) or surrender. For the intellect (buddhi) oriented it is the path of awareness (sankhya). For the mind oriented it is the path of karma (action). Though the approach, experiences and language of these paths are quite different, all of them lead to Paramatma. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna explains all these paths and our personality determines the path.

The path of ‘realising through listening to saints’ raises some doubts as to who a saint or a guru is and how to identify them. Earlier Krishna advised us to inculcate prostration (humility), questioning (of every aspect of ourselves) and service (compassion) (4.34). Ekalavya inculcated these qualities and the learning happened on its own as existence itself became the guru.

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