IMPERISHABLE YOGA: IT NEVER DIES, NOR LIVES

Lord Krishna says,

"That Imperishable Yoga was taught to Vivasvat (Surya)...But it was also taught in succession to kings and sages.

And upon being learned here, these kings and sages saw themselves to be intelligent; this Yoga was lost.

The same Yoga of old was taught to you [Arjuna] because you are my devotee and dear friend."

What is that imperishable Yoga [of old]? Why did that which was imperishable die upon being learned by men? Why is Arjuna able to learn that imperishable Yoga as it was learned by the Gods (Vivasvat and Manu)?


The Yoga of imperishable is like that of energy: never created nor destroyed. However, like energy, it has the ability to become lost, forgotten or simply change to a more diluted form. The new forms rise simply because of the existing and undying imperishable nature of that Yoga. In order for things to exist, there must be an imperishable, unmanifest base for the manifest existence itself.

The ability to join the spirit has always been in existence because the nature of God (Brahman) is also imperishable: all things supported by that formlessness itself. The Yoga has a state within Brahman. One can join the spirit to all things because it is that: it can join to a thing which comes from the same nature as itself. There is nothing distinct and separate about it, except the form; the base is not only imperishable, but also stemming from a time immemorial. The joined and the unjoined are both existing parts within that impeishable nature, as it is all God. Without name, form and identification, there is oneness beyond human understanding. And as a thing is devoted to living God, it cannot know anything outside of that: it is that which is unknowable and knowable. The duality and pain begins with identification of the senses with the body and mind.

The Kings and Sages knew not that all things came from God. They could not understand that identification and non-identification is also from that imperishable nature itself. By learning the Yoga, they thought it to be someting undone and done, created and destroyed. They thought this because they associated this same belief with their own Self. They knew not that the Self is changeless and indestructable, as it is a portion of God. By believing that their is a begining and end to all things, they believed themselves to be unjoined and that it was required to be yoked back to God, itself. But their very existence is God in manifest. Hence, the Yoga of imperishable is lost.

If something is deemed imperishable, its begining, middle and end cannot be conceived; it is beyond the idea of being conceived. Man can teach another in many different ways; the moment he uses his body and mind to teach a notion or idea from his own tongue, that which can be learned is limited. To have an intention to teach implies that one "knows something": association with the body and mind. One believes that he has understood a concept on some level. But to unconciously say "I know" would force you to limit your perception of that which is imperishable; you would have to take a portion of the undying knowledge away from the whole and teach it in part. In essence, the teacher loses the idea of imperishable Yoga and no longer knows that. This is why the teaching itself is lost. Even the word infinite cannot truly describe that itself.

Arjuna was taught this imperishable Yoga because he was the utmost devotee of Krishna as that almighty Lord of the imperishable nature: Brahman. He was also called the friend of the Lord. Arjuna was living for the sake of the Lord. He had many divine qualities; in particular he sought knowledge. Arjuna looked to the Lord as his everything and the reward to him was the secret teaching of the imperishable Yoga.

He taught Arjuna the things required to attain that Yoga of old. Arjuna was able to understand the divine teachings because it came directly from Brahman: the imperishable taught of the imperishable. A man, king or sage (living) can only teach one the ways of that itself. The ways and knowledge of God (Brahman, the Imperishable) can only be taught directly to man by God that is already dwelling within him.

Arjuna is also being taught because he knew not how to do these things forcefully. He feared that the ensuing war (in the Bhagavad Gita) could take him away from God and he would not fight upon knowing this. By devoting his energy more to God, he was taught the techniques required to fight while maintaining his devotion to God. Arjuna was doing these techniques from birth; so he knew not how to learn them if forgotten or teach them to others. The Lord himself, dwelling in his heart, gave him all answers.

Arjuna turned to the Lord first before other men. His devotion to the almighty one pleases Krishna so much that the Lord himself teaches him all te beautiful ways of Yoga and knowledge. Intent on God alone, Arjuna not only receives all, but he becomes God...


doM