I went to see the movie "Lincoln" yesterday and found it very well done and spot-on within the historical perspective. But, deep down inside my spiritual heart, it brought back in high definition the verses from the Bhagavad Gita concerning the Battle of Kurukshetra. The Steven Spielberg production of "Lincoln" could well have been set in ancient India. After all, didn't Abraham Lincoln himself talk about the "Angels of man's better nature"? The treatment of war in movies is mostly bloody and horrendously overdone. But, in the movie "Lincoln", the theme revolves around bringing goodness to light out of the over 600,000 deaths of the Civil War. The abolishment of slavery, established by the ratification of the 13th Amendment of the United States Constitution, would create righteousness in the wake of the violent war between the states. On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, the battle didn't focus on which side was right or wrong, but it was to prove the eternal aspect of the soul. I have often imagined life to mirror technology. We are saturated by video games depicting violent death followed by immediate resurrection. Death is not permanent, but the "soul" of the action figure is brought back to life to fight yet another battle. In the second chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, it is stated that death is only an illusion and that the soul transmigrates to yet another dimension. In the third chapter of the Gita, we learn that everyone must engage in some sort of activity in this material world. But actions can either bind one to this world or liberate one from it. By acting for the pleasure of the Supreme, without selfish motives, one can be liberated from the law of karma (action and reaction) and attain transcendental knowledge of the self and the Supreme.
Dreams are a wonderful release from reality, but I wonder if they actually inform us of the truths behind our concept of reality. Carl Jung, the prominent psychologist of the 20th Century, believed that dreams are in fact messages from God. Have you ever dreamed that you can fly? Well, maybe we can fly if we followed the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth that "If you believe and have no doubt, you can perform miracles". On the topic of Karma Yoga, I can personally testify that suppressing the Ego and trusting in the infinite love of the eternal source of everything (God) can lead to infinite possibilities. I practice Karma Yoga. This has saved me from the dreadful concept of Hell and eternal damnation. Maybe Abraham Lincoln also understood this concept and strived to make the world a better place by valiantly pushing for the 13th Amendment as the righteous outcome of a bloody war?
The Multiverse holds infinite possibilities. Have you ever made the statement that you feel "Besides yourself"? Perhaps this is because we have worn many masks during the transmigration of our soul? We have been hero and villain and everything in-between during our various reincarnations. Shakespeare wrote "All the world's a stage, and we are mere actors walking upon it". Isn't this what life is all about, making villainous mistakes and then rectifying our errors by acting honorably? I think Abraham Lincoln understood this. I will go further and opine that Lincoln was an apt student of Karma Yoga. By putting aside the Ego's demand for recognition, we can surrender to Godhead and permit ourselves to become, as Saint Francis said, "Instruments of God's grace". All of the world's saints have believed this, from Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, to Mother Theresa in the slums of India.
I have many dreams that I hope to fulfill in this lifetime. But, I also know that, through Karma Yoga, I am already progressing along my path to enlightenment. I hope to meet you somewhere on the path! :-)
Blessings!
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