While I appreciate contribution by Swami Nikhilananda of Ramakrishna Mission in New York towards "India American relation—A way to world peace." It will not be out place to mention that comparative study & philosophical ideas expressed by different religious heads will not only bring large contributions to the said _ _ but will also give the public at large a conviction of the Bhagavad. gita.
Smoke emanates from the fire under certain condition but it is a disturbing condition of the fire. We need the fire and not the smoke.
The present smoky materialistic or sensuous civilization has to be kindled into the fire of reality or spiritualism. It is neither difficult nor impossible and is much more simpler than any other method. It is just a simple process of fanning the fire in order to get rid of the disturbing smoke. Such fanning process is eternally the same and the one and the empiric speculators have nothing to invent now in it.
The great Philosophy of Bhagavad-gita is the authoritative book to guide us in this respect. We have nothing to drag in it by forcing empiric interpretations. Let it be understood as it is because it is just like the Sun. The Sun does not require to be helped by other light. So there is no need of interpreting Bhagavad-gita by any indirect meaning. Let us understand that Kuruksetra is Kuruksetra and it is still a sacred place of Hindu pilgrimage. The Pandavas are the sons of Pandu as it is stated in the history of Mahabharata. The Pandavas and the Kurus met at the battlefield of Kuruksetra and the philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita was told by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna.
I wish that the American people may try to understand Bhagavad-gita in terms of its direct meaning. Let it not be unnecessarily misunderstood by the empiric speculative method for making a show of the vanity of so called learning without any living experience. Such academic erudition has nothing to do with living reality.
I wish to present an analytical study of Bhagavad-gita as it is. If your people can grasp the direct meaning of Bhagavad-gita it will be possible for us all to understand the basic principle of cosmic harmony. When that is done we shall know then that all adjustment of our existence is not only peaceful but an eternal bliss distinguished from the ephemeral sensual satisfaction. We shall then only know that here is world where there is no struggle for existence and every living entity, never mind what it is, is fit to exist.