Gita 03.26 – Don’t exhibit your high level – attract people to one level higher

Thank you here 3.26 in the Bhagavad Gita Krishna is continuing his analysis of how we how the wise should act so he is basically telling Arjuna to act in a way by which he can set an example for others so he is telling that Arjuna even if you are detached even if you are enlightened still you should act in a way not just based on what is right for you what is best for you but also based on what is set a good example for others so disturbance of intelligence confusion don't generate that such disruption of intelligence how may that happen if a social leader if exemplary archer if a person like Arjuna whose very name Arjuna which means white pure one who was exemplary in virtue if such a person acts in a way that seems questionable Arjuna may renounce the world because he has authentic renunciation but others may think oh he's been a coward he's run away because of that he's been irresponsible those who are ignorant those who are attached so they should not be instructed either by action or by words in a way that will disturb their minds rather if they are at a particular level where they can't comprehend much higher things then they should be given instruction at a level at which they can comprehend so when a teacher goes to a classroom the purpose of the teacher is not to exhibit his or her learning the purpose of the teacher is to assist in the students learning to help the students to learn so there whatever level the students are at so one level higher the teacher should take them through proper teaching and that's how they will grow children are just learning basic maths and at that time they are told about triple and triple calculus and they find it totally incomprehensible and because of seeing things which are totally incomprehensible they get scared and then they decide that we will not study only maths is impossible for us we can never do it better forget it and then what has happened is that the children because of discouragement give up education itself and then the teacher whose purpose was to educate the children sends the children away from education so this is actually at one level violence is very unfortunate undesirable for a teacher to act in a way that disturbs the mind of children in such a way that rather than they becoming stimulated to learn they become disheartened and give up learning itself similarly we are all on a process of spiritual evolution the growth of our consciousness the expansion of our consciousness of our propensity to love of our wisdom that is what happens during our spiritual evolution so for those who are attached and who are ignorant about the ultimate spiritual purpose of life and those who are not at a level where they can comprehend it right now then for them the path of material duty itself comprises one level of growth that means that if a person is just living for oneself I'll do what I want to do when I want to do it but then that person gets a family gets married has children then that itself brings out a certain level of responsibility and if a person has some dharmic inclination then that person follows dharma also more seriously because one wants artha and kama more seriously at that time so in that way a person who is karmakandi is not yet ready to go towards renunciation of the world towards gyan yoga so if for such a person renunciation is demonstrated then and renunciation is not by renunciate but by a householder suddenly becoming a renunciate a leader of society becoming a renunciate then it can have multiple negative effects that person may prematurely renounce and will be buddhi bhedan because I can't do it maybe I should be doing this and prematurely renounces because of irresponsibility running away from responsibility and thereby not growing or otherwise that person may become so disheartened to grow spiritually this is what I have to do I have to renounce the world I can never do that better let me give up spiritual life only I will not go in this direction so people will become disturbed Arjuna is meant to act like a teacher and show people steps by which they can grow take more and more steps towards their own spiritual evolution so Arjuna will be aggressive according to Krishna's plan and he will act in karma yoga and others may act in karma kanda others may aspire for heaven Krishna has told Arjuna to aspire for in 2.51 he said that aspire for the eternal destination that destination is free from misery generally that's what most people will aspire for but don't disturb their mind if they at least stay on the path of dharma and they see the example of social leaders also staying on the path of dharma and the social leaders are acting with attachment gradually they will also start acting with attachment and they will rise from karma kanda to karma yoga so this way they will progress but if they see social leaders suddenly going to gyan yoga, renouncing the world then they will think the spiritual life business is not possible only for me so they will not even stay within the presence of dharma and karma kanda they may go into the direction of vikarma just for the sake of getting quick pleasure so that's like students getting so disheartened by seeing the complexity of mathematics just going out of the school itself, leaving school so therefore Krishna is telling Arjuna act in a way that will attract people towards spiritual growth and not alienate them from spiritual growth that is the meaning of joshya, engage them, dovetail them whatever the level they are at offer them one level higher and in that way enable them to move upwards.