“That’s just another worldview to add to the confusing plethora of worldviews.” Thus do skeptics dismiss Gita wisdom. They argue that as we can’t know which worldview, if any, is true, we had best forget metaphysics.
This argument betrays a dangerous frivolousness towards life’s most serious questions. Would we be so frivolous about any serious field like, say, medicine? Would we argue that the many systems of medicine are such a confusing mess that we had best forget medicine? Certainly not. Because we know that medicine is a serious matter, a matter of life and death. Metaphysics is an even more serious matter, a matter of perennial liberation or perpetual entanglement.
Surely such a serious matter deserves more than just skeptical dismissal. The Bhagavad-gita indicates (04.10) that if we wish to attain eternal life, we need to break free from the shackles of hotheaded, frustrated skepticism (krodha).
How would we find our way among the various systems of medicine?
We would explore and accept as valid a system that satisfies an objective criterion: “Does it work? Does it cure diseases?”
Gita wisdom urges us to similarly explore and accept as valid that metaphysical system which works, which answers life’s questions satisfactorily. If we study the Gita diligently, we will find that its worldview answers those questions with an irresistible intellectual flair.
More importantly, the Gita also offers another world to view. Its teachings on yoga, culminating in bhakti-yoga, comprise a systematic, progressive method for awakening our dormant spiritual perception. With this inner vision, we perceive a whole new world of life and love that comprises eternal exchanges of affection between Krishna and his devotees. This world beckons us as our ultimate destination.
An intellectually satisfying worldview and an emotionally appealing world to view – these rewards are more than enough incentive to sacrifice skepticism on the altar of spiritual ambition.
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 04 Text 10
“Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, being fully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many, many persons in the past became purified by knowledge of Me and thus they all attained transcendental love for Me.”
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