Krishna and Me, together we can live in Harmony!

What sets a god apart from mere mortals? The immortality? The wisdom? Or perhaps an ultimate harmony with nature as opposed to the sense of it we feel? Krishna's wisdom in the Bhagavad Gita is reflected in many ways other than his words. On the verge of war, Krishna remains calm and wise- he is unaffected by the tumultuous environment that surrounds him, despite the fact that a full army of the bravest men to be found are fearful and nervous. Krishna's ability to calm the soldiers and bring them peace as well as confidence, chasing away their mortal fears. In essence, the environment did not control him- he controlled the environment. This divine trait is perhaps why leaders are so important in our society.

Krishna's Wisdom and Holiness are reflected in the light surrounding his head.

Now, divine or not, Krishna simply used words to ease these warriors' souls and minds, much like a human- no magic or miracle necessary. He set an example for all those he spoke to, because it is very possible for a human to achieve the same feat were he or she to follow the golden rules Krishna presents.

What truly struck me about this writing was the almost naive sincerity presented in it. The amount of faith Krishna has in people is refreshing- he states that "by nature [every man] is full of faith."(131) This eager faith that at least a portion of mankind will do right leads his followers to want to become that faithful and pure subject, and to hope that others aspire to the same goal. Krishna goes on to identify three main kinds of worshipers; "The Pure worship the true God, the Passionate, the powers of wealth and magic, the Ignorant, the spirits of dead and of the lower orders of nature"(131). I find this statement particularly interesting because it is a concept that somewhat reflects the Judaic belief that one must adhere to said religion or burn in hell. Here, Krishna gives examples of multiple believers, but only those who believe in the true god are correct. He mentions that everyone is predisposed to one of these three categories. So how do the 2/3 not born "pure" become true followers? Incidentally enough we can connect another major theme of the Bhagavad Gita to this question in order to answer it- Meditation.

Meditation is a form of self-control, a method of "liberation"(49). It is the power to truly and fully control your mind- an almost divine power. Krishna's ability to use his body as a medium to control the environment and spread information is perhaps what leads to his respect, amongst other things. Perhaps my favorite quote of the book was when Krishna advised Arjuna to practice "with a heart which refuses to be depressed"(53). Again, control is illustrated. A heart which refuses to be depressed implies that we have can have complete control over our disposition, as well as our mindset. I very strongly agree, as my freshman experience in college has been a reflection of it. The first semester, I was depressed because I wanted to be. I was unproductive because I was unhappy and that's how I wanted to be. This semester, everything is the same aside from the fact that I'm starting off behind now, but my cheerful attitude and hopeful heart won't allow anything to get me down! These little life lessons are littered all across the Bhagavad Gita, and the fact that Krishna knows human nature so intimately is perhaps what truly sets him apart and makes the morals of Hinduism so universal, and a worthy read for all kinda of people.

Thus, as the Little Mermaid once said, "You [Krishna] and me, together we can live in harmony!"

The Little Mermaid relates to Hinduism