Reading The Gita Book Three

TITLE: Reading the Gita Book Three CHANNEL: Wes Cecil DATE: 2026-05-15 ---TRANSCRIPT--- Thanks to our Patreon members for helping to make this episode possible and we’re now available on all the major podcasting platforms. You can find more information at the links below. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to reading the Bhagavad Gita. And tonight we start on book three. Remember in book two Arjuna has said Krishna has argued to Arjuna and said, “Hey, you know, let go of this. You can’t really kill anybody. You can’t destroy anything. So, don’t you don’t have to worry about what you do.” And Arjuna gives what I again the both both Krishna and Arjuna make very nice arguments throughout this. One reason that such a joy to read is it’s not a kind of fundamentalist or one-sided kind of a series of questions and answers, but it does have the resonance of a genuine exploration.

[clears throat] And so Arjuna’s notion and he says, “Hey, if it doesn’t matter what I do, why would I then act rather than not act? Because it seems to me that acting is going to do this terrible war and kill my family. I don’t want to do that. So, if action and inaction amount to roughly the same thing, I think I’ll go with inaction.” [clears throat] And then he says, “My mind is in confusion because in thy words I find contradictions. Tell me in truth therefore by what path may I attain the supreme?” So, he’s not saying he just says, “I’m confused.” And and he rightly acknowledges or rightly recognizes like, “Hey, some of this is a bit contradictory.” What you probably noticed in your reading as well. Get used to this is we’re going to this is contradiction piled on top of contradiction, but in interesting and exploratory ways. And so Krishna says, [clears throat] “In this world there are two roads to perfection as I told thee before, oh prince without sin. Jnana yoga, the path of wisdom of the Sankhyas, and karma yoga, the path of action of the yogis. So, notice you have action and you have wisdom. And and wisdom a core element of recurrent I mean if you read the Mahabharata it is just everywhere but here here it’s isolated as one of the two paths to actual true enlightenment and wisdom. And you’ll see pretty much Krishna will end up merging these in any case but so these are the two paths that are available to you. And yoga by the way means practice towards enlightenment if you will. So there’s lots of different yogas not just the one the what we associate with yogas the one of the physical aspects of it but there’s many many processes but they’re all supposed to be directed towards the single goal of enlightenment and knowing what to do. And then Krishna goes on and says not by refraining from action does man attain freedom from action. Not my mere renunciation does he attain supreme perfection. For not even for a moment can man be without action. Helplessly all are driven to action by the forces born of nature. He who withdraws himself from action but he ponders on their pleasures in his heart he is under a delusion and is a false follower of the path. Aha. [clears throat] So you do not attain freedom through non-action. So this is the Buddhism attack here like hey not acting not doing not being this is not [clears throat] the root root to freedom to attaining supremacy to attaining enlightenment. No no no because it’s there’s it’s false in two ways. One by nature we have to act we have to breathe we have to inhale we have to exhale. And [clears throat] two often when people don’t act what they’re really doing is meditating on acting and thinking about acting and he says well there you go like this is the act of not acting is an action right so it’s the sort of paradoxes that one encounters in Zen Buddhism and Buddhism has been meditating on for a long long time. And then he goes on this is chapter verse seven in book three. Um but great is the man who free from attachments and with a mind ruling its powers in harmony works on the path of Karma Yoga, the path of consecrated action. Action is greater than inaction. Perform therefore thy task in life, even the life of the body could not be if there were no action. So, two claims here. One, action is greater than inaction. And this is a key key element. This is where he absolutely diverges from Buddhism. Also, if you’re familiar with Taoism, this would be an argument against Taoism. So, no action is better than inaction, but it’s a particular kind of action, an action with the mind ruling its powers in harmony. And you take the consecrated action, right? Your mind is in control, not your desires, as we’ll see. So, this is This is a huge claim. And again, this is part of the resistance to Buddhism. And then, new new idea here. The world is in the bonds of action unless the action is consecration. Let thy actions then be pure, free from the bonds of desire. So, this is the idea. So, you have actions that grow from desire and actions that grow from purity. Thus spoke the Lord of creation when he made both man and sacrifice. By sacrifice, thou shalt multiply and obtain all thy desires. By sacrifice, thou shalt honor the gods and the gods will then love thee. And thus in harmony with them, shalt thou attain the supreme good. For