It is said that a classic is a book which has never finished saying what it has to say. Admirers and followers of the Gita say the same thing, i.e., even after years of study and analysis, every time someone reads the scripture, new meanings and messages come out of it. It is always fresh, always new. I do not oppose this assertion, and my only concern has always been that Indians have always considered Gita as a symbol or a label, to take oath in courts, as a token to prove their religious nature, truthfulness, attachment to duty and so on. Very few people ever take the trouble to open it and see what actually is written on those pages. Treatment of Gita is no different from that of Swami Vivekananda — the moment children or youth open their messages, their parents become afraid that they are going to become monks! And of course, parents’ own desires and ambitions are attached to the children, so why would they allow that to happen? Continue reading →