The Silence of Wind

​As in the storm,

a cloud split from its cluster,

wandering afar, losing its grip.

Frightened and trembling,

it shivered beneath the sun,

searching for the warmth it once knew.

“Where is the grip?”

it gasped into the restless air,

but the wind carried only silence.

Alone between sky and earth,

it drifted without direction —

a soul untethered in the vastness above.

2026 Lesson 9 – CHAPTER III: Karma Yoga, v. 10-26

 

Bindu

 

1. Old-fashioned Thinking (Prajapati's Way) 

 

I often wait for the 'right circumstances' before acting, as if external factors must align for me to move forward. This comes from a belief that life is shaped from the outside rather than from consciousness. Krishna's upgraded perspective in the Gita shows that real progress happens when I act from inner clarity instead of dependency or fear. 

I was brought up in an old‑fashioned, Prajapati‑style environment. In childhood, what you see and absorb becomes deeply rooted, even without direct teaching. In school and college, we couldn't openly show interest in boys because it was considered improper and damaging to one's 'character,' which was seen as essential for a suitable arranged marriage. Being in love simply wasn't part of the vocabulary during those times. A good marriage depended on staying away from boys and maintaining a certain reputation. We accepted it not because anyone lectured us, but because that was the culture we observed. 

Even during those times, many girls who grew up in India and later came to the UK still ended up marrying someone chosen by their parents back home. It has become a pattern—almost a custom. Perhaps that is part of the reason I also married the way I did. It wasn't that my husband personally insisted on marrying someone from India; it was his parents who felt he must marry a girl from Kerala, believing she would live an obedient, traditional, old‑fashioned life. 

Looking back, I can see how much of this mindset was inherited rather than consciously chosen—exactly what the Gita calls the old worldview. Krishna's teaching invites us to re‑examine these ingrained patterns and move from external control to inner freedom. 

 

2. Superstitious or Unquestioned Beliefs 

 

One belief many people talk about is the idea of the evil eye. It isn't part of any one religion; I've seen people from completely different cultures believe in it. 

• Christians often say 'touch wood' after mentioning something good—culturally, this is meant to prevent bad luck. 
• Muslims say 'masha Allah,' expressing admiration while preventing envy from causing harm. 
• Hindus say 'bless you' or similar phrases, sometimes using gestures like touching the forehead or applying a tilak for protection. 

I also use these phrases mainly to comfort the person I am speaking to. Even after reading this section of the Gita, I suspect I will still say them because I don't want others to feel uncomfortable. Change begins only when you consciously start within yourself—but habits like these are so deep‑rooted that stopping them is not easy. 

When I reflect on it, these expressions are less about religious teaching and more about emotional comfort. They make the speaker feel safe, and they reassure the listener. These habits have been passed down through generations, so deeply rooted that we use them automatically without questioning why. 

Superstitions like these are endless. People hold on to them because they offer psychological relief, a sense of control, or a feeling of protection. In many ways, they help us cope with uncertainty. 

But from a yogic or Gita perspective, these beliefs arise from fear rather than clarity. The Gita encourages us not to depend on external rituals or protective phrases, but to cultivate inner awareness, understanding, and strength. It gently invites us to examine these inherited patterns and ask whether they are truly necessary—or simply comforting habits we cling to without thinking. 

 

3. A Moment of Life Change 

 

Change is a natural part of life. Everything in this universe is moving—particles inside us and the world outside us—and this is something I slowly began to understand through my interest in manifestation. I realised that the seeds we plant in our mind are the seeds that grow. Just like a lawn, if we don't take care of it, weeds appear; over time, those weeds can take over and destroy the lawn completely. In the same way, if I don't pay attention to my inner world, negative thoughts can grow and overpower me. 

A turning point came when I realised that the elevation of thought is not a one‑day practice. It must be continuous. We clean our body every day because it is visible and obvious, but the mind requires even deeper cleaning. If the mind becomes cluttered or dark, light cannot enter; and without light, there is no radiance in our thoughts, actions, or life. 

This realisation led me to the Gita. I understood that spiritual growth is like maintaining a garden—constant attention, awareness, and nourishment are needed. The Gita helped me recognise that true transformation begins inside. When the mind becomes clear, the light naturally spreads through both mind and body, lifting me to a higher way of living. 

 

4. Understanding Detachment 

 

Earlier, I thought detachment meant becoming distant from my duties to family or work. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by my dedication to both, and in those moments I want to run away from everything. During such times, I even book holidays thinking that if I go somewhere else, I can detach from all responsibilities and find peace. 

But through Krishna's teaching, I realised that this is not real detachment. Krishna clarifies that detachment means acting with clarity, without anxiety about results. It means staying engaged, but with a calm and balanced mind. 

True detachment is not withdrawal or escape—it is the ability to remain centred even while fulfilling responsibilities. Detached action leads us toward the Supreme because it is free from fear, pressure, and craving. It is a state where actions come from steadiness, not stress. Instead of running away from life, detachment helps us face life with inner peace. 

 

5. Additional Reflection 

The Gita teaches a powerful shift: from a world controlled by gods → to a world guided by consciousness.
This gives me back my own freedom and responsibility. It helps me live fully without fear or pressure, and makes my actions more peaceful and meaningful. Krishna explains that the highest way to live is through unitive action—acting with intelligence, calmness, and without attachment. This kind of action is not about controlling others. Instead, it brings harmony and makes life better for everyone. The wise person does not force their ideas on others, show superiority, or try to "fix" people. These behaviours come from insecurity, not from true wisdom. Unitive action respects different viewpoints while staying grounded in clarity and kindness. It avoids fanaticism, judgement, and moral arrogance.This does not mean we passively accept harm. Discernment is still important. But the Gita invites us to align with the natural intelligence and generosity already present in life. When we do this, kindness arises naturally, action becomes creative, and responsibility becomes joyful instead of heavy.

In this way, action changes from a burden into a form of freedom.

 

Love Bindu x

 

Scott: That’s right, Bindu, Prajapati is alive and well even in our time, despite 2,000 years of Krishna’s advice to move on to a more scientific orientation. Fortunately, it’s “good enough,” most of the time.

