Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 6 - Dhyaana Yogah - Yoga Of Meditation

 

 

CONTENTS

 

• PREAMBLE
• RENUNCIATION AND ACTION ARE ONE
• PATH AND THE GOAL
• IDEA OF FRIENDSHIP AND ENMITY CLARIFIED
• DIRECTIONS FOR THE PRACTICE OF YOGA
• The pre-requisites for practicing meditation
• OTHER AIDS TO MEDITATION
• MODERATION IS ESSENTIAL
• WHO IS A YOGI
• RESULT OF THE YOGA OF MEDITATION
• PURPOSE OF YOGA IS ACHIEVED
• CONTROL OF MIND IS DIFFICULT BUT POSSIBLE
• CLARIFICATION REGARDING PARTIAL SPIRITUAL EFFORTS
• THE PERFECT YOGI
• CONCEPTS AND ISSUES
• LIVE AS THE GITE TEACHES YOU TO LIVE
• POINTS TO PONDER

Preamble

 

The Gita has been described as an  elaborate commentary on the mahavakya of the Chhandogya Upanishad, 'tat  tvam asi - that thou art'. The first six chapters elucidate the word 'thou'  which stands for the individual self. It is called the Twam-pada. The  second set of six chapters deals with the word 'that' which denotes brahman.  This is called the Tat-pada. The last set of six chapters establishes  the identity of the individual self and brahman. It is called the Asi-pada,  which establishes the identity of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul.

Another way of looking at these three  sets of six chapters each is to consider the first six chapters as emphasizing karmayoga,  the second six bhaktiyoga and the last six jnanayoga. The term  'yoga' here stands for 'path'. Thus we have the three paths of karma, bhakti  and jnana. These three paths are, however, not independent of one another, but  they together form a synthetic whole. None of these paths can be practiced without  the help of the other two; only the emphasis varies according to the  temperament and level of spiritual development of the aspirant.

Chapter  2 described the sage of perfection, his mental equipoise and the methods of  self-evolution to guide us in pure meditation and detached thinking. Chapter 3 gave  a scientific treatment of the Karma Yoga - the path of action. The principle of  `Renunciation of action in knowledge' had been propounded in Chapter 4. As there  was confusion in Arjuna between the ideas of `action' and `renunciation of  action', Chapter 5 explained the `way of renunciation of action' under two  methods Viz. 1. Renunciation of the sense of doership and 2. Abandoning  attachment and anxiety about the fruits of actions. A person who has followed  the teachings of The Lord thus far would have got rid off his doubts. He would  be fit for the higher purposes of meditation and Self-contemplation. How this  is done is the theme of the present Chapter 6. This chapter concludes one of  the sections in the thought-flow of the Gita as explained in the beginning.

This  Chapter explains how one can give up one's weaknesses and positively grow into  a healthier, stronger and integrated personality. This technique is called “Dhyana  Yoga” or `Path of meditation'. It discusses this path as auxiliary to the  practice of both Karma Yoga and Sankhya Yoga.

Control  over the body, senses, mind and intellect is extremely necessary in Dhyana  Yoga. These instruments are collectively called as “Atma” and hence this  Chapter is also called ‘The Yoga of Self-Control’. Many classical commentators,  particularly Madhusudan Saraswati, have therefore associated this Chapter with  the Ashtanga Yoga of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. 

The first nine verses of this Chapter reiterate the three  stages of spiritual development as described in the previous chapter. A yogi  with worldly vasanas needs karma yoga, the path of action, to evolve  spiritually. Through action he sheds his vasanas and becomes a Sanyasi. A Sanyasi,  in a state of renunciation, needs meditation and quietitude to reach the  ultimate state of Jnani.  Both Karma Yogi  and Sanyasi aim at the same goal of Self realization but their sadhanas (spiritual practices) differ. Whatever be the sadhana, every seeker has  to put in his own effort to raise himself.

Though the Yogi and Sanyasi are both on the spiritual  path, the Sanyasi alone, having developed a dispassion for the world, is  capable for meditation and realization. Details of the environmental, physical,  mental and intellectual preparations necessary to take the seat of meditation  are elaborated here.  When a seeker  follows all these preparations he will become freed from desire,  possessiveness, and the consequent sorrow. He will then become established in  Yoga and be fully prepared to enter into meditation.

RENUNCIATION AND ACTION ARE ONE

 

sri bhagavaan uvaacha
    anaashritah karmaphalam kaaryam karma  karoti yah
    sa  sannyaasi cha yogee cha na niragnirna chaakriyah  // 6.1 //

Sri  Bhagavan said
    He  who performs his bounden duty without depending on the fruits of his actions -  he is a sannyasin and a yogin, not he who has merely renounced the sacred fire;  even so he is no yogi, who has merely given up all action.

So  far, two currents of thought were discussed viz. 1. `Renunciation of the sense  of agency' (Sanyas) and 2. `Renunciation of attachment to the fruits of  actions' (Yoga).

The  Sanyasi is himself the Yogi and the seekers must therefore engage themselves in  noble works renouncing both their sense of doership and attachment to the  fruits of their actions. Sanyasa or renunciation has little to do with outward  works. It is an inward attitude. It is mental purity and intellectual  equipoise.

Arjuna  thought Sanyasa as mere abandonment of all activities, symbolized here by the  word `fire'. To become a Sanyasi, it is not necessary to give up the daily  sacrificial fire and other rituals. To abstain from these without the spirit of  renunciation is futile.

yam sannyaasamiti praahuryogam tam  viddhi paandava
    na hyasannyastasankalpo yogee bhavati  kashchana  // 6.2 //

O  Pandava, please know what they call renunciation to be disciplined activity, for  none becomes a Yogi who has not renounced his selfish desire.

The  word `Sankalpa' means the mental faculty that makes plans for the future  expecting the results of the plans so made. No one can become a Karma Yogi who  plans future actions and expects the fruits of such actions. Only a devotee who  renounced the thoughts of fruits of his actions can become a Yogi of steady  mind because the thoughts of fruits of actions always cause mental disturbances.

Sanyasa  i.e. renunciation consists in the accomplishment of the necessary action  without an inward striving for reward. This is true yoga, firm control over  oneself, complete self-possession. This verse says that disciplined activity  (Yoga) is just as good as renunciation or Sanyasa.

Karma  Yoga practiced without regard to the fruit of actions forms a stepping stone  and an external aid to Dhyana Yoga or meditation.  How Karma Yoga is a means to a better and  greater meditation is explained in the following verses.

PATH AND THE GOAL

 

aarurukshormuner yogam karma  kaaranamuchyate
    yogaaroodhasya tasyaiva shamah  kaaranamuchyate  // 6.3 //

For  a sage who wishes to attain to yoga, action is said to be the means; for the  same sage who has attained to yoga serenity is said to be the means.

For  a man who cannot practice meditation for a prolonged period and who is not able  to keep his mind steady in meditation, action or work is a means of  establishing himself in concentration and self-improvement. By working in the  world with no egocentric concept of agency and desire for the fruits of  actions, the mind gets purified and makes it fit for the practice of steady  meditation.

When  the required amount of concentration is achieved and his mind conquered, his  agitations get well under control. In that state of mental growth his mind  thoroughly gets fixed in the Self. These two means are not contradictory.  Selfless work is necessary for a beginner; but a developed seeker needs more  calmness and self-withdrawal for deep meditation to realize the Self. All his  actions are then performed with perfect equanimity,

yadaa hi nendriyaartheshu na karmaswanushajjate
    sarvasankalpasannyaasee yogaaroodhas  tadochyate  // 6.4 //

When  a man is not attached to sense objects or to actions, having renounced all  thoughts, he is said to have attained Yoga.

Sri  Krishna explains the physical and mental condition of the Yogarudha -  the one who is established in Yoga. The Lord says that when one is without  mental attachment to sense-objects or actions in the outer world, he is said to  have obtained mastery over the mind.

When  the mind is without even traces of attachment either to the sense-objects or to  the fields of activity, even then it is possible that it will get distracted by  its own power of longing and desiring. Such disturbances caused by the inner  forces of the mind (Sankalpa) are more devastating than the ones caused by the  external world of objects.

