TRANSCENDENTAL KNOWLEDGE
Sanjaya said: Lord Krishna spoke these words to Arjuna whose eyes
were tearful and downcast, and who was overwhelmed with compassion and
despair. (2.01)
Lord Krishna said: How has the dejection come to you at this
juncture? This is not fit for a person of noble mind and deeds. It is
disgraceful, and it does not lead one to heaven, O Arjuna. (2.02)
Do not become a coward, O Arjuna; because it does not befit
you. Shake off this trivial weakness of your heart and get up for the battle, O
Arjuna. (2.03)
ARJUNA CONTINUES HIS REASONING
AGAINST THE WAR
Arjuna said: How shall I strike my grandfather, my guru, and
all other relatives ¾ who are worthy of my
respect ¾ with arrows in battle, O Krishna? (2.04)
Arjuna had
a valid point. In Vedic culture, gurus, the elderly, honorable personalities,
and all other superiors are to be respected. One should not fight or even joke
or speak sarcastically with superiors,
even if they hurt you. But the scriptures also say that anyone who is engaged
in abominable activities or supports misdeeds against you or others, is no
longer to be respected, but punished.
It would be better, indeed, to live on alms in this world than
to slay these noble personalities because by killing them I would enjoy wealth
and pleasures stained with their blood. (2.05)
We do not know which alternative ¾ to fight or to quit ¾ is
better for us. Further, we do not know whether we shall conquer them or they
will conquer us. We should not even wish to live after killing our cousin
brothers who are standing in front of us. (2.06)
Arjuna was
unable to decide what to do. It is said that expert guidance of a guru, the
spiritual counselor, should be sought during a moment of crisis or to overcome
the perplexities of life. Arjuna now requests Krishna for guidance:
My senses are overcome by the weakness of pity, and my mind is
confused about duty (Dharma). Please tell me what is better for me. I am Your
disciple, and I take refuge in You. (2.07)
NOTE:
'Dharma' may be defined as the eternal law governing, upholding, and
supporting creation and the world order. It is the eternal relationship between
the creator and His creatures. It also means way of life, doctrine, principle,
prescribed duty, righteousness, right action, integrity, ideal conduct, custom,
virtue, nature, essential quality, commandments, moral principles, spiritual
truth, spirituality, spiritual values, and a function within the scriptural
injunction or religion.
I do not perceive that gaining an unrivaled and prosperous
kingdom on this earth, or even lordship over all the celestial controllers will
remove the sorrow that is drying up my senses. (2.08)
Sanjaya said: O King, after speaking like this to Lord Krishna,
the mighty Arjuna said to Krishna: I shall not fight, and became silent. (2.09)
O King, Lord Krishna, as if smiling, spoke these words to the
distressed Arjuna in the midst of the two armies. (2.10)
THE TEACHINGS OF THE GITA
BEGIN WITH THE TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF THE
SELF AND THE PHYSICAL BODY
Lord Krishna said: You grieve for
those who are not worthy of grief and yet speak words of wisdom. The wise grieve
neither for the living nor for the dead. (2.11)
People
meet and depart in this world as two pieces of wood flowing down the river come
together and then separate from each other (MB 12.174.15). The wise who know
that the body is mortal and the Spirit is immortal have nothing to moan about
(KaU 2.22).
NOTE: The
Self (or Atma) is also called soul or consciousness and is the source of life
and the cosmic power behind the body-mind complex. Just as our body exists in
space, similarly, our thoughts, intellect, emotions, and psyche exist in the
Self, the space of consciousness. Self cannot be perceived by our physical
senses because Self is beyond the domain of the senses. The senses were
designed only to comprehend physical objects.
The word
“Atma” has been also used in the “Gita” for the lower self (body, mind, and
senses), psyche, intellect, soul, spirit, subtle senses, oneself, ego, heart,
human beings, Eternal Being (Brahma), Absolute Truth, individual soul, and the
supersoul or the supreme Self, depending on the context.
There was never a time when these monarchs, you, or I did not
exist, nor shall we ever cease to exist in the future. (2.12)
Just as the soul acquires a
childhood body, a youth body, and an old age body during this life, similarly,
the soul acquires another body after death. This should not delude the wise.
