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'Na
Tapaamsi Na Teerthaanaam Not by
penance or pilgrimage,
1 2a 2b 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18a 18b
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The sixth chapter of the Gîtâ is
titled 'Âtmâ Samyama Yoga' or
the "yoga of controlling the
Âmâ". This is a misnomer, inasmuch
as it is neither necessary nor possible to control
the immaculate, eternal embodiment of the truth -
the âtmâ. The word
Âtmâ in this chapter of the
Gîtâ has been used to denote the mind.
In the Âtmâ Samyama Yoga, the
art of mind control is dealt with in elaborate
detail. Dhyana (meditation) is mentioned
here as the principal means to achieve control over
the mind. In
the âtmâ samyama, Krishna
emphasizes the need for maintaining absolute
cleanliness at the place where meditation is
practiced. It is not your house or the forest that
is to be kept clean, but the immediate surroundings
of the place where you perform meditation should be
kept clean. The jîva dwells in the
body, while the Lord resides in the heart.
Therefore, since meditation is not so much
performed in external environs as it is within the
heart - it being an internal process - it is more
vital to rid the heart of all impurities and render
it a fit abode for God. In our daily lives, when we
have to sit somewhere, we choose a clean place and
cover the ground with a handkerchief or a
newspaper. Such being the care we take in cleaning
a place to sit for ourselves, the need for keeping
the heart clean, to seat the Lord therein, and to
achieve the purpose of meditation is all the more
important. The necessity for man to cleanse the
heart arises because of the taints of tamas
(mode of ignorance, darkness and slowness) and
rajas (mode of passion) that have been
associated with him over several births.
-
Summer Showers in Brindavan 1979, p.
80 s'rî
bhagavân uvâca s'rî-bhagavân
uvâca
-- the Lord said; anâs'ritah
-- without taking shelter; karma-phalam -- of the
result of work; kâryam
-- obligatory; karma -- work; karoti -- performs;
yah -- one who; sah -- he; sannyâsî --
in the renounced order; ca -- also; yogî --
mystic; ca -- also; na -- not; nih -- without;
agnih -- fire; na -- nor; ca -- also; akriyah --
without duty.
"Know
the Brahman; take up all tasks but renounce
the consequences; giving up the fruit of activity
is far superior to the giving up of activity
itself. Karma-yoga is far superior to
karma-sannyâsah." "Well.
Superior to both these is dhyana-yoga. I
shall tell you why. Dhyana needs the support
of karma-yoga, so karma-yoga was
first taught to you. Those who renounce the fruits
while actively engaged in karma are very
dear to Me; they are the true
sannyâsîs, the real renouncers.
I have no affection for those who give up the
ritual fire and desist from all activity except
eating, sleeping and craving for sensory pleasures
and behave like Kumbhakarnas [A brother
of Râvana, who faught against
Râma and attained liberation
(RRV2-2
-
RRV2-6b
-
RRV2-8b)]
kinsmen, idling and wasting their time. I am
unapproachably far from
idlers." -
Gîtâ
Vahini, pp. 88-9 yam
sannyâsam iti prâhur yam -- what;
sannyâsam -- renunciation; iti -- thus;
prâhuh
-- they say; yogam -- linking with the Supreme; tam
-- that; viddhi -- you must know;
pândava
-- o son of Pându;
na -- never; hi -- certainly; asannyâsta --
without giving up; sankalpah -- desire for
self-satisfaction; yogî -- a mystic
transcendentalist; bhavati --becomes; kas'cana --
anyone.
He
who has not renounced the pursuit of wishes can
never become a yogî, however busy he
may be in sâdhana. Only he who is
careful not to get entangled in the senses and who
is unattached to the consequences of his deeds can
become a sarva-sanga-parithyâgi
(renouncer of all
attachments).
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 89 ârurukshor
muner yogam ârurukshoh
-- who has just begun yoga; muneh -- of the sage;
yogam -- the eightfold yoga system; karma -- work;
kâranam
-- the means; ucyate -- is said to be; yoga --
eightfold yoga;
ârûdhasya
-- of one who has attained; tasya -- his; eva --
certainly; s'amah -- cessation of all material
activities; kâranam
-- the means; ucyate -- is said to be. yadâ
hi nendriyârtheshu yadâ
-- when; hi -- certainly; na -- not;
indriya-artheshu -- in sense gratification; na --
never; karmasu -- in fruitive activities;
anushajjate -- one necessarily engages;
sarva-sankalpa -- of all material desires;
sannyâsî -- renouncer;
yoga-ârûdhah
-- elevated in yoga;
tadâ
-- at that time; ucyate -- is said to
be.