Sri  Krishna indicates that the one who is said to have gained a complete mastery  over his mind is he who has not only withdrawn himself from all sense-contacts  and activities in the outer world but has also conquered all the  Sankalpa-disturbances arising in his own mind. Such an individual, at the  moment of meditation, in that inward state, is termed Yogarudha.

uddharedaatmanaatmaanam  naatmaanamavasaadayet
    atmaiva hyaatmano bandhuraatmaiva  ripuraatmanah  // 6.5 //

    Let  a man lift himself by himself; let him not degrade himself; for, he himself is  his friend and he himself is his enemy.

Sri  Krishna declares that `man should lift himself by himself'.  Man, if he wants to raise himself from an  animal existence to a noble life with all cultural and spiritual possibilities which  lie dormant in him, has to convert the lower instincts in him to a higher level  of perfection which is his essential nature.

Man  is basically a plural personality - he thinks he ought to be a morally strong,  ethically perfect, physically loving and socially disciplined ideal personality  but in actual practice he is always a victim of his own attachments and  aversions, likes and dislikes, love and hatred etc. So long as he does not realize  his own duality, there cannot be any religion for him.  But if he wants to make the lower in him as  bright as the higher, he has to adopt the technique called Religion. The  processes by which the lower is brought under control and discipline of the  higher are called spiritual practices.

This  process of self-rehabilitation cannot be executed with any outside help but has  to be done all by himself unto himself, all alone, all the way. Teachers,  scriptures and temples etc. are all guides only and the actual achievement  depends on the seeker's ability to come out of his misunderstandings.

The  step suggested so far goes only half way and the other half as suggested by The  Lord, is to see that the self thereafter does not fall down to its old level of  mundane existence. When the lower allows itself to be corrected by the higher,  the higher is called his friend.   But  when the lower does not allow itself to be controlled by the higher, the latter  is considered to be his enemy.

“The  Supreme is within us. It is the consciousness underlying the individualized  consciousness of every day life but not proportionate to it. The two are  different in kind, though the Supreme is realizable by one who is prepared to  lose his life in order to save it. For the most part we are unaware of the Self  in us because our attention is engaged by objects which we like or dislike. We  must get away from them, to become aware of the Divine in us. If we do not  realize the pointlessness, the irrelevance and the squalor of our ordinary  life, the true Self becomes the enemy of our ordinary life.

The  Universal Self and the personal self are not antagonistic to each other. The  Universal Self can be the friend or the foe of the personal self. If we subdue  our pretty cravings and desires, if we do not exert our selfish will, we become  the channel of the Universal Self. If our impulses are under control and if our  personal self offers itself to the Universal Self, the latter becomes our guide  and teacher. Every one of us has the freedom to rise or fall and our future is  in our own hands”.

IDEA OF FRIENDSHIP AND ENMITY CLARIFIED

 

bandhuraatmaatmanastasya  yenaatmaivaatmanaa jitah
    anaatmanastu shatrutwe vartetaatmaiva  shatruvat  // 6.6 //

To him who has conquered himself by himself, his own self is a friend, but to him  who has not conquered himself, his own self is hostile like an external enemy.

To  the extent that the lower in us withdraws itself from its identifications with  the body and sense-organs, feelings and emotions to that extent it (the ego) is  said to have come under the influence of the nobler in us.

To  such an ego the Self is the friend.  But  where the ego rebels against the higher, to that unconquered self or  uncontrolled ego the Diviner Self is as inimical as an external foe.

The  higher Self becomes a friend to the lower if the latter allows itself to be  influenced by the former.  The Diviner  becomes inimical to the lower limited ego when the latter resists nobler  aspirations. We are therefore called upon to master the lower self by the  higher. The point is that the lower self is not to be destroyed. It can be used  as a helper, if it is held in check.

jitaatmanah prashaantasya paramaatmaa  samaahitah
    sheetoshna sukha duhkheshu tathaa  maanaapamaanayoh  // 6.7 //

When  one has conquered one’s (lower)self and has attained in the realm of  self-mastery, his Supreme Self abides ever focused; he is at peace in cold and  heat, in pleasure and pain, in honor and dishonor.

This  verse explains what exactly is achieved in the state of mental equipoise called  `Yogarudha'.  When the stage of Yogarudha  or the state of mental equipoise is reached, the mind is held steadfast in the  contemplation of the Supreme and the seeker is capable of maintaining  consistency of meditation in all circumstances, favorable and unfavorable.

Sri  Krishna enumerates all possible threats that an individual may come across  against his maintaining mental tranquility.   These impediments fall into three categories viz.

• relating to body  - heat and cold,
• relating to mind  - pleasure and pain
• relating to  intellect - honor and dishonor.

The  Lord says that in spite of all these obstacles in man's life the Supreme Self  is to be the focal point for constant realization. The man of serenity remains  unruffled in all circumstances, in all environments and in all companies.

“This  is the state of blessedness of the person who has established himself in unity  with the Universal Self. He is a jitatman whose calm and serenity are  not disturbed by the pairs of the opposites. The self in the body is generally  absorbed by the world of dualities, heat and cold, pain and pleasure but when  it controls the senses and masters the world, the self becomes free. The  Supreme Self is not different from the self in the body. When the self is bound  by the modes of prakriti or nature, it is called kshetrajna; when it is  freed from them, the same self is called the Supreme Self”. 

jnaana vijnaana triptaatmaa kootastho vijitendriyah
    yuktah ityuchyate yogee samaloshtaashmakaanchanah  // 6.8 //

He  is said to be a steadfast Yogi who is satisfied with knowledge and wisdom, who  remains unshaken, who has conquered the senses, and to whom a lump of earth, a  stone and gold are the same.

Sri  Krishna says that an individual, self-controlled and serene, who contemplates  constantly on the nature of the Self in all circumstances in life, soon gets  full divine satisfaction and becomes an unshakeable Yogi.

Knowledge  gained by study of Sastras is Gnana and one's own experience of the teachings  of Sastras is Vignana. Kootastha is the anvil. Red hot iron pieces are hammered  on the anvil for giving proper shape to them but the anvil itself remains  unchanged in spite of receiving repeated hammerings. So too, the seeker is  called changeless-Kootastha- whose heart remains unchanged in spite of it being  surrounded by the worldly objects. He is unperturbed by things and happenings  of the world and is therefore said to be equal-minded to the events of this  changing world. Such a saint remains tranquil with equal mental vision in all  conditions of life.  To him a clod of  mud, a stone and gold are all the same. Thus equanimity of mind is the  touchstone for spiritual evolution.

suhrinmitraaryudaaseena madhyastha  dweshya bandhushu
    saadhushwapi cha paapeshu samabuddhirvishishyate  // 6.9 //

He  who has equal regard for well-wishers, friends, enemies, the indifferent, the  neutral, the hateful, relatives, the righteous and the unrighteous, excels.

In  the previous verse it was stated that the man of perfection develops equal  vision to all the things of the outside world. Here the nature of relationship  of a man of perfect equipoise with the other living beings of the world is  discussed.

The  Lord says that such a man of excellence regards all relationships with equal  love and consideration irrespective of whether they are friends or foes or the  indifferent or the neutral or the hateful or the nearest relations. He does not  make any distinction between the righteous and unrighteous, the good and the  bad.

In  realizing the Self in him, he sees unity in all diversities and observes a  rhythm in the world outside.  To him, who  has realized himself to be the Self which is all pervading, the entire universe  becomes his own Self and therefore his relationship with other parts of the  universe is equal and the same.

The  method by which one can attain this highest goal with an assured result is  called Meditation which is explained exhaustively in the following verses.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE PRACTICE OF YOGA   

 

yogee yunjeeta satatamaatmaanam rahasi  sthitah
    ekaakee yatachittatmaa  niraasheeraparigrahah  // 6.10 //

A  Yogi should always try constantly to concentrate his mind (on the Supreme Self),  remaining in solitude, living alone with the mind and body controlled, free from  desires and possessions.