(See also 15.08) (2.13)
The contacts of the senses with sense objects give rise to the
feelings of heat and cold, and pain and pleasure. They are transitory and
impermanent. Therefore, one should learn to endure them bravely. (2.14)
Because a calm person ¾ who is not afflicted by
these sense objects and is steady in pain and pleasure ¾ becomes fit for
salvation. (2.15)
Nothing can hurt one if the mind
can be trained to withstand the impulse of the pairs of opposites ¾ joys
and sorrows, pains and pleasures, loss and gain. The phenomenal world cannot
exist without the pairs of opposites. Good and evil, pain and pleasure will
always exist. The universe is a playground designed by God for the living
entities. It takes two to play a game. The game cannot continue if the pairs of
opposites are altogether eliminated. Before one can feel joy, one must know
sorrow. Both negative and positive experiences are needed for our growth and spiritual
development. Cessation of pain brings pleasure, and cessation of pleasure
results in pain. Thus, pain is born in the womb of pleasure. Peace is born in
the womb of war. Sorrow exists because the desire for happiness exists. When
the desire for happiness disappears, so does the sorrow. Sorrow is only a
prelude to happiness and vice versa. Even the joy of going to heaven is
followed by the sorrow of coming back to the earth; therefore, worldly objects
should not be the main goal of human life. If one chooses material pleasures,
it is like giving up nectar and choosing poison instead.
Change is
the law of nature— change from summer to winter, from spring to fall, from the
light of the full moon to the darkness of the new moon. Neither pain nor pleasure
lasts forever. Pleasure comes after pain, and pain is followed again by
pleasure. Reflecting like this, one must learn to tolerate the blows of time
with patience and learn not only to endure but also to expect, welcome, and
enjoy both the joys as well as the sorrows of life. Sow the seed of hope in the
soil of sorrow. Find your way in the darkness of the night of adversity with
the torch of the scriptures and faith in God. There would be no opportunities
if there were no problems. Einstein said: Opportunity lies in the middle of
difficulties.
THE SELF
IS ETERNAL, BODY IS TRANSITORY
The invisible Self (Atma, Atman, the soul, spirit, the
life-force) is eternal. The visible physical body is transitory, and it
undergoes changes. The reality of these two is indeed certainly seen by the
seer of the truth who knows that we are not this body, but the Atma. (2.16)
The Self
exists everywhere and at all times — past, present, and future. The human body
and the universe both have a temporary existence, but appear permanent at first
sight. Webster defines Atman or Atma as the 'World Soul' from which all souls
derive and the Supreme Abode to which they return. Atma is also called
‘Jivatma’ or ‘Jiva’, which is the ultimate source of all individual selves. We
have used the English words: Self, Spirit, spirit, soul, or individual soul
interchangeably for different aspects of Atma.
Our
physical body is subject to birth, growth, maturity, reproduction, decay, and
death; whereas the Self is eternal, indestructible, pure, unique, all knower,
substratum, unchangeable, self-luminous, the cause of all causes, all
pervading, unaffectable, immutable, and inexplicable.
The Spirit by whom this entire universe is pervaded, is
indestructible. No one can destroy the imperishable Spirit. (2.17)
The physical bodies of the eternal, immutable, and
incomprehensible Spirit are mortal. Spirit (Atma) is immortal. Therefore, as a
warrior, you must fight, O Arjuna. (2.18)
One who thinks that the Spirit is
a slayer, and one who thinks the Spirit is slain both are ignorant because the
Spirit neither slays nor is slain. (2.19)
The Spirit is neither born, nor does it die at any time. It
does not come into being or cease to exist. It is unborn, eternal, permanent,
and primeval. The Spirit is not destroyed when the body is destroyed. (2.20)
O Arjuna, how can a person who knows that the Spirit is
indestructible, eternal, unborn, and immutable, kill anyone or causes anyone
to be killed? (2.21)
DEATH AND
TRANSMIGRATION OF SOUL
Just as a person puts on new garments after discarding
the old ones, similarly, the living entity or the individual soul acquires new
bodies after casting away the old bodies. (2.22)
Just as a
caterpillar takes hold of another object before leaving an object, similarly,
the living entity (or soul) obtains a new body before or after leaving the old
one (BrU 4.4.03). The physical body has also been compared to a cage, a
vehicle, an abode, as well as a garment of the subtle body that needs to be
changed frequently. Death is the separation of the subtle body from the
physical body. The living entity is a traveler. Death is not the end of the
journey of the living entity. Death is like a rest area where the individual
soul changes vehicles, and the journey continues. Life is continuous and
endless. Inevitable death is not the end of life; it is only an end of a
perishable, physical body.