Give
up the idea that you are the doer and the
beneficiary. You can do this by dedicating both
deed and fruit to the Lord. Then no sin can affect
you, for you are not the doer, and the deed must
perforce be holy. Like oil on the tongue, collyrium
on the eye, and a lotus leaf on water, the deed is
with you but not of you. Whatever
you do or hear or see, you remain unaffected,
devoid of deeds, innocent of listening or seeing.
The joy derived from the external world opens the
gateways of grief; it is fleeting; but you are
eternal, the very source of bliss, above and beyond
all this, the âtmâ swarûpa
itself. You are unrelated to these activities that
are called deeds and these consequences that you
now mistake as real. You are not the doer;
you are just the witness, the
see-er!
- Gîtâ Vahini, p. 88 uddhared
âtmanâtmânam uddharet -- one
must deliver; âtmanâ
-- by the mind;
âtmânam
-- the conditioned soul; na -- never;
âtmânam
-- the conditioned soul;
avasâdayet
-- put into degradation;
âtmâ
-- mind; eva -- certainly; hi -- indeed;
âtmanah
-- of the conditioned soul; bandhuh -- friend;
âtmâ
-- mind; eva -- certainly; ripuh -- enemy;
âtmanah
-- of the conditioned soul. bandhur
âtmâtmanas tasya bandhuh -- friend;
âtmâ
-- the mind; âtmanah
-- of the living
entity;
tasya -- of
him; yena -- by whom;
âtmâ
-- the mind; eva --
certainly;
âtmanâ
-- by the living entity; jitah -- conquered;
anâtmanah
-- of one
who has failed
to control the mind; tu -- but; s'atrutve --
because of
enmity; varteta
-- remains;
âtmâ
eva -- the very mind; s'atru-vat --
as
an
enemy.
If the mind is not under control and
amenable to one's orders, it can become one's
greatest foe. So live in solitude so that you can
master the senses. A horse without reins, a bull
unused to the yoke, and a sadhaka whose
senses are not mastered are like a river without
water. Such sâdhana is a waste. -
Gîtâ
Vahini, p. 89 jitâtmanah
pras'ântasya jita-âtmanah
-- of one who has conquered his mind;
pras'ântasya
-- who
has attained
tranquillity by such control over the mind;
paramâtmâ
--
the Supersoul;
samâhitah
-- approached completely; sîta -- in
cold;
ushna -- heat;
sukha -- happiness; duhkheshu -- and distress;
tathâ
--
also;
mâna
-- in honor; apamânayoh
-- and dishonor.
The
tree of prakriti (nature) and the branches
of desires wither away only when the mind, the
root, is destroyed. -
Summer Showers in Brindavan 1979, p.
74 jñâna-vijñâna-triptâtmâ jñâna
-- by acquired knowledge; vijñâna --
and realized
knowledge;
tripta --
satisfied;
âtmâ
-- a living entity; kûthasthah --
spiritually
situated;
vijita-indriyah -- sensually controlled; yuktah --
competent
for
self-realization; iti -- thus; ucyate -- is said;
yogî -- a
mystic;
sama --
equipoised; loshthra -- pebbles; asma -- stone;
kâñcanah
-- gold. suhrin-mitrâry-udâsîna- suhrit -- to
well-wishers by nature; mitra -- benefactors
with
affection; ari
-- enemies; udâsîna
-- neutrals between
belligerents;
madhyastha --
mediators between belligerents; dveshya -- the
envious;
bandhushu --
and the relatives or well-wishers;
sâdhushu
-- unto the
pious; api --
as well as; ca -- and;
pâpeshu
-- unto the sinnerssama-buddhih -- having equal
intelligence; vis'ishyate -- is
far
advanced. yogî
yuñjîta satatam yogî -- a
transcendentalist; yuñjîta -- must
concentrate in Krishna
consciousness;
satatam -- constantly;
âtmânam
-- himself (by body,
mind
and self);
rahasi -- in a secluded place; sthitah -- being
situated;
ekâkî
-- alone; yata-cittâtmâ
-- always careful in mind;
nirâs'îh
--
without being
attracted by anything else; aparigrahah -- free
from the
feeling of
possessiveness.
