manahaprasaadaha saumyatvam maunamaatmavinigraha |
bhaavasamshuddhirityetattapo maanasamucchyate || 16 ||
Mental cheerfulness, kindness, silence, self control, purity of intent, this is called penance of the mind.
manaha : of mind
prasaadaha : cheerfulness
saumyatvam : kindness
maunam : silence
aatmavinigraha : self control
bhaavasamshuddhihi : purity of intent
iti : in this manner
etat : this
tapaha : penance
maanasam : of the mind
ucchyate : is called
So far, we came across the qualities needed for penance of the body and speech. Shri Krishna now lists the qualities that indicate penance of mind, maanasika tapas. He begins with prasaadaha, a cheerful, joyful attitude towards situations in life. It comes from maintaining our balance and composure in troublesome as well as in happy situations. Saumyatvam refers to developing a gentleness and gracefulness when dealing with people. It requires us to remain free from negative attitudes towards people that manifest as jealousy, violence, cruelty and so on.
The next quality is maunam. Literally, maunam mean silence, but here it means silence that comes out of contemplation. Now, we cannot stop negative thoughts from arising in our mind, but we can always control how much time and attention we give to such thoughts. Whenever such negative thoughts arise, we have to be able to switch to a positive thought immediately. Doing so requires high levels of self control or aatma vinigrahaha, also known as shamaha. If we do not learn how to do this, the mind will hold onto a negative thought and get swept away in a mental whirlpool of negativity.
When we constantly maintain all the above mentioned qualities, our mind will automatically begin to harbour good intentions, even against so-called evil people and tough situations. The key to do this comes back to our outlook towards the world. We need to do one of two things. If we have faith in Ishvara, we need to surrender to him and reduce our dependence on the perishable material world. Alternatively, we treat the entire world as mithyaa, as an illusion, and negate everything in it. As long as we give absolute reality to the world, mental penance is next to impossible.
Showing posts with label manaha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label manaha. Show all posts
Monday, May 6, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Bhagavad Gita Verse 11, Chapter 17
aphalakaankshibhiryaajnau vidhidrishto ya ijyate |
yashtavyameveti manaha samaadhaaya sa saattvikaha || 11 ||
That which is performed by one without expectation of result, according to scripture, with a mental resolve of duty alone, such sacrifice is saattvic.
aphalakaankshibhihi : one without expectation of result
yaajnaha : sacrifice
vidhidrishtaha : according to scripture
yaha : that which
ijyate : performed
yashtavyam : duty
eva : alone
iti : in this manner
manaha : mind
samaadhaaya : resolve
saha : that
saattvikaha : is saattvic
So far, Shri Krishna revealed that the type of food we can reveal texture of our faith. He now lists the types of yajnya, the types of sacrificial rituals for worship, so that we can analyze the texture of our faith through them. Yajnyas are extremely elaborate rituals, but can be reduced to three basic components - the offering, the flame and the result. The person conducting the ritual uses items such as oil or butter as an offering to the deity. The deity is represented by the flame that consumes the offering. A yajnya is typically performed with a specific goal or result in mind, such as a longer life, marriage, children, prosperity and so on.
How does this matter to us in today’s day and age? Symbolically, yajnya refers to all of our interactions with any entity or object in this world, and comprises of the very same components. First, the offering is the effort we put in to perform an action. This action could be something we perform at our job, for example. Second, the flame represents the recipient of our action. Lastly, the recipient responds to our action in the form of a result, which could e something tangible such as money, or intangible, such as goodwill towards us.
As we saw earlier, three people can perform the same action with three different attitudes of sattva, rajas and tamas. Here, Shri Krishna describes the attitude of a saatvic person. Such a person performs his action driven by a sense of duty to a higher ideal, without any selfish desire. The higher ideal could be service of one’s country, for instance. There is no expectation of any result from the recipient of the action. Furthermore, the action is performed in line with a set of selfless laws, such as the law of a country, humanitarian laws, or laws that have come from scripture.
yashtavyameveti manaha samaadhaaya sa saattvikaha || 11 ||
That which is performed by one without expectation of result, according to scripture, with a mental resolve of duty alone, such sacrifice is saattvic.
aphalakaankshibhihi : one without expectation of result
yaajnaha : sacrifice
vidhidrishtaha : according to scripture
yaha : that which
ijyate : performed
yashtavyam : duty
eva : alone
iti : in this manner
manaha : mind
samaadhaaya : resolve
saha : that
saattvikaha : is saattvic
So far, Shri Krishna revealed that the type of food we can reveal texture of our faith. He now lists the types of yajnya, the types of sacrificial rituals for worship, so that we can analyze the texture of our faith through them. Yajnyas are extremely elaborate rituals, but can be reduced to three basic components - the offering, the flame and the result. The person conducting the ritual uses items such as oil or butter as an offering to the deity. The deity is represented by the flame that consumes the offering. A yajnya is typically performed with a specific goal or result in mind, such as a longer life, marriage, children, prosperity and so on.