Weapons do not cut this Spirit, fire does not burn it, water
does not make it wet, and the wind does not make it dry. The Spirit cannot be
cut, burned, wet, or dried. It is eternal, all pervading, changeless,
immovable, and primeval. Atma is beyond space and time. (2.23-24)
The Spirit is said to be unexplainable, incomprehensible, and
immutable. Knowing the Spirit as such, you should not grieve for the physical
body. (2.25)
In the
previous verses Krishna asked us not to worry about the indestructible spirit.
A question may arise: Should one lament the death of (the destructible body of)
our near and dear ones at all? The answer comes:
Even if you think that the physical body takes birth and dies
perpetually, even then, O Arjuna, you should not grieve like this because death
is certain for one who is born, and birth is certain for one who dies.
Therefore, you should not lament over the inevitable death. (2.26-27)
One should
not lament the death of anybody at all. Lamentation is due to attachment, and
attachment binds the individual soul to the wheel of transmigration. Therefore,
the scriptures suggest one should not mourn, but pray for several days after
the person’s death for salvation of the departed soul.
The
inevitability of death and indestructibility of the soul, however, does not and
cannot justify lawful but unnecessary killing of any creature, unjust war, or
even suicide. The Vedic scriptures are very clear on this point in regard to
killing human beings or any other living entity. The scripture says: One should
not commit violence towards anyone. Unauthorized killing is punishable in all
circumstances: A life for life. Lord Krishna is urging Arjuna to fight ¾ but
not to kill wantonly ¾ in order to establish
peace and law and order on earth as a matter of a warrior's duty.
All beings are unmanifest, or
invisible to our physical eyes, before birth and after death. They manifest
between the birth and the death only. What is there to grieve about? (2.28)
THE
INDESTRUCTIBLE SPIRIT TRANSCENDS MIND AND SPEECH
Some look upon this Spirit as a wonder, another describes it as
wonderful, and others hear of it as a wonder. Even after hearing about it,
very few people know what the Spirit is. (See also KaU 2.07) (2.29)
O Arjuna, the Spirit that dwells in the body of all beings is
eternally indestructible. Therefore, you should not mourn for anybody. (2.30)
LORD
KRISHNA REMINDS ARJUNA OF HIS DUTY AS A WARRIOR
Considering also your duty as a warrior, you should not waver
because there is nothing more auspicious than one's personal duty in life.
(2.31)
Only the fortunate warriors, O Arjuna, get such an opportunity
for a righteous war against evil that is like an open door to heaven. (2.32)
The
righteous war is not a religious war against the followers of other religions.
The righteous war may be waged even against our own evil-doer kith and kin (RV
6.75.19). Life is a continuous battle between the forces of evil and goodness.
A valiant person must fight with the spirit of a warrior ¾ with
a will and determination for victory ¾ and without any
compromise with the forces of evil and difficulties. God helps the valiant who
adhere to morality. Dharma (righteousness) protects those who protect Dharma
(morality, justice, and righteousness).
It is
better to die for a right cause and acquire the grace of sacrifice than to die
an ordinary but compulsory death. The gates of heaven open wide for those who stand
up to vindicate justice and righteousness (Dharma). Not to oppose an evil is to
indirectly support it. Very similar ideas are expressed in other scriptures of
the world. The Koran says: Allah loves those who battle for His cause in ranks
(Surah 61.04). The Bible says: Happy are those who suffer persecution because
they do what God requires. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them (Matthew
5.10). There is no sin in killing an aggressor. Whosoever helps and supports an
aggressor is also an aggressor. Thus, all those who supported Kauravas were
basically an aggressor and deserved to be eliminated.
