Bhagavad Gita annual lecture by Sunandaji in March

Sunandaji-the daughter disciple of Swami Parthasarathy will be delivering discourses on the chapter 7 of the Bhagavad Gita from March 15-18 from 6.30 pm to 7.45 pm at the Buddhist Cultural Centre, Thummulla Junction, Colombo 05, according to organizers of the event. Kanapathy Chetty Selvanathan Charitable Trust is the primary sponsor of the event.

The message of the Bhagavad Gita is eternal, universal and scientific. The Gita presents the fundamental principles of life applicable to one and all, irrespective of cast, creed, religion, race, gender or age. Like any other science these life principles has to be studied systematically and applied in life. Through this one will be able to live a dynamic life coupled with peace of mind leading oneself to the ultimate human perfection of Self-realisation.

Chapter VII of the Gita is entitled ‘The Yoga of Knowledge and Wisdom’. It explains the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is the information gained from external sources - teachers, text books, internet etc. One may have knowledge but if one lacks wisdom, one will not be able to apply the knowledge in life. For example, a doctor who knows the adverse effects of smoking could still be a victim to the habit of smoking. This is because he has knowledge but no wisdom. When one has knowledge one can speak, give lectures even advice others. But cannot benefit oneself unless one has the wisdom. With wisdom one gets transformed and will be able to apply the knowledge in one’s practical life. 

The knowledge gained can be converted into wisdom through the process of reflection, called manana in the Sanskrit language. Reflection is a systematic process of thinking – analysing the subject matter from various angles, understanding the pros and cons and coming to a firm intellectual conclusion. This chapter of the Gita enunciates the technique of gaining knowledge as well as wisdom.

Swami A. Parthasarathy, the world-renowned Vedanta philosopher, author, speaker has founded the Vedanta Academy in Pune, India in 1988. The Academy offers a three-year residential course on Vedanta.