In  the previous verses Arjuna wanted to know the ways and means of achieving the  constant experience of inward equilibrium. Sri Krishna explains the methods of  self-development and the technique of self-perfection which can be attained by  all. The method taught by The Lord requires the seekers to exert themselves by  constantly practicing concentration which is called meditation.

The pre-requisites for practicing meditation are:

 

•Rahasi Sthitah -  Remaining in solitude: Sitting in solitude one should practice meditation. This  does not mean that meditation can be practiced only in jungles or in lonely  caves. It means that even in one's own home one should try to withdraw himself  mentally and physically from the normal preoccupations and retire to a secluded  spot for practicing meditation. Solitude can be gained only when there is  mental withdrawal from the world outside. One who is full of desires and  constantly thinking about sense-objects cannot gain solitude even in a remote  forest. Solitude lifts our hearts and exalts our minds. In a world which is  daily growing noisier, the duty of the civilized man is to have moments of  thoughtful stillness.  Retiring to a  quiet place, we should keep off all external distractions.  

•Ekaki – Alone: For  the purposes of meditation one has to be physically alone.  His success depends upon the amount of  self-control he is adopting in his daily life. 

•Yatachittatmana -  Self-controlled. He must not be excited, strained or anxious. There should be  no restlessness or turbulence. The heart must become clean if it is to reflect  God who is to be seen and known only by the pure in heart.  

•Niraasheer - Free  from desires: Worry about daily needs, about earning and spending disturbs  meditation and takes us away from the life of the spirit. So we must be free  from desire and anxiety born of it, from greed and fear. We should expect  nothing, insist on nothing. 

•Aparigrahah -  Free from longing for possessions:  This  is a spiritual state and not a material condition. We must control the appetite  for possessions; free ourselves from the tyranny of belongings. One cannot hear  God’s voice, if one is restless and self-centered, if one is dominated by  feelings of pride, jealousy or possessiveness.

“The  Gita points out our happiness is inward. It invites our attention to the manner  of our life, the state of human consciousness, which does not depend upon the  outward machinery of life. The body may die and the world pass away but the  life in spirit endures. Our treasures are not the things of the world that  perish but the knowledge and love of God that endure. We must get out of the  slavery to things to gain the glad freedom of spirit.

Here  the Lord develops the technique of mental discipline on the lines of  Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. When one starts meditating upon the Truth within these  parameters, he is considered to be the true seeker trying to achieve the  highest in life. The main purpose of this exercise is to raise our  consciousness from its ordinary waking condition to higher levels until it  attains Union with the Supreme. The human mind is ordinarily turned outwards.  Absorption in the mechanical and material sides of life leads to misbalanced  condition of consciousness.

Yoga  attempts to explore the inner world of consciousness and helps to integrate the  conscious and the sub-conscious. We must divest our minds of all sensual  desires, abstract our attention from all external objects and absorb it in the  object of meditation. By summoning all the energies of the mind and fixing them  on one point, we raise the level of reference from the empirical to the real,  from observation to vision and let the spirit take possession of our whole  being. The practice must be constant. It is no use to taking to meditation by  fits and starts. A continuous creative effort is necessary for developing the  higher, the intenser form of consciousness”. 

OTHER AIDS TO MEDITATION

 

The  Lord now explains the other aids to meditation like modes of sitting, eating,  recreation etc. in the following verses.

shuchau deshe pratishthaapya  sthiramaasanamaatmanah
    naatyucchritam naatineecham  chailaajinakushottaram  // 6.11 //

Having  established in a clean spot his firm seat, neither too high nor too low, made  of a cloth, a skin and Kusa grass, one over the other.

tatraikaagram manah kritwaa  yatachittendriyakriyah
    upavishyaasane  yunjyaadyogamaatmavishuddhaye  // 6.12 //

There,  having made the mind one-pointed, with actions of the mind and sense  controlled, let him, seated on the seat, practice yoga for the purification of  the self.

Sri  Krishna now gives a complete and exhaustive explanation of the technique of  meditation.  The seat for practice of meditation  should be in a clean place. The external conditions have a direct bearing on  the human mind. The chances for the seeker to maintain a pure mental condition  are more in a clean place. A tidy atmosphere causes the least mental  disturbances.

The  meditator should sit steady (sthiram) in his seat without moving his body in  any direction since physical movements destroy the mental concentration and  inner equipoise. In order to get established in a firm posture, it would be  advisable to sit in any comfortable seat with the vertebral column erect,  fingers interlocked and hands thrown in front.

The  seat of meditation should not be too high or too low. Too high a seat causes a  sense of insecurity and a seat too low may cause bodily pains. During  meditation the heart becomes slightly slow causing even a slight fall in blood  pressure and to that extent one gets withdrawn in himself. At such a time of  low resistance, the position of the seat plays a vital part.

The  mattress of Kusa Grass on the ground covered by a deer skin and a piece of  cloth on top of it protects one from dampness, cold and heat.

Sitting  properly by itself is not Yoga. While proper physical condition is necessary  for inducing right mental attitude for spiritual practices, by itself it cannot  assure any spiritual self development. Hence Sri Krishna tells here what a  seeker should do in the seat of meditation having brought his body in a steady  condition and how his mind and intellect should be kept engaged.

These  instructions of The Lord are: One should make the mind single pointed by  subduing the faculty of imagination and activities of the sense organs.  Although single pointedness is the nature of the mind, by virtue of its  capacity for imagination or wishful thinking and on account of the pulls and  pressures of the external sense objects on the sense organs, it gets wild and scattered.  The Lord says that if these two sources of dissipation are closed, the mind  will get automatically single pointed. Keeping the mind contemplating on the  Ultimate Self constantly is the inner Yoga suggested here.

The  effect of such meditation is inner purification.  A purified mind is the one wherein there are no  agitations and when the mind becomes thus steady and pure, it discovers its own  Real Nature just like one understands himself by looking at his own image in a  mirror. The purification of the heart, chittasuddhi, is a matter of  discipline. It is a disciplined disinterestedness. Blessed are the pure in  heart for they shall see God. Wisdom is a condition in a being at rest.

samam kaayashirogreevam  dhaarayannachalam sthirah
    samprekshya naasikaagram swam  dishashchaanavalokayan  // 6.13 //

Let  him firmly hold his body, head and neck erect and still, gazing at the tip of  his nose without looking around.

The  Lord tells that the meditator should firmly hold his body in such a way that  his vertebral column is completely erect - the head, neck and the spinal column  should be vertical to the horizontal seat. Holding the body firmly means that  it should not be moved in any direction although it has to be kept relaxed.

Patanjali  points out that the posture should be steady and pleasing so as to aid  concentration. A right posture gives serenity of body. The body must be kept  clean if the living image of God is to be installed in it.

His  gaze should be fixed at the tip of his nose.   If this is followed literally there is a possibility of the seeker  getting headache, giddiness etc. Adi Sankara says that the term means that the  meditator should have his attention as though turned towards the tip of his own  nose. The meditator is advised not to look around so that his attention may not  get distracted. 

prashaantaatmaa vigatabheer  brahmachaarivrate sthitah
    manah samyamya macchitto yukta aaseeta  matparah  // 6.14 //

Serene  minded, fearless, firm in the vow of Brahmacharya, having controlled the mind,  thinking on Me and balanced, let him sit in yoga, having Me as the Supreme  goal.

The  word Prashaanta means inward peace. This is the inner joy in which the  meditator will find himself as a result of regular practice. Fear is the  quality in a person who cannot believe that there is something beyond himself  which is the Supreme.

The  very process of turning towards the Supreme makes him afraid of nothingness.  The seeker should therefore be fearless since it is the deadliest enemy for  spiritual progress.

Even  after the mind becomes peaceful and joyous and fearlessness achieved after a  continuous practice of meditation and study of scriptures, no progress towards  the goal can be possible unless the seeker gets established himself in perfect  Brahmacharya. Brahmacharya implies the observance of celibacy as well as the  practice of self control in all fields of sense-stimulations and  sense-gratifications.