It
is a pity that even extremely learned pundits at
the present time are unaware of the thrill of
putting into practice a single word of the
Gîtâ. What then are we to say of
the unlearned, the ignorant? In short, even some
very reputed exponents of the
Gîtâ are playing false to its
teaching, acting contrary to the message. To the
Song of the Lord, each one adds a fancy note of his
own to demonstrate his special twist in
scholarship, or his favorite predilection. Let us
consider one example of this type: The 10th verse
of the 6th chapter of the Gîtâ
declares that parigraha is a great
sin [the opposite word aparigrahah means
'free from desires and feelings of
possessiveness']. Now
those who accept the Gîtâ as
authority should act accordingly, avoiding
parigraha, is it not so? Parigraha
means 'accepting' even for the upkeep of the body
and the maintenance of dharma! These
pracharaks, however, do accept, 99 percent
of them! The condemnation of parigraha
applies to all forms; there are no modifying
circumstances or exceptions. Yet, collections and
contributions are asked for
Gîtâ-yajñas, as
'offering' during harathi, as expenses for
the Gîtâ pracharaka sanghas, as
nazar (gift in Urdu-language) or
kanuka for the guru; lectures are
'sold' for tickets, as entertainment (like the
drama and cinema) is sold. People who do this have
no faith in the words of Krishna; for had
they the faith, they would not have behaved in such
contrary ways. If they were convinced that it is
wrong, they would not be tempted to act so. They
explain the sloka and feel that their duty
is done; they do not feel the need to follow the
advice. That is the spirit of the times, for this
is the age of hypocrisy. People who watch this type
of Gîtâ prachar lose
faith first in the pracharak and, later, in
the Gîtâ itself. The publicity
dissolves into mere pomp and vanity.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, pp. 161-2 s'ucau
des'e pratishthhâpya tatraikâgram
manah kritvâ s'ucau -- in a
sanctified; des'e -- land;
pratishthhâpya
-- placing;
sthiram --
firm;
âsanam --
seat;
âtmanah
-- his own; na -- not; ati
--
too; ucchritam
-- high; na -- nor; ati -- too;
nîcam
-- low;
caila-ajina --
of soft cloth and deerskin; kus'ottaram --
kus'a-grass; tatra -- thereupon;
ekâgram
-- with one
attention;
manah -- mind; kritvâ
-- making; yata-citta --
controlling
the mind;
indriya -- senses; kriyah -- and activities;
upavis'ya --
sitting;
âsane --
on the seat;
yuñjyât
-- should execute; yogam -- yogapractice;
âtma --
the heart; vis'uddhaye -- for
clarifying. One
should adopt a comfortable posture for
dhyana. The common practice is to sit, with
the hands in chin-mudra and the legs
crossed, on a wooden plank covered with a soft skin
or cloth. These are all, however, part of
dharana (concentration, fixed attention).
Dhyana begins with the process of gradual
identification with the Lord and leads to
samâdhi. -
Summer
Showers in Brindavan 1979, p. 88 samam
kâya-s'iro-grivam pras'ântâtmâ
vigata-bhîr samam -- straight;
kâya-s'irah
-- body and head; grîvam
-- neck;
dhârayan
-- holding; acalam -- unmoving; sthirah -- still;
samprekshya
-- looking;
nâsikâ
-- of the nose; agram -- at the tip; svam --
own;
dis'ah -- on
all sides; ca -- also; anavalokayan -- not
looking;
pras'ânta
-- unagitated;
âtmâ
-- mind; vigata-bhîh
-- devoid of fear;
brahmacâri-vrate
-- in the vow of celibacy; sthitah -- situated;
manah
-- mind;
samyamya -- completely subduing; mat -- upon Me
(Krishna);
cittah --
concentrating the mind; yuktah -- the actual
yogî; âsîta
--
should sit; mat
-- Me; parah -- the ultimate
goal.
The
method of dhyanam: The place should be a
little elevated from the ground; that is an inch or
two high. Place a mat of darbha grass on it,
spread a deer-skin on the mat, and have a thin
white cloth laid on the skin. Upon this seat one
should sit, adopting the padmasana pose
(lotus-like posture). The right foot must be above
the left and the left foot above the right. The
fingers of the hand must be in close touch with one
another and the hands should be placed in front.
The eyes must be either half-opened or fully
closed. Then by means of mental massage, the neck,
the shoulders, the hands, the chest, the teeth, the
stomach, the fingers, the back, the thighs, the
knees, the calves and the feet should be relaxed.
After this, one has to meditate on one's own
favorite name and form with OM added. When
this is being done, there should be no mental
wanderings; one must be stable and quiet. No
thought of past events, no trace of anger or hatred
and no memory of sorrow should be allowed to
interfere. Even if they intrude, they should not be
considered at all; to counteract them, one must
entertain thoughts that feed one's enthusiasm for
dhyanam. Of course, this may appear
difficult at first. The best time for
dhyanam is the quiet hours before dawn,
between 3 and 5 a.m.
