Our life is based on the vision that we possess of ourselves and the world around us. Vision is that inner conviction that colors what we perceive and interprets all that we experience. It is on the foundation of this inner vision alone that we respond to the outer world of situations and experiences. Thus we are truly what our vision is. The Bhagavad-gītā emphasizes this when it declares: “Yoyacchraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ – Man is what his vision is.”
A noble vision leads to right perception and creates a joyous world around while a distorted vision causes but distress to oneself and creates manifold suffering to the world around. We are thus the architects of our world. A profound Sanskrit maxim captures this idea beautifully: “Yathā driṣṭi tathā srṣṭi — As the vision so the creation.”
The Bhagavad-gītā enumerates three types of visions:
• The vision of unity in diversity (i.e. all-inclusive vision),
• The vision of plurality that disregards the underlying unity (i.e. the
divisive vision), and
• The vision of narrow reality (i.e. the extremist vision)
These three visions are termed sāttvic, rājasic, and tāmasic, respectively. A
sāttvic vision is noble and is all-inclusive. Herein, all perceptions of division are resolved in a vision of the unitary reality. A rājasic vision gives undue
importance to multiplicities and is therefore inherently divisive. A tāmasic vision is the worst: it is irrational, breeds fanaticism and unleashes suffering upon all.
The individual endowed with a sāttvic all-inclusive vision is free from
attachment, devoid of ego, endowed with tenacity and zeal, and equanimous in success and failure. The one possessed by a rājasic vision is full of attachment, greedy for success and glory, oppressive in nature and impure in thought and deed. The tāmasic vision breeds narrow fundamentalism and cannot but transform a person into a demon albeit in human form. Such individuals lack control of mind, are uncultured, conceited, become wicked and slothful and bring wanton suffering upon all around them.
A sāttvic vision – noble and at once true –can flood us with joy and fulfillment and also render the world a beautiful place for all. Today there is utmost dearth of this vision which has taken humankind to needless suffering. To learn, cultivate and disseminate this sāttvic vision of all-inclusiveness has therefore become the urgent mission of our times, indeed more than in any other period of history.
The Bhagavad Gita is a profound scripture that has been given to humanity as a “gift” from the Lord as a manual of guidance to live a life of equanimity, fulfillment, happiness and perfection. It is the very essence of the sacred Upanishads and no treatise excels it. Chinmaya International Foundation(CIF), the Academia of Sanskrit Research and Indic Studies is housed in Adi Sankara Nilayam, the hallowed maternal birth home of the great saint, savant and philosopher Sri Adi Sankara. CIF’s latest offering is a uniquely structured programme on the Bhagavad Gita titled Master Gita Master Life, a Certificate Course, for the benefit of all those who desire to study the Bhagavad Gita indepth at a convenient pace.
The programme, which will commence from 12th January 2019, covers the
entire 18 chapters in 20 months, with the option of attending onsite too. The
Online students will be given access to video recordings of the sessions to listen,study, assimilate and contemplate upon the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita.
The MGML course will cover in a comprehensive and detailed manner every single verse of the Gita with precision and clarity. Swami Advayananda, the resident in-charge of Chimaya International Foundation, and President of the Executive Council Chinmaya University will conduct the main sessions. The learning will also be facilitated through group discussions, Q&A and meditation and Gita chanting sessions led by Br. Ved Chaitanya.
For further information : please log onto: https://www.chinfo.org/mastergitamasterlife
or Contact: Br. Ved (brvedchaitanya@chinfo.org) and Ms. Sumedha Kulkarni (sumedha@chinfo.org)
