Nelson Mandela & the Bhagavad Gita

Nelson Mandela & the Bhagavad Gita.

Please do click the link below the Picture of Nelson Mandela sitting alongside the Bhagavad Gita.  ISKCON was a place that Mandela often visited in South Africa, (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), many know the group as the Hari Krishna folks who used to dance and chant in airports.  I have visited and stayed in a couple of ISKCON centers and they truly do offer safe refuge.  The Hari Krishna Centers in Delhi, Mumbai and Banglalore are majestically beautiful and offer solace for visitors.  Mandela chose to develop into a remarkable person and we all may choose similarly.  There are many gates leading towards elevating our minds, emotions, perspectives and when we decide to seek out these pathways we can decide which resonates best with our spirit.  I have read many translations of the Bhagavad Gita, referred to sometimes just as The Gita and I find Eknath Easwaran’s translation and commentary on each verse to be a treasure trove.  Easwaran lived in the USA for a long time as a Professor at UCLA.  He also founded The Blue Mountain Center where he offered meditation courses.  His long experiences with students and seekers from different walks of life in America gave him an extra edge to be able to explain the core meaning from The Gita so that westerners could easily grasp the messages.  Along with Easwaran’s own special messages and experiences I really value this collection of three volumes and try to re-read it at least once a year.  My Guruji the Late Shri Radha Kant Jha always said every Yogi should try to read The Gita at least once a year and he professed to have read it over 1000 times.  So trying to be a good yogini I try my best and refer my students to take up at least the first volume, “The End of Sorrows” by Eknath Easwaran.  I hope you may join the ranks of Nelson Mandela and so many known and unknown folks who have opened the pages of The Bhagavad Gita….here’s to your good reading….Hari Krishna Hari Madiba…Hari Ram….Hari YOU….Hari  me….Hari Hari…Hari OM

(n.b. Thanks Lalitji for posting about this – you are my Favorite Virtual Teacher! Namaste)