Distrust & disdain

I have a problem with the word of man. We humans are a very tricky species. In order to gain power, affluence, recognition, etc. we love to manipulate. Not to say that everyone does, but given a chance the majority of us would take up the offer to deceive and derive benefit as a result.

Today I was reading the Bhagavad Gita on the bus and in one of the verses Krishna describes to Arjuna his ideal follower – someone who doesn’t eat a lot, but doesn’t eat too little either, someone who doesn’t sleep a lot but doesn’t sleep too little either. OK so I get the point; any kind of indulgence, over or under, is bad. I could abide by this not only for my spiritual well-being but for my physical sustenance as well.

So after each verse, the author launches into an explanation of the verse which in most cases is helpful since my knowledge of the spiritual realm is limited. What, however, I do not like is the author’s nonstop ability to introduce his own views in the explanations. For instance, while explaining a particular verse he puts certain class of people down by saying what they are doing is wrong or sinful or doesn’t take you to the right path. If Krishna didn’t say so in the entire scripture, who is he to claim thus? Who is he to say one class of people is better because they follow what I am preaching over the other class because they are clueless? Is it really spiritual glory to say I’m better than someone else? And if it is, I am better off without it!

Coming back to the eat and sleep verse – here the author introduces his own idea and claims anyone who sleeps for more than 6 hours is lazy. And pray tell us how did you come to that conclusion? Did divinity, who decided it not fit for Arjuna to know so, think you would benefit more from it? To give him some credit, maybe his experience taught him so but my only point is if Krishna refrained from putting a number on the hours of sleep needed why did the Bhaktivedanta guy find it impossible to stop at that as well? Yes admittedly its a small thing but it gets under my skin that people want to quantify that which is boundless!

I am not a big fan of saints – barring a few I wasn’t around to see (Jesus – yes I think he was a saint, Buddha – yes, him too and Vivekananda) I don’t like the idea of saints. Maybe I am cynical because where I grew up there were everyday tales of saints getting into women’s clothes, raiding ashrams for prostitution and in general not practicing absolutely anything they preach. It’s unfortunate because somewhere in this world lie some saints who are truly glorious and worthy of being heard. I will be happy if I find one in my lifetime.