Sai Baba Gita - The Chariot of the Human Body

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The Chariot of the Human Body

What is the deeper meaning of this chariot? How many such chariots are there?

The chariot that is being spoken of here is the human body. So there is not

just one chariot but millions upon millions of chariots. Every day, these

chariots move from street to street and house to house, taking the indwelling

resident in procession. You have been developing your vision in such a way that

you see only the body and its external features or the expressions arising from

various feelings and emotional states, but you have not learned to develop the

internal vision, the vision which perceives the indwelling person in this

chariot of the body, and understands who he really is. It is a very rare

individual who attempts to look deeper, beyond the external and superficial

aspect of the body, and beyond the emotional and mental traits of the

individual, to try to discover the sacred divine principle which is there

inside.

The bodies of human beings are not the only chariots. The bodies of animals like

dogs or tigers or elephants are also chariots. In fact, the body of every being

is a chariot. For example, Lord Shiva is depicted as riding on Nandi, the bull.

The bullock is Shiva's chariot. Yet, when you see a bullock, you do not think of

Lord Shiva; still he will be seated there. When you see a rat, you will not be

thinking of Ganesha, the elephant god, who represents the aspects of protection

and wisdom in the divinity. Lord Ganesha will be there, riding on that rat. The

rat is his vehicle, so it is also a chariot in which God is installed. In a

similar way, lions, crows, dogs, snakes, eagles and so many other animals and

birds are used as vehicles for the many different aspects of God. In truth,

every living being is a chariot taking God in procession.

These days you are developing the vision that sees only the chariot. You are

focusing all your concentration on the external decorations. In this age,

almost your entire time is spent on adorning the chariot and seeing to the

comforts and pleasures of the body. As a result, you are paying attention only

to the external differences and you are not spending any time trying to see the

indweller.

"Therefore, Arjuna," said Krishna, "know that all these people about whom you

are so concerned, are only chariots. They may be grandfathers, they may be

brothers, they may be cousins, whoever they may be, they are only chariots. In

truth, you are seeing only chariots in the form of these various relatives and

teachers. You have been keeping your vision clouded by seeing only the body.

But a sacred person like you should not care so much for externals. You must

concentrate your mind on the indweller who is seated in every human body. Then

only will your vision become sacred. Such sacred vision alone can provide the

basis for your victory.

"Only a person who has sacred vision can achieve success in great undertakings.

Arjuna, people are giving the same value to the shadow as they give to that

which is casting the shadow; they are giving the same value to the reflection

as they give to the one whose reflection they are seeing. But that is not

correct. The unchanging, sacred principle which has given rise to all these

shadows and reflections is the eternal self. It is the atma. Its value is

unlimited and beyond all measure. On the other hand, the external beauties of

these bodies and all the thoughts and feelings and behaviors that are being

manifested in these bodies, are all just images. They are only shadows or

reflections without any real substance or lasting value."

When Arjuna gave so much value to mere reflections, he was displaying his

ignorance. His was not a worldly type of ignorance, but ignorance related to

the spirit. Arjuna had not developed his inner vision. He was not yet able to

discriminate between that which is real and that which is unreal. In order to

save him from all the misunderstandings and confusion which would inevitably

arise when there is a lack of inner vision, Krishna undertook to teach Arjuna

the sacred knowledge of the eternal self. Krishna instructed Arjuna in the

spiritual exercises which had to be practiced in order to attain this highest

wisdom.

http://www.atmapress.com/saibabagita/saigita287.html

Sai Baba Gita, Compiled and edited by Al Drucker - Published by Atma Press -

http://www.atmapress.com - ISBN: 0963844903Online Edition:

http://www.atmapress.com/saibabagita/index.html