         For most of history, marriages were arranged. The “love marriage” goes back only about 100 years, and it isn’t more successful than the other kind. But keeping the sexes separate during youth is an unfortunate way to compound our ignorance. Love marriages have a better chance of success if the lovers are well educated, and that isn’t always supported by the culture.

         The world seems to be sliding back into mystification of the Other, in all its forms, after a short period of inviting its participation and integration.

         We can’t much affect the tides of humanity, but we can stand above them to some degree, and that’s what Krishna is advocating. A lot of unnecessary suffering comes from intentional ignorance, reinforced by pseudo-religious ideals, energized by—let’s face it—hormonal derangement.

         For the second exercise, I was hoping to get beyond those simple-minded cultural expressions to true distortions of the psyche. Even I use “knock on wood” sometimes, as another way of saying “let’s hope so,” and it doesn’t involve any superstition on my part. There are other cultural habits that distort life significantly, and marriage stipulations are a very good example you raised. When we question why we believe in something, we may find it is grounded in habits that were enforced by purportedly divine decrees long, long ago, and are still in play in the unquestioned parts of our lives. Your last sentence in part 2 perfectly sums up what I was getting at.

         You’re right, Bindu, the Gita is an excellent cleansing agent for our thinking, and spiritual life is a lot like maintaining a garden within. Before he ever became my official Guru, Nitya wrote me, in 1971: “My lot is of a clumsy old gardener who cuts and prunes the bushes and hunts out the vermin and the fungus that come to destroy the delicate buds of his blossoming bushes.”

         Beautiful description of detachment, Bindu. Wanting to run away from everything reminded me of a favorite passage from Nitya, in That Alone, page 145:

 

   When I was a student, I felt very miserable. The whole college situation seemed meaningless, so I wrote a letter to my principal stating I was going away. He sent back a note asking me to come and see him before I left. When I went to his office, he invited me to lunch with his wife and him. He said “It’s a fine thing that you want to leave on finding that this place is not meaningful to you anymore. That’s very good. But tell me, when you go away, are you going to take your mind with you also, or are you going to leave that here?”

   “Surely I take my mind with me wherever I go.”

   “That means you’ll be taking the same sorrow, sadness, suspicion, doubts, misery, everything with you. It will be the same in the place where you go because you are taking all this with you. If you can leave your mind here and run away from it, fine.”

   This is so true. I get letters almost every day from people who say that they want to get away, to run away. Go away where? We think all the misery is because we are with certain people and certain situations. When we move away it will again be a wonderful world. If you can create a wonderful world in another place, you can create it where you are now, too.

   Ultimately, what is? Only the light from within you, which is illuminating your life. What is illuminated becomes colored, darkened by the venom that comes from within your own previous conditionings. You become entangled in your conditioned misconceptions. But if we look back to the source of illumination, we become less affiliated with the murkiness around us.

   It’s up to us to make our world miserable or beautiful.

 

A round of applause for your Additional Reflection, Bindu. Words to remember!

 

Gopica

 

Luckily my households did not have much superstitious beliefs except for the rituals that we follow during festivities and new moon/full moon day.

I had seen those rituals done to maintain the harmony at our home abiding the elders, few started fading away when they had left us physically.

 

The Contract vs Consciousness Clash

In my final feedback session, the leader shared: "Everything cannot be written in contracts."

My American corporate frame (10+ years of crystal-clear roles) met a new reality:

Contract said: Training, counselling, supervision = my role

Collaborators claimed: "That's our domain"

Leader's vision: Fluid alignment beyond paper

 

Karma Yoga Mirror (Verses 10-26)

Old Gopica: "Show me the contract!"

New Gopica: "Serve the greater purpose."

 

The U-turn confusion → Krishna's teaching: "Work for the work's sake, not personal gain"

Unitive Attitude Born

Disappointment transformed into learning. This community-focused workplace demands heart alignment over paperwork.

My role: Serve the greater good, not protect my scope.

 

Verse 25 Resonance:

"As the ignorant act with attachment, the wise should act without attachment, for world welfare."

Takeaway: Contracts define minimums. Consciousness expands possibilities. 

Karma Yoga = selfless service beyond superstition and rigid frames.

 

Thanks & Warm Regards,

Gopica

 

Scott: I love the recounting of your work problem, Gopica, and how it fits with the Gita’s teaching. That’s exactly the point of sharing this wisdom: to make it real in our everyday life.

         You are fortunate to have a wise leader, who invites you to a more expansive outlook. Many managers are constrained to limited actions, and pass that mentality along to their subordinates. In the mistaken idea of being helpful guidance, individual initiative is being drained out of public life by an explosion of rules.. Doctors and others are forced to follow strict guidelines instead of including their own intuition, and much is lost. It’s good you have encouragement to give your best in your job. We’ll love to hear more of how you apply the teachings in future lessons, Gopica.

 

Bailey

 

     Thanks, Scott, for the quotation from Verse 95, That Alone.  My copy of that book did survive the Great Flood that ended our Loghouse years, and I will reread the whole chapter.  And thanks, Bindu, for your very lucid recounting of/reflecting on your story. “Growth does not come from avoiding life, but from engaging with it wholeheartedly, even when the path feels uncertain.”  Words that resonate with me!  Encouraging words! As for Scott’s comment that Eve made the right choice – well, even Milton’s Paradise Lost can regard the Fall as in some essential sense Fortunate.  Satan in that poem is indeed the most interesting character, whose rebelliousness tends to draw our sympathies.  But I would be wary, myself, of embracing the Serpent’s advice as disinterested words of wisdom.  Go for it, Eve!  Go for the power, see as God sees and then do what you want!  “You”?  as opposed to “God”? or to “me” – after all “our” interests aren’t exactly the same are they? “You”, “me” “I” – a cacophony of conflicting, guna-nourished desires, resentments, urges,  fears, longings etc etc.  Isn’t this Ego 101: welcome to duality, folks!  The idea of Satan as a master humorist is attractive, too.  The Trickster of Divinity Land!  The poet Robert Frost once rhymed: “Oh Lord forgive the little tricks that I have played on Thee/and I’ll forgive the great big joke that you have put on me.”   Let us beware, though, of appropriating for oneself a phrase, at a particular moment,  by a poet, a phrase that suited his mood at some particular moment (changeable, those moments), mood for which for which he found a nifty rhyme.  Bravo Robert Frost! Er, what was that joke?  Does it amount to some variant of the “poor me”lament?  I better like another of your brief poems:  “The way a crow/shook down on me/dust of snow/from a hemlock tree/has given my heart a change of mood/and saved some part/of a day I had rued.”

