The Bhagvad Gita – Chapter 6 – Meditation – The yoga of Self Control

Lord SriKrishna in this chapter extols the virtue of meditation. He explains: One who is always doing his duty without attachments and renounces the fruits of the action that he/she performs is truly a renunciant and a yogi. It is not possible to bypass work or the sacrificial fire and become a sanyasi (A type of yogi) For someone who has just begun, action is the precursor to yoga. And for somebody who is well established in Yoga, he/she has terminated all activities. When attachment towards all objects cease and material impulses die, one becomes grounded in Yoga.

The mind is the friend of one who has conquered it. For the other, the mind is his greatest enemy. Some people also refer this to will power. In the hands of the self, the will is his friend, else a foe. For the one who has conquered the mind, pleasure and pain, sorrow and happiness all seem the same. A pound of hold and a pound of sand is the same. Such a person is a gyani. (truly wise) Whether he/she deals with a saint or an evil person, the disposition is the same. The handling may be different, but he/she remains a friend to both.

Devoid of any material possessions or desires, with body and mind controlled, a yogi must remain in a secluded spot and fix his attention on me. With the mind and the senses under complete control, he/she must engage in yoga for self purification. He /She should keep an erect posture and meditate on me as the highest object. Yoga is not for those who indulge. Not sleeping too much or too little. Everything under moderation. Mind you, this is the key. Like a lamp in a windless place does not flicker, the yogi’s mind also does not waver. Yoga is the name given to a state where all sorrow arising out of material contact dissolves.

Someone who sees the self through the self attains the highest happiness, so much so that, he forgets if there is anything better in this mortal world. Exercising self control, he /she pulls back his/her mind back into a peaceful state. Thus through constant practice, the yogi who is free from all evil easily reaches brahman or the soul or the atman, whatever you may call it, He / She who sees everyone in me and me in everyone is truly special. He/She who considers others happiness and sorrows as his /her own truly reaches me and he has a special place in my heart.

By now a question stirring Arjuna’s mind is ‘How can one control the mind which is so unsettling and wavering?’ And Lord Srikrishna’s answer is thus: Although I agree that the mind is difficult to control, it’s not impossible. With regular practice, it can be achieved. The other question that Arjuna has in his mind is about himself. ‘What happens to a person who keeps doing his/her duty, but mind is not under control?’ To which the Lord replies that such a person is not lost. If you do good, good will follow you. Of this have no doubt. After his/her death, he/she will ascend to the heavens and after spending the requisite time there. he/she will be born in a pious family. Thus he / she continues his/her quest. The yogi is superior to the ascetic, jnani and the ritualist and he/she who abides in me at all times is the best of all. So take your stand in meditation and come to me.

That’s this chapter in brief.

Next in a week’s time.

Please bear with me. Thanks.

Guru30