-
Dhyana Vahini, p. 7 yuñjann
evam sadâtmânam yuñjan --
practicing; evam -- as mentioned above;
sadâ
-- constantly;
âtmânam
-- body, mind and soul; yogî -- the mystic
transcendentalist;
niyata-mânasah
-- with a regulated mind;
s'ântim
-- peace;
nirvâna-paramâm
-- cessation of material existence;
mat-samsthâm
-- the
spiritual sky
(the kingdom of God); adhigacchati -- does
attain.
The
mind derives its Sanskrit name manas
because it is constantly engaged in the process of
manana or thinking. Impulses are generated
in the mind. Very often, however, the mind is led
astray by conflicting impulses that are generated
in it. The fickle nature of the mind acts as an
impediment to man's spiritual progress and,
therefore, it is imperative that every spiritual
aspirant gains control over his mind if he were to
drench himself in the delight of the
soul. -
Summer
Showers in Brindavan 1979, p. 79
"So arise, Arjuna! Practice
dhyana-yoga. Resolve to master the senses
through this yoga and follow it steadily,
systematically, regularly, at a stated time and in
a stated place, without changing them as the whim
takes you. A regular system is essential for this
Yoga. Observe it strictly. Do not alter as
fancy dictates; that will bring about dire
consequences." - Gîtâ
Vahini, pp. 91-2 nâtyas'natas
tu yogo 'sti na -- never; ati --
too much; as'natah -- of one who eats; tu --
but;
yogah --
linking with the Supreme; asti -- there is; na --
nor; ca --
also;
ekântam
-- overly; anas'natah -- abstaining from eating; na
--
nor; ca --
also; ati -- too much;
svapna-s'îlasya
-- of one who sleeps;
jâgratah
-- or one who keeps night watch too much; na --
not; eva --
ever; ca --
and; arjuna -- o Arjuna.
"For
those who eat too much and get exhausted with the
task of assimilating it, for those who eat less and
suffer from exhaustion, for those who sleep too
much or too little, for those who indulge in
dhyana according to 'convenience' (that is
to say, those who do it for long hours one day,
because they have no other work, and do just token
dhyana the next day, because they have lots
of work), and for those who give free rein to the
six inner enemies (kâma, krodha, and
the rest), for those who do not confer joy on
parents, and specially the mother - more than
these, for those who entertain doubt and have
little faith in the Lord, or in the guru,
whom they have chosen and installed in their hearts
- dhyana will yield no fruit at
all." -
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 90 yuktâhâra-vihârasya yukta -- regulated;
âhâra
-- eating; vihârasya
-- recreation; yukta -- regulated; ceshthasya -- of
one who works for maintenance; karmasu -- in
discharging duties; yukta -- regulated;
svapna-avabodhasya -- sleep and wakefulness; yogah
-- practice of yoga; bhavati -- becomes;
duhkha-hâ
-- diminishing pains.
The Gîtâ speaks of
yuktâhâra-vihârasya,
habits of feeding and recreation that are
controlled and regulated. The gross part of food is
discarded as feces, the subtle part is transformed
into muscle, blood, etc., and the more subtle of
the subtle aspects are transmuted into the mind and
its activities. That is why the sages have
prescribed certain limits and levels of food, in
order to promote the spiritual urges and prevent
contrary tendencies. -
Sathya Sai Speaks IX, pp. 127-8
There should be discipline and regulation in
life in accordance with self-imposed constraints.
These self-imposed constraints constitute the
tapas of an individual. An unrestrained life
is an immoral life. The wind and the sea and also
the other phenomena obey the universal laws of
nature. The earth rotates round its own axis and
revolves around the sun periodically. These
uniformities in the universe are the laws ordained
by God. They are obeyed by the macrocosm as well as
the microcosm. The laws of nature ordained by God
are necessary for creating and sustaining the
universe, and for maintaining its dynamic
equilibrium. Such
self-imposed discipline is conducive to real
santhi - peace of mind, poise, equanimity,
and stable equilibrium of the mind. Peace of mind
is the most desirable thing in this world. It gives
us physical and psychical euphoria. -
Summer
Showers in Brindavan 1979, p. 91 yadâ
viniyatam cittam yadâ
-- when; viniyatam -- particularly disciplined;
cittam -- the mind and its activities;
âtmani
-- in the transcendence; eva -- certainly;
avatishthhate -- becomes situated; nisprihah --
devoid of desire; sarva -- for all kinds of;
kâmebhyah
-- material sense gratification; yuktah -- well
situated in yoga; iti -- thus; ucyate -- is said to
be; tadâ
-- at that time. yathâ
dîpo nivâtastho yathâ
-- as; dîpah
-- a lamp; nivâtasthah
-- in a place without wind; na -- does not; ingate
-- waver; sâ
-- this; upamâ
-- comparison; smritâ
-- is considered; yogînah -- of the
yogî; yata-cittasya -- whose mind is
controlled; yuñjatah -- constantly engaged;
yogam -- in meditation;
âtmanah
-- on transcendence.