     

     Scott’s prompt: discuss a moment when you took a resolve to change the course of your life in an important way. I am thinking about this in regard to verse 19’s challenge to “engage in actions that are necessary”.  In my last response I recalled how our sojourn in India and contact with Nataraja Guru clarified for me that finishing my thesis was my necessary action, and how, after our return to France that was accomplished (with help from family and friends). What then? I recounted how I found myself in another moment of paralysis: standing on a Paris street corner on a cold November day (1979, as I now remember) unable to decide which way to go.  The necessary action that day turned out to be accepting that my conscious brain was defeated and to allow underlying consciousness (reference here to Scott’s comments on EO Wilson and verse 15) to lead me back to the comfort of the dancing fire in my hearth.  Then what?  A larger course of action to resolve upon?  Ah.  In fact that resolution had already been taken, back in August. In the course of a weekend together in our little Burgundy cottage Christine, back from India where she had become involved with a Gurukula friend (Jean Letschert) and I (who had become involved during that summer’s excavations with an American student, Kitch) decided that our paths had to separate, at least for a time.  We discovered we could do this without anger, without rancor, without foreclosing the future.  We agreed that in some deeper sense whatever our marriage meant it would continue to mean, whatever else we did. So, I would join Kitch for the Christmas holidays in her native North Carolina and then bring her back to Paris with me.  Christine would move out of our apartment –as it happened she moved in with Kathleen, the same friend we will be rejoining in Paris in a few weeks. Looking back from here, how naïve, how reckless it all seems! The other, larger practical questions: how to survive, what future to plan, how to prepare for...  we would deal with all that on an as-best-we-can, one-thing-at-a-time basis.  I could make some money teaching English as I continued to build my career as an archaeologist, to look for grants, for jobs in France or the USA.  Yes, we were living precariously.  But it felt right – or perhaps what I mean to say is that it felt like the necessary way to go.  Where you are going you don’t always know. Nonetheless, you have to put your trust somewhere.  Wasn’t that how we came to decide to go to India?

          

        There are three subsequent moments when I came to a resolution and acted upon it that I shall discuss here.  Of course there was the divorce (1982) and remarriage (1983) decisions, yes, but neither was really my resolution: it was clear what Kitch wanted and I went along. (Christine went along too, though she would not herself have requested divorce; we used the same lawyer, an archaeological chum of mine, and after the judgment walked to a favorite café on the Ile St. Louis to share an ice cream treat.  My first moment of deliberate resolve occurred when Kitch and I were staying with archaeological chums near Aix-en-Provence late summer 1984.  They had rather energetic two-year-old twin boys. Kitch took advantage of a moment we were by ourselves to propose: let’s have a baby!  I knew in that instant that it was necessary for me to choose (I can still see the look in her eyes, a look that was also a promise; the thought of fatherhood had always scared me): I said OK, yes.  I did have a temporary teaching job in a French university at that point; maybe it could be made permanent?  My archaeological credentials were getting stronger. The chances of a teaching job in America were starting to look a little better. Our life were still precarious, but not hand-to-mouth.  All of this, and much more was back there somewhere in consciousness when the conscious brain and my voice said Yes, I agree to having a baby. I knew it was now or never, and that Kitch was sure of her desire and reliable to live up to it: that I could count on her as a mother, take a chance on myself as a father.   

      

         The second moment: late summer 1987, a restaurant in the mountain town of Grenoble, where my oldest French friends, Michel and Geraldine, were then living.

 I had met them in back 1969, before they were married, just before I myself met Christine. They had been witnesses at our 1974 Flavigny wedding; when I told them Christine and I were separating Michel strenuously sought to dissuade me (“sell French fries on the beach and stay together!”); but they embraced Kitch and their house was among the first to welcome baby Emma (born Feb 28, 1986).  That day we had driven back into France from Italy, where we had been visiting artist friends near the Carrara marble quarries, accompanied by my mother.  I was driving, en route to taking her to Paris for her return flight.  Michel fixed my eye. Now, what is your plan? No one knew better than they all the angles of my situation in France, knew our history too, and our personalities.  My teaching gig at Lille had ended not long after Emma’s birth; I had been unemployed the past year; the chances of another job coming up anytime soon were not promising. And I was past 40.  “We think it is time to cut bait here, seek your future in the USA.”  I wasn’t expecting to hear it put so bluntly with my mother there, too. I wasn’t really surprised, though.  For a year I had been wavering, focused on the demands and the wonders of being a full-time father to a new baby, especially in a house where my polio-handicapped wife couldn’t carry her down the stairs to the kitchen. In the summer the excavations demanded, and rewarded, my energies, so it was possible to avoid too much thinking, then, consciously, about what needed to be done longer term. But also impossible not to think about it.   All these years I had managed to hang on in France—could I just leap the Atlantic now, blindly, with my family? Michel and Geraldine’s challenge that evening helped my resolution.  Yes, that was the necessary action to take.  A leap of faith? (Like returning from India in 1973?) Well, we could stay in North Carolina with Kitch’s mother and we had friends, too.  Friend Carole got me a kind of visiting faculty status at UNC, where she was professor; a car was made available by other friends, on unlimited loan. My work, its originality, my archaeological credentials were better known now, in medieval circles; I gave invited lectures. A medievalist I met at the History convention at New Year’s arranged for a one-year visiting job at Chicago-Loyola; there would be money, through a small foundation, to support my returning to France in the summer for the excavations...  I had gambled and was getting my chance, getting by, as the Beatles had sung, with a little help from your friends.