If you will not fight this battle of good over the evil, you
will fail in your duty, lose your reputation as a warrior, and incur sin by not
doing the right action. (2.33)
People will talk about your disgrace for a long time. To the
honorable, dishonor is worse than death. (2.34)
The great warriors will think that you have retreated from the
battle out of fear. Those who have greatly esteemed you will lose respect for
you. (2.35)
Your enemies will speak many unmentionable words and scorn your
ability. What could be more painful to you than this? (2.36)
You will go to heaven if killed in the line of duty, or you
will enjoy the kingdom on the earth if victorious. No matter what happens you
win. Therefore, get up with a determination to fight, O Arjuna. (2.37)
Treating pleasure and pain, gain
and loss, and victory and defeat alike engage yourself in your duty. By doing
your duty this way, you will not incur any sin. (2.38)
Lord
Krishna says here that even the violence done in the line of duty with a proper
frame of mind, as discussed in the above verse, is sinless. This is the
starting verse of the theory of KarmaYoga, the main theme of the Gita.
The wise
should wholeheartedly welcome pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, without
becoming discouraged (MB 12.174.39). Two types of people are happy in this
world: Those who are completely ignorant and those who are truly wise. All
others are unhappy (MB 12.174.33).
THE SCIENCE
OF KARMA-YOGA, THE SELFLESS ACTION
The science of transcendental knowledge has been imparted to
you, O Arjuna. Now listen to the science of God-dedicated, selfless action
(Seva), endowed with which you will free yourself from all Karmic bondage, or
sin. (2.39)
No effort ever goes to waste in selfless service, and there is
no adverse effect. Even a little practice of this discipline protects one from
the cycle of repeated birth and death. (2.40)
The
selfless action is also called Seva, KarmaYoga, sacrifice, yoga of work,
science of proper action, and yoga of equanimity. A KarmaYogi works with love
for the Lord as a matter of duty without a selfish desire for the fruits of
work or selfish attachment to the results, and becomes free from all fear. The
word Karma also means duty, action, deeds, work, endeavor, or the results of
past deeds.
A selfless worker has resolute determination only for
God-realization, but the desires of one who works to enjoy the fruits of work
are endless which makes the mind unsteady. (2.41)
THE VEDAS
DEAL WITH BOTH MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL ASPECTS OF LIFE
The misguided ones who delight in the melodious chanting of the
Vedas ¾
without understanding the real purpose of the Vedas ¾ think, O Arjuna, there is
nothing else in the Vedas except the rituals for the sole purpose of obtaining
heavenly enjoyment. (2.42)
They are dominated by material desires and consider the
attainment of heaven as the highest goal of life. They engage in specific rites
for the sake of material prosperity and enjoyment. Rebirth is the result of
their action. (2.43)
Self-realization ¾ the real goal of life ¾ is not possible for those
who are attached to pleasure and power and whose judgment is obscured by
ritualistic activities for fulfillment of selfish desires. (2.44)
Self-realization
is to know one’s relationship with the Supreme Lord and His true transcendental
nature. The promise of material benefits of Vedic rituals is like the promise
of candy to a child by the mother to induce him or her to take the medicine of
detachment from the material life; it is necessary in most instances. Rituals
must be changed with time and backed up by devotion and good deeds. People may
pray and meditate anytime, anywhere, without any ritual. Rituals have played a
great role in spiritual life, but they have been greatly abused. Lord Krishna
and Lord Buddha both disapproved the misuse of Vedic rituals, not the rituals
as such. Rituals create a holy and blissful atmosphere. They are regarded as a
heavenly ship (RV 10.63.10) and criticized as a frail raft (MuU 1.2.07).
A portion of the Vedas deals with three modes — goodness,
passion, and ignorance — of material Nature. Rise above these three modes, and
be Self-conscious. Become free from the tyranny of pairs of opposites. Remain
tranquil and unconcerned with the thoughts of acquisition and preservation of
material objects. (2.45)
To the enlightened person, who has realized the true nature of
the Self within, the Vedas become as useful as a small reservoir of water when
the water of a huge lake becomes available. (2.46)
A
scripture is like a finite pond that derives its water from the infinite ocean
of Truth. Therefore, scriptures become unnecessary only after enlightenment in
much the same way that a reservoir of water has no use when one is surrounded
by floodwater. One who has realized the Supreme Being will not desire the
attainment of heaven mentioned as the fruits of performing Vedic rituals.