"The
mind of the yoga adept should be like the
steady upright unshaken flame of a lamp, kept in a
windless windowsill. Whenever the slightest sign of
unsteadiness occurs, you should endeavor to curb
the mind and not allow it to wander. Develop the
consciousness that you are in all and the feeling
of oneness that all is in you. Then, you will take
up and succeed in all the yogas. Then you
are free from all distinctions like 'I' and
'others', or as 'âtmâ and
paramâtmâ'. The joy and grief of
others will become equally yours. You can then
never harm others; then all can be loved and adored
in the awareness that they are sarveswara
["the Lord of all"]."Lord Krishna
declared that those who have attained this vision
are really the supremest
yogîs.
- Gîtâ
Vahini, p. 90 yatroparamate
cittam sukham
âtyantikam yat tad yam
labdhvâ câparam lâbham tam
vidyâd duhkha-samyoga- yatra -- in that
state of affairs where; uparamate -- cease
(because
one feels
transcendental happiness); cittam -- mental
activities;
niruddham --
being restrained from matter;
yoga-sevayâ
-- by
performance of
yoga; yatra -- in which; ca -- also; eva --
certainly;
âtmanâ
-- by the pure mind; âtmanâm
-- the self; pas'yan --
realizing
the position
of;
âtmani --
in the self; tusyati -- one
becomes
satisfied;
sukham --
happiness; âtyantikam
-- supreme; yat --
which;
tat -- that;
buddhi -- by intelligence;
grâhyam
-- accessible;
atîndriyam
-- transcendental; vetti -- one knows; yatra --
wherein; na
-- never; ca --
also; eva -- certainly; ayam -- he; sthitah
--
situated;
calati -- moves; tattvatah -- from the truth;
yam --
that
which;
labdhvâ
-- by attainment; ca -- also; aparam -- any
other;
lâbham
-- gain; manyate -- considers; na -- never; adhikam
-- more;
tatah -- than
that; yasmin -- in which; sthitah -- being
situated; na
-- never;
duhkhena -- by miseries;
gurunâpi
-- even though very
difficult;
vicâlyate
-- becomes shaken; tam -- that;
vidyât
-- you mustknow; duhkha-samyoga -- of the miseries
of material contact; viyogam
--
extermination;
yoga-samjñitam -- called trance in
yoga.
Man
may be compared to a machine with the intelligence,
the mind, the senses, and the body as its different
components. Just as the various parts of the body
work in coordination with one another to keep the
physical mechanism of the body in order, the
various faculties in man should work in harmony
with one another to ensure that the atmic radiance
is reflecting in their functioning and that man's
life is full of divine light and joy. -
Summer
Showers in Brindavan 1979, p. 74 sa
nis'cayena yoktavyo sah -- that;
nis'cayena -- with firm determination; yoktavyah --
must be
practiced;
yogah -- yoga system;
anirvinna-cetasâ
-- without deviation;sankalpa -- mental
speculations; prabhavân
-- born of; kâmân
--
material
desires; tyaktvâ
-- giving up; sarvân
-- all; as'eshatah --
completely;
manasâ
-- by the mind; eva -- certainly;
indriya-grâmam
--
the full set of
senses; viniyamya -- regulating; samantatah -- from
all
sides. s'anaih
s'anair uparamed s'anaih --
gradually; s'anaih -- step by step; uparamet -- one
should hold back;
buddhyâ
-- by intelligence;
dhriti-grihîtayâ
-- carried by conviction;
âtma-samstham
-- placed in transcendence; manah -- mind;
kritvâ
-- making; na -- not; kiñcit -- anything
else; api -- even; cintayet -- should think
of.
Buddhi is directly
influenced by the âtmâ.
Therefore, if the mind follows the buddhi it
will be able to lead the senses along the right
path. So Krishna advised Arjuna not to
follow the mind, which, left to itself, is prone to
succumbing to the pulls of sensory pleasures, but
instead, to subjugate it to the intelligence.
