Sojourn of Arjuna - Bela Fleck And The Flecktones

So Arjuna and Krishna you know they’re hanging out on the battlefield

Arjuna is like tired of war, he’s trying to get out of this battle

So Krishna drops a little science on him, he says you know it’s the way of

Spiritual growth

A man must go forth from where he stands

He cannot jump to the absolute, he must evolve toward it (can you hear that)

Krishna says at any given moment in time we are what we are

Arjuna we have to accept the consequences of being ourselves

And only through this acceptance can we begin to evolve further

We may select the battleground but we cannot avoid the battle

So Krishna tells Arjuna it follows therefore that every action under certain

Circumstances and for certain people may actually be a stepping stone to

Spiritual growth

Arjuna is to do the best he knows

In order to pass beyond that best to better

How can we prescribe our neighbors to be perfect

When it is so hard to know our own heart

The pacifist must respect Arjuna

Arjuna must respect the pacifist

Both are going toward the same goal

If they are really sincere

There’s an underlying solidarity between them

Which can be expressed

Each one follows without compromise the path upon which he finds himself

For we can only help others to do their duty

By doing what we ourselves believe to be right

It is the one supremely social act

So Kirshna’s reply to Arjuna occupies the rest of the story

It deals not only with Arjuna’s immediate personal problem

But the whole nature of action

The meaning of life

And the aims for which man must struggle here on earth

At the end of the conversation Arjuna has changed his mind

He’s ready to fight, he’s ready to go ahead on

It is the way of spiritual growth

A man must go forward from where he stands

He cannot jump to the absolute

And the battle begins…

By doing what we ourselves believe to be right

It is the one supremely social act

So Kirshna’s reply to Arjuna occupies the rest of the story

It deals not only with Arjuna’s immediate personal problem

But the whole nature of action

The meaning of life

And the aims for which man must struggle here on earth

At the end of the conversation Arjuna has changed his mind

He’s ready to fight, he’s ready to go ahead on

It is the way of spiritual growth

A man must go forward from where he stands

He cannot jump to the absolute

And the battle begins…