pleased with thy sacrifice, the gods will grant to thee the joy of all thy desires. Only a thief would enjoy their gifts and not offer them in sacrifice. Holy men take the food of the remains of sacrifice, become free from all their sins. But the unholy, who have feasts for themselves, eat food that is in truth sin. Um couple couple comments here. I mean, so much to comment on. First, notice that we to this idea of sacrifice. And this will be crucial this will come up again and again basically book six is almost I think it’s yeah book six is pretty much entirely about sacrifice and the question of sacrifice and what that means. But as I mentioned before because the Vedic text and the Vedic tradition is a sacrificial tradition and it’s the Brahmins who carry out the sacrifice. The Buddhist resistance to that or the the Buddha Buddhism saying you just don’t need that again like getting rid of the Catholic priest um they’re like no no you sacrifice is key sacrifice is part of it because if the world gives you great things well this is coming from the gods of course. This is coming from the creation of the universe and to not make sacrifice is to act as if it is yours as if you did it when you did not do it. And so sacrificing both pleases the gods so they’ll grant you what you want and is sort of a debt that you’re paying back because you’re like where did you get all this good stuff? Well clearly from from the world from the universe from nature from the gods and so therefore you should respect that and not [clears throat] claim everything for yourself which is then puts you in debt it’s it’s bad for your karma it’s on your on your bad bad on the Dharma path there. But part of this is the word that here is translated as sin um it it’s not sin and think of it as unhealth it’s unhealthy it’s unhelpful it takes you from the right path. So sin because of you know it’s coming from the language of Christianity it many of the evocations of it don’t quite match up but you get the idea here it’s you’re doing wrong things in the wrong way and this is going to create bad bad outcomes for you. Food is the life of all beings and all food comes from rain above. Sacrifice brings the rain from heaven and sacrifice is sacred action. So sacrifice brings the rain rain makes nature abundant, abundant nature produces food. This is the virtuous cycle. Sacred action is described in the Vedas and these come from the eternal and therefore the eternal is ever present in a sacrifice. Right? So, the process itself is a is sort of an expression of participation in a realization of the process that keep the universe going. And so, when you sacrifice, you’re recognizing, participating, and experiencing the true nature of the universe. So, again, so it’s not a small the sacrifice issue is not tiny. It’s very central. Thus was the wheel of law set in motion, that man lives indeed in vain who in a sinful life of pleasures helps not in its revolutions. So, the wheel of law here is the sacrificial cycle. And this is sacrificial where the gods help nature, nature helps man, man sacrifices to the gods because the gods have because nature has been abundant, and you keep that going. It’s the sinful life of pleasure who helps not in its revolution, right? This is the wheel of the law. And if you don’t participate in that, then you’re you’re functionally denying the universe. You’re not recognizing the truth of how things work. But the man who has found the joy of the spirit and in the spirit his satisfaction, who has found his peace, that man is beyond the law of action. So, here we go. So, notice the distinction here is between right action and in this case just wrong action, like a attachment outcome, right? You just do it because it’s the right thing to do. He is beyond what is done and beyond what is not done. And in all his works he is beyond the help of mortal beings. So, again, this is that play on the notion of [clears throat] doing is better than not doing, but really when you get let go of all of that, then your doing is is it’s a action beyond the concept of action. And so, when when Arjuna says, “Hey, I don’t want to take the action. I want to participate in killing my family.” It’s like, “No, you’re thinking about it wrong. You want to act, but as long as you’re sure you’re acting in the best way.” Then just let go of everything, and you’ll be fine because it’s both action and inaction or beyond it’s beyond those categories, as it were. Um in liberty from the bonds of attachment, do thou therefore the work to be done. For the man whose work is pure attains indeed the supreme. So, again, let go of all that stuff. Again, notice you also still get the language of Buddhism though cuz it’s both trying to resist and interweave Buddhist ideas into the core of uh the Gita. This is why it’s so important. King Janaka and other warriors reach perfection by the path of action. Let thy aim be the good of all and then carry on thy task in life. So, here it is. If you know your aim and the aim is the good of all, you’re trying to do what’s right by the universe, not for yourself. Again, you’ve let go of desires, then you don’t worry about what you’re doing. You worry about that, right? That you you you’re you’re you’re actions are done