-
Summer
Showers in Brindavan 1979, p. 75 yato
yato nis'calati yatah yatah --
wherever; nis'calati -- becomes verily agitated;
manah -- the mind; cañcalam -- flickering;
asthiram -- unsteady; tatah tatah -- from there;
niyamya -- regulating; etat -- this;
âtmani
-- in the self; eva -- certainly; vas'am --
control; nayet -- must bring under. pras'ânta-manasam
hy enam prasânta
-- peaceful, fixed on the lotus feet of Krishna;
manasam -- whose mind; hi -- certainly; enam --
this; yoginam -- yogî; sukham -- happiness;
uttamam -- the highest; upaiti -- attains;
s'ânta-rajasam
-- mhis passion pacified; brahma-bhûtam --
liberation by identification with the Absolute;
akalmasham -- freed from all past sinful
reactions.
One does not have to search for Brahman
in some distant place. One should find
Brahman in one's daily life in all things
from the smallest thing that one comes across to
the biggest thing that one sees. If, with some
reason and with some depth, we make an enquiry,
there is a chance of finding Brahman in our
own heart and within ourselves. Provided we get
into a state of meditation, we can enjoy the bliss
of recognizing Brahman everywhere. If the
mind is made steady and unwavering, we can enjoy
the permanent bliss and see the aspect of
Brahman.
- Summer
Showers in Brindavan 1974, p. 55 yuñjann
evam sadâtmânam yuñjan --
engaging in yoga practice; evam -- thus;
sadâ
-- always;
âtmânam
-- the self; yogî -- one who is in touch with
the Supreme Self; vigata -- freed from; kalmashah
-- all material contamination; sukhena -- in
transcendental happiness; brahma-samspars'am --
being in constant touch with the Supreme; atyantam
-- the highest; sukham -- happiness; as'nute --
attains. sarva-bhûta-stham
âtmânam sarva-bhûta-stham
-- situated in all beings;
âtmânam
-- the Supersoul; sarva -- all;
bhûtâni
-- entities; ca -- also;
âtmani
-- in the self;
îkshate
-- does see;
yoga-yukta-âtmâ
-- one who is dovetailed in Krishna consciousness;
sarvatra -- everywhere; sama-dars'anah -- seeing
equally. yo
mâm pas'yati sarvatra yah -- whoever;
mâm
-- Me; pas'yati -- sees; sarvatra -- everywhere;
sarvam -- everything; ca -- and; mayi -- in Me;
pas'yati -- sees; tasya -- for him; aham -- I; na
-- not; pranas'yami -- am lost; sah -- he; ca --
also; me -- to Me; na -- nor; pranas'yati -- is
lost. sarva-bhûta-sthitam
yo mâm sarva-bhûta-sthitam
-- situated in everyone's heart; yah -- he who;
mâm
-- Me; bhajati -- serves in devotional service;
ekatvam -- in oneness;
âsthitah
-- situated; sarvathâ
-- in all respects;
vartamânah
-- being situated; api -- in spite of; sah -- he;
yogî -- the transcendentalist; mayi -- in Me;
vartate -- remains.
"Arjuna!
The one who sees Me in all and all in Me is dear to
Me, whatever be his way of life", declared
Krishna. "That person who worships Me
through all creatures merges in Me"! The
Gîtâcârya continued and
said, "There is a limit for dhyana, but not
for the benefits conferred by it, the
siddhi. Dhyana endows man with
jñâna or supreme wisdom."
Jñâna
is not mere intellectual gymnastics. It is not a
flight of imagination. Neither is it a mental
concoction. It is a continual experience of the
reality of the âtmâ. "Only one
in a million makes an attempt to realize the
âtmâ. Even among them only one
in a thousand understands the process of realizing
the âtmâ. Among the thousands of
such people only one reaches Me. Those who have
achieved selfrealization and merged in Me are very
few indeed", said Krishna to
Arjuna. -
Summer
Showers in Brindavan 1979, p. 104 âtmaupamyena
sarvatra âtma
-- with his self; aupamyena -- by comparison;
sarvatra -- everywhere; samam -- equally; pas'yati
-- sees; yah -- he who; arjuna -- o Arjuna; sukham
-- happiness; vâ
-- or; yadi -- if; vâ
-- or; duhkham -- distress; sah -- such; yogî
-- a transcendentalist; paramah -- perfect; matah
-- is considered. arjuna
uvâca arjunah
uvâca
-- Arjuna said; yah ayam -- this system; yogah
--
mysticism;
tvayâ
-- by You; proktah -- described;
sâmyena
-- generally;
madhusûdana
-- o killer of the demon Madhu; etasya -- of this;
aham --
I; na -- do
not; pas'yami -- see;
cañcalatvât
-- due to being
restless;
sthitim --
situation; sthirâm
-- stable.