How does this matter to us in today’s day and age? Symbolically, yajnya refers to all of our interactions with any entity or object in this world, and comprises of the very same components. First, the offering is the effort we put in to perform an action. This action could be something we perform at our job, for example. Second, the flame represents the recipient of our action. Lastly, the recipient responds to our action in the form of a result, which could e something tangible such as money, or intangible, such as goodwill towards us.
As we saw earlier, three people can perform the same action with three different attitudes of sattva, rajas and tamas. Here, Shri Krishna describes the attitude of a saatvic person. Such a person performs his action driven by a sense of duty to a higher ideal, without any selfish desire. The higher ideal could be service of one’s country, for instance. There is no expectation of any result from the recipient of the action. Furthermore, the action is performed in line with a set of selfless laws, such as the law of a country, humanitarian laws, or laws that have come from scripture.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Bhagavad Gita Verse 9, Chapter 15
shrotram chakshuhu sparshanam cha rasanam ghraanameva cha |
adhishthaaya manashchaayam vishayaanupasevate || 9 ||
The ear, eye and touch, taste and smell, taking support of these and the mind, it enjoys the sense objects.
shrotram : ear
chakshuhu : eye
sparshanam : touch
cha : and
rasanam : taste
ghraanam : smell
eva : only
cha : and
adhishthaaya : taking support
manaha : mind
cha : and
ayam : this
vishayaan : sense objects
upasevate : enjoys
Shri Krishna continues explaining how the jeeva, the individual soul, takes up a human body to carry out its transactions with Prakriti. We can use the wonderful Vedantic text "Drig Drishya Viveka", or "Discrimination of the seer and the seen", to examine this process in a little more detail. It explains, with almost mathematical precision, how the eternal essence begins to think of itself as a finite human entity. There are two main players in this process. One is the eternal essence, which is of the nature of infinite awareness and existence, explained in great detail in the second chapter. Let us call it "Om" here. The second player is avidya or ignorance, which exists in the realm of the illusory Maaya.
When Om and ignorance come into contact with each other, a fragment of Om is reflected in ignorance, just like a fragment of the sun as though appears in the water of a pot. As we saw earlier, this fragment is called the jeeva. Ignorance creates an apparent limitation, also known an upaadhi, which imposes a sense of incompleteness or finitude upon the jeeva. The jeeva seeks the help of the upaadhi to remove its sense of completeness. The upaadhi can exist in one of many modifications or states. Let us examine these modifications. The sense organs are modifications of this upaadhi that can contact different aspects of Prakriti. The mind is a modification of this upaadhi that can take input from the sense organs, compare that input with its memory, and present a complete picture of what was contacted. The ego is another modification that thinks of itself as the "I", just like a low level manager thinks of himself as the owner of the factory in the absence of the real owner.
Now let us examine the content of this shloka. After the end of its journey in one body, the jeeva travels with the mind and senses, the upaadhi in other words, in search of another physical body. When the ego aspect of the upaadhi associates itself with a tiny physical body inside a womb, based on the desires its wants to exhaust, it develops the notion "I am this body". It now begins to use the body to transact with the world. The human nose, for instance, is an inert object. But due to the association of the ego with the body, we think that the physical human nose is doing the smelling. The ego then uses the mind to generate the notion "I know that this smell is that of a rose". This finally leads the ego to generate the notion "This smell it pleasant, it makes me happy".