Scriptures, such as the Vedas, are necessary means, but not the end. Scriptures
are meant to lead and guide us on the spiritual path. Once the goal is reached,
they have served their purpose.
THEORY AND
PRACTICE OF KARMA-YOGA
You have control over doing your
respective duty only, but no control or claim over the results. The fruits of
work should not be your motive, and you should never be inactive. (2.47)
This key verse of the Gita has confused some commentators and common people who interpret it to mean that one should work without expecting a fruit. This would mean that Lord Krishna should not expect Arjuna to understand and follow His teachings! No one can perform action without expecting some result. This verse means that one should not expect favorable results of your choice only and should accept all results as Prasad (Grace) from God. This is called Prasad Buddhi, BuddhiYog or KarmaYog.
The right
outlook on life develops when we fully understand that we have the ability to
put our best effort into all endeavors, but we cannot pick the results of our
work. We have absolutely no control over all the factors that determine the
results. The affairs of the world would not run if all were given the power to
choose the results of their actions or to satisfy all their desires. One is
given the power and the ability to do one’s respective duty in life, but one is
not free to choose the desired results. To work without expecting success or
good results would be meaningless, but to be fully prepared for the unexpected
should be an important part of any planning. Swami Karmananda says: The
essence of KarmaYoga is to go to work just to please the creator; mentally renounce
the fruits of all action; and let God take care of the results. Do your duty in
life ¾
to the best of your ability ¾ as God’s personal servant without any regard for the
personal enjoyment of the fruits of your work.
Fear of
failure, caused by being emotionally attached to the fruits of work, is the
greatest impediment to success because it robs efficiency by constantly
disturbing equanimity of mind. Therefore, duty should be performed with
detached attachment. Success in any undertaking becomes easier if one works
hard without being bothered by the outcome. Work is done more efficiently when
the mind is not continuously — consciously or subconsciously — bothered with
the outcome, good or bad, of an action.
One has to
discover this fact personally in life. A person should work without selfish motives
as a matter of duty for a greater cause of helping humanity rather than just
helping oneself, one's children, or a few individuals. Equanimity and spiritual
progress result from selfless service, whereas work with selfish motives
creates the bonds of Karma as well as great disappointments. Dedicated selfless
service for a greater cause leads to everlasting peace and happiness here and
hereafter.
The boundary of one’s
jurisdiction ends with the completion of duty; it never crosses the garden of
fruit. A hunter has control over the arrow only, never over the deer. Harry
Bhalla says: A farmer has control over how he works his land, yet no control
over the harvest. But he cannot expect a harvest if he does not work his land.
When one
has no desire for the pleasure of victory, one is not affected by the pain of
defeat. Questions of the pleasure of success or the pain of failure do not
arise because a KarmaYogi is always on the path of service without waiting to
enjoy the fruit or even the flower of work. He or she has learned to enjoy the
joy of service. The myopia of short-term, personal gain, caused by ignorance of
metaphysics, is the root of all evils in society and the world. The bird of
righteousness cannot be confined in the cage of personal gain. Dharma and
selfishness cannot stay together.
The desire
for fruit takes one to the dark alley of sin and prevents one’s real growth.
Acting only in one’s own self-interest is sinful. The welfare of the individual
lies in the welfare of society. The wise work for all of society, whereas the
ignorant work only for themselves or their children and grandchildren. One who
knows the Truth does not let the shadow of personal gain fall on the path of
duty. The secret art of living a meaningful life is to be intensely active
without any selfish motive, as stated below:
Do your duty to the best of your
ability, O Arjuna, with your mind attached to the Lord, abandoning worry and
selfish attachment to the results, and remaining calm in both success and
failure. The selfless service brings peace and equanimity of mind that leads to
the union with God. (2.48)
KarmaYoga
is defined as doing one’s duty while maintaining equanimity under all
circumstances. Pain and pleasure, birth and death, loss and gain, union and
separation are inevitable, being under the control of one’s past deeds or
Karma, like the coming of day and night. Fools rejoice in prosperity and mourn
in adversity, but a KarmaYogi remains tranquil under all circumstances (TR
2.149.03-04). The word ‘yoga’ has also been defined in the following verses of
the Gita: 2.50, 2.53, 6.04, 6.08, 6.19, 6.23, 6.29, 6.31, 6.32, and 6.47. Any
practical technique of understanding the Supreme Reality and uniting with Him
is called spiritual practice, or yoga.
