Be the example

Karma Yoga

Chapter 3, Verse 29

 

prakṛter-guṇa saṁmūḍhāḥ 

sajjante guṇa-karmasu 

tān-akṛtsna vido mandān 

kṛtsnavinna vicālayet

 

Those who are deluded by the gunas of Prakriti are attached to the functions of the gunas, but one of perfect knowledge should not unsettle the ignorant who do not know the whole truth.

 

Here again Lord Krishna reminds Arjuna, “The one who is arrogant and proud, the one whose mind is trapped in worldliness, remains attached to the gunas and  

their actions. These people don’t have any knowledge!” Even though they may talk  

about many things, in reality they don’t have any knowledge. Their knowledge is only  

based on outside, material things. Such people are ignorant. Their happiness, their  

enjoyments, lie only in the world. They are attached to the enjoyment which is the  

product of the three gunas, and they are bound by it.

 

Krishna says, “Because of this ignorance, because of this ‘I’, ‘I’, ‘I’, don’t talk to  

them about the Truth.” He doesn’t say that you should not remind them about the  

Self, but He says, “Don’t give them the whole knowledge of the Self. You can give  

them this knowledge of the Self when they are ready. If they are not ready, it will not  

make any difference for them; it will not make any impact on them. In that context  

He says, “There is salvation for all!” Even if there is a very, egoistic person, there is  

salvation for him. There is also salvation for people who are into the mind. Nobody is  

completely lost. But He says, “Go slowly! Let them first see the changes inside of you.  

Be the example. They will change. Be patient! They will learn to be patient. Be loving!  

They will learn to love. Be strong! Don’t go into your weakness. Don’t give way to  

ignorance, but centre yourself in the Truth.”

Bhagavad Gita