Question: In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna that he should go into battle and fight; but I think we are not supposed to go about harming people. I don't understand how Arjuna could kill people.

Krishna asked Arjuna to kill cousins, uncles, etc. You feel that it was a very horrible mistake on the part of a spiritual Master.

Now, first of all, Krishna tried his best to avoid the war. He literally begged the Kauravas to come to some agreement. But they didn’t listen to Him. So necessity compelled Krishna to ask Arjuna to fight. What was this supreme necessity? He saw that the evil forces were reigning supreme at that time in the Kaurava family, and they were not opening to the Light. He also knew perfectly well that if the so-called outer destruction took place, a new life would dawn. Then, (I am sure you have read the Gita) in the eleventh chapter Sri Krishna showed His Universal Form to Arjuna. What was He showing? These people were already killed. By whom? Not by Arjuna, but by Krishna Himself. Then He said to Arjuna, “They are already killed. You just become My instrument.”

Further, from the spiritual point of view we come to learn that Krishna was not actually destroying them, but was transforming their unlit consciousness so that they could have better lives in their future incarnations. He saw clearly what their future possibilities were. Morality will never allow you to fight against your nearest and dearest ones, but only this much does morality teach you.

Morality cannot see an inch further. If you want to go beyond morality, then you have to obey the express will of the spiritual Master, the divine representative of God. If the spiritual Master asks you to do something, immediately you have to give up all your morality, for he knows what is ultimately best for you and your soul. In order to realise the Highest, if the Highest demands that your moral thoughts and attitudes be changed and transformed, then naturally you have to surrender to the Highest. It is the Highest that can fulfil your life. So you have to know where you stand. Krishna asked Arjuna to be His instrument because He knew well the spiritual capacities of his disciple. He didn’t take just anybody as His instrument. So, if I ask you to do something, and if you think that it is touching your morality, please do not misunderstand me. I shall not ask you to go back to your animal life just to please me. But I may ask you to do something which has been commanded by the Supreme. He knows His cosmic Lila (Play) better than anybody else. Your life has to be totally dedicated and surrendered to one Person, the Inner Pilot, the Supreme. So I wish to tell you that Krishna did the right thing. He saw the future and did absolutely the right thing. In the inner world we see and feel that He had infinite Compassion. He wanted to expedite the evolution of the unawakened, unlit, unprogressive and undivine human beings.