In this way, the jeeva gives up its power of reality, knowledge and happiness to the ego. The ego becomes the doer and the experiencer of the world. It has to constantly transact with the world in order to chase sense objects for happiness. It forgets the fact that it was happy to begin with. It gives reality to the domain of Prakriti, the three gunas, the visible and so called tangible world. But we should not forget that behind all this is the illusory mix up of Om and ignorance, the mix up of awareness and inertness. The Raamacharitamanas describes this mix up as "jada chetan ki granthi" or the knot between awareness and inertness.
adhishthaaya manashchaayam vishayaanupasevate || 9 ||
The ear, eye and touch, taste and smell, taking support of these and the mind, it enjoys the sense objects.
shrotram : ear
chakshuhu : eye
sparshanam : touch
cha : and
rasanam : taste
ghraanam : smell
eva : only
cha : and
adhishthaaya : taking support
manaha : mind
cha : and
ayam : this
vishayaan : sense objects
upasevate : enjoys
Shri Krishna continues explaining how the jeeva, the individual soul, takes up a human body to carry out its transactions with Prakriti. We can use the wonderful Vedantic text "Drig Drishya Viveka", or "Discrimination of the seer and the seen", to examine this process in a little more detail. It explains, with almost mathematical precision, how the eternal essence begins to think of itself as a finite human entity. There are two main players in this process. One is the eternal essence, which is of the nature of infinite awareness and existence, explained in great detail in the second chapter. Let us call it "Om" here. The second player is avidya or ignorance, which exists in the realm of the illusory Maaya.
When Om and ignorance come into contact with each other, a fragment of Om is reflected in ignorance, just like a fragment of the sun as though appears in the water of a pot. As we saw earlier, this fragment is called the jeeva. Ignorance creates an apparent limitation, also known an upaadhi, which imposes a sense of incompleteness or finitude upon the jeeva. The jeeva seeks the help of the upaadhi to remove its sense of completeness. The upaadhi can exist in one of many modifications or states. Let us examine these modifications. The sense organs are modifications of this upaadhi that can contact different aspects of Prakriti. The mind is a modification of this upaadhi that can take input from the sense organs, compare that input with its memory, and present a complete picture of what was contacted. The ego is another modification that thinks of itself as the "I", just like a low level manager thinks of himself as the owner of the factory in the absence of the real owner.
Now let us examine the content of this shloka. After the end of its journey in one body, the jeeva travels with the mind and senses, the upaadhi in other words, in search of another physical body. When the ego aspect of the upaadhi associates itself with a tiny physical body inside a womb, based on the desires its wants to exhaust, it develops the notion "I am this body". It now begins to use the body to transact with the world. The human nose, for instance, is an inert object. But due to the association of the ego with the body, we think that the physical human nose is doing the smelling. The ego then uses the mind to generate the notion "I know that this smell is that of a rose". This finally leads the ego to generate the notion "This smell it pleasant, it makes me happy".
In this way, the jeeva gives up its power of reality, knowledge and happiness to the ego. The ego becomes the doer and the experiencer of the world. It has to constantly transact with the world in order to chase sense objects for happiness. It forgets the fact that it was happy to begin with. It gives reality to the domain of Prakriti, the three gunas, the visible and so called tangible world. But we should not forget that behind all this is the illusory mix up of Om and ignorance, the mix up of awareness and inertness. The Raamacharitamanas describes this mix up as "jada chetan ki granthi" or the knot between awareness and inertness.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 8, Chapter 12
mayyeva mana aadhatsva mayi buddhim niveshaya |
nivasishyasi mayyeva ata oordhvam na sanshayaha || 8 ||
Fix your mind only in me, place your intellect in me, thereafter you will dwell in me only, no doubt.
mayi : in me
eva : only
manaha : mind
aadhatsva : fix
mayi : in me
buddhim : intellect
niveshaya : place
nivasishyasi : you will dwell
mayi : in me
eva : only
ataha : this
oordhvam : after
na : no
sanshayaha : doubt
In this series of four shlokas, Shri Krishna prescribed four paths or yogas to attaining Ishvara, each one more easier than the previous one. This shloka describes the path of jnyaana yoga or the yoga of knowledge. Shri Krishna says that the seeker should fix both his intellect and mind in Ishvara constantly, without any interruption. When this happens, that attainment of Ishvara is guaranteed. There is no room for “sanshaya” or doubt of attaining Ishvara when one practices jnyaana yoga. But doing so is not easy.
As a new year approaches, many of us start making new year resolutions such as losing weight, giving up a bad habit, cleaning the house and so on. It is our buddhi or intellect that sets firm long-term goals, targets and resolutions. Ultimately all types of plans and resolutions stem from our desires to achieve something in this world. Now, Jnyaana yoga requires us to have just one resolution and nothing else: to merge with Ishvara. But as we have seen in the second chapter, our stock of desires influences our intellect to make innumerable resolutions. This multitude of resolutions makes jnyaana yoga difficult.