Without  self control the mind will become chaotic due to the pressures of the world of  objects. Unless the mind is provided with another target to concentrate upon it  cannot retreat from its usual pre-occupations with the external world. This  alternative is the inner field of the Self.

When  the body, mind and intellect are controlled through the above process, the seeker  gains mental energy and experiences an increasing capacity to withdraw within  himself and fix all his thoughts on `Me’, the Self. After taming the mind and  stopping it from its external wanderings, it should be kept focused upon the  Divine seeking nothing but the Supreme. The mind becomes still but not vacant  for it is fixed on the Supreme. Ishvara Pranidhana is a recognized way  in yoga discipline. They act in the world but the passionless tranquility of  the spirit remains undisturbed. They are like lotus in the lake which is  unruffled by the tide.

yunjannevam sadaa’tmaanam yogee  niyatamaanasah
    shaantim nirvaanaparamaam matsamsthaam adhigacchati  // 6.15 //

Thus,  always keeping the mind balanced, with his mind controlled, the Yogi attains to  the peace abiding in Me - the peace that culminates in total liberation -  Nirvana or Moksha.

After  explaining 1. The physical pose 2. Mental stability and 3. The consequent  intellectual self-application, The Lord gives out the last step in the  technique of meditation. When all the above stages of meditation have been gone  through the seeker becomes an unwavering person in his physical and subtler  existence. Such a person who constantly keeps his mind free from agitations  surely reaches the Supreme.  The word  `constantly' does not mean at the cost of his duty to his home and the society.  It means a consistent inner silence during meditation. At the peak of  meditation the mind becomes completely `still' and comes to a `halt'.

The  individual comes to experience an infinite peace when his mind is calmed. This  is the peace that always resides in the seeker. Thus when there is no mental,  intellectual and bodily disturbances and agitations, the seeker attains the  peace unknown in the outside world that ultimately ends in the Supreme Liberation  i.e. Nirvana-Paramam. In brief, the.meditator awakens to his own status of  Selfhood which is the fulfillment of the meditation.

MODERATION IS ESSENTIAL

 

naatyashnatastu yogo'sti na  chaikaantamanashnatah
    na chaati swapnasheelasya jaagrato naiva  chaarjuna  // 6.16 //

Verily,  Yoga is not possible for him, who eats too much, or for him who does not eat at  all; or for him who sleeps too much, or for him who is always awake, O Arjuna.

The  Lord gives guidelines in this verse and the following ones on the possible  pitfalls that have to be guarded against in pursuit of meditation.  The central theme of His guidance is that  moderation in all activities at all levels is the precondition for achieving  success in Meditation. Intemperateness in any field of behavior and activity  brings about mental agitations which are not conducive to the development of an  integrated personality. Therefore moderation in food, sleep and recreation is  directed.

Yoga  is not possible for him who eats too much nor for him who does not eat at all.  Eating means not only the process of consuming food but includes enjoyments  gained through all means of sense perceptions and inward experiences.  Similarly, neither too much sleep which erodes the faculties nor lack of sleep  which disturbs the body rhythm is advised for spiritual life. Everything in  moderation is the rule.

yuktaahaaravihaarasya yuktacheshtasya  karmasu
    yuktaswapnaavabodhasya yogo bhavati  duhkhahaa  // 6.17 //

Yoga  puts an end to all sorrows for him who is moderate in food and recreation, who  is moderate in his exertion at work, who is moderate in sleep and wakefulness.

Moderation  but not complete self-denial in all activities of life like eating, recreation,  sleep and exertion in working is the basic principle stated here. The important  guideline in this verse is that the amount of effort put in for all work,  including selfless divine work, should be moderate as otherwise such work  instead of redeeming the seeker would enslave him. What is required is  restraint but not abstinence. Yoga should be practiced because it is capable of  destroying all miseries.

                         We  have seen Sri Bhagvan describing the process of meditation. He continues the  discussion in the following verses pointing out that the controlled mind remains peaceful and explaining the process by which the seeker can gain the experience  of the Essential Self through such disciplined mind. By training the mind, one  must give up its preoccupation with the world and direct it to the Self within  and make it introvert. As soon as the mind tastes the bliss of the Self it will  realize that there is no greater enjoyment. Being established therein, even the greatest of the sorrows in the world cannot disturb its equanimity and peace. One  practices that Yoga (union with the Self) through complete control of the  senses and the thought flow which are the source-point of all desires. This  sets the stage for practicing meditation and the realization of the Self.

The mind in the state of meditation thinks of the  Self. The intellect holds the mind single pointedly upon the Self without  allowing it to slip into any other thought. Whenever the mind wanders away the  intellect brings it back through supervision and control. By maintaining single  pointed thought of the Self, the mind becomes absolutely tranquil and quiet. The  Jnani then experiences the infinite bliss of Brahman. Thereafter, he sees the Self  in all beings and all beings in the Self. He sees the Supreme Being everywhere. 

When  he heard the exposition on how to discipline and control the mind, Arjuna  raises a doubt as to whether the mind is such a thing which can be controlled  at all. He wonders how the mind, a restless, turbulent, strong and obstinate  entity, can be brought under control. And even if forcefully brought under  control, how can the mind continue to remain steady and calm? Krishna  assures Arjuna that the intellect can control the mind through sustained  practice and dispassion.

Arjuna  wonders as to what will happen to a seeker and his efforts if he fails to  attain Self-realization in his lifetime. Will he not be denied the benefits of  both the material and spiritual worlds?  

Krishna allays Arjuna’s logical and natural concern and  assures him that no seeker falling short of Realization in his life time will  ever suffer either here or hereafter.  Such a person will gain a heavenly bliss and  reincarnate in a pure and pious home or in a family of wise yogis, which will  provide him with an ideal environment for pursuing spiritual goal of Realization  in his new life. Therefore, Krishna advises  Arjuna to practice yoga with devotion and determination until he merges with  the Supreme Brahman.

 WHO IS A YOGI

 

yadaa viniyatam  chittamaatmanyevavatishthate
    nihsprihah sarvakaamebhyo yukta ityuchyate  tadaa // 6.18 //

When  the well-controlled mind rests in the Self alone, free from longing for objects  of desires, then one is said to have attained yoga.

When  the mind is completely under control it rests peacefully in the Self alone.  Uncontrolled mind is the one which wanders in search of satisfaction among the  sense objects. To make the mind withdraw from its nomadic nature for  contemplating continuously on the Self, which is the substratum that illumines  all perceptions and experiences, one has to make it free from desires. While  desires by themselves are not unhealthy, Gita advises us to renounce our cravings  for all objects of desires seen or unseen, belonging to this world or the next.

When  the mind is withdrawn from sense objects, it becomes capable of contemplating  on the Self as it is free from agitations.   The finite and limited sense objects disturb the mind, while the  unlimited and infinite Self brings peace and joy to it. This condition of  replacing sense oriented thoughts with contemplation on the Self is called  steadfastness.  The steadfast mind of a  Yogi is described in the next verse.

yathaa deepo nivaatastho nengate sopamaa  smritaa
    yogino yatachittasya yunjato  yogamaatmanah  // 6.19 //

“Like  a lamp kept in a windless place which does not flicker” - that is the figure (used  by the wise) for the disciplined mind of a yogi practicing concentration on the  Self.

Mind  is as unstable as a flickering flame of a lamp. But when the same mind is made  to concentrate in the Self by the meditator its vacillations and wanderings are  stopped. It becomes brilliant just as a flickering lamp when placed in a  windless spot.

yatroparamate chittam niruddham yogasevayaa
    yatra chaivaatmanaatmaanam pashyannaatmani tushyati // 6.20 //

When  the mind, restrained by the practice of yoga, attains quietitude and when  seeing the Self by the self, he is rejoiced in his own Self.

sukhamaatyantikam yattad buddhi  graahyamateendriyam
    vetti yatra na chaivaayam  sthitashchalati tattwatah  // 6.21 //

When  he (the Yogi) feels that Infinite bliss - which can be grasped by the (pure)  intellect and which transcends the senses, wherein established, he never moves  from the Reality.

yam labdhwaa chaaparam laabham manyate  naadhikam tatah
    yasminsthito na duhkhena gurunaapi vichaalyate  // 6.22 //

Which  having obtained, he thinks there is no other gain superior to it; wherein  established, he is not moved even by the heaviest of  sorrows - 

tam vidyaad duhkhasamyogaviyogam  yogasamjnitam
    sa nishchayena yoktavyo yogo'nirvinna chetasaa  // 6.23 //

    Let  that be known as Yoga which is severance from the contact of pain. This yoga  should be practiced with perseverance and with an undaunted mind.

