CHAPTER 1, TEXT 46: Sañjaya said: Arjuna, having thus spoken on the battlefield, cast aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot, his mind overwhelmed with grief.
In 1934, a man by the name of Bill W. was struggling with his alcoholism. Even though he was getting inspired to clean up his life through a Christian fellowship by the name of The Oxford Group, he couldn't bring himself to stop. John W. Smith of the New York Times writes, "Bill W. was deeply impressed [by the mission of the Oxford Group] and was desperate, but he said that he had not yet reached that level of degradation below which he was unwilling to descend. He felt he had one more prolonged drunk left in him" (1972). Bill W. had not reached "that level of degradation below which he was unwilling to descend" or, in simple terms, he had not reached rock bottom.
And so he became increasingly sick and desperate, and finally when he stumbled into a hospital for the treatment of alcoholism and addiction, he was given the advice by a doctor: “You admit you are licked; you get honest with yourself … you pray to whatever God you think there is, even as an experiment." And Bill W. reached deep down into the bottom of his soul and cried out to God for help.
He had a spiritual experience that changed his life.
Bill W., or William Griffith Wilson, was the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Over the past 85 years, Alcoholics Anonymous has impacted untold millions of people throughout the world through its signature program as well inspiring a multitude of 12-step programs to help those who are struggling with addiction.
The first step, according to AA and has been adapted for every kind of 12-step program, is: "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable."
Basically: Admit that you have a problem.
Admit that you've reached a level of degradation below which you're unwilling to descend. There's nowhere else left to go.
Get to your rock bottom.
In this verse of the Bhagavad-gita, up to this point Arjuna has offered many arguments to not fight in this bloody, fratricidal war. They're pretty valid arguments, too. But, Arjuna is not peaceful in the conclusion of his arguments - I shall not fight - and so Arjuna casts aside his weapons and collapses, "his mind overwhelmed by grief."
For a warrior to cast aside his weapons and collapse to the ground shows a deep despair; in other words, Arjuna has reached his rock bottom.
The classic Sanskrit title for the first chapter of the Bhagavad-gita is "Arjuna Vishaad Yoga." Arjuna refers to our hero, yoga means "to reconnect with the divine" and vishaad means "despair." Thus the title of the first chapter means: "The path of reconnecting with the divine through despair as shown by Arjuna." Or simply, "The Yoga of Despair."
Fascinating, no?
We hear of Hatha Yoga, Karma Yoga, maybe even Bhakti Yoga or Jnana Yoga. But Vishaad Yoga? The Yoga of Despair? This implies that there's an art to being in despair, that there is a path with a teacher. In this context, Arjuna is our teacher, and he is showing us how to be in despair - cast aside all of the things that you lean upon for support (your "weapons') and fall to the ground. Stop. Experience your experience. Experience your pain.
I once heard that everyone's rock bottom is different. This makes sense, especially in light of Bill W.'s eloquent phrasing, because it's a matter of what level of degradation you're unwilling to descend any further, emphasis on unwilling. For example, one alcoholic's rock bottom could be that she can't go a day without drinking a glass of Scotch after work. Another alcoholic's rock bottom could be that his finances, health, and personal relationships are in ruins and he stumbles to a recovery center.
Rock bottom, then, is not so much about the direness of the situation, but one's level of realization. Addiction and pain and suffering, in this sense then, is always a choice.
This means, then, that rock bottom must be a kind of softening of the heart, the humble realization that, "Yes, I am suffering." So often we go through this material world in a state of so much suffering but we are numb and just press on, shrugging it off, never stopping to reflect and pause and just feel the pain. To un-numb ourselves and open our hearts.
In his commentary on this verse, Prabhupad does not berate Arjuna for being a warrior who is overcome by grief and casts aside his weapons. Prabhupad emphasizes, actually, that "Such a kind and soft-hearted person, in the devotional service of the Lord, is fit to receive self-knowledge" (59). Someone who is feeling his or her own pain is actually soft-hearted, and this soft heart opens the door to a deep and lasting transcendental connection to God.
When Bill W. had first encountered the Oxford Group, he basically admitted that his heart was not soft enough, he had more tolerance for suffering (he had "one more prolonged drunk left in him") and could not receive the help that was being given by the Christians*. Only when he came to the hospital in deep despair, on his own volition, did the guidance of the doctor move his soul to change. And his life changed. Not only his own life, but he changed the lives of millions - as "a servant and instrument of God" he always insisted.
Although we have not reached the part of the Gita where Arjuna is receiving instruction by Krishna, we can see here that Arjuna is in a state of despair. His heart is soft. Similarly, we must allow our hearts to become soft, to experience our experience of despair and thus open our hearts. Trust that rock bottom is a beautiful place to be.
*Note: Even though he had his flash of transformation with the doctor at the hospital, Bill W. always credited and offered his gratitude to The Oxford Group for inspiring him and guiding him throughout his life.
Work Cited:
Stevens, John W. “Bill W. of Alcoholics Anonymous Dies.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 26 Jan. 1971, www.nytimes.com/1971/01/26/archives/bill-w-of-alcoholics-anonymous-dies-bill-w-oi-alcoholics-anonymous.html.