Meanwhile,
Arjuna is beset by doubt and asks for some
elucidation and explanation so that he may get
convinced. "Krishna! All you have been telling me
is very pleasant to the ear, and I can well imagine
that it must be a source of ânanda to
those who attain success. But it is so difficult,
beyond the reach of all. The yoga wherein
everything has to be realized as equal
(samathwam) is fraught with obstacles even
for the fully equiped sadhaka; what then am
I to say of people like me who are common
aspirants? Is it possible for
us?" -
Gîtâ
Vahini, pp. 90-1 cañcalam
hi manah krishna cañcalam --
flickering; hi -- certainly; manah -- mind; krishna
-- o
Krishna;
pramâthi
-- agitating; balavat -- strong; dridham
--
obstinate;
tasya -- its; aham -- I; nigraham -- subduing;
manye --
think;
vâyoh
-- of the wind; iva -- like; sudushkaram --
difficult.
Waywardness
is the natural characteristic of the mind. That is
the way Arjuna described it to Krishna thus:
That is to say, "O, Krishna, the mind is very
wayward; it moves fast; it is very powerful; it is
very difficult to bring under control."
-
Dhyana
Vahini, p. 64
Arjuna
complained to Krishna against the wildness
of the mind: he said, it was chanchala
(always changing its objective), pramathi
(full of dangerous possibilities since it makes man
a slave to the senses) and dridham
(difficult to
destroy). -
Sathya
Sai Speaks IV, p. 215
The
Mind is ever unsteady; it is "steady in its
unsteadiness" as Arjuna complained to
Krishna. It is fraught with disaster; it is
deeprooted and difficult to suppress, says
Arjuna. -
Sathya
Sai Speaks VIII, p. 105
"Krishna!
Is the mind so easily controllable? Alas! Even an
elephant cannot drag as the mind does; it is the
nursery of waywardness; its mulishness and
obstinancy are very powerful; it is a terrible
shrew. It can never be caught; it will never halt
in one place. It is like capturing the wind or
bundling up water - the attempt to catch the mind
and tame it. How can anyone enter upon yoga
with such a mind? One seems as hard as the other:
the twin tasks of controlling the mind and
practicing the yoga. Krishna, you are
advising an impossible task, beyond the capacity of
anyone." -
Gîtâ
Vahini, p. 91 s'rî
bhagavân uvâca s'rî-bhagavân
uvâca
-- the Personality of Godhead said; asams'ayam
--
undoubtedly;
mahâ-bâho
-- o mighty-armed one; manah -- the
mind;durnigraham -- difficult to curb; calam --
flickering; abhyâsena
-- by
practice; tu --
but; kaunteya -- o son of Kuntî;
vairâgyena
-- by
detachment; ca
-- also; grihyate -- can be so
controlled.
The
Lord broke into a smile on hearing these words.
"Arjuna! You have described the mind and known its
nature very well. But it is not an impossible task;
the mind can be mastered, however difficult the
task might be. "By
systematic practice (abhyâsa: steadiness,
fortitude, endurance, resilience, discipline)
and by relentless inquiry (vichara) and
detachment (vairâgya), the mind can be
mastered. There is no task that cannot be
accomplished by steady practice. Place faith
in the Lord and practice with the certainty that
you have the power and the grace, and all tasks
become easy." -
Gîtâ
Vahini, p. 91
Then Krishna replied, "Arjuna, no doubt what
you have said is correct. But by uninterrupted
attention and discipline and by practice of
renunciation, it is possible to control it. Hence,
practice dhyanam (meditation), as a first
step." Impulses
and desires have to be suppressed in order to get
mastery over the mind. Desires excite the mind and
make it rush towards the senses, as a dog runs
after the master. The jîva, poor
thing, falls into meshes of mâyâ
produced by the illusion-creating senses and the
pleasure-pursuing mind! To escape all this agony,
one should have recourse to dhyanam; freed
from the clutches of desires and slavery to the
senses. Do japam (mantra-meditation;
praying the vedic way) and dhyanam. Then you
can cultivate and develop along proper lines your
will; memory and imagination, too. Without
dhyanam, it is not possible to control and
master the mind. All other methods are as useless,
as is the attempt to bind a wild elephant in rut by
means of a thin and tiny thread! Dhyanam is
essential to immerse the mind in the
âtmâ. -
Dhyana
Vahini, pp. 64-5
But, the mind can be controlled and
even eliminated by means of intense dhyana
on the immanent God. When that stage is
reached, anger, anxiety and envy will cease
bothering you; the bonds of 'I' and 'mine' will
break; and you will have santhi (undisturbed
peace). Your efforts must be in proportion to the
grandeur of the gain you envisage, isn't it? You
crave for bliss, but cling to smaller pleasures and
refuse to stake as much as is needed to win it. -
Sathya
Sai Speaks VI, p. 215 asamyatâtmanâ
yogo asamyata --
unbridled;
âtmanâ
-- by the mind; yogah
--
self-realization;
dushprâpah
-- difficult to obtain; iti -- thus; me
--
My; matih --
opinion; vas'ya -- controlled;
âtmanâ
-- by the mind; tu --
but;
yatatâ
-- while endeavoring; s'akyah -- practical;
avâptum
-- to
achieve;
upâyatah
-- by appropriate means.