All  these four Verses (20 - 23) should be taken together which give a complete  picture of Yoga and explain the stages that a Yogi passes through whose mind  has become single pointed by meditation.   They end with a call given by The Lord to all mankind to practice this  Yoga of Meditation and self development.

The  goal of the meditator is attaining serene quietitude when his mind becomes  completely restrained and gains an experience of the Self, not as an entity  separate from himself but as his own true nature.  This self discovery of the mind is nothing  other than the process by which ego's identification with body, mind and  intellect is replaced by the principle of Divine Consciousness. The experience  of the self is an enduring state from which there is no return.

Sri  Krishna says that having gained this Infinite Bliss; no one can come to the  worldly sorrows and feel the urge to go after the worldly objects and pursuits.  The Yogi who attained the state of Supreme Truth will consider no other gain as  equal to it and worth comparable. Thus Sri Krishna defines Yoga as a state of “DISUNION  FROM EVERY UNION WITH PAIN”.

The  term yoga means contact. Man is always in contact with finite worldly objects  through the instruments of body, mind and intellect and gets finite joy only.  When this temporary joy ends on account of the cessation of the instrumentality  of the senses, sorrow begins. Therefore it is said that life through these  matter instruments is called the life of union-with-pain.

Detachment  from this union is the process in which we disassociate ourselves from the  fields of objects and their experiences. As mind cannot exist without any  attachment, once it is detached from the unreal and pain giving world of objects,  it has to get itself attached to the Real and Permanent Bliss, which is called  meditation. In deep meditation, the senses do not function; they are resolved  into their cause i.e. the mind. And when the mind becomes steady and cognition  alone functions, then the indescribable Self is realized.

Thus  Yoga is nothing but a man's renunciation of contacts with sorrows and turning  towards Bliss which is his real nature. Sri Krishna says that this Yoga is to  be practiced with an eager and decisive mind.   Success in meditation is possible only when it is carried out with firm  conviction, perseverance and an un-despairing heart as the Yoga or connection  with the Real can be gained only with Viyoga or disconnection from the Unreal.  There should be no relaxation of effort even though there is no quick result  and the practice appears difficult. If living among the finite objects with its  limited joys is sorrow, then to get away from it all is to enter the realm of  Bliss which is the Self.  This is  Yoga. 

Patanjali  Yoga Sutras declare that the root of sorrow in the form of repeated births and  deaths lies in the contact between the subject and the object or in the liaison  due to ignorance between the soul and the objective world. With the termination  of this contact, sorrows and sufferings also come to an end for all time.

Patanjali  says “The great sorrow in the form of future births and deaths is called  ‘Heya’- that which ought to be avoided (2.16). The cause of ‘Heya’ or suffering  is the contact between the subject and the object (2.17). Ignorance is the root  of that contact (2.24). The termination of that contact between the subject and  the object through the eradication of the ignorance is known as ‘Hana’ -  shutting out the ‘Heya’. This represents the aloofness of the subject -  Kaivalya (2.25)

This  state of God realization is termed ‘Yoga’ in the Gita. Further instructions on  yoga are continued in the following verses.

sankalpaprabhavaan kaamaanstyaktwaa  sarvaan asheshatah
    manasaivendriyagraamam viniyamya  samantatah  // 6.24 //

Abandoning  without reserve all desires born of Sankalpa and completely restraining the  whole group of senses by the mind from all sides...

shanaih shanairuparamed budddhyaa  dhritigriheetayaa
    aatmasamstham manah kritwaa na  kinchidapi chintayet  // 6.25 //

Little  by little let him attain quietitude by the intellect held in firmness; having  made the mind established in the Self, let him not think of anything.

The  goal of Yoga was to accomplish that state wherein the mind, through the  practice of concentration, comes to get it absolutely restrained and achieves  perfection or bliss. The way of attaining single pointedness of mind, what the  single pointed mind should then do, how to approach and ultimately realize the  Truth have all been exhaustively dealt with here. The various stages to be  undergone in this regard are:

Renounce  all desires fully by controlling the mind and restrain all the sense organs  from their fields of sense objects. This mind-quietening process cannot be  achieved at one go.  It is clearly  advised that mind should achieve quietitude as a result of withdrawal from  sense objects by degrees - slowly and slowly.

Thereafter,  patiently, the mind should be made to contemplate on the Self with the aid of  the intellect. A mind that continuously contemplates on the Self becomes still  and gets pervaded by the divine quietitude.   This is the last stage of the journey that conscious and deliberate  action can take any seeker.

Sri  Krishna warns that the meditator after reaching the last stage of inner peace  should not think of anything else. Undisturbed by any new thought waves he  should maintain inner silence  and come  to live it more and more deeply.

yato yato nishcharati  manashchanchalamasthiram
    tatastato niyamyai tadaatmanyeva  vasham nayet   // 6.26 //

From  whatever cause the restless and the unsteady mind wanders away, from that let  him restrain it and bring it back to be under the control of the Self alone.

Mind  by its very nature is unsteady and restless; it always wanders away from the  point of concentration.  The true seeker  on the path of meditation will therefore get despaired at his inability to fix  his mind on a focal point, contemplating on the Self. During the practice of  meditation although the sense organs are controlled, the chasing of the sense objects  by the mind will continue and cause dejection in the seeker.

The  reasons for this roving mind may be many such as memories of the past,  proximity of the tempting sense objects, attachments etc. Sri Krishna directs  that whatever be the reason for the restlessness of the mind, the seeker is not  to lose hope. On the contrary he should understand that these tendencies are  the very characteristics of the mind and the process of meditation is the  technique to eliminate them.

The  means of bringing under control the restless mind are the realization of the  illusoriness of sense-objects and the cultivation of indifference to them. Through practice of discrimination and detachment the mind gradually attains  inner peace.

The  Lord advises the seeker to bring back the mind that has gone out on a roaming  mission.  As soon as the mind is  withdrawn through will power it will go out again because mind means flow of  thoughts and it can never be steady without any motion. Therefore in the  meditation when the mind is withdrawn from the sense objects it should be provided  with an alternative to keep it busy. That alternative is its application towards  contemplating on the Self alone.

RESULT OF THE YOGA OF MEDITATION

prashaantamanasam hyenam yoginam  sukhamuttamam
    upaiti shaantarajasam  brahmabhootamakalmasham  // 6.27 //

Supreme  bliss verily comes to this yogi whose mind is completely tranquil, whose  passions are quietened, who is free from sin and has become one with Brahman.

yunjannevam sadaa'tmaanam yogee  vigatakalmashah
    sukhena brahmasamsparsham atyantam  sukham ashnute  // 6.28 //

The  yogi always engaging the mind thus (in the practice of yoga) freed from sins  easily enjoys the Infinite Bliss of contact with Brahman.

In  these two verses the Lord describes the benefits of Yoga. During meditation  when the mind is withdrawn from the world of objects and is concentrated on the  Self, it acquires quietitude and the thought flow ceases.  Where there is no thought flow there is no  mind. Where the mind has ended, there the seeker experiences the Infinite  nature of the Self and the meditator reaches to the Supreme Bliss by ending all  his mental agitations.
  The  ego discovers that it is none other than the Self and hence there is no dualism  at this stage. Such a man of self-realization himself becomes Brahman. The  meditator (Upasaka) becomes one with the object of meditation (Upasya).

A  meditator step by step grows out of his own ignorance and imperfection  represented by his ego and merges with the Supreme.  He loses contact with the objects of the  senses and comes into contact with the Self within - Brahman. This means that the  seeker becomes Brahman and comes to experience the Infinite Bliss as against contact  with the world of objects (`not-Self’) whose joys are always finite. He becomes  a Jivanmukta, liberated while living in a body.

