“Therefore the Gita is not for those who have no faith. The author makes Krishna say: ‘Do not entrust this treasure to him who is without sacrifice, without devotion, without the desire for this teaching and who denies Me.’”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: The Bhagavad Gita According to Gandhi (Anasaktiyoga), Gandhi's own Gita commentary; genuine Gandhi work but the exact wording was not independently confirmed and the candidate is truncated.
About this quote
Some knowledge only opens to the person prepared to receive it. Handed to someone with no devotion, patience, or willingness to give anything up, a deep teaching either slides off or gets twisted; the readiness of the student is part of what makes the lesson land.
When to use it
- A master craftsman takes on the apprentice willing to sweep floors for a year, not the one hunting for shortcuts.
- A counselor's insight only helps a client who actually wants to change, not one dragged in by a frustrated spouse.
- A dense text rewards the reader who wrestles with it nightly and stays shut for the one skimming it for a grade.