BG 14, TEXTS 22–25

çré-bhagavän uväca prakäçaà ca pravåttià ca
moham eva ca päëòava na dveñöi sampravåttäni
na nivåttäni käìkñati udäséna-vad äséno
guëair yo na vicälyate guëä vartanta ity evaà
yo ’vatiñöhati neìgate sama-duùkha-sukhaù sva-sthaù
sama-loñöäçma-käïcanaù tulya-priyäpriyo dhéras
tulya-nindätma-saàstutiù mänäpamänayos tulyas
tulyo miträri-pakñayoù sarvärambha-parityägé
guëätétaù sa ucyate

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O son of Pandu, he who does not
hate illumination, attachment and delusion when they are present or long for
them when they disappear; who is unwavering and undisturbed through all
these reactions of the material qualities, remaining neutral and transcendental,
knowing that the modes alone are active; who is situated in the self and
regards alike happiness and distress; who looks upon a lump of earth, a stone
and a piece of gold with an equal eye; who is equal toward the desirable and
the undesirable; who is steady, situated equally well in praise and blame, honor
and dishonor; who treats alike both friend and enemy; and who has renounced
all material activities—such a person is said to have transcended the modes of
nature.

PURPORT

Arjuna submitted three different questions, and the Lord answers them one
after another. In these verses, LORD first indicates that a person
transcendentally situated has no envy and does not hanker for anything.
When a living entity stays in this material world embodied by the material
body, it is to be understood that he is under the control of one of the three
modes of material nature. When he is actually out of the body, then he is out
of the clutches of the material modes of nature. But as long as he is not out of
the material body, he should be neutral. He should engage himself in the
devotional service of the Lord so that his identity with the material body will
automatically be forgotten. When one is conscious of the material body, he
acts only for sense gratification, but when one transfers the consciousness to
LORD, sense gratification automatically stops. One does not need this material
body, and he does not need to accept the dictations of the material body. The
qualities of the material modes in the body will act, but as spirit soul the self is
aloof from such activities. How does he become aloof? He does not desire to
enjoy the body, nor does he desire to get out of it. Thus transcendentally
situated, the devotee becomes automatically free. He need not try to become
free from the influence of the modes of material nature.

The next question concerns the dealings of a transcendentally situated
person. The materially situated person is affected by so-called honor and
dishonor offered to the body, but the transcendentally situated person is not
affected by such false honor and dishonor. He performs his duty in LORD
consciousness and does not mind whether a man honors or dishonors him. He
accepts things that are favorable for his duty in LORD consciousness,
otherwise he has no necessity of anything material, either a stone or gold. He
takes everyone as his dear friend who helps him in his execution of LORD
consciousness, and he does not hate his so-called enemy. He is equally
disposed and sees everything on an equal level because he knows perfectly
well that he has nothing to do with material existence. Social and political
issues do not affect him, because he knows the situation of temporary
upheavals and disturbances. He does not attempt anything for his own sake.
He can attempt anything for the LORD, but for his personal self he does not
attempt anything.

By such behavior one becomes actually transcendentally situated.

SYNONYMS

çré-bhagavän uväca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said;
prakäçam—illumination; ca—and; pravåttim—attachment; ca—and;
moham—illusion; eva ca—also; päëòava—O son of Päëòu; na dveñöi—does not
hate; sampravåttäni—although developed; na nivåttäni—nor stopping
development; käìkñati—desires; udäséna-vat—as if neutral; äsénaù—situated;
guëaiù—by the qualities; yaù—one who; na—never; vicälyate—is agitated;
guëäù—the qualities; vartante—are acting; iti evam—knowing thus; yaù—one
who; avatiñöhati—remains; na—never; iìgate—flickers; sama—equal;
duùkha—in distress; sukhaù—and happiness; sva-sthaù—being situated in
himself; sama—equally; loñöa—a lump of earth; açma—stone; käïcanaù—gold;
tulya—equally disposed; priya—to the dear; apriyaù—and the undesirable;
dhéraù—steady; tulya—equal; nindä—in defamation; ätma-saàstutiù—and
praise of himself; mäna—in honor; apamänayoù—and dishonor;
tulyaù—equal; tulyaù—equal; mitra—of friends; ari—and enemies;
pakñayoù—to the parties; sarva—of all; ärambha—endeavors;
parityägé—renouncer; guëa-atétaù—transcendental to the material modes of
nature; saù—he; ucyate—is said to be.

* * *

Some people claim they are great believers or Christians, or Catholics,
but they actively seek to destroy any conversion, or repentance from vices,
even the clergy.

Why? Converts are an active danger to the religious people because they have
the Holy Spirit of God. So they are persecuted even if they are very humble,
modest, law abiding and paying taxes and performing civil duties to the
fullest (save the violent ones).

Such people are also involved in debauchery, drunkard behaviour,
adultery, promiscuity and pollution of the environment, envy, gossip,
slander, hatred. They will claim to love their homeland, kill and die for
it in service, but they will create wild waste dumps and landfills when
permitted or out of greed, sometimes out of unclear, dark motivation
to pollute nature and waters, throw garbage in sea and oceans.
Which should be the true sign of loving ones homeland, to keep it
clean and sanctified.

in the LORD
Amen

The religious people will claim "the grace of the Lady" but they will
not pray for jobs, cars, apartments, loans, businesses - tithing to the LORD
from what little they have to be multiplied.

They will sell themselves to get those things instead. You have to beg
them not to sell instead that you could trust them to go through the
temptations of life.

They will be honest when you look at them, but cheat as soon and where
you didn't look.

Such are definitely not a choice for a friend or a spouse: "Do not yoke
with unbelievers! For what is the common thing between Christ and
Beliar?"

in the LORD
Amen