Chandogya  Upanishad (VII-xxiii.I) says “That which is infinite or great beyond all, is  true happiness. There is no joy in that which is finite. Happiness lies in  infinity. Efforts should be made in particular to know the Infinite alone”. It  continues “The Infinite represents that plane of consciousness in which no  other is cognized and the state in which another is seen, another is heard and  another is cognized represents the finite. That which is infinite is immortal.  That which is finite is mortal”. (VII-xxiv.I)

PURPOSE OF YOGA IS ACHIEVED

sarvabhootasthamaatmaanam sarvabhotani  chaatmani
    eekshate yogayuktaatma sarvatra  samadarshanah  // 6.29 //

With  the mind harmonized by Yoga he sees the Self abiding in all beings and all  beings in the Self; he sees the same everywhere.

That  the perfect man of Self-knowledge or God-Realization is not merely the one who realized  his own divinity but is also one who has equally understood and has come to  live in the knowledge of divinity inherent in all creatures without any  distinction. He sees the same spirit dwelling in all objects. He sees the  identity of Atman, the inmost reality of himself, and Brahman, the inmost  reality of the universe.

The  essence in all names and forms is the same Self which is the substratum in the  world of objects just like the clay in all the pots, gold in all the ornaments,  ocean in all the waves and electricity in all the gadgets. The Yogi observes  oneness or unity of the Self everywhere.

Isa  Upanishad says “But he who sees all beings in the Self and the self in all  beings, no longer hates anyone”. 

yo maam  pashyati sarvatra sarvam cha mayi pashyati
    tasyaaham  na pranashyaami sa cha me na pranashyati   // 6.30 //

He  who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, never gets separated from Me  (by time, space or anything intervening) nor do I get separated from him.

  Here  the words `I' and `Me" mean the Self. On rediscovering the Self the ego  becomes the Self and there is no distinction between the ego and the Self just  as the dreamer becomes the waker and the waker is not separate from the  dreamer. When we are one with the Divine in us, we become one with the whole  stream of life.

sarvabhootasthitam yo maam  bhajatyekatwamaasthitah
    sarvathaa vartamaano pi sa yogee  mayivartate // 6.31 //

He who, being established in oneness, worships Me, who dwells in all beings - that  Yogi, in whatever way leads his life, lives in Me.

The  Lord dwells in all beings as their inmost Self irrespective of their forms. The  Yogi who sees the Lord in all beings and worships him through all beings has  attained liberation. No matter how he lives and acts, he is always free. He is  no longer under the control of scriptural injunctions.

aatmaupamyena sarvatra samam pashyati  yo'rjuna
    sukham vaa yadi vaa duhkham sa yogee  paramo matah  // 6.32 //

I  hold him to be a supreme yogi, O Arjuna, who looks on the pleasure and pain of  all beings as he looks upon them in himself.

This  verse is the golden rule of Hinduism. The highest yogi sees that whatever is pleasant  to him is pleasant to all others, including subhuman beings and that whatever  is painful to him is painful to all others. Therefore he cannot cause pain to  any. He leads a life of complete non-violence. The true Yogi is one who feels  the pains and joys of others as if they were his own. He feels the entire  universe as his own form.

CONTROL OF MIND IS DIFFICULT BUT POSSIBLE

 

arjuna uvaacha
    yo'yam yogastwayaa proktah saamyena  madhusoodana
    etasyaaham na pashyaami chanchalatwaat  stithim sthiraam // 6.33 //

Arjuna  said
    This  Yoga of equanimity, taught by You, O slayer of Madusudana (Krishna),  I do not see how it can long endure, because of the restlessness of the mind.

Perfect  equanimity, a mind free from torpidity and restlessness, in all circumstances,  conditions and challenges of life seemed an uphill task and impracticable to  Arjuna. He says that achieving evenness of mind is day dreaming because the  human mind, by its very nature, is restless in its own excitements.

chanchalam hi manah krishna pramaathi  balavad dridham
    tasyaaham nigraham manye vaayor iva  sudushkaram  // 6.34 //

The  mind verily is restless, turbulent, powerful and unyielding, O Krishna; it seems to me, to control it is as hard as to  control the wind.

Arjuna  argues that the mind is without doubt restless, turbulent, strong and unyielding  and is as difficult to control it as the wind. The characteristics of the mind  described in this verse are: 

•Restless - Because the mind constantly changes its focus from one object to another. 

•Turbulent - Because of the speed in the flow of thoughts and consequent agitations it creates in the body and the senses by bringing them under the control of the sense objects.

•Strong - Because once it gets attached to any sense object, it gains strength in the same attachment and sticks to that object despite logical reasoning to the contrary. 

•Unyielding - Because of the impossibility of an individual to pull it back from its fasting journey into the world of sense objects and to make it steady on a predetermined focus.

sri bhagavaan uvaacha
    asamshayam mahaabaaho mano durnigraham  chalam
    abhyaasena  tu kaunteya vairaagyena cha grihyate  // 6.35  //

Sri  Bhagavan said
    Undoubtedly,  O Mighty Armed, the mind is difficult to control and restless, but, by practice  and detachment, O Son of Kunti, it is restrained.

Sri  Krishna agrees that mind is unsteady and restless and therefore difficult to  control and that the goal cannot be easily reached. But through practice and detachment  mind can be brought under control.

Practice  is the effort of the mind towards calmness. Practice becomes firmly grounded  when it is followed for a long time and unremittingly with devotion. The end is  easily achieved with the help of austerity, continence, discrimination and  faith. The aspirant must not lose courage in the face of repeated failures.

Detachment  is freedom from thirst for any pleasure seen or heard of. It is acquired  through a constant perception of evil in sensuous happiness, either of this  life or hereafter.

Patanjali  Yoga Sutra 1.12 says “abhyasavairagyabhyam tan nirodhaha” meaning that  the restless mind, accustomed to act on impulse, can be controlled only by  non-attachment and practice. Of these two methods, the attempt to make the mind  steady is called practice. (Sutra 1.13)

Bhagavatam  explains non-attachment (vairagya) as “When there is earth to lie upon, why  trouble about bed? When one’s arm is readily available, why need pillows? When  there is the palm of one’s hand, why seek for plates and utensils? When there  is the atmosphere, the bark of trees etc., what need is there of silks?”

Yoga  Sutra (1.16) says “Supreme or the highest form of dispassion represents absence  of thirst for all the three Gunas or modes of Prakriti. It is attained through  the Knowledge of Purusha or Spirit, who is altogether different from Prakriti.”

asamyataatmanaa yogo dushpraapa iti me  matih
    vashyaatmanaa tu yatataa  shakyo'vaaptumupaayatah  // 6.36 //

Yoga,  I think, is hard to attain by one who is not self-controlled but by the  self-controlled it is attainable through proper means.

An  uncontrolled mind cannot progress in spiritual path unless it discovers the  Self. The discovery of the Self is possible by self-control achieved through  the withdrawal of sense organs from their respective objects. Yoga can be  attained by striving hard to utilize the conserved energies for the Divine  purposes.

Yoga  is the science of religion. The test of its validity lies in one’s seeing  results through actual experimentation. Hence the teachers of yoga emphasize  self-control and other disciplines.

arjuna uvaacha
    ayatih shraddhayopeto  yogaacchalitamaanasah
    apraapya yogasamsiddhim kaam gatim  krishna gacchati  // 6.37 //

Arjuna  said
    He  who is endowed with faith, but not with self-control, and whose mind wanders  away from Yoga - to what end does he go, O Krishna, having failed to attain  perfection in Yoga?

This  verse relates to a seeker who has faith in the efficacy of Yoga but who is  unable to control the senses and the mind. Arjuna asks what happens to such a  person for he may lose both the joys of the sense objects and the Absolute  Bliss hereafter. The word Sraddha does not mean blind faith but an intellectual  understanding of the deeper significance of what the teachers teach and  scriptures declare.

kacchinnobhayavibhrashtash  chhinnaabhramiva nashyati
    apratishtho mahaabaaho vimoodho  brahmanah pathi  // 6.38 //

Fallen  from both, does he not, O Mighty Armed, perish like a rent cloud, supportless  and deluded in the path of Brahman?