Work done with selfish motives is inferior by far to selfless
service. Therefore, be a selfless worker, O Arjuna. Those who work only to
enjoy the fruits of their labor are unhappy (because one has no control over
the results). (2.49)
A KarmaYogi or the selfless person
becomes free from both vice and virtue in this life itself. Therefore, strive
for selfless service. Working to the best of one’s abilities without becoming
selfishly attached to the fruits of work is called KarmaYoga or Seva. (2.50)
Peace,
composure, and freedom from Karmic bondage await those who work for a noble
cause with a spirit of detachment and do not seek any personal reward or
recognition. Such persons enjoy the joy of selfless service that ultimately
leads them to the bliss of salvation. KarmaYoga purifies the mind and is a very
powerful and easy spiritual discipline that one can practice while living and
working in society. There is no religion better than selfless service. The
fruits of vice and virtue grow only on the tree of selfishness, not on the tree
of selfless service.
Generally,
it is thought that one works harder when one is deeply interested in, or
attached to, the fruits of work. Therefore, KarmaYoga or selfless service may
not be very conducive to the material progress of the individual or society.
This dilemma can be solved by developing a hobby of selfless service to a noble
cause of one’s choice, never letting greed for the fruits dilute the purity of
action. Dexterity or skillfulness in work is in not getting bound by the bonds
of one’s Karma or worldly duty.
KarmaYogis are freed from the bondage of rebirth due to
renouncing the selfish attachment to the fruits of all work and attain a
blissful divine state of salvation or Nirvana. (2.51)
When your intellect completely pierces the veil of confusion
regarding Self and non-Self, then you will become indifferent to what has been
heard and what is to be heard from the scriptures. (2.52)
Scriptures
become dispensable after enlightenment. According to Shankara, this verse means
one who has rent asunder the veil of ignorance and realized the Truth, becomes
indifferent to the Vedic texts that prescribe details of performing rituals
for the attainment of desired fruits.
When your intellect that is confused by the conflicting
opinions and the ritualistic doctrine of the Vedas shall stay steady and firm,
concentrating on the Supreme Being, then you will be enlightened and
completely united with God in trance. (2.53)
Non-scriptural
reading or reading of different philosophical writings is bound to create
confusion. Ramakrishna said: “One should learn from the scriptures that God
alone is real and the world is illusory.” A beginner should know that only God
is eternal and everything else is temporal. After Self-awareness, one finds God
alone has become everything. Everything is His manifestation. He is sporting
in various forms. In trance, or the superconscious state of mind, the confusion
arising from conflicting views ceases, and mental equipoise is attained.
Different
schools of thought, cults, systems of philosophy, ways of worship, and
spiritual practices found in the Vedic culture are different rungs in the
ladder of yoga. Such a wide choice of methods does not exist in any other
system, religion, or way or life. People’s temperaments are different due to
differences in their stages of spiritual development and understanding. Therefore,
different schools of thought are necessary to suit different individuals as
well as the same individual as he or she grows and develops. The highest
philosophy of pure monism is the topmost rung of the ladder. The vast majority
cannot comprehend it. All schools and cults are necessary. One should not be
confused because different methods are not meant to confuse, but one should
choose wisely.
Arjuna said: O Krishna, what are the marks of an enlightened
person whose intellect is steady? What does a person of steady intellect think
and talk about? How does such a person behave with others, and live in this
world? (2.54)
The
answers to all of the above questions are given by Lord Krishna in the
remaining verses of this chapter.
MARKS OF A
SELF-REALIZED PERSON
Lord Krishna said: When one is completely free from all desires
of the mind, and is satisfied with the bliss of knowing the Supreme Being, then
one is called an enlightened person, O Arjuna. (2.55)
According
to mother Sarda, desires for knowledge, devotion, and salvation cannot be
classed as desires because they are higher desires. One should first replace
the lower desires with higher desires and then renounce the highest desire also
and become absolutely free. It is said that the highest freedom is the freedom
from becoming free.
A person is called an enlightened
sage of steady intellect whose mind is unperturbed by adversity, who does not
crave pleasures, and who is completely free from attachment, fear, and anger.