Furthermore, our condition is such that it is not just the intellect that has many resolutions. The mana, our faculty of mind, is fickle to begin with due to the distractions of the senses. Jnyaana yoga requires the fixing of both the intellect and the mind onto Ishvara. It is in rare instances that we can achieve intellectual and mental harmony, such as studying for an exam, where we know that the stakes are high. But even that happens for a few minutes or a few hours at most.
So clearly, jnyaaya yoga, the foremost type of yoga, is difficult for most of us, atleast at our current stage of spiritual evolution. Is there something easier? Shri Krishna answers next.
nivasishyasi mayyeva ata oordhvam na sanshayaha || 8 ||
Fix your mind only in me, place your intellect in me, thereafter you will dwell in me only, no doubt.
mayi : in me
eva : only
manaha : mind
aadhatsva : fix
mayi : in me
buddhim : intellect
niveshaya : place
nivasishyasi : you will dwell
mayi : in me
eva : only
ataha : this
oordhvam : after
na : no
sanshayaha : doubt
In this series of four shlokas, Shri Krishna prescribed four paths or yogas to attaining Ishvara, each one more easier than the previous one. This shloka describes the path of jnyaana yoga or the yoga of knowledge. Shri Krishna says that the seeker should fix both his intellect and mind in Ishvara constantly, without any interruption. When this happens, that attainment of Ishvara is guaranteed. There is no room for “sanshaya” or doubt of attaining Ishvara when one practices jnyaana yoga. But doing so is not easy.
As a new year approaches, many of us start making new year resolutions such as losing weight, giving up a bad habit, cleaning the house and so on. It is our buddhi or intellect that sets firm long-term goals, targets and resolutions. Ultimately all types of plans and resolutions stem from our desires to achieve something in this world. Now, Jnyaana yoga requires us to have just one resolution and nothing else: to merge with Ishvara. But as we have seen in the second chapter, our stock of desires influences our intellect to make innumerable resolutions. This multitude of resolutions makes jnyaana yoga difficult.
Furthermore, our condition is such that it is not just the intellect that has many resolutions. The mana, our faculty of mind, is fickle to begin with due to the distractions of the senses. Jnyaana yoga requires the fixing of both the intellect and the mind onto Ishvara. It is in rare instances that we can achieve intellectual and mental harmony, such as studying for an exam, where we know that the stakes are high. But even that happens for a few minutes or a few hours at most.
So clearly, jnyaaya yoga, the foremost type of yoga, is difficult for most of us, atleast at our current stage of spiritual evolution. Is there something easier? Shri Krishna answers next.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 2, Chapter 12
Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:
mayyaveshya mano ye maam nityayuktaa upaasate |
shraddhayaa parayopetaaste me yuktatamaa mataahaa || 2 ||
Shree Bhagavaan said:
Those who, fixing their mind in me, are constantly engaged in my worship, endowed with supreme faith, those are superior in yoga, in my opinion.
mayi : in me
aaveshya : fixing
manaha : mind
ye : those who
maam : my
nityayuktaa : constantly engaged
upaasate : worship
shraddhayaa : with faith
parayaa : supreme
upetaahaa : endowed
te : those
me : my
yuktatamaahaa : superior in yoga
mataahaa: opinion
Previously, Arjuna had asked Shri Krishna to select which type of devotees were better between those who worship Ishvara as the formless unmanifest, and those who worship him as an entity endowed with form. Shri Krishna begins by describing those devotees who worship Ishvara endowed with form. He says that such devotees are the most superior yogis because they are constantly engaged in worship of Ishvara, full of supreme faith.
Three qualities of a superior yoga are highlighted here. Firstly, we as devotees should be able to fix our mind on Ishvara, using all the instruction given in chapter six and other places as well. In the initial stages of meditation, keeping our mind on Ishvara even for ten minutes is quite an achievement. Secondly, we have to be “nitya yuktaa”, the ability to remain constantly engaged in worship, without letting the mind divert itself to other pursuits. Thirdly, we need to be endowed with supreme and unwavering faith.
Even though these qualities may seem easy to attain on the surface, they are not so. Shri Krishna chooses words that indicate that he is looking for the highest kind of concentration and faith. For example, he uses the word “aaveshya” to describe concentration, but what it really means is using our thoughts to enter, to penetrate into the object of concentration. This kind of concentration requires a highly purified mind, free from selfish likes and dislikes and from attachment to material concerns. Our degree of faith further reinforces the ability to remain focused on our object of concentration.
