Are they really interested in the Bhagavad Gita?

Hare Krishna.

I was just wondering how fortunate we are to get such a clear understanding of the philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita. There is no confusion in our mind about the goal of life, and about the goal of the Bhagavad Gita.

I always knew in my heart that the Bhagavad Gita is THE book! I knew it all my thinking life (i.e. after the mind developed enough to think about it), even before coming in touch with Srila Prabhupada. And I am feeling so fortunate this moment that I am actually in a position to study and understand the Gita as it is from a pure devotee (Prabhupada) of the speaker of the Gita. Not only that, I can practically see how, by the mercy of Prabhupada, I am actually, in a minute way, living by the Gita. And I can also see that if I continue to follow Prabhupada's instructions, I will be able to follow the Gita more and more in my life. What amazingly great fortune.

How many so-called followers of the Gita can say that they are following (or trying to follow) in truth their own understanding of the Bhagavad Gita? How many can really get that satisfaction of following the Bhagavad Gita? Will it be too wrong to say that only followers of Prabhupada can very happily and honestly claim that they are following the Bhagavad Gita? Can those who try to eek out some other conclusion (other than Bhakti) from the Bhagavad Gita ever get its real spiritual benefit? Can they really get advanced spiritually by keeping Krishna as a secondary factor in their understanding of the Gita? If yes, where are the examples? Are the people who say that all the Gita is teaching is "All Gods are equal" or "Do your work and dont worry about the results" getting any spiritual bliss? "All Gods are same" effectively means there is no Supreme Person. And "Do your work and dont worry about the results" means purely material consciousness with no spiritual principles present.

And about the other paths explained in the Gita (which also ultimately lead to devotional service to Krishna as also explained in the Gita itself)... who can follow these paths in this age? Can you follow Dhyana Yoga? Well, people dont really know what it is! Because they really havent studied the Gita! But those who have, can they follow it? ARE they following it? And then there are those who very proudly say that they are following Karma Yoga. Do they know that Krishna is instructing them in the Gita to surrender all their activities to Him? Do they know?? And I dont think there are many who say they are Gyan Yogis :) because just like Dhyana Yoga, Gyan Yoga also involves austerities! Can they do? Can they?

So then, despite all these facts, why not intelligently take up the path of Bhakti which Krishna mentions all over the Gita as being the best? Why not? What is the problem? Isnt it that they are not really interested? Isnt it that they dont really care about what the Gita says? And if so, isnt this the most unfortuante fact? This world is full of people who are so unfortunate that they have no interest in the teachings if the Gita. Even if some people seem to have, they really dont, because if they did, they would have intelligently chosen Bhakti as their way of life.

Our dearest Srila Prabhupada has made this highest process so very easily available to us. We should be so so grateful to him. We should vow to dedicate our lives to him without whom our lives would have been useless.

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!!

I beg and pray to him that he takes me totally under his infallible shelter and makes me his most menial and insignificant sevant.

Your servant, Abhijit.