(2.56)
Attachment
to people, places and objects takes away the intellect, and one becomes myopic.
People are helplessly tied with the rope of attachment. One has to learn to
cut this rope with the sword of knowledge of the Absolute and become detached
and free.
The mind and intellect of a person become steady who is not
attached to anything, who is neither elated by getting desired results nor
perturbed by undesired results. (2.57)
True
spiritualists have a peaceful and happy look on their faces under all
circumstances.
When one can completely withdraw the senses from the sense
objects, as a tortoise withdraws its limbs into the shell for protection from
calamity, then the intellect of such a person is considered steady. (2.58)
When a
person learns to control or withdraw the senses from sense objects, as a
tortoise retracts its limbs inside its shell in time of danger and cannot be
forced to extend its limbs again until the trouble is over, the lamp of
Self-knowledge becomes lighted, and one perceives the self-effulgent Supreme Being
within (MB 12.174.51). A Self-realized person enjoys the beauty of the world,
keeping the senses under complete control like a tortoise. The best way to
purify the senses and control them perfectly like a tortoise is to engage them
in the service of God at all times.
The desire for sensual pleasures fades away if one abstains
from sense enjoyment, but the craving for sense enjoyment remains in a very
subtle form. This subtle craving also completely disappears from one who knows
the Supreme Being. (2.59)
The desire
for sensual pleasure becomes dormant when one abstains from sense enjoyment, or
due to physical limitations imposed by disease or old age. But the craving
remains as a subtle mental impression. Those who have tasted the nectar of
unity with the Supreme Being no longer find enjoyment in the lower-level
sensual pleasures. The subtle craving lurks like a robber ready to rob the
striver at the appropriate opportunity, as explained below:
DANGERS OF
UNRESTRAINED SENSES
Restless senses, O Arjuna,
forcibly carry away the mind of even a wise person striving for perfection.
(2.60)
The wise always keep vigilance
over the mind. The mind can never be fully trusted. It can mislead even a
Self-realized person (BP 5.06.02-05). One has to be very alert and closely
witness the wanderings of the mind. Never relax your vigilance until the final
goal of God-realization is reached. Mother Sarda said: It is the very nature of
the mind to go to lower objects of enjoyment, just as it is the nature of water
to flow downwards. The grace of God can make the mind go towards higher objects
as the sun’s rays lift the water.
The human
mind is ever ready to deceive and play tricks. Therefore, discipline, constant
vigilance, and sincere spiritual practice are needed. The mind is like an
unruly horse that needs to be broken in. Never let the mind roam ¾
unwatched ¾
into the realm of sensuality. The path of spiritual life is very slippery and
has to be trodden very carefully to avoid falls. It is not a joyous ferryboat
ride, but is very difficult to tread like the sharp edge of a sword. Many
obstacles, distractions, and failures come on the path to help the devotee
become stronger and more advanced on the path, just like iron is turned into
steel by alternate heating, cooling, and hammering. One should not get
discouraged by failures, but carry on with determination.
One should fix one’s mind on God
with loving contemplation after bringing the senses under control. One’s
intellect becomes steady when one’s senses are under complete control. (2.61)
One develops attachment to sense
objects by thinking about sense objects. Desire for sense objects comes from
attachment to sense objects, and anger comes from unfulfilled desires. (2.62)
Delusion or wild ideas arise from anger. The mind is bewildered
by delusion. Reasoning is destroyed when the mind is bewildered. One falls from
the right path when reasoning is destroyed. (2.63)
ATTAINMENT
OF PEACE AND HAPPINESS THROUGH SENSE CONTROL AND KNOWLEDGE
A disciplined person, enjoying sense objects with senses that
are under control and free from attachments and aversions, attains
tranquillity. (2.64)
Real peace
and happiness are achieved, not by sense gratification, but by sense control.
All sorrows are destroyed upon attainment of tranquillity. The
intellect of such a tranquil person soon becomes completely steady and united
with the Supreme. (2.65)
There is neither Self-knowledge nor Self-perception to those
who are not united with the Supreme. Without Self-perception there is no peace,
and without peace there can be no happiness. (2.66)
The mind, when controlled by the
roving senses, steals away the intellect as a storm takes away a boat on the
sea from its destination ¾ the spiritual shore of peace and happiness. (2.67)
A person
without control over the mind and senses drifts like a ship without its rudder,
becomes a reactor instead of an actor, and develops negative Karma.