So then, what is Shri Krishna’s opinion on those devotees who worship Ishvara as the unmanifest? This comes next.
mayyaveshya mano ye maam nityayuktaa upaasate |
shraddhayaa parayopetaaste me yuktatamaa mataahaa || 2 ||
Shree Bhagavaan said:
Those who, fixing their mind in me, are constantly engaged in my worship, endowed with supreme faith, those are superior in yoga, in my opinion.
mayi : in me
aaveshya : fixing
manaha : mind
ye : those who
maam : my
nityayuktaa : constantly engaged
upaasate : worship
shraddhayaa : with faith
parayaa : supreme
upetaahaa : endowed
te : those
me : my
yuktatamaahaa : superior in yoga
mataahaa: opinion
Previously, Arjuna had asked Shri Krishna to select which type of devotees were better between those who worship Ishvara as the formless unmanifest, and those who worship him as an entity endowed with form. Shri Krishna begins by describing those devotees who worship Ishvara endowed with form. He says that such devotees are the most superior yogis because they are constantly engaged in worship of Ishvara, full of supreme faith.
Three qualities of a superior yoga are highlighted here. Firstly, we as devotees should be able to fix our mind on Ishvara, using all the instruction given in chapter six and other places as well. In the initial stages of meditation, keeping our mind on Ishvara even for ten minutes is quite an achievement. Secondly, we have to be “nitya yuktaa”, the ability to remain constantly engaged in worship, without letting the mind divert itself to other pursuits. Thirdly, we need to be endowed with supreme and unwavering faith.
Even though these qualities may seem easy to attain on the surface, they are not so. Shri Krishna chooses words that indicate that he is looking for the highest kind of concentration and faith. For example, he uses the word “aaveshya” to describe concentration, but what it really means is using our thoughts to enter, to penetrate into the object of concentration. This kind of concentration requires a highly purified mind, free from selfish likes and dislikes and from attachment to material concerns. Our degree of faith further reinforces the ability to remain focused on our object of concentration.
So then, what is Shri Krishna’s opinion on those devotees who worship Ishvara as the unmanifest? This comes next.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 45, Chapter 11
adrishtapoorvam hrishitosmi drishtvaa bhayena cha pravyathitam mano me |
tadeva me darshaya devaroopam praseeda devesha jagannivaasa || 45 ||
Seeing you form that was never seen before, I am overjoyed and (yet) fearful, my mind is disturbed. Show me that divine form. Be pleased, O Lord of lords, O abode of the universe.
adrishtapoorvam : prior unseen
hrishitaha : overjoyed
asmi : I am
drishtvaa : seeing
bhayena : fearful
cha : and
pravyathitam : disturbed
manaha : mind
me : my
tadeva : that
me : to me
darshaya : show
devaroopam : divine form
praseeda : be pleased
devesha : O Lord of lords
jagannivaasa : O abode of the universe
Fear is one of our most primal emotions. At some point or the other in our lives, we have encountered fear of losing our job, losing a loved one, fear of an angry confrontation, stage fright and so on. But we can boil all kinds of fear down to three things. First, the fear of losing something that is “ours”. This is the fear of losing our life, our job, our loved ones and so on. Next is the fear of loss of knowledge, or being duped. Third is the fear of losing joy and happiness, fear of sorrow in other words. We can sum it up in this manner: we are afraid of losing our existence, knowledge and happiness.
However, if we recall the teaching of the Gita so far, especially from the second chapter, we know that our true nature is the aatmaa, the eternal essence which is infinite existence, knowledge and happiness. So then, the cause of fear is the ego, the delusion that we are not the eternal essence. There is no scope for fear when we know our true nature as the infinite eternal essence. But if we assume that “I am the body”, then all the problems and fears of the body such as disease, old age, death etc become our problems. The fear of death, which is actually the fear of losing the existence of the body, becomes our fear.
