Scripture in Context





A scripture is like a map. And a map is not the territory . What may appear as a beautiful mountainous range on paper could well turn out to be a treacherous obstacle in real life. Similarly, a river painted in brilliant hues of blue on a map might be infested with snakes and crocodiles in reality . In the same manner, the spiritual path is strewn with unseen and perilous obstructions in real life. The first difficulty faced by seekers arises from the infinite ocean of the scriptures themselves, whether they are Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Zen, Muslim or any other. Individual religions have multiple versions of the holy scriptures, translated or rendered by numerous experts. Which one to follow?
As the wonders of technology in the service of saving, prolonging and enhancing the span and quality of person's life increase, so will the ethical dilemmas these technologies give rise to. Neither scientists nor philosophers can give final answers to these burning questions of morality and ethics.Such answers can only come from living saints who can speak unambiguously through the force of their own pure, selfless and loving personalities.
There exists only one method of truly ascertaining whether or not a person is pure and selfless: through a keen observation of his lifestyle, habits and demeanour. A truly selfless person can be recognised, advises the Gita. The saint is recognised through the extent of his physical renunciation of sensual pleasures, the degree of his devotion towards God and the magnitude of his heart.