Bhagavad-Gita Encyclopedia
Part IV
By
The Man Who Saw God Face To Face
The Testimonies Of Raphael Okechukwu Nweze
By
The Man Who Saw God Face To Face
Raphael Okechukwu Nweze
Acknowledgement
The contents are an Edwin Arnold translation SBE vol. 8
Contents in blue colour, where available, were added by the man who saw God face to face.
CHAPTER 13
CREATION AND THE CREATOR
THEORY OF CREATION
Lord Krishna said: O Arjuna, this physical body, the miniature universe, may be called the field or
creation. One who knows the creation is called the creator (or Spirit) by the seers of
truth. (13.01)
O Arjuna, know Me to be the creator of all the creation. The true understanding of both the creator
and the creation is considered by Me to be the transcendental knowledge. (13.02)
What the creation is, what it is like, what its transformations are, where its source is, who that
creator is, and what His powers are, hear all these from Me in brief. (13.03)
The seers have separately described the creation and the creator in different ways in the Vedic
hymns, and also in the conclusive and convincing verses of other scriptures. (13.04)
The primary material Nature, the cosmic intellect, "I" consciousness or ego, five basic elements,
ten organs, mind, five sense objects; and desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, the physical body,
consciousness, and resolve ? thus the entire field has been briefly described with its
transformations. (See also 7.04)(13.05-06)
THE FOURFOLD NOBLE TRUTH AS MEANS OF NIRVANA
Humility, modesty, nonviolence, forgiveness, honesty, service to guru, purity of thought, word, and
deed, steadfastness, self-control; and aversion towards sense objects, absence of ego, constant
reflection on pain and suffering inherent in birth, old age, disease, and death; (13.07-08)
Detachment, non-fondness with son, wife, and home; unfailing equanimity upon attainment of the
desirable and the undesirable; and unswerving devotion to Me through single-minded contemplation,
taste for solitude, distaste for social gatherings and gossips; steadfastness in acquiring the
knowledge of Spirit, and seeing the omnipresent Supreme Being everywhere this is said to be
knowledge. That which is contrary to this is ignorance. (13.09-11)
GOD CAN BE DESCRIBED BY PARABLES, AND NOT IN ANY OTHER WAY
I shall fully describe the object of knowledge. By knowing this one attains immortality. The
beginningless Supreme Being is said to be neither eternal, nor temporal. (See also 9.19, 11.37, and
15.18)(13.12)
The Spirit has His hands, feet, eyes, head, mouth, and ears everywhere, because He is all-pervading
and omnipresent. (13.13)
He is the perceiver of all sense objects without the physical sense organs; unattached, and yet the
sustainer of all; devoid of the three modes of material Nature, and yet the enjoyer of the modes of
material Nature by becoming a living entity. (13.14)
He is inside as well as outside all beings, animate and inanimate. He is incomprehensible because
of His subtlety. And because of His omnipresence, He is very near ? residing in one’s inner psyche;
as well as far away in the Supreme Abode. (13.15)
He is undivided, and yet appears to exist as if divided in beings. He is the object of knowledge,
and appears as the creator, sustainer, and destroyer of all beings. (See also 11.13, and
18.20)(13.16)
The Supreme Being is the source of all lights. He is said to be beyond darkness of ignorance. He is
the Self-knowledge, the object of Self-knowledge, and seated in the inner psyche as consciousness
(See verse 18.61)
of all beings, He is to be realized by Self-knowledge. (13.17)
Thus the creation as well as the knowledge and the object of knowledge have been briefly described
by Me. Having understood this, My devotee attains My Supreme Abode. (13.18)
A DESCRIPTION OF THE SUPREME SPIRIT, SPIRIT, MATERIAL NATURE, AND THE INDIVIDUAL SOULS
Know that both the material Nature and the Spiritual Being are beginningless. All manifestations
and three dispositions of mind and matter, called modes, are born of material Nature. Material
Nature is said to be the cause of production of physical body and organs of perception and action.
Spirit (or Consciousness)is said to be the cause of experiencing pleasures and pains.