So then, why did Arjuna fear Shri Krishna’s cosmic form? For a brief moment, Arjuna’s ego had vanished when he considered himself part and parcel of the cosmic form. When his ego came back, it brought with it all the incorrect associations with the body, mind and so on. Arjuna then saw the cosmic form as something outside of himself, something that could destroy him. He acknowledged his fear to Shri Krishna, begging him to go back to his original form.
tadeva me darshaya devaroopam praseeda devesha jagannivaasa || 45 ||
Seeing you form that was never seen before, I am overjoyed and (yet) fearful, my mind is disturbed. Show me that divine form. Be pleased, O Lord of lords, O abode of the universe.
adrishtapoorvam : prior unseen
hrishitaha : overjoyed
asmi : I am
drishtvaa : seeing
bhayena : fearful
cha : and
pravyathitam : disturbed
manaha : mind
me : my
tadeva : that
me : to me
darshaya : show
devaroopam : divine form
praseeda : be pleased
devesha : O Lord of lords
jagannivaasa : O abode of the universe
Fear is one of our most primal emotions. At some point or the other in our lives, we have encountered fear of losing our job, losing a loved one, fear of an angry confrontation, stage fright and so on. But we can boil all kinds of fear down to three things. First, the fear of losing something that is “ours”. This is the fear of losing our life, our job, our loved ones and so on. Next is the fear of loss of knowledge, or being duped. Third is the fear of losing joy and happiness, fear of sorrow in other words. We can sum it up in this manner: we are afraid of losing our existence, knowledge and happiness.
However, if we recall the teaching of the Gita so far, especially from the second chapter, we know that our true nature is the aatmaa, the eternal essence which is infinite existence, knowledge and happiness. So then, the cause of fear is the ego, the delusion that we are not the eternal essence. There is no scope for fear when we know our true nature as the infinite eternal essence. But if we assume that “I am the body”, then all the problems and fears of the body such as disease, old age, death etc become our problems. The fear of death, which is actually the fear of losing the existence of the body, becomes our fear.
So then, why did Arjuna fear Shri Krishna’s cosmic form? For a brief moment, Arjuna’s ego had vanished when he considered himself part and parcel of the cosmic form. When his ego came back, it brought with it all the incorrect associations with the body, mind and so on. Arjuna then saw the cosmic form as something outside of himself, something that could destroy him. He acknowledged his fear to Shri Krishna, begging him to go back to his original form.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 22, Chapter 10
vedaanaam saamavedosmi devaanaamasmi vaasavaha |
indriyaanaam manaschaasmi bhootaanaamasmi chetanaa || 22 ||
Among the Vedaas I am the Saama Veda, among the deities I am Vaasava, among the senses I am the mind and among the beings, I am the intellect.
vedaanaam : among the Vedas
saamavedaha : Saama Veda
asmi : I am
devaanaam : among the deities
asmi : I am
vaasavaha : Vaasava
indriyaanaam : among the senses
manaha : mind
cha : and
asmi : I am
bhootaanaam : among the beings
asmi : I am
chetanaa : intellect
Shri Krishna, elaborating on Ishvara’s expressions, says that Ishvara is the Saama Veda among all the Vedas. Each Veda has a unique characteristic. The Yajur Veda contains prose, the Rig Veda contains metric hymns, the Saama Veda contains songs and the Atharva Veda contains incantations. Of these, the Saama Veda is Ishvara’s expression, indicating his preference for music.
Among all the deities, Ishvara is the king of all deities known as Vaasava, also known as Indra. While our attention usually falls on the excesses of wealth and power that kings demonstrate, this was not the case traditionally. A king is supposed to spend every minute of his life serving his subjects, sacrificing everything. Such a rules of deities is a true expressions of Ishvara.
As we have seen earlier, we transact or interact with the world with our body, our senses, our organs of action, our mind and our intellect. The five senses and the five organs of action would be useless if not for the mind, that collects information from the senses and pulls together a complete picture of the world for us. It also instructs our organs to move, based on the inputs it receives. Shri Krishna says that this mind is an expression of Ishvara.
If we were to be born as a plant, animal or human, we would undoubtedly prefer to be born as a human. The key difference between a human and a plant or animal is the capacity of intelligence that lets us think logically, display compassion towards others, plan for the future and most importantly, pursue the path of the higher self. This wonderful intelligence in is is also Ishvara’s expression.
So therefore, if our mind generates thoughts of compassion or service, if our intellect makes us acts upon these thoughts so that we can serve others, we should remember that it is not the “I” in us that is causing everything to happen. It is all happening through Ishvara and his expressions.
indriyaanaam manaschaasmi bhootaanaamasmi chetanaa || 22 ||
Among the Vedaas I am the Saama Veda, among the deities I am Vaasava, among the senses I am the mind and among the beings, I am the