     The third moment takes us to the Spring of 1994.  The Loyola year had been followed by a two-year non-tenure-track appointment at Assumption College in Worcester, Mass.  I had succeeded in getting this extended –a third year, a fourth—as the History Department was happy enough to have me to support my unprecedented promotion (as non tenure-track) to Associate Professor.  I was publishing, giving papers at conferences, working with the Director of the French Institute to create a program in France (the Assumptionists are a French order).  I was on the lookout for tenure-track jobs, of course.  One was announced in 1992 at Eastern Illinois University, then withdrawn.  I loved fathering Emma so much that when Kitch proposed taking advantage of our generous insurance to follow up I said sure, and in March 1991 Zachary Lewis was born. Not a tough decision this time—though we were still precariously situated I had gained confidence in myself as a husband, a father, a scholar, a practicing archaeologist... And perhaps a confidence in the Tao?  Then, in the Fall of 1991 the bottom fell out in family life.  What I can say here is that Kitch and her siblings (two sisters and a brother) began to have “recovered memories” of childhood sexual abuse.  One sister’s marriage was destroyed; the other became alcoholic, was abandoned by her husband; the brother killed himself.  Kitch survived, with help from therapy and from our church. She remained a good strong mother, but our relationship suffered.  I became depressed.  I saw a therapist and began taking an anti-depressant.  I was lucky in my therapist. He helped me see how deeply-rooted my own problems were.  Though oppressed by dread as the winter of 1994 deepened with no certainty that Assumption would rehire me another year I soldiered on as best I could.  Then in February came a phone call from the Chairman of the History Department at Eastern Illinois University.  They had just gotten a green light to reopen the search for a medievalist. Was I interested?  Two weeks later I was on a plane to Charleston.  I was prepared. I was confident in my abilities, in my credentials.  No need to wonder now about necessary actions—act.  Soon after my return to Worcester I was offered, and accepted, a tenure-track job 19 years after obtaining my PhD.  At age 50. In March I attended a scholarly conference where I met, for the first time in years, Bernard W, my thesis co-director at Penn.  This calls for celebration!  The inner voice warns: you’re not supposed to drink alcohol while taking these anti-depressants.  OK – let’s throw away the anti-depressants.  Don’t need them anymore!  So is that the resolution? Not exactly, though I did drink Guiness with Bernard and friends that evening instead taking the pill (and had a very interesting, quasi-psychedelic night, and was later chided for stopping abruptly & cold-turkey instead of tapering off.)  The resolution came in May, when at my request Kitch and I met together with her therapist, my therapist and a third one we didn’t know—a marriage counselor, perhaps.  It was time to prepare for the move to Illinois, to a future that for the first time looked un-precarious and viable.  My resolution, I told them all, was to stop therapy for myself.  I would not look for another therapist in Illinois.  I was duly grateful for the help I had received; now I was resolved to take full responsibility for myself.

     There have been ups and downs since August 1994 –there always are, aren’t there?  The marriage with Kitch failed  (or did it? perhaps it is fair to say it had just come to the end of its line, but we again used the same lawyer for our divorce, agreed on financial arrangements, agreed to cooperate as fully as possible in raising the kids – “putting their interests first”—and I believe we have both kept our word.  We are friends today, Christine and I, with Kitch and her husband Bruce.) The second marriage with Christine, celebrated in Charleston in the Fall of 1998, continues.

 

       Meanwhile Donald Trump continues to sow havoc, suffering and destruction.  Thank you Scott and Deb for taking a stand at the No Kings rally—a number of Meadowood residents attended the one here.  I take heart as I close this response on Easter day that Leo XIV, our new Pope who is a fan of the Chicago White Sox, spoke out so clearly and forcefully today in Rome against war and the habit of seeking to solve problems with violence.

 

Scott: It’s wonderful how the Gita is prompting you to review your life, Bailey. You’re at the right stage for it. Curiously, I just prepped Atmo verse 64 for our in-person class, and that That Alone chapter has a lot about memory. You might find it timely. I always remember a short paragraph in it that includes:

 

Memory recall affects your nervous system. When I was writing The Fable of a Yati, my autobiography, and reaching deep into my memories, it was very painful. When I told Nataraja Guru that I was writing my autobiography, he said, “You are very young. You can wait until you grow old.”

 

A lot of it is about detachment from memories, so maybe don’t bother. You’re on a roll revisiting your history, and it seems now’s the time. Go for it!

         Speaking of which, it’s great to see the Pope standing for sanity and peaceful reconciliation, in a world gone insane once again. It’s one thing that’s different from the Nazi playbook at center stage. And presumably the Pope’s in a job where he can’t be fired by Trump for daring to care.

         I wonder if the perennial madness, with its vivid threats, makes such old stuff as the Gita seem irrelevant? We may be forced to go back to survival mode, while matters of the heart are stamped out. It’s impossible to forget Orwell’s conclusion in 1984:

 

“There will be no curiosity, no enjoyment of the process of life. All competing pleasures will be destroyed. But always— do not forget this, Winston— always there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing and constantly growing subtler. Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless.

   “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face— forever.”

 

I have found the philosophy to be immaculately restorative. So far. For me at least, 9/11 was our Reichstag fire, and I woke up nauseous every morning. But I had Love and Blessings to edit and upgrade, and it took me two full years. I put in at least two hours every day, and by the end of the session, I was restored to what passes for my normal: balanced, resolute, and guardedly optimistic. The next morning, I would again wake up drenched in dread of the implacability of hate. I knew I had never accurately anticipated the future, so I hoped I was wrong. Like you with your archaeology, I had Nitya and Nataraja’s genius to delve into, dig up and preserve. I’m not unlike an alcoholic, needing a daily dose of wisdom to keep me well. I still medicate myself constantly, and these classes are part of my maintenance program. Glory Hallelujah!

         Here’s a favorite Frost poem for you:

 

Fire and Ice

by Robert Frost

 

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

 

Gita 2026 Lesson 8 - CHAPTER III: Karma Yoga Unitive Action, v 1-9

 Bindu

Chapter 3 ( 1-9) of the Bhagavad Gita reminded me that life cannot

be paused, avoided, or held at a distance. Action is always

unfolding, even when we convince ourselves that doing nothing is

safer. Arjuna’s confusion felt deeply familiar to me because I, too,

have often hesitated to act when I could not clearly see the

consequences or when a task felt overwhelming. One of the most

significant examples in my life is the opportunity I had twenty

years ago to join the finance team at my company and earn an

accounting degree for free. I wanted to take that step, but I allowed

myself to be discouraged by a colleague who insisted that my

regular holidays in India would make it impossible. My best friend

Alicia, who was already working in finance, encouraged me to

join, but I ignored her advice. This remains the only regret I carry.

