1) What is your favorite holy scripture?

There is a true galaxy of holy scriptures, each one its own solar system of stars and suns. Each contains an unparalleled wealth of wisdom and inspiration from our Rishis. These scriptures are the lamps that shine brightly on the path of righteousness and truth, guiding our way in the dark of night.

However, if I had to choose one, I would say it is the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. As Pujya Paramhansa Yoganandaji said, "The Bhagavad Gita is the most beloved scripture of India, a scripture of scriptures. It is the Hindu' s Holy Testament, the one book that all masters depend upon as a supreme source of scriptural authority." The Gita provides wisdom and upliftment, comfort and solace to people of all ages, from all walks of all life, from all corners of the Earth.

"Bhagavad Gita" literally means Song of the Spirit, Song of the Soul, Song of God. Like any truly divine song, the language of the original lyrics and the religion of the original singer are irrelevant. For once it has been written and sung, the song itself becomes alive, bursting forth across oceans and mountain ranges, breaking all barriers of caste, creed, nationality. Such is the power of a divine song. However, as the original "singer" of the Gita is Lord Krishna, Himself, this is the holiest and most sacred of all the songs of God. Therefore, its power to transform, to heal, to uplift is as limitless as the Singer.

It has been said that the Upanishads are the cows, Lord Krishna is the cowherd, Arjuna is the calf, and the Gita is the milk. But, it is not just any milk. This milk is nectar that flowed from the Gods with the power to heal the sick, comfort the lonely, guide the lost, uplift the fallen and bring peace to the troubled. The milk is gentle and pure enough for a baby, but strong enough for a warrior.

2) How and when were you introduced to this holy scripture?

I was introduced to this incredible work by my Spiritual Master, when I was 8 years old. The Gita was his favorite text and he used to carry it everywhere with him. He said it was the most important piece of wisdom for everyone, regardless of education, caste, or spiritual aspirations. When he initiated me, he gave me my own copy – a small, simple version in the original Sanskrit. I learned Sanskrit through the Gita, through memorizing its entirety. In that way, Lord Krishna' s message and His language came alive for me simultaneously.

3) How much time do you devote each day to the Gita?

Now, approximately an hour each day. But at the beginning, in my early years, it was my life. Every minute of my day was spent in either meditation, japa, or contemplation on God and the Gita.

While I may only spend an hour each day studying the Bhagavad Gita, I spend all 24 hours living the Gita.

4) What is the impact on your life of the Bhagavad Gita?

The Gita has made me ast, vyast, mast and swasth. What do I mean? First, I became ast, emerged in God. I was like the sugar that – when mixed in water – loses itself and becomes one with the water. The sugar was so solid and separate when it sat on the spoon. But, in the vastness of the water, the structure of the sugar simply dissolves.

The Gita became the blanket that wrapped itself around me in the cold and dark of night. I was alone in the forest, and became completely immersed in Lord Krishna; His words spoke to me through the Gita, through my mantra, and through His own voice. They comforted me, taught me, and guided me.

Then, as I studied the message and the wisdom of the Gita more, I learned how to be vyast. Vyast -- in essence --means "doing is being, and being is doing." This is Lord Krishna' s message. So many people today assume that a spiritual path is one of idleness, one of silent contemplation high on a mountain top. But, Lord Krishna teaches otherwise. We should be the hands that do God' s work – this is Karma Yoga. We should not only be divine, but we should DO divine. "Serve, serve, serve, do your duty on Earth." But, again, vyast is a different kind of "doing" than most people do. It is "being" while "doing." What does this mean? It means having your work be prayer, be meditation. All the time your hands are doing, your mind should be being. Have His name be on your lips and in your heart, and have His work be on your hands.

From ast and vyast, I have become mast – ever happy, ever joyful, ever blissful. When you are immersed in Him and His work is flowing through you, what else can you be?

When you are ast, vyast, and mast, you automatically are swastha – or completely healthy, and in perfect balance. But swastha does not imply only perfect physical health; rather, it is a full health of body, mind, soul and spirit. Every pain, every ache, every discomfort becomes prasad as you lay it in His lap. His love and His presence dissolve all that hurts both within and without. Your body and your soul becomein perfect harmony.

5) How do you convey the message of the Gita to your devotees?

The Bhagavad Gita is not abstruse. It is intricate and deep, but neither complicated nor difficult. Its messages are clear. Through the story of Arjuna and the battle, Lord Krishna gives us lessons for our lives. The real Kurukshetra is within us. Each of us is Arjuna, struggling with right and wrong, temptation, fear and frustration. Our bodies are our chariots, being driven all too frequently by our senses as the horses. The mind, ego, desires, lust and greed are the evil Kaurvas with whom we must do righteous battle, from whom we must not shy away in fear and trepidation. If, instead of letting our chariots be driven by our senses, we give the reins to Lord Krishna, we will surely be victorious.

Additionally, the central message of the Gita is to perform your duties diligently and piously, but without any expectation for what the result will be. You must till the soil, plant the seeds, water and tend the seedling, and take care of the tree without any thought of how much fruit this tree will bear. You must be God' s gardener, carefully tending the garden but never becoming attached to what will blossom, what will flower, what will give fruit or what will wither and die. Expectation is the mother of frustration, but acceptance is the mother of peace
and joy.