(13.19-20)
Spiritual Being enjoys three modes of material Nature by associating with the material Nature.
Attachment to the three modes of material Nature due to ignorance caused by previous Karma is the
cause of birth of living entity in good and evil wombs. (13.21)
The Spirit in the body is the witness, the guide, the supporter, the enjoyer, and the controller.
(13.22)
They who truly understand Spirit and the material Nature with its three modes are not born again
regardless of their way of life. (13.23)
Some perceive the Supersoul in their inner psyche through mind and intellect that have been
purified either by meditation, or by metaphysical knowledge, or by selfless service. (13.24)
FAITH ALONE CAN LEAD TO NIRVANA
Others, however, do not know the yogas of meditation, knowledge, devotion, and work; but they
perform deity worship with faith as mentioned in the scriptures by the saints and sages. They also
transcend death by virtue of their firm faith to what they have heard. (13.25)
Whatever is born ? animate or inanimate ? know them to be born from the union of Spirit and matter,
O Arjuna. (See also 7.06)
(13.26)
The one who sees the same eternal Supreme Lord dwelling as Spirit equally within all mortal beings
truly sees. (13.27)
When one beholds one and the same Lord existing equally in everybeing, one does not injure anybody;
because one considers everything as one’s own self. And thereupon attains the Supreme Abode.
(13.28)
The one who perceives that all works are done by the powers of material Nature truly understands,
and thus does not consider oneself as the doer. (See also 3.27, 5.09, and 14.19)(13.29)
The moment one discovers diverse variety of beings and their different ideas abiding in One, and
coming out from ‘That’ alone, one attains the Supreme Being. (13.30) (“Mankind has defined Love in many terms and contexts, and none has defined it right! Love is the knowledge and realization of the other person as yourself. Love is universal delight and happiness. Love your neighbors as yourself is not a proverb. It is a statement of truth.
There was a girl whose name is N. On several occasions, when I saw her, what I saw in her was not she, but myself. The myself I saw in her was a bright and glorious spirit.
One day, a church leader asked his Council of Ministers, “What is love?” I was the first to answer.
“Love,” I said, “is being able to see yourself in the others (realizing and knowing others as you).”
“Yes!” replied the church leader, and he asked the audience to give a round of applause.")
ATTRIBUTES OF THE SPIRIT (BRAHM)
Because of being beginningless and unaffectable by three modes of material Nature, the eternal
Supersoul even though dwelling in the body as a living entity ? neither does anything nor becomes
tainted, O Arjuna. (13.31)
Just as the all-pervading space is not tainted because of its subtlety; similarly, the Spirit
abiding in all bodies is not tainted. (13.32)
Just as one sun illuminates the entire world; similarly, Spirit gives life to the entire creation,
O Arjuna. (13.33)
They who perceive — with the eye of Self-knowledge — the difference between the creation (or the
body)
and the creator (or the Spirit)
as well as know the technique of liberation of
the living entity from the trap of divine illusory energy (Maya), attain the Supreme. (13.34)
CHAPTER 14
THREE MODES OF MATERIAL NATURE
Lord Krishna said: I shall further explain to you that supreme knowledge, the best of all
knowledge, knowing that all the sages have attained supreme perfection after this life. (14.01)
They who have taken refuge in this transcendental knowledge attain unity with Me; and are neither
born at the time of creation, nor afflicted at the time of dissolution. (14.02)
ALL BEINGS ARE BORN FROM THE UNION OF SPIRIT AND MATTER
My material Nature is the womb of creation wherein I place the seed of Consciousness from which all
beings are born, O Arjuna. (See also 9.10)(14.03)
Whatever forms are produced in all different wombs, O Arjuna, the material Nature is their
body-giving mother; and the Spirit or Consciousness is the life-giving father. (14.04)
HOW THREE MODES OF MATERIAL NATURE BIND THE SPIRIT SOUL TO THE BODY
Goodness, activity, and inertia — these three modes or ropes material Nature fetter the eternal
individual soul to the body, O Arjuna. (14.05)