"Therefore,
whoever enters upon this sâdhana with
determination will gain the supreme goal, available
only for souls transmuted through several births.
Remember, the person who has achieved yoga
is superior to the person who is the master of
ritual karma; so strive, o Arjuna, to become
a yogî, to attain that high and holy
status. But this is not all you have to do. There
is a status higher than even this. Whoever fixes
his entire consciousness on Me, whoever earnestly
meditates on Me, to the exclusion of everything
else, he is superior to all, he is a
mahâ-yogî.
-
Gîtâ
Vahini, pp. 91-2 arjuna
uvâca arjunah
uvâca
-- Arjuna said; ayatih -- the
unsuccessful
transcendentalist;
s'raddhayâ
-- with faith; upetah -- engaged;
yogât
--
from the mystic
link; calita -- deviated;
mânasah
-- who has such a
mind;
aprâpya
-- failing to attain; yoga-samsiddhim -- the
highest
perfection in
mysticism; kâm
-- which; gatim -- destination; krishna --
o
Krishna;
gacchati -- achieves. kaccin
nobhaya-vibhrashthas' kaccit -- whether;
na -- not; ubhaya -- both; vibhrashthah --
deviated
from; chinna --
torn; abhram -- cloud; iva -- like; nas'yati
--
perishes;
apratishthhah -- without any position;
mahâ-bâho
-- o
mighty-armed
Krishna; vimûdhah -- bewildered; brahmanah --
of
transcendence;
pathi -- on the path. etan
me sams'ayam krishna etat -- this is; me
-- my; sams'ayam -- doubt; krishna -- o Krishna;
chettum -- to dispel; arhasi -- You are requested;
as'eshatah -- completely; tvat -- than You; anyah
-- other; sams'ayâsya
-- of the doubt; asya -- this;
chettâ
-- remover; na -- never; hi -- certainly;
upapadyate -- is to be found. s'rî
bhagavân uvâca s'rî-bhagavân
uvaca -- the Supreme Personality of Godhead said;
pârtha
-- o son of Prithâ; na eva -- never is it so;
iha -- in this
material
world; na --
never; amutra -- in the next life;
vinâs'ah
-- destruction;
tasya -- his;
vidyate -- exists; na -- never; hi --
certainly;
kalyâna-krit
-- one who is engaged in auspicious activities;
kas'cit --
anyone;
durgatim -- to degradation;
tâta
-- My friend; gacchati
--
goes. prâpya
punya-kritâm lokân athavâ
yogînâm eva prâpya
-- after achieving;
punya-kritâm
-- of those who performed
pious
activities;
lokân
-- planets; ushitvâ
-- after dwelling; s'âs'vatîh
--
many;
samâh
-- years; s'ucînâm
-- of the pious;
s'rî-matâm
-- of the
prosperous;
gehe -- in the house; yoga-bhrashthah -- one who
has fallen
from the path
of self-realization;
abhijâyate
-- takes his birth. athavâ
-- or; yoginâm
-- of learned transcendentalists; eva
--
certainly; kule
-- in the family; bhavati -- takes birth;
dhîmatâm
--
of those who
are endowed with great wisdom; etat -- this; hi
--
certainly;
durlabha-taram -- very rare; loke -- in this world;
janma --
birth; yat --
that which; îdrisam -- like this. tatra
tam buddhi-samyogam tatra -- thereupon;
tam -- that; buddhi-samyogam -- revival of
consciousness; labhate -- gains; paurva-dehikam --
from the previous body; yatate -- he endeavors; ca
-- also; tatah -- thereafter;
bhûyah
-- again; samsiddhau -- for perfection;
kuru-nandana -- o son of Kuru. pûrvâbhyâsena
tenaiva pûrva --
previous; abhyâsena -- by practice; tena --
by that; eva --
certainly;
hriyate -- is attracted; hi -- surely; avas'ah
--
automatically;
api -- also; sah -- he; jijñasuh --
inquisitive; api --
even; yogasya
-- about yoga; s' | |||||