Lord Krishna says, "Stand up! Do divine! Be divine! Don' t expect, but accept!" Life is about the journey, not about the destination. If the reins of your life-chariot are in His hands, you will be ever happy, ever peaceful. This is the lesson of ultimate surrender that I convey to my devotees. Put all your assets in the Divine Insurance Company, and you will always be taken care of .

6) How relevant is this message for today' s life?

The message of the Gita is as relevant for people living in the West today as it was for the people of India more than 5000 years ago. It is as relevant for Hindus as for people of all other religions. It teaches Hindus how to be better Hindus, but it also teaches Muslims to be better Muslims, Christians to be better Christians, and Jews to be better Jews. For, if something is really "truth," it must be universal. Truth is not limited to a religious framework. If it is truth, it must pertain to all. Such is the profound truth of Lord Krishna' s words.

Like Mother Ganga, like the rays of the sun, the Bhagavad Gita does not discriminate. Mother Gangaji does not bring water to only Hindus' farms. The sun does not shine only on Hindus' flowers. Similarly, the Gita does not provide light and inspiration to only Hindus' minds and souls.

7) Is the Bhagavad Gita useful for people in the West?

Definitely. Aldous Huxley said, "The Gita is one of the clearest and most comprehensive summaries of the perennial Philosophy ever to have been made. Hence its enduring value, not only for Indians, but for all mankind."

Perhaps people in the West actually need this wisdom even more. People in the West seem to hold even more tenaciously to their agendas, their expectations, their desires. The message in much of the West is "if you work hard, you will succeed, you will become prosperous." So, people don' t work for the sake of being God' s hands. They work to reapthe benefits, and when the benefits don' t come or don' t come quickly enough, they are frustrated.

Hence, it seems people in the West need both the message and the comfort of the Gita a great deal. Mahatma Gandhiji said, "When disappointment stares me in the face and all alone I see not one ray of light, I go back to the Bhagavad-Gita...I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming tragedies and my life has been full of external tragedies. If they have left no visible, no indelible scar on me, I owe it all to the teachings of Bhagavad-Gita." The lives of people today seem colored by indelible scars. I hope they will all turn to the Gita as the remover of pain and the bestower of light. I hope we can all sit together in the lap of the Mother.

8) All the time you are moving from city to city, from country to country. You are so busy with all of your spiritual and charitable activities. Do you find time to read the scriptures of other religions as well?

Definitely. I have read the major scriptures of most religions. I feel that the truth is one, although the paths are many. Therefore, each path, each religion has great value for me. I have read Shri Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhism, the Koran, and the Bible, as well as numerous other religious works from other religions.

Do you compare these works?

No. Every book gives an important message, and – in fact – the messages are the same, although the language is different. Each work teaches the message of, "love all, hate none; heal all, hurt none."

If you don' t fully understand something (like another religion) you should never criticize it. Instead of criticizing the principles of others, our energies should be spent on following the guiding principles of our own religion. That is what will lead to health and happiness, peace and prosperity.

9) How can the Bhagavad Gita be useful in achieving salvation and self-realization?

The Gita provides the guiding principles for both peace in this life as well as for ultimate salvation. When I was in Japan, I saw a sign that said, "Follow the rules, and enjoy your stay." While it is simple and trite, it is also true. The rules for our lives are laid out in the scriptures: do divine, be divine, serve without expectation, love all, surrender to God, etc. When we follow these rules our lives become infused with joy and love and peace. It is when we ignore these commandments or amend them to suit our own agendas that we bring pain and turmoil into our lives. The Gita is a complete yet concise listing of all the teachings necessary to achieve self-realization in this life as well as eternal salvation and liberation.

10) Does the Bhagavad Gita answer the youth as well?

Of course. The trials and tribulations of youth are not so different from those of adults: Who am I? What do I believe? What do I want out of life? What is my purpose here? Are these not questions that continue to plague us throughout our lives? Childhood and adolescence are simply times in which the intensity of the questions and the agony caused by not knowing the answers are at their peak. Sure, the logistic concerns of youth differ from the logistic concerns of old age; however, at the core, we are all searching for truth, peace and happiness. The Gita provides this. Additionally, because it was sung by Lord Krishna, himself, the Gita has the miraculous ability to give the reader exactly the answer and meaning he/she was searching for. So, if you open it today in the midst of a crisis at work you will come upon a passage that will speak something different to you than when you open it a year from now, looking for comfort after the death of a parent. Similarly, youth will find a different jewel in the treasure chest than adults will. But, it is still a jewel from the ultimate treasure chest.

11) In today' s changing world, is there something in Gita for all of humanity?

Definitely. This is what I have been saying. The truth is there for all to see. The sun does not disappear behind a cloud simply because a Christian or a Muslim goes outside. The Bhagavad Gita shows us the way to live with God, to live with each other and to live with Mother Earth in peace and harmony. This wisdom and insight is as changing as the River Ganga, able to address the concerns of each generation, and yet as stable and everlasting as the Himalayas themselves.