191. Being Spiritual

In response to Arjun's request about knowledge (gyan), Krishna says, "Humility, simplicity, harmlessness, forgiveness, uprightness, service of the preceptor, purity, steadfastness, self-control (13.8). Dispassion (vairagyam) towards sense objects, absence ofahankaar (I am doer), perception of birth, death, old age and pain as flawed (13.9). Non-attachment, non-infatuation with children, spouse or residences, eternal equanimity towards desirable and undesirable circumstances" (13.10).   Krishna further says, "Unwavering devotion to Me through yoga of devotion (bhakti), comfortable with self, away from gossip of crowds (13.11). Perseverance in self-knowledge, perceiving the absolute truth (tatva gyan). This is declared to be knowledge, what is opposed to this is ignorance" (13.12). Some of these are about the self and the rest are about our relationship with the external world.   Anyone suffering from the disease of 'I am superior', is likely to treat humility as weakness. But Krishna keeps humility as the beginning point of knowledge. Humility is neither weakness nor helplessness, but a way of aligning with the all powerful existence. The absence of ahankaar is also nothing but humility.   Being comfortable with oneself is another aspect of knowledge. This happens when we are centered in ourselves where we don't need the crutches of sensual objects and their pleasures. When dispassion (vairagyam) towards sense objects is attained, one is centred in the self even if one is moving in sense objects or a crowd of people.   Eternal equanimity towards desirable and undesirable circumstances is another aspect of knowledge. We are happy to have favourable circumstances and get stressed when we encounter undesirable ones. Attaining equanimity is the only way to accept both of them as the same where these external situations lose their ability to affect us. Internalisation of these twenty aspects of knowledge is moving from the knowledge of spiritual literature to being spiritual.