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 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 