Gita 2.12

Sadhak: "This is a staggering claim. Krishna says he, Arjuna, and all those kings have always existed and will always exist. How can I believe something so enormous?"

Guru: "You are right to pause before such a claim. Notice that Krishna does not ask for blind faith—he is beginning an argument that will be developed through many verses. This is a thesis statement, not a demand for immediate acceptance. He will offer reasons, analogies, logical implications. But yes, the claim is enormous: consciousness is not produced by bodies but inhabits them temporarily."

Sadhak: "But if we have always existed, why don't I remember my past lives? The absence of memory seems to argue against continuity."

Guru: "Do you remember being two years old? The absence of memory does not mean you did not exist. Memory is a function of the brain, which is part of the body, which is temporary. The Self witnesses all states—including states the brain cannot recall. Furthermore, many contemplative traditions report that in deep meditation, glimpses of previous existences can arise. But even without such experiences, the argument does not depend on memory. It depends on the nature of consciousness itself."

Sadhak: "Why does Krishna include 'all these kings'—even the Kauravas whom Arjuna will fight?"

Guru: "This is crucial. Eternality is not a reward for the good; it is the nature of all selves. Duryodhana's ātman is as eternal as Arjuna's. This creates a remarkable equality: at the level of the Self, there are no enemies. The conflict is at the level of roles, bodies, historical circumstances—not at the level of being. Arjuna can fight Duryodhana's body without harming Duryodhana's Self. This does not make war trivial, but it removes from war the ultimate stakes Arjuna fears."

Sadhak: "But if the Self is eternal and cannot be harmed, why should actions matter at all? Why not do anything?"

Guru: "Because the Self experiences consequences through the bodies it inhabits. Karma operates at the level of the subtle body, which carries impressions (saṁskāras) from life to life. Your actions shape your future experiences even if they cannot touch your ultimate nature. Moreover, dharma—right action—is its own fulfillment, not just a means to some external end. The wise act rightly not because they fear punishment but because rightness is in harmony with reality."

Sadhak: "Krishna says 'I also have always existed.' Is he speaking as a human soul or as God?"

Guru: "Both. As an avatāra, Krishna's human existence had a beginning and will have an end. But as the Supreme Being, he is the eternal source of all existence. The beauty of this verse is that it works on both levels. Krishna includes himself in 'all we' to emphasize solidarity with Arjuna—'we' are in this together. But the 'I' that was never not is also the cosmic I, the witness of all existences. Later in the Gita, this double nature will be revealed more explicitly."

Sadhak: "If I really believed this—that I am eternal and cannot be destroyed—how would it change my life?"

Guru: "Fear would lose its grip. Not recklessness—you would still take care of the body as a useful vehicle—but the deep existential terror of annihilation would dissolve. And without that fear driving you, your choices would become freer, clearer, more aligned with truth rather than with survival anxiety. Most of human foolishness and cruelty comes from the fear of not-existing. Remove that fear, and what remains is freedom to act from love rather than desperation."

Sadhak: "I want to believe it, but doubt persists. What should I do?"

Guru: "Doubt is healthy; the Gita does not ask for blind faith. Continue to listen to Krishna's teaching—he will offer more arguments, more perspectives. Practice meditation, which reveals the witness-consciousness that is not touched by the body's conditions. And observe: in deep sleep, 'you' continue though the body and mind are inactive. What is this 'you' that persists through all states? Inquiry itself is the path."