The forty-sixth in a series of talks by Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke) on the Bhagavad Gita, India’s most famous scripture: the unforgettable dialog between Sri Krishna and Arjuna about the essence of spiritual life.
In this talk, starting with Chapter 9:01, Swamiji discusses what is real faith, and what is disbelief, as well as what will happen to those with no faith. He also talks about the “secret” of the Gita.
Here are the Gita verses (9:01–9:05) covered in this talk:
The Holy Lord said:
To you who do not disbelieve I shall declare this most secret knowledge combined with realization, which having known you shall be free from evil. (9:1)
Royal knowledge, royal secret, this the supreme purifier, readily understood, dharmic, pleasant to practice, eternal. (9:2)
Those who have no faith in this dharma, without attaining me are reborn in the realm of death and samsara. (9:3)
All this world is pervaded by me in my unmanifest aspect. All beings dwell within me, but I do not dwell within them. (9:4)
And yet beings do not dwell within me: behold my Divine Yoga. Sustaining beings and yet not dwelling in them, I myself cause all beings to come into manifestation. (9:5)
Here’s a summary of Swamiji’s talk on the Royal Science & Royal Secret:
- Chapter Introduction: The talk begins with Chapter Nine of the Bhagavad Gita, titled “The Yoga of Royal Science and Royal Secret.” Each chapter in the Gita is referred to as a form of yoga, aimed at the realization of the self and attainment of moksha (liberation).
- Purpose of the Gita: The Gita is not merely a philosophical text but a guide to liberation. It’s emphasized that understanding and experiencing its teachings is more important than just knowing them intellectually.
- Belief and Disbelief: Swami discusses different types of disbelief, distinguishing between those who genuinely do not believe and those who refuse to believe out of fear or reluctance to change their lifestyle. He uses anecdotes to illustrate how some people’s disbelief or skepticism might be a facade for their inner belief.
- Secret Knowledge: The talk introduces the concept of “secret knowledge” which is meant to be combined with realization. Knowledge without experience is likened to not truly knowing the value of something, using the metaphor of an emerald mistaken for glass by those unaware of its true worth.
- Royal Knowledge and Royal Secret: The “Royal Knowledge” signifies ultimate self-awareness where one becomes the “owner” of everything, including the self. The “Royal Secret” is about understanding this knowledge experientially, leading to purification and liberation from ignorance.
- Purification and Sadhna: Without spiritual practice (sadhana), one cannot achieve the purification necessary to grasp this knowledge fully. This purification is more about mental and spiritual clarity rather than just moral conduct.
- Dharma: The concept of dharma (right conduct, duty) is discussed not as a religion but as a universal principle of living correctly. Those who do not follow this path remain caught in the cycle of birth and death (samsara).
- Unity with the Divine: All beings dwell within the divine, yet they are not aware of this unity. Yoga is practiced to realize this inherent oneness consciously.
- Personal Experience and Evolution: Swamiji shares his personal journey with the Gita, highlighting how the text remains profound and inexhaustible in wisdom, evolving with the practitioner over time.
The talk intertwines teachings with personal anecdotes to make philosophical concepts more relatable and to stress the importance of experiential knowledge over intellectual understanding.