Alicia went on to embrace every learning opportunity the company

offered, and after taking redundancy, she joined the BBC finance

team. When I look back now, I sometimes joke that I “listened to

the devil,” much like Eve in the old story, and the humour in that

softens the sting of regret. Yet Krishna’s teaching—that

knowledge and action must be united—speaks directly to this

moment in my life. I now understand that I grow most when I

engage with life directly, even when it feels messy or uncertain,

rather than allowing fear or hesitation to guide me.

My journey has also been shaped by periods of loneliness

and distraction. When I came to the UK in my twenties, I left

behind my friends, my education, and the familiar rhythms of

home. I felt inexperienced in running a household, especially since

back home my only responsibility had been to study. Everything

here felt new, strange, and emotionally distant. Even though I was

surrounded by people, I often felt alone, and the recent addition of

extended family did not ease the solitude I carried inside. As

technology grew, I found comfort in social media—WhatsApp

groups, school groups, college friends, and endless online

conversations. These connections felt exciting, almost intoxicating,

and for a while they filled the emotional gaps in my life. But like

all things shaped by Maya, the excitement was shortlived.

Eventually, I realised that I had become tangled in distractions that

pulled me away from my own existence here. When that awareness

came, I withdrew from everything that once absorbed me and

entered a kind of capsule focused on building my career and

rediscovering myself.

This shift in focus brought its own lessons. I remember

turning down a higher job offer because it did not feel fair to

others, and in that moment I recognised how much I had grown

from the mistakes of my past. My biggest breakthroughs have

always come after failing, reflecting, and choosing differently.

Accepting mistakes as part of my growth has helped me remain

calmer and more confident in both my work and personal life.

Instead of seeing failure as something to hide, I now see it as a

teacher—one that has shaped my resilience, my clarity, and my

sense of purpose.

The chapter’s teaching on sacrifice also resonated deeply

with me. For much of my life, I believed sacrifice meant giving

something up or doing something unpleasant for someone else.

Now I understand it differently. Sacrifice can be a freely chosen

action, something done from a place of integrity rather than

obligation. It can mean dedicating time to help a colleague,

focusing on my health, or learning a new skill—not because I

must, but because I choose to grow and contribute. When I act

from this place of intention, I feel more alive, more grounded, and

more connected to the world around me. This shift in

understanding has transformed the way I approach my

responsibilities and relationships.

Ultimately, Chapter 3, verses 1–9, reminds me that spiritual

growth is not about escaping life but participating fully in it—with

awareness, balance, and intention. Life becomes richer when

thought and action are aligned, when choices are made

consciously, and when I act without clinging to every outcome. My

journey—from regret to reflection, from distraction to clarity, from

obligation to chosen action—mirrors the very teachings Krishna

offers Arjuna. Growth does not come from avoiding life, but from

engaging with it wholeheartedly, even when the path feels

uncertain. Through this understanding, I continue to learn how to

live with purpose, courage, and a deeper sense of inner freedom.

Love Bindu x

Scott: Good story about your regret about the finance team, Bindu.

We aren’t very good at listening to our authentic inner voice, and

have learned in childhood to pay attention to what others are

telling us. There’s no sharp line between them, but in spiritual life

we slowly learn to pay more heed to our inner inclinations. If

nothing more, they need to be taken into account. This chapter

focuses on at least making our choices freer than our polite

obedience to other people might dictate.

Eve didn’t listen to the “Devil,” she listened to the serpent. If

you read Genesis closely, the serpent was the wise one who told

the truth, and Yahweh lied, trying to prevent the humans from

becoming like gods, knowing good and evil, and becoming

immortal. I like to imagine that gods and demons speak through

humans (who are oblivious of it, for the most part), and we should

consider that what we hear might be one or the other (symbolically

speaking, of course), but it’s still up to us to make our own

decisions.

Eve made the right choice! Curmudgeons and woman-haters

have always tried to curse her, but we should not accede to their

prejudice.

Chapter III is headed toward an upgrading of action to free

choice grounded in the Absolute:

17) But for those who happen to be attached to the Self alone,

who find full satisfaction in the Self—for those who are happy

in the Self as such, there is nothing that they should do.

18) Neither is there anything indeed for them resulting from

work done, nor anything from work omitted here, nor is there

either for them any dependence in respect to anything derivable

from any being whatsoever.

19) Therefore always remain detached, engage yourself in

actions that are necessary; indeed, performing actions with

detachment one attains to the Supreme.

There are so many distractions these days, for us to get

entangled in! The detachment advised here is what you chose,

Bindu, when social media no longer felt fulfilling. I definitely

support turning the arrow of interest inward, toward the heart.

There is so much entertainment, that it takes a long time to wean

ourselves away from our youthful attachment to it, but then the

depth and meaningfulness we encounter more than makes up for

what we have given up.

It took me a very long time to realize the Gita’s wisdom

sacrifice, the highest sacrifice of all, amounted to freely chosen

activity. “Sacrifice” literally means “making sacred.” Of course

you would feel “more alive, more grounded, and more connected

to the world around” from that type of action. You will find plenty

of support in the Gita study; we’re just getting started.

Your concluding paragraph is spectacular, BIndu—may it be

realized by all seekers of truth. Everyone benefits when a person

becomes fully engaged with their true nature.

I just ran across an excerpt on the Devil from Nitya’s

commentary on verse 95, in That Alone. Narayana Guru is trying

to get us to be more lighthearted:

What if you said the Devil was in charge of the science of humor?

Really, he is. Mark Twain and others have had that insight. In Man

and Superman, Bernard Shaw describes how Satan found that the

number of people in Hell was increasing at a terrific rate. He took a

roll-call to find out why there was such a burst of population, and he

found that many were migrants from Heaven. He asked them, “What

is wrong with Heaven? Why didn’t you stay there?” Everyone

answered it was very boring in Heaven. All you could do was be

reverential and sit and mumble prayers all the time. But in Satan’s

world everything was very humorous and there was plenty of variety.

Gopica

Dear Scott,

Greetings! and thank you.

An anxious flicker stirred in my core upon reading your note about

you and Deb heading to the No Kings protest.