Of these, the mode of goodness is illuminating and good, because it is pure. The mode of goodness
fetters the living entity by attachment to happiness and knowledge, O sinless Arjuna. (14.06)
Arjuna, know that the mode of passion is characterized by intense craving for sense gratification,
and is the source of material desire and attachment. The mode of passion binds the living entity by
attachment to the fruits of work. (14.07)
Know, O Arjuna, that the mode of ignorance the deluder of living entity ? is born of inertia. The
mode of ignorance binds living entity by carelessness, laziness, and excessive sleep. (14.08)
O Arjuna, the mode of goodness attaches one to happiness of learning and knowing the Spirit, the
mode of passion attaches to action, and the mode of ignorance attaches to negligence by covering
the Self-knowledge. (14.09)
CHARACTERISTICS OF THREE MODES OF NATURE
Goodness prevails by suppressing passion and ignorance; passion prevails by suppressing goodness
and ignorance; and ignorance prevails by suppressing goodness and passion, O Arjuna. (14.10)
When the light of Self-knowledge glitters all the senses in the body, then it should be known that
goodness is predominant. (14.11)
O Arjuna, when passion is predominant; greed, activity, undertaking of selfish works, restlessness,
and excitement arise. (14.12)
O Arjuna, when inertia is predominant; ignorance, inactivity, carelessness, and delusion arise.
(14.13)
THREE MODES ARE ALSO THE VEHICLES OF TRANSMIGRATION FOR THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL
One who dies during the dominance of goodness goes to heaven ? the pure world of knowers of the
Supreme. (14.14)
When one dies during the dominance of passion, one is reborn as attached to action (or the
utilitarian type); and dying in ignorance, one is reborn as lower creatures. (14.15)
The fruit of good action is said to be beneficial and pure, the fruit of passionate action is pain,
and the fruit of ignorant action is laziness. (14.16)
Self-knowledge arises from mode of goodness; greed arises from mode of passion; and negligence,
delusion, and slowness of mind arise from the mode of ignorance. (14.17)
They who are established in goodness go to heaven; passionate persons are reborn in the mortal
world; and the insipid ones, abiding in the mode of ignorance, go to lower planets of hell, or take
birth as lower creatures depending on the degree of their ignorance. (14.18)
ATTAIN NIRVANA AFTER TRANSCENDING THREE MODES OF MATERIAL NATURE
When visionaries perceive no doer other than the powers of the Supreme Being the modes of
material Nature; and know That which is above and beyond these modes; then they attain Nirvana or
salvation. (See also 3.27, 5.09, and 13.29)(14.19)
When one rises above the three modes of material Nature that originate in the body, one attains
immortality or salvation, and is freed from the pains of birth, old age, and death. (14.20)
THE PROCESS OF RISING ABOVE THE THREE MODES
Arjuna said: What are the marks of those who have transcended the three modes of material Nature,
and what is their conduct? How does one transcend these three modes of material Nature, O Lord
Krishna? (14.21)
Lord Krishna said: One who neither hates the presence of enlightenment, activity, and delusion; nor
desires for them when they are absent; who remains like a witness without being affected by the
modes of material Nature; and stays firmly attached to the Lord without wavering ? thinking that
the modes of material Nature only are operating. (14.22-23)
The one who depends on the Lord and is indifferent to pain and pleasure; to whom a clod, a stone,
and gold are alike; to whom the dear and the unfriendly are alike; who is of firm mind, who is calm
in censure and in praise, and the one who is indifferent to honor and disgrace, who is impartial to
friend and foe, and who has renounced the sense of doership ? is said to have transcended the modes
of material Nature. (14.24-25)
BONDS OF THREE MODES CAN BE CUT BY DEVOTIONAL LOVE
The one who offers service to Me with love and unswerving devotion transcends three modes of
material Nature, and becomes fit for Nirvana, or salvation. (See also 7.14 and
15.19)(14.26)
Because, I am the basis (or source)
of the immortal Spirit, of everlasting cosmic order
(Dharma), and of the absolute bliss. (14.27)