Arjuna  wonders as to what will happen to the seeker who though full of faith but for  want of mental restraint fails to achieve success having fallen from both.  Fallen from both means achieving no success  in the path of worldly success as also in the path of Yoga.
  Rent  cloud is that very small portion of the large cloud which gets detached from  the latter on account of heavy winds and as a consequence moves about without  any set direction hit by every passing breeze. Arjuna enquires whether such  unsuccessful seekers will meander about the universe as the rented clouds and  get lost.

etanme samshayam krishna  chhettumarhasyasheshatah
    twadanyah samshayasyaasya chhettaa na  hyupapadyate  // 6.39 //

O  Krishna, please dispel this doubt of mine completely for, it is not possible  for anyone but you to dispel this doubt.

CLARIFICATION REGARDING PARTIAL SPIRITUAL EFFORTS

sri bhagavaan uvaacha
    paartha naiveha naamutra vinaashastasya  vidyate
    nahi kalyaankrit kaschid durgatim taatagacchati  // 6.40 //

Sri  Bhagavan said
    O  Partha, there is no destruction for him either in this world, or in the next  world; none verily, who does good, O My Son, ever comes to grief.

In  the following five verses Sri Krishna elucidates the path of progress of a  seeker whose spiritual endeavors have not been met with any success either on  account of death or due to any other temptation. The Lord assures him that he  who does not achieve perfection in Yoga in this birth will not be destroyed  either in this world or in the next. No destruction means that surely he will  not take a birth lower than the present one in his next life. Doing good means  striving for Self-realization.

praapya punyakritaam lokaanushitwaa  shaashwateeh samaah
    shucheenaam shreemataaam gehe  yogabhrashto'bhijaayate  // 6.41 //

He  who has fallen from Yoga goes to the world of the righteous and having lived there  for long years, he is born again in the house of the pure and the prosperous.

The  Lord says that the one who was not able to attain perfection in Yoga or the one  who achieved some progress in Yoga but had fallen due to lack of dispassion or  on account of turbulent senses, attains the worlds inhabited by those pious  souls who performed great religious sacrifices while living on this earth.  Having lived there as long as the merit of his past spiritual life lasts he is  born again in the house of those whose conduct is governed by religion where he  can continue his spiritual journey from the point where he had left in the  previous birth.

athavaa yoginaameva kule bhavati  dheemataam
    etaddhi durlabhataram loke janma yadeedrisham  // 6.42 //

Or  he is born in a family of yogis rich in wisdom; verily such a birth is very  difficult to obtain in this world.

Sri  Krishna says that those who are possessed of genuine dispassion but yet fail to  achieve success in Yoga are born in the family of enlightened yogis poor in  resources but rich in wisdom. A birth in such families is rare to obtain than  the one mentioned in the preceding verse. It is rare because he is placed right  from the beginning of his life in an environment which is conducive for the  practice of Yoga so that he could start his spiritual journey from a very early  stage. Considering the greatness of the illumined souls, a birth in their  families is stated to be very difficult to obtain.

Mundaka  Upanishad (III-ii-9) says “In the family of a Knower of Brahman, none remains  ignorant of Brahman. Transcending both grief and sin, and freed from the knot  of ignorance in the heart, the member of such a family becomes immortal, i.e.  attains freedom for all time from birth and death”.

tatra tam buddhisamyogam labhate  paurvadehikam
    yatate cha tato bhooyah samsiddhau  kurunandana // 6.43 //

There  he comes in touch with the knowledge acquired in his former body and strives  more than before for perfection, O Son of the Kurus.

When  he takes a human body again in this world, his previous efforts and practice of  Yoga do not go in vain. They bear fruit in this birth and hasten his moral and  spiritual evolution. Our thoughts, actions and experiences are left in our  subconscious mind in the form of subtle impressions. These impressions of the  present and the past births will be re-energized in the next birth. The  impressions of the yogic tendencies will compel the seeker to work with greater  vigor than in his former birth. Whatever progress a man makes in the path of  yoga he retains. He again starts from there when the next opportunity arises.

poorvaabhyaasena tenaiva hriyate  hyavasho'pi sah
    jijnaasurapi yogasya  shabdabrahmaativartate  // 6.44 //

By  that former practice alone he is borne on in spite of himself.  Even he who merely wishes to know Yoga goes  beyond the world of Vedic rites.

The  man who had failed in yoga is carried to the goal, which he intended to reach  in the previous birth, by the force of impressions of his past yogic practices,  though he may not be aware of it. If he had not done that many evil deeds as to  overcome his yogic tendencies, he will certainly continue his yogic practices  in this birth with great vigor by force of the impressions of the previous  birth.

If  the force of evil actions is very strong, the yogic tendencies would be  overpowered or suppressed by them temporarily. As soon as the fruits of evil  actions are exhausted the yogic vasanas will again manifest themselves and he  will eventually attain the final realization.

Sri  Krishna says even a man of enquiry in whom a desire to know about Yoga goes  beyond the Brahmic word i.e. beyond Vedas. He raises superior to the Vedic  rituals and ceremonies. He is not satisfied with mere ritualism and yearns for  a higher fulfillment. If this is the case of an aspirant without any spiritual  inclinations of the previous birth, how much more exalted will be the state of  a seeker who takes up the practice of Yoga in this birth after having fallen  from that path in his previous birth?

What  the Lord implies is that no effort in the practice of yoga goes waste.  Even the least effort bears fruit either in  this birth or in another and there is no cause for any disappointment for any  one including the dullest seeker.

prayatnaadyatamaanastu yogee  samshuddhakilbishah
    aneka janma samsiddhastato yaati paraam  gatim  // 6.45 //

But  the Yogi, who strives diligently, purified from sins and perfected through many  births, attains the Supreme Goal.

Mind  and intellect of an individual function through the body in the world outside  as per the qualities they assume because of the actions performed in their  earlier births. The wrong and negative qualities of the mind and intellect are  sins in the language of Vedanta. After purifying the mind from these sins the  aspirant practices meditation and ultimately the mind becomes devoid of  impressions which is called the end of the mind since the mind is nothing but a  flow of thoughts. 

When  there is no thought, there is no mind and where there is no mind there is no  ego which is termed as `reaching the highest goal' or Self-Rediscovery. Little  by little acquiring, through many births, the knowledge of Reality, he  ultimately attains perfection. The Gita gives us hopeful belief in the  redemption of all.

Although  this theory is explained here in one or two sentences, in actual  implementation, it is an achievement of many life times - `many births' as The  Lord puts it.

THE PERFECT YOGI

tapaswibhyo'dhiko yogee jnaanibhyo'pi  mato'dhikah
    karmibhyashchaadhiko yogee tasmaad yogee  bhavaarjuna  // 6.46 //

The  Yogi is thought to be superior to the ascetics and even superior to men of  Knowledge (obtained merely through the study of scriptures); he is also  superior to men of action; therefore, you strive to be a Yogi, O Arjuna .

Sri  Krishna brings out here that meditation is more important than various other  practices in the matter of Spiritual Development.  He says that the meditator is nobler than the  Tapaswi, the one who observes austerities of the body and physical  self-denials. The meditator is nobler than the Gnani also who deeply studies  the scriptures and acquires their knowledge. The meditator is nobler than  Karmis who undertake actions like sacrifices and other rituals enjoined in the  Vedas as also charitable activities for obtaining rewards.

Through  austerities, study, Vedic rituals, and philanthropic action, one attains purity  of heart and then follows the path of Self-Knowledge. But the practice of yoga  which is said to be superior to jnana, tapas and karma has the best of all the  three and includes devotion. Yoga or union with God which is attained through  Bhakti is superior because it enables one to arrive directly at the Supreme  Goal. Arjuna is therefore advised to strive to be a yogi. Jnana here means  scriptural learning and not spiritual realization.

yoginaamapi sarveshaam  madgatenaantaraatmanaa
    shraddhaavaan bhajate yo maam sa me  yuktatamo matah  // 6.47 //

And  among all the yogis, the one who worships Me with faith, his inmost self abiding in Me, I hold him to be the most closely united with Me in Yoga.