Greed for
the pleasure of enjoying the light leads bugs to destruction, similarly, desire
for the enjoyment of sensual pleasures keeps one away from Self-knowledge and
leads into the net of transmigration (MB 3.02.69).
Therefore, O Arjuna, one’s intellect becomes steady when the
senses are completely withdrawn from sense objects. (2.68)
A yogi, the person of self-restraint, remains wakeful when it
is night for all others. It is night for the yogi who sees when all others are
wakeful. (2.69)
Ascetics
keep awake or detached in the night of mundane existence of life because they
are in quest of the highest truth. One is considered awake when one is free
from worldly desires (TR 2.92.02). A yogi is always aware of the Spirit about
which others are unaware. A sage who sees is unaware of the experience of
sense objects about which others are aware. The life of an ascetic is entirely
different from the life of a materialistic person. What is considered real by a
yogi is of no value for a worldly person. While most people sleep and make
dream plans in the night of the illusory world, a yogi keeps awake because he
or she is detached from the world while living in it.
One attains peace when all desires
dissipate within the mind without creating any mental disturbance, as river
waters enter the full ocean without creating any disturbance. One who desires
material objects is never peaceful. (2.70)
Torrents
of the river of desire can carry away the mind of a materialistic person as a
river carries away wood and other objects in its path. The tranquil mind of a
yogi is like an ocean that takes in the rivers of desire without being
disturbed by them because a yogi does not think about personal gain or loss.
Human desires are endless. To satisfy a desire is like drinking salt water
that will never quench thirst, but will increase it. It is like trying to
extinguish a fire with gasoline.
Trying to
fulfill material desires is like adding more wood to the fire. The fire will go
out if no more wood is added to it (MB 12.17.05). If one dies without
conquering the great enemy ¾ desires ¾ one has to reincarnate to fight this enemy again and
again till victory (MB 12.16.24). One cannot see one’s face in a pot of water
that is disturbed by the wind, similarly, one is unable to realize God when
the mind and senses remain perturbed by the winds of material desires (MB
12.204.03).
One who abandons all desires and becomes free from longing and
the feeling of “I” and “my”, attains peace. (2.71)
O Arjuna, this is the superconscious state of mind. Attaining
this state, one is no longer deluded. Gaining this state, even at the end of
one’s life, a person attains the very goal of human life by becoming one with
God. (2.72).
The
Supreme Being is the ultimate Reality and truth, knowledge and consciousness,
and is limitless and blissful (TaU 2.01.01). The individual soul becomes
blissful and filled with joy after knowing God. The giver of bliss is nothing
but the bliss itself like the giver of wealth must have wealth. That from which
the origin, sustenance, and dissolution of this universe are derived is called
the Absolute (BS 1.01.02, TaU 3.01.01). Knowledge is not a natural quality
(Dharma) of the Absolute; it is the intrinsic nature of the Absolute (DB
7.32.19). The Absolute is the substratum, or material as well as efficient
cause of the universe. It is both the source and the sink of energy in one. It
is also called the Unified Field, Supreme Spirit, Divine Person, and Total
Consciousness that is responsible for the sense perceptions in all living
beings by functioning through mind and intellect.
The word
“Salvation” in Christianity means deliverance from the power and penalty of
sin. Sin in Hinduism is nothing but the Karmic bondage responsible for
transmigration. Thus, salvation is equivalent to the Sanskrit word “Mukti” —
the final emancipation of the living entity from transmigration — in Hinduism.
Mukti means the complete destruction of all impressions of desires from the
causal body. It is the uniting of the individual soul with the Supersoul. Some
say that the all-pervading Supersoul is the causal body who is conducting
everything and remains compassionately detached. The Sanskrit word “Nirvana” in
Buddhism is thought to be the cessation of worldly desires and ego. It is a
state of being in which worldly desires and personal likes and dislikes have
been absolutely extinguished. It is getting out of body-consciousness and
attaining a state of Self-consciousness. It is liberation from attachment to
the material body and achieving a state of bliss with God.
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