Whoever with devotion offers Me a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water, that I accept—the devout gift of the pure-minded. Whatever thou doest, whatever thou eatest, whatever thou offerest in sacrifice, whatever thou givest away, whatever austerity thou practisest, O son of Kunti [Prince Arjuna], do that as an offering unto me. —Srimad Bhagavad-Gita 18:26–271
I had lunch recently with the rabbi who performed my wedding ceremony. I am not Jewish, and neither is my spouse. We asked the rabbi, a close friend, to marry us because we couldn’t imagine anyone else officiating our marriage. This rabbi has consistently spoken out for the oppressed, stands for social justice, and is an icon of authenticity in our community across faith traditions. If we were Jewish, he’d be our rabbi. At lunch, I was discussing the possibility of teaching a class with him about the spirituality of anger supported by teachings from the Old Testament and New Testament. The rabbi interrupted me with feigned crossness and said, “Edward, there is no Old Testament, there is only the Testament.” With the gentlest humor, he had pointed out my misconception: the whole world does not share the Christian perspective I had been raised with. To the rabbi, his holy book had not been updated, renewed, or fulfilled by anything. Although we laughed it off, I grew in the awareness that day of how easy it is to misunderstand another culture’s ways. The comment lingered in my thoughts. I wondered how many such innocent cultural and spiritual faux pas I had made through ignorance when writing this book. I took my comfort from Lord Krishna’s utterances on the importance of sincerity as the factor that makes every kind of offering acceptable to him. I understand that. Innocent sincerity makes forgiveness possible. Innocent sincerity makes it possible even for lighthearted acceptance of errors without the need for indignant correction.
Some twenty-five years ago, a colleague of mine was visiting a predominantly non-Christian country. She went to a large department store to complete some late Christmas shopping and was startled by a bizarre spectacle displayed in the entrance. On the prominently placed Christmas tree in honor of their Western visitors’ upcoming holy festival, Santa Claus was attached to a crucifix at the top of the tree. My colleague was horrified for a moment until she saw the smiling faces of the department store staff who were sincerely proud of their bold statement of welcome. My colleague reported that she felt no need to do anything other than have a blessed day shopping in a store that clearly wanted to be inclusive and welcome her.
I wrote this book not as an expert, but as a devotee. I am confident that there is more for me to learn and understand. Still, I continue to be sincerely interested in helping people find access to one of the most beautiful scriptures I have ever read. And, as a beginner myself, I feel compelled to tell you that there is a whole world of wonder and revelation waiting for you beyond what I have presented in this book.
My own spiritual mentor, Dr. Ernest Holmes, said of the Bhagavad Gita that it was among the most beautiful spiritual works he had read. So much so that he and his brother, Fenwicke Holmes, wrote a tribute to it called The Song Celestial, with the same eighteen chapters, four main characters, and similar dialogue between the seeker and the presence of the Divine. I believe I am in the same category as Dr. Holmes and his brother: deeply impressed by the Bhagavad Gita, and as a non-Hindu, trying to integrate its message into my life and worldview without any offense intended.
In the closing chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna wraps things up by strongly assuring Prince Arjuna that anyone who studies the sacred dialogue between them will have conducted an act of worship to God. He continues, saying that even the person who openheartedly hears the wisdom imparted in their conversation will attain happiness. With that in mind, I urge you now to read the full text of the Bhagavad Gita. I have recommended several versions that are a good place to start for first-time readers, and now that you are equipped with the backstory from the Mahabharata and some knowledge of important Hindu spiritual terms, I am confident that you will experience the same clarity Prince Arjuna described at the end of the Bhagavad Gita when he said his delusions had been destroyed, his memory restored, and his doubts removed.