It  has been told earlier that meditation is the best among all the paths of  spirituality.  Meditation is a deliberate  act by which the seeker strives to keep his thoughts channelized into one  pre-determined line of thinking by not allowing the mind to entertain any other  thoughts. It is therefore an attempt to fix the mind upon some object of  contemplation.

According  to the chosen nature of the object of contemplation and the method of controlling  the mind from its wanderings, the art of meditation is classified as meditation  upon a symbol, on a god-principle with a form, on the teacher, on the  Kundalini, on any of the Great Elements or on a chosen text in the scriptures.  Accordingly, the practitioners may be considered as followers of different  kinds of meditation.

Yoga  or union with the God which is attained through Bhakti is the highest goal. It  also means the science of concentration and stilling of the modes of the mind.  After giving a long account of the yoga discipline, the obstacles to be  overcome, the Lord concludes that the greatest among the yogins is the devotee  or the Bhakta.

This  verse, following the praise of yoga, tells that devotion to God which makes one  to cling to The Lord in utter faith and self-surrender makes yoga all the more  exalted.

Gita  stresses the importance of love of God or Ishwara and devotion to Him which make  spiritual discipline complete. It emphasizes the path of Bhakti (devotion) as  the easiest and best form of Yoga. 

om  tat sat

iti srimad bhagavadgeetaasu upanishatsu brahma vidyaayaam yogashaastre
    sri  krishnaarjuna samvaade dhyaanayogo naama shashthodhyaayah

Thus  in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, the science of the Eternal,  the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the  sixth discourse entitled  The Yoga   of Meditation

Concepts and Issues

 

 

               In  this Chapter, Sri Krishna clears the doubt of Arjuna as to whether a Yogi and a  Sanyasi are one and the same. The Lord says that everyone who wishes to become  a Yogi or Sanyasi must perform his bounden duty. By performing one's duty  without expectation of results one becomes a Yogi. By renouncing all worldly  thoughts, by constantly remembering God, through study of scriptures, Japa,  Kirtan and Meditation one becomes a Sanyasi.

He  who controls his body, mind and senses can remain calm in pleasure and pain,  heat and cold, honor and dishonor. For him there is no friend or enemy and he  feels no difference between gold and stone. He is a perfected Yogi. He sees God  in everything. Such a sage who is self-controlled and free from all desires  constantly engages his mind in meditation.

Sri  Krishna describes the pre-requisites for meditation and explains to Arjuna the  method of its practice. After observing all the preliminaries, with serenity of  mind, fearlessness and vow of continence, the meditator should think of The  Lord's presence between the two eye-brows which is the point of concentration.  Such a person will attain supreme peace or liberation.

The  Lord advises that an aspirant should adopt moderation in all his daily  activities like food, sleep and waking hours, yogic breathing and exercises,  satsangs and svadhyaya etc. 

 

 

Entitled ‘The Yoga of Meditation’, this chapter of the Bhagavad  Gita elucidates meditation as the final gateway to Self-realization. Krishna begins with the definition of a sannyasi, a  renounced person. Renunciation is not giving up enjoyments, abandoning one’s  duties and escaping to a safe sanctuary. It is this misunderstanding that has  turned away genuine seekers and prevented them from accessing the benefits of  renunciation. Krishna describes a sannyasi as one who does what one ought to  do, fulfils one’s duties and responsibilities fully, without depending on the  fruit of action.
 
  A sannyasi is not one without a higher ideal, nor is he an inactive person. Krishna describes the three stages of spiritual  evolution, from an active yogi to a meditative sannyasi and, finally, to the  exalted state of a jnani, the enlightened One.
 
  A sannyasi has offloaded the bulk of his desires and is in contemplation of the  higher. He is fit for meditation and embarks on the path of deep reflection and  focus on reality. A jnani has reached the exalted state of enlightenment. Krishna describes the three stages in terms of mental  states rather than external appearances.
 
  Step by step, Krishna takes us through the  preparatory disciplines as well as disqualifications for meditation. One must  have a balanced contact with the world – neither too much nor too little. Every  activity must be carefully supervised by the intellect so that no desire  interrupts the subtle practice of meditation.
 
  Krishna then gives the test of enlightenment.  A realized soul is one who feels one with everyone. He sees his Self as the  Self in all beings. In the end he worships God not in a temple, but in every  living being. Thereafter, he lives in Atman, whatever his lifestyle. It is to  be understood that declaring love for God has no meaning when we cannot connect  with His images around us.

On  hearing the glory of the qualities of equanimity of mind and equal vision  Arjuna wants to know how the powerful turbulence of mind can be got over. Sri  Krishna says that mind can be controlled by dispassion and practice.

Whenever  the mind, due to its previous habits, strays away from the object of  meditation, it should be repeatedly brought back on the object of concentration  with effort. By such constant practice of meditation the meditator and the  object of meditation will become one and then he will enjoy the supreme Bliss.  The Yogi whose mind is thus harmonized will see the Self in all beings and all  beings in the Self. He never becomes separate from The Lord nor does The Lord  become separated from him. The perfected saint acts as an instrument in the  hands of God. The key words are vairagya,  dispassion and abhyasa, practice.

The  mind must be made to rest in God like a lamp placed in a windless room. When  the mind is restrained by the practice of meditation, it realizes the Self  within. It experiences such Bliss as if there is nothing else in the three  worlds worth possessing. Even the bitterest of the sorrows will not disturb  such a mind. One should practice Sadhana with determination to enjoy that  supreme joy.

In  this Chapter Sri Krishna teaches that meditation is the only means to attain  God-consciousness in all stages of human evolution and that attaining such consciousness  is the purpose of all Yogas. In all the methods of spiritual practices (Yoga)  the mind alone plays an important role.

When  the mind is directed towards God, with a comprehensive understanding, one's  perception, attitude and desires for the world change automatically. On  realizing the Self even the taste for the sense-objects ceases. Thus by  experiencing the God-consciousness through continuous meditation one perceives  the Unity in Diversity when all the desires come to an end.
   
  Arjuna, like us, is afraid of leaving the safe confines of his present  existence to discover the unknown realm of the Infinite. He asks Krishna what would be the fate of those who commit  themselves to a spiritual life but die before realization. Krishna  gives a fitting reply to reveal one of the most insightful laws of life. He  says, “One who is righteous will never come to grief – either now or in the  future. His efforts will not go in vain. He will carry forward the credits to his  future life”.
 
  A spiritually evolved person who falls short of realization will either be born  in the family of the pious and the pure  or Yogis. There, endowed with the wisdom acquired in  previous lives, he will strive even more to attain enlightenment. Thus the  diligent seeker effortlessly reaches Brahman.

 

Live as the Gita Teaches You to Live

 

 

Raise  yourself by yourself.
Know  what meditation is and practice it regularly.
Be  moderate in everything you do.

Meditation is the highest spiritual technique that needs to be  practiced diligently and devotedly by qualified practitioners. The essential  prerequisite is a calm mind. A mind burdened with desires and attachments is  unable to take off into subtler realms of concentration and meditation.

Yoga  brings about a disciplined mind. This can be brought about by curtailing the  outgoing tendencies of the mind. It leads to bliss. Once the state of bliss is  reached, all other worldly matters lose their influence over the body and mind.  Such a man will feel his oneness with God. He will experience unity in  diversity. Any effort towards meditation is not wasted and it will have its  benefits in the future births also.

Points to Ponder

 

 

  1.  How one can keep his mind steady?
  2.  What are the pre-requisites for meditation?
  3.  How one’s own self is his own friend and enemy?
  4.  Write short notes on the greatest among all types of Yogis.

•State of thoroughly disciplined mind 
•State of the one who realized God 
•Process of meditation 
•Withdrawing and controlling the mind from its wanderings 
•The greatest among all types of Yogis 
•Seeing the Self in all beings and all beings in the Self



  

Harih Om