In 1934, a man by the name of Bill W. was struggling with his alcoholism. Even though he was getting inspired to clean up his life through a Christian fellowship by the name of The Oxford Group, he couldn't bring himself to stop. John W. Smith of the New York Times writes, "Bill W. was deeply impressed [by the mission of the Oxford Group] and was desperate, but he said that he had not yet reached that level of degradation below which he was unwilling to descend. He felt he had one more prolonged drunk left in him" (1972). Bill W. had not reached "that level of degradation below which he was unwilling to descend" or, in simple terms, he had not reached rock bottom.
And so he became increasingly sick and desperate, and finally when he stumbled into a hospital for the treatment of alcoholism and addiction, he was given the advice by a doctor: “You admit you are licked; you get honest with yourself … you pray to whatever God you think there is, even as an experiment." And Bill W. reached deep down into the bottom of his soul and cried out to God for help.
He had a spiritual experience that changed his life.
Bill W., or William Griffith Wilson, was the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Over the past 85 years, Alcoholics Anonymous has impacted untold millions of people throughout the world through its signature program as well inspiring a multitude of 12-step programs to help those who are struggling with addiction.
The first step, according to AA and has been adapted for every kind of 12-step program, is: "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable."
Basically: Admit that you have a problem.
Admit that you've reached a level of degradation below which you're unwilling to descend. There's nowhere else left to go.
Get to your rock bottom.
In this verse of the Bhagavad-gita, up to this point Arjuna has offered many arguments to not fight in this bloody, fratricidal war. They're pretty valid arguments, too. But, Arjuna is not peaceful in the conclusion of his arguments - I shall not fight - and so Arjuna casts aside his weapons and collapses, "his mind overwhelmed by grief."
For a warrior to cast aside his weapons and collapse to the ground shows a deep despair; in other words, Arjuna has reached his rock bottom.
The classic Sanskrit title for the first chapter of the Bhagavad-gita is "Arjuna Vishaad Yoga." Arjuna refers to our hero, yoga means "to reconnect with the divine" and vishaad means "despair." Thus the title of the first chapter means: "The path of reconnecting with the divine through despair as shown by Arjuna." Or simply, "The Yoga of Despair."
Fascinating, no?
We hear of Hatha Yoga, Karma Yoga, maybe even Bhakti Yoga or Jnana Yoga. But Vishaad Yoga? The Yoga of Despair? This implies that there's an art to being in despair, that there is a path with a teacher. In this context, Arjuna is our teacher, and he is showing us how to be in despair - cast aside all of the things that you lean upon for support (your "weapons') and fall to the ground. Stop. Experience your experience. Experience your pain.
I once heard that everyone's rock bottom is different. This makes sense, especially in light of Bill W.'s eloquent phrasing, because it's a matter of what level of degradation you're unwilling to descend any further, emphasis on unwilling. For example, one alcoholic's rock bottom could be that she can't go a day without drinking a glass of Scotch after work. Another alcoholic's rock bottom could be that his finances, health, and personal relationships are in ruins and he stumbles to a recovery center.
Rock bottom, then, is not so much about the direness of the situation, but one's level of realization. Addiction and pain and suffering, in this sense then, is always a choice.
This means, then, that rock bottom must be a kind of softening of the heart, the humble realization that, "Yes, I am suffering." So often we go through this material world in a state of so much suffering but we are numb and just press on, shrugging it off, never stopping to reflect and pause and just feel the pain. To un-numb ourselves and open our hearts.
In his commentary on this verse, Prabhupad does not berate Arjuna for being a warrior who is overcome by grief and casts aside his weapons. Prabhupad emphasizes, actually, that "Such a kind and soft-hearted person, in the devotional service of the Lord, is fit to receive self-knowledge" (59). Someone who is feeling his or her own pain is actually soft-hearted, and this soft heart opens the door to a deep and lasting transcendental connection to God.
When Bill W. had first encountered the Oxford Group, he basically admitted that his heart was not soft enough, he had more tolerance for suffering (he had "one more prolonged drunk left in him") and could not receive the help that was being given by the Christians*. Only when he came to the hospital in deep despair, on his own volition, did the guidance of the doctor move his soul to change. And his life changed. Not only his own life, but he changed the lives of millions - as "a servant and instrument of God" he always insisted.
Although we have not reached the part of the Gita where Arjuna is receiving instruction by Krishna, we can see here that Arjuna is in a state of despair. His heart is soft. Similarly, we must allow our hearts to become soft, to experience our experience of despair and thus open our hearts. Trust that rock bottom is a beautiful place to be.
*Note: Even though he had his flash of transformation with the doctor at the hospital, Bill W. always credited and offered his gratitude to The Oxford Group for inspiring him and guiding him throughout his life.
Work Cited:
Stevens, John W. “Bill W. of Alcoholics Anonymous Dies.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 26 Jan. 1971, www.nytimes.com/1971/01/26/archives/bill-w-of-alcoholics-anonymous-dies-bill-w-oi-alcoholics-anonymous.html.
No comments:
Post a Comment