Bhagwat Gita: What Really is Sin?

Lord Krishna says, ‘Why is it that so many are not able to know Me? The reason is Ichha (cravings or desires) and Dvesha (aversions). They are constantly stuck between their desires and aversions.’

When someone is caught up in Raaga (intense cravings), or consumed by Dvesha (hatred or spite) towards someone, then that completely fills their mind and they cannot see anything else. A person who intensely craves for someone or has too much hatred for someone, such a person falls into the trap of Moha (attachment). All living creatures are affected by this, and all of them suffer because of this very reason.

A person who is suffering and is miserable cannot see anything else or understand anything. Even if something good is happening around him, he will not be able to see it. Such a person lives in his own world. That is Bhrama or Bhranti (delusion).

When such a person has a problem in his life, be it regarding money, or relationships, etc., then all that he can see is the problem. His mind is completely engrossed with the problem and nothing else. He spends his day and night worrying over it, even years, but he is not able to overcome it.

If someone suffers a loss of some kind, then that loss grips the person so completely that he is unable to see anything beyond it. This is what Lord Krishna calls as Moha (attachment). He says,‘One who is caught up in such attachments is not able to recognize Me as the one pure Consciousness that pervades everything. He is unable to recognize My vast brilliance. I am so vast and so majestic, he is not able to see that.

Lord Krishna says, ‘One whose sins have reduced and who has begun to receive the merits of his good deeds, such a person becomes free from the conflicts of cravings and aversions, and worships Me dedicatedly. And also (on the other side), one who believes in Me is automatically cleansed of all his sins. One who takes refuge in Me, and sees Me as the pure Consciousness is freed from all his sins, and all his good deeds begin to bear fruit’.

Sin is that which does not allow you to come to the spiritual path. See, if you walk towards the light, the darkness (of ignorance) automatically starts to disappear. But sin is that which does not let you move towards the light. And this is what causes misery, pain and suffering.

Once you are on spiritual path, you never feel that you have aged. Old and elderly people who are on this spiritual path keep their enthusiasm till their last breath.
No matter how old they become, their face still glows with joy and happiness. They have a child-like innocence in them. So how can you call someone who has such a child-like innocence in them as old? How can you call people who are unafraid of death and who keep smiling as old?

When a person completely understands that I am not the body, I am pure Consciousness, then such strength dawns in him. How can such a person be fearful of death anymore?
Such people feel free from old age and death (having realized their true nature that is eternal). They are filled with happiness and enthusiasm. They are free from the conflicts of craving and aversions.

Otherwise you see so many people who till the last moment of their lives keep worrying about their son, or their daughter, or grandchildren, etc. You need to realize that everyone has brought some karma with them, part of which is Paap and some part is Punya. And they have to pay off the debts of their bad karma and also experience the merits of their good karma.

Lord Krishna says, ‘But those who have complete faith in Me are freed from their karma and their sins are cleansed. This is what spirituality really is.

‘People usually think that spirituality means to keep practicing Karma Kaand (rites and rituals of worship as mentioned in the scriptures) throughout their lives. But that is wrong. If you keep turning the beads of a japamaala (a rosary) all your life, that is not going to bring you any merit. But once the faith towards the Divine gets strongly lodged into your heart, then that is it.

Delusion can never stay for long. It comes and goes. It has no permanent existence. Knowledge can never be destroyed. It is only because of one’s sins that knowledge gets veiled by ignorance. By doing good deeds, the veil of ignorance gets lifted and knowledge dawns in life. This is what spirituality is !!!!!!