Rationalizing it as wisdom and action perfectly aligned brought a

settling peace.

My Evolving Definition of Sacrifice

My understanding of sacrifice has transformed over time. As a

child, it meant skipping a meal on Thursdays for God's blessings

through fasting. In college, it involved giving up holidays to clean

an ancient temple as part of NSS service. As a mother, it was

attending to my daughter's needs despite personal discomforts.

Professionally, it felt like switching my thinking to follow a

leader's rules.

With the last few years in being part of Atmo group by Nancy,  I

see sacrifice as aligning with harmony;an anchor amid personal

and professional chaos.

Overcoming Obstacle Through Harmony, Not Conflict

"Life is not a problem to be solved but an adventure to be lived."

Recently, as Project Lead for  Mental Health Wellness initiative, I

faced this truth. The second batch of volunteers was trained in

Transactional Analysis (TA-simple, accessible concepts for

layperson reflection and entry-level counselling). Mentors

expected me to sustain energy among new trainees and existing

volunteers, while the leader tasked me with hospitality

coordination via a dedicated team. I trained them on this too,

shuttling between the hall, participating in sessions, addressing

trainers' needs and stakeholders inside/outside and ensuring

smooth logistics. The leader joined most days, except one.

The next day, she noticed me seated near the door and urged me to

join the group. I explained I'd move once tasks cleared, and did so.

Post-training reflection turned tense. She revisited it, insisting I

focus more on learning from the Trainers, share mentor insights

from her absent day not the "mishap" that was shared in her

personal window, and model vulnerability as a role model for the

new group to see me as an equal. She shared that she had not

experienced and that was her expectations and to be followed

going forward. She noted I must wear "efficient leader, responsible

leader, psychological leader" shoes as needed, 

I gently shared my 1-2 minute body-relaxation exercise: spotting

tightness from the prolonged first-day session, I jumped in to ease

it (informing the mentor why). With 7+ years in TA (now

preparing for CTA) and the sessions feeling like a refreshing

review, watching trainees apply concepts was blissful and I felt

misunderstood. She also suggested me toward the group's

recommended counsellor, despite my established personal one

(used as needed). 

Pressure built; my nodding hid inner turmoil. Tears welled sharing

with my husband, my go-to buddy. He gently prompted me to

examine my thinking with no more words.

Recalling Tai Chi's principle-yield to life, absorb, redirect to

harmonize,I chose unitive action. I yielded to her expectations,

absorbed my discomforts (rationalizing them), and am still in the

process of harmonizing - getting my thoughts in to action . No

fight, no dismantling just high-purpose strength, turning obstacle

into adventure.

Scott: You’re right, Gopica: many people are afraid to be seen

supporting democracy, as they could get in serious trouble,

especially depending on their skin color or native place of birth. So

us old people who are retired have to show up for them, as well as

for ourselves. It seems that the few troublemakers have dropped

out of sight, which is a relief. Our demonstrations are vastly

peaceful, and that has always been the point.

Yes, yoga is wisdom in action, and there is a wide range of

opportunities to exercise it. I’m glad you are finding it and anchor

for you. I often wonder what I would have done without it, and feel

fortunate to not have to find out.

I guess I’m too old to fully understand your problem at work,

but it boils down to coping with some bossing from a leader,

something we’re all familiar with. It sounds like you are handling

it well, though there is nothing easy about it. Often ego domination

is a factor, so it may be intentionally insulting, even when

politeness is maintained.

In a recent Class Notes from our in-person class, I shared

Guru Nitya’s advice he got from Nataraja Guru. It’s very fierce,

and you don’t need to take it too seriously, but the premise is

worthwhile. It was a transformative moment for me, when I heard

this. You probably have read it in Nancy’s Atmo class, from That

Alone verse 59:

        When I first came to my Guru, I had plenty of trouble with

people, with my fellow disciples. Guru called me and said, “I

shall give you a secret: allow the other to be victorious. If

somebody fights you, let you be the vanquished and not the

victor.” I found there is nothing more helpful than this, to be

vanquished and not to become victorious. Just say, “You have

the upper hand. Let all the glory be yours. I shall lie in the

dust.” It is very difficult, but it works. You don’t make any

claim. You don’t indulge in any feelings of martyrdom. You

just give up.

         The basic truth rests on this: there is only One and not a

second. If there is someone to be punished, it is only you. If

there is someone to be corrected, it is also just you. ‘You’

means ‘me’. In my personal life I correct the other by

correcting myself. I punish the other by punishing myself. I

silence the other by going into silence myself. I bring peace to

the other by making myself peaceful. I bring happiness to the

other by making myself happy. It is a very intimate experience,

to work with one’s self. And it is the one place where you can

conveniently work, where your volition, your knowledge and

your feeling are all at hand, at the very source from which the

idea ‘I’ comes.

So good you have a supportive husband, too. Tears are fine: they

are doorways into our deeper feelings. Let them flow, and let

healing come naturally, with time.

Sure, Gopica, be yielding, but also stand up for yourself,

without anger. Chapter IV closes with Krishna instructing Arjuna

to stand up, as a yogi, and that’s where we’re headed, too.

Venkat

Thank you for adding me to the Gita Class - 2026. As you know, I

am behind and trying to catch up.  I am pondering on Arjuna

Vishada Yoga. I read Natraja Guru’s, and Guru Nitya’s

commentaries (introduction + chapter 1 ) to help me start on the

right foot. I realize, as I write, that writing or rather the question of

what to write ? -  helps me ponder in depth. 

Why call Chapter 1 as Arjuna Vishada Yoga but start it from the

name Dhritarashtra ? Why does it begin with righteousness as its

first dialogue ? What is righteousness to Dhritarashtra ? In fact,

what is righteousness? These were the questions that arose in me

initially.  For two days, I was carried away by the verses depicting

the conch blown in the battlefield. I was searching for pictures

depicting Krishna and Arjuna blowing their conches together. And

then it struck me-perspectives. 

From the very beginning of the chapter, Dhritarashtra,

Duryodhana, Arjuna (to an extent), and all in the battlefield, are

blinded by their relative perspectives. Some are blinded to an

extent of losing their lives for the benefit of their Kings. Amidst all

the chaos, the only sound in unison is of Krishna and Arjuna. I felt

it as a foreshadowing. But reading Guru Nitya’s commentary, I

believe, it is in alignment with the meaning of Yoga (to yoke), and

the learning happens at every moment, just as a kid enjoys every

moment of playing with a ball.

In the midst of the battlefields, split among opposite views, the

only person to see everyone as his own is Arjuna. He stands alone

among the huge crowd with deep sadness. Guru Nitya’s

introduction translates Atman as Sat-Chit-ananda and Ananda as

values. From which I understand that Arjuna is at the lower end of

the value spectrum leading to inactivity due to a self conflict. The

conflict that may differ for each of us but fits into the value

spectrum. The conflict that has led us to read the Gita in 2026. 

In current times, I could see that there are parallels to blindness in

perspective, sacrifices for beliefs, and willingness to eradicate

opposite opinions with zero acceptance. On the other end, the

views are relative, talking about the material benefits without

thinking about the long term repercussions on the environment

(physical and mental). 

Contemplating the Gita has helped me travel within, stand apart,

and look at myself in day-to-day life. It has helped me look at the

events from the other person’s perspective. There are instances that

I look back and regret for doing things a certain way. But I accept

them from what they are and acknowledge them openly as much as

I can. 

Scott, Thank you for encouraging me to share my thoughts. I

wouldn’t have found the cohesive relationship in them if not for

your encouragement. I have a question - what are horizontal and

vertical values? I understand they are Wisdom vs Action. But I

have trouble grasping them.

I am grateful for the continuous learning and realization. 

Best,

Venkat

Scott: Venkat, I’m so happy to have your participation! The whole

study hangs together as a unit, so don’t worry about being

behind—just update us wherever you have gotten. You are

welcome.

Pondering the ideas is much more valuable than being given

answers, and I’m delighted to hear that pondering is exactly what

you are doing. Reading both Gurus works is a huge project,

though. If it isn’t too demeaning for you, I recommend you read

my commentary first, and then dig into the others if you have more

time. Nataraja Guru wanted to make things hard for students, and

Guru Nitya took us a long way from there to clarity, yet I feel like

I’ve gone another step, mainly adding to Nitya’s work ideas from

his classes that aren’t in his book. They are quite helpful. I’ve also

added a lot about workplace dynamics, relational issues, child

rearing, and other topics that sannyasins are less well informed

about.

It’s great to read that you are getting so much from your Gita

contemplations, Venkat. It’s one of the great treasures of our

planet.

I wish I had a handy document explaining the horizontal and

vertical ideas. The chapter in my Introduction on The Arch Shape

is useful. The best I can do is excerpt my Introduction to Nataraja

Guru’s Saundarya Lahari. (I clip in the whole thing, in case you

want more background.) The dichotomy of horizontal and vertical

will be covered all through the study, and there is a lot to learn.

Here’s the excerpt:

At the core of Nataraja Guru’s philosophy are the Cartesian

coordinate axes, consisting of a horizontal and a vertical parameter

represented by straight lines that intersect at right angles to form a

cross. The point of intersection is arbitrarily called zero, with

increasingly large numbers representing expanding negativity and

positivity leading away from the zero point. The left side of the

horizontal line is called negative, and the right side positive. On

the vertical parameter, above the zero point is positive and below it

is negative.

Of these two lines, the vertical one is understood as being

made up of unitive values, representing the urge for inclusive

transcendence, while the horizontal axis stands for the multiplicity

of ever-proliferating transactional variety. The horizontal and the

vertical actually intersect each other at any and all points, giving

rise to a stable ground of participation between the outside and the

inside, existence and essence.

Though they have been used in various forms throughout

much of the history of thought, the adoption of Cartesian

coordinates to the philosophy of the structure of the universe was a

stroke of genius of the Guru. Nataraja Guru’s coordinate axes

combine the three perceivable spatial dimensions into the

horizontal, while conceptual ideas and time make up the vertical

axis. The implications of this are profound.

Descartes himself set the initial parameters that Nataraja

Guru developed into his Science of the Absolute, although due to

certain unshakable prejudices he was unable to develop the system

to as advanced a point as the Guru. To him res cogitans, or

thinking substance, was the vertical factor, and res extensa, or the

extended, proliferated substance comprised the horizontal. In

Nataraja Guru’s interpretation of this, the horizontal is the physical

universe (in its broadest sense) and the vertical is the metaphysical.

Where the horizontal is vast, the vertical is an almost infinitely fine

line or backbone, which knits the universe together in the same

way that a fine thread holds together a string of pearls.

The Cartesian coordinates are not a fixed scheme but a tool

for integrating seemingly divergent fields, so an endless series of

dichotomies may be examined through them. If the horizontal

represents the phenomenal, the vertical is the noumenal or the

essential. Another integration is of para and apara, transcendent

and immanent. The One and the many. Being and becoming.

Essence and existence. And so on.

Breaking the axes down further, the horizontal positive may

be treated as objective and the negative as subjective. The vertical

parameter can run from the alpha at the extreme negative to the

omega at the most positive, or from the dimensionless causal

source to the dimensionless transcendental mystery. The journey

from the alpha to the omega begins as a seed or point, grows in

space until it is maximally horizontalized in the prime of life, and

thereafter refocuses to the omega point at the termination of

existence.

The horizontal positive is associated with the waking state,

the horizontal negative with the dream state, the vertical negative

with the deep sleep or seed state, and the vertical positive with

turiya or the transcendental state. Using this scheme it is possible

to graph all states of consciousness on the coordinate axes, as well

as to monitor the progressive development of any aspect of

creation.

Bailey

Scott’s prompts: Living the adventure ---      making mistakes.     

Not acting at all?  Paralysis?  Survival strategy?  You really do

know, don’t you?  Vs 4-5

Not even for a single instant can one ever remain engaged in no

action at all. By virtue of modalities born from nature, all are

made to engage in action helplessly. ( Gita III, verse 5) 

     “Don’t be afraid to make your mistakes”.  (Nataraja Guru to

friends & disciples, bright Spring morning, Ooty, May 1972.)

     Turn which way? This way? No! this way! No –maybe this

way?  That way?  Too late today.  Give up?   (BKY to self, damp

November morning, Paris, 1977(?)

“Survival strategy”.  Your dualism-clinging ego (mentalité) , ever

resourceful, so determined, so endlessly tricky, so adept in keeping

you (one) trapped in its action/reaction mechanisms—survival at

all costs!  So what are you (er, that is, “I”) afraid of? Dying as

idiot? (duh! image of slapping forehead).  What is the Question?

What next?  France in four weeks. And then?  (Fragments of

BKY’s inner conversation, Meadowood home ,March 26, 2026).

Impulse-driven commentary:

       Having “hit a wall” with regard to proceeding with (let alone

finishing) my dissertation (Spring 1971), oppressed by a confused

sense of the complexity of the causes determining  this paralysis-

temptation, Christine and I travelled to India Fall 1971 (her

reasons? Ask her), came to Ooty gurukula more or less by chance

(is “chance” really how the Universe works?) in March 1972.  I

hear NG’s words; an inner process begins working; I take heart; by

the time of our return to France Summer 1973 inner conviction that

I can and should resume and finish the dissertation is strong.

Encouraged and abetted by my mother, my professors Ed &

Bernard, by Patrick Perin (and by Christine too) this gets done

(Spring 1975).  Now what?  Job prospects for newly-minted

medievalist academic in the USA looking bad to hopeless (and can

I bear to live there anyway?), stay in France.  How survive?

English teaching? Archaeology?  Thrash about, grab this/that

opportunity.  Stay true, man, stay true.  Having forced myself out

of the apartment into that cold damp November morning

(must  have been ’78?) paralysis wins on the corner where the Rue

de Rennes meets the Blvd St Germain: accept defeat, get back on

the metro, back to the apartment, warmth, dance of the fire (oh

Agni!)...  Fast forward.  So many decisions taken (or not), so many

bold initiatives/resolutions-aided-by-friends, so many strokes of

luck (there is such a thing—or is there?), so many actions

undertaken (others refrained from, dropped), so many changes,

challenges (divorce, second marriage and children, joys of

fatherhood, relationship problems, divorce #2, remarriage to

Christine)  later, here we are. Archaeologist. Professor of

History—make that Distinguished Professor of History, emeritus,

living in Meadowood Retirement Community, Bloomington,

Indiana.  Donald Trump is wrecking havoc with the world as

we’ve known it, and that’s just the symptom, right? Still I wake up

wondering. How are we doing, Christine and I?  Are we on the

“spiritual path”?  She likes it here (in our garden cottage, in this

community-in-proximity-to-Kitch-and-kids) well enough, but

yearning for France, to be in France, as strong as ever.  So we are

off again, in just a month.  What can I do, what ought I to do, to be

helpful to her (to us) in the month of May?  Of course I’ve got my

own stuff, also, that I can or might do.  Then in June separate

ways: I return for my 60 th  Reunion in Williamstown, etc while she

stays with her (also our) old, old friend Kathleen celebrating 50

years as Parisienne.  Then, come July, back together, here, again.  

Lots of adventures, to be sure!  Lots of mistakes too, no

doubt.  Acting/reacting, or...?

Do engage yourself in action that is necessary (v 8)... Even with

such a purpose, do engage in work, O Arjuna, freed of all

attachments (v 9)

Scott: I see you’re working on your impulsiveness, Bailey. And

heading back to France soon? I don’t recall if you’ve read That

Alone yet, but verse 95 is a great favorite, and here’s an excerpt for

you:

This verse is for all people to become light-hearted. We should

see the light side of life rather than becoming so grumpy about

everything. If you make a mistake it’s because Mother Nature

wants you to make it. So don’t have any sense of guilt, make

your mistakes gladly. If you don’t make little mistakes, God

will call out to you: “Fool! I gave you a chance. I sent you to

the world, and you didn’t make any mistake. Stupid! Get out!”

If you are here in this world, make some mistakes. Maya is

sitting there and asking us to do all these things. Nataraja Guru

used to tell us in the Gurukula that we should make interesting

mistakes, not stupid or clumsy ones. Whatever mistakes you

make should be very clever and interesting.

Fritz Peters tells a great story about Gurdjieff. At his school

one time he had to be away for a few days, so he put a

trustworthy woman in charge in his absence. On his return she

showed him a little black book in which she had kept track of

all the offenses the students had committed. It was quite a long

list. To everyone’s surprise, Gurdjieff took out his wallet and

started giving each one money, paying so much per offense.

Fritz had been at the top of the list so he got the most money,

but he was ashamed to spend it, feeling the old woman had

been let down. She had carefully chronicled all the crimes, and

now Gurdjieff was giving everyone presents for their mistakes.

But Gurdjieff said life was like that, and if you didn’t make

mistakes life would never be interesting.

So here you are being given an invitation to make mistakes.

And what kind of mistakes is maya causing you to make? Her

mistakes are not freaks of nature. She has a system. We can see

how comedy and tragedy come in such a way that over time

they balance each other out.

We’re heading out to the No Kings protest, I with my new No

Dons poster, on the back of Old Smoky, from 2001. He’s been to

many gatherings.

Chance is one of Krishna’s divine principles, so take it in

stride, Bailey. We can see how you went with the tide in your

affairs, and in led you to much satisfaction and challenge.

The Path to the Guru leads from your present step, and is

determined by your walking. You make your own path, with the

help of so many forces and factors. We hope you will stay in touch as you roam. God speed.

War

 

Maya

 Wrapped in the senses, subtle and sweet,

Maya invites us to bow at her feet.

Yet the one who awakens from her display

Sees through the dream—and drifts away.

Garden of Dreams

 

When the mind refuses rest

until action answers thought,

that’s when you know—

you are ready.

Piece by piece,

a new look takes shape.

Not finished, not perfect—

but the beginning is powerful.

Morning Repot

​🌿 Morning Repot

When the sun emerges through cool winds, the mind whispers — stand, begin.

Plants call softly — replant, renew — while your hands tangle in the stubborn roots of the mother‑in‑law’s tongue.

You think you have a choice, but the decision has already taken root.

Separation happens quietly, soil loosened, old bonds shaken free.

And then the babies arrive on time, tiny lives clinging to promise, as the family grows in pieces, yet together.

Still, the mind whispers again and again — gather, cluster, nurture — until what was divided finds a new way to belong. 🌱