purely, and therefore it doesn’t matter what your actions are because the way they’re done is what matters. In the actions of the best men, others find their rule of action. The path that a great man follows becomes a guide to the world. I have no work to do. Oh, I’m sorry. I should pause there. [clears throat] So, not only is this good for you and participates in the universe and completes the cycle of the law, but it sets other people on the right path cuz they look at you and they go, “Oh, there it is. This is This is an inspiration. This is a guide guiding light.” Um and one of the to this day, one of the key elements of Hinduism is there aren’t one or two or three holy people. There’s not just one pope or a few cardinals or some important priests or whatever. The notion is that everyone can participate in right action and there everyone at least has the possibility of being an example. And so when people go on pilgrimages, for instance, one of the things they’re doing is they’re acting in the right way doing a pilgrimage, right? And in so doing, they’re setting an example for other people. And since millions and millions, hundreds of millions of Indians go on a pilgrimage, this is this notion of a self-reinforcing inspiration [clears throat] towards ethical greatness, if you will, built into the system. And so the example of many sacred peoples and many holy men and women that surround you all the time, rather than a system which says, “Oh, there’s a few particularly great.” Now, of course, some are greater than others. And I’m not saying there’s no demarcations, but it’s just the invitation to greatness and the and the experience of it and the expression of it is much broader, much deeper in the Hindu tradition than in any other tradition I can think of. Um and then again, the argument shifts again to Here’s the uh action better than non-action, followed by when you act in the right way, you’re participating in the necessary cycle of life that keeps the universe going. And that to not do that, to withdraw, is to somehow cheat functionally, is to be sinful, but sinful in the unhealthy way of sin. And then when you act correctly and without attachment, you set an example for other people. So here’s all these great reasons why you should act. And then he says, you know, basically, for example, look at me. I have no work to do in all the worlds, Arjuna, for these are mine. I have nothing to obtain because I have all. And yet, I work. Right? Think about this. So, this is this is the all-powerful God, right? This is the all the beyond time and space saying, here I am. Why am I here? I I What do I I’m not gaining anything cuz I am the universe. I can’t I can’t gain from the universe. The universe we it is we are one. And And yet, I act. Why? Because it’s that’s the better way. If I was not bound to action never tiringly, never tiring everlastingly, men that follow many paths would follow my path of inaction. If ever my work had an end, these worlds would end in destruction. Confusion would reign within all. This would be the death of all beings. Inaction, withdrawal leads not just to bad things, not to ill health, but to the end of all things. If I did that, the whole universe would cease functioning. Even as the unwise work selfishly in the bondage of selfish works, let the my wise man work unselfishly for the good of all the world. So, the distinction is but not between participation and inaction or you know, participation and retreat. It’s a distinction between working selfishly and working unselfishly for the good of all the world. Let not the wise disturb the mind of the unwise in their selfish work. Let him, working with devotion, show them the joy of good work. So, you don’t argue. You don’t disagree. What you do is you simply do your good work and set the example. So, all actions take place in time by the interweaving of the forces of nature, but the man lost in selfish delusion thinks that he himself is the actor. But the man who knows the relation between the forces of nature and action sees how some forces of nature work upon other forces of nature and becomes not their slave. Those who who are under delusion of the forces of nature bind themselves to the work of these forces. Let not the wise man who sees all disturb the unwise who sees not the all. Offer to me all their works and rest thy mind on the supreme being. Be free from vain hopes and selfish thoughts and with inner peace fight thou thy fight. Wow, there it is, right? Don’t worry about the unwise. The forces of nature is at work. You put your mind on me and fight thou thy fight. Like go out and kill your family. Remember, it’s always about that. Those who ever follow my doctrine and who have faith and have a good will find through pure work their freedom. But those who follow not my doctrine and who have ill will are men blind to all wisdom confused in mind. They are lost. So, you know, just go with pure action. Go with sacrificial approach. Even a wise man acts under the impulse of his nature. All beings follow nature. Of what use is restraint? Hate and lust for things of nature have their root in man’s lower nature. Let him not fall under their power. They are those These are the two enemies in his path. And do thy duty even if it be humble rather than another’s even if it be great. To die in one’s duty is life. To live in another’s is death. Ah. So, as I said before, here is again different angle yet another time where [clears throat] the caste system has divided people into different roles, as mentioned, but and these get pretty fine refined in practice. There’s more than just four. There are there, you know, different versions and subdivisions within inside this. And so, here’s a new concept here, not just of action and right action, but of duty. Right? You do yours even if it’s a very humble task. You do it. You don’t worry about other people. They have their tasks to do. And so, this ends the beginning of of Krishna’s part here in book three. And Arjuna says, “What power is it, Krishna, that drives man to act sinfully, even unwillingly, as if powerlessly?” Um sorry about that. “What power is it, Krishna, that drives man to act sinfully, even unwillingly, as if powerlessly?” Right? So, what what is it that drives us to do wrong action? Why why all these unwise people? And Krishna responds, “It is greed and desire and wrath, born of passions, the great evil, the sum of destruction. This is the enemy of the soul. All is clouded by desire, as fire by smoke, as a mirror by dust, as an unborn baby by its covering. Wisdom is clouded by desire. The ever-present enemy of the wise, desire is its innumerable forms, which like a fire cannot find satisfaction. Desire has found a place in man’s senses and mind and reason. Through these it blinds the souls after having overclouded the wisdom.” So, again, this may sound similar to Buddhism, right? Like let go of your attachment, let go of your desires, overcome these. “Set thou therefore thy senses in harmony, and then slay thou sinful desire, the destroyer of vision and wisdom. They say that the power of the senses is great, but greater than the senses is the mind. Greater than the mind is the booty, reason, and greater than reason is he, the spirit in man and in all. Know him therefore who is above reason, and let his peace give these peace. Be a warrior and kill desire, the powerful enemy of the soul. So, you have to overcome your desire, your greed, your wrath. We know this idea of overcoming desire. But first you place over this uh mind, and the mind you place over this is reason, and above that reason is the spirit, which is basically the manifestation of the universe of Rama, uh Vishnu in in all, right? Like the the incarnation of the the godhead in everybody. If you can do that, then you’ll be at peace. And so, be a warrior and kill desire, the powerful enemy of the soul. And so, now Krishna has shifted the ground a bit and said, “Oh, you don’t want to fight, but fight first your desires. If you can kill your desires, then you’ll know what’s going on. Then you’ll see.” And so, it’s like, “Oh, this is this is See See, it’s a very neat trick there. Saying, “Oh, you don’t want to fight. You want to withdraw. You want to unstring your bow. You want to not kill your relatives. You want to retreat from your duty, from your world, from your role.” But no, this is wrong. You need to fight. You’re a warrior. It’s your duty. You’re misunderstanding action. But the first thing to do is to fight your desire. So, it’s a different So, it’s a warrior on a different plane. And so, several themes are introduced in this book, which you again will come up repeatedly and and and kind of build towards book six in a way. But it’s important to note that again, the revolution, this notion of being in the wheel, and of con- continuing the work. Even I am here. I am Vishnu, the great god. I am doing the work because that is what keeps order in the universe. And of course, this is what keeps order for all living things including man. And so, do not let go of action. Do not let go of uh knowing and wisdom and engagement because if you do, then chaos ensues. But, when you do your actions, when you do your engagement, you need to think primarily of duty, not attachment to outcome, not attachment to your desires. So, it shifts the focus here. It definitely moves to moving bar where he says, “Okay, first, you know, act, but act in a different way than the way you normally think about action.” And that will change the entire game. And so, again, if you’re at all familiar with Buddhism, you can see that Krishna here is is kind of working a double field, right? He’s like sneaking some of the ideas in, but reconceptualizing them. We want to let go. We want to have this retreat from desires. We want to let, you know, however, we want to do that within the context of action because action is better than inaction. And so forth. And so, it’s this very interesting and subtle invocation of the old system, the Vedic order of sacrifice that keeps the universe in harmony, that includes and encompasses even the gods, but within without embracing this retreat or letting go of the world. So, this is the ground that’s going to be played on, but we’re we’re not done yet. You’ll see Krishna and Arjuna have a lot of ground to cover yet. But, there you go, book three. The important important idea though here is sacrifice and action because these are going to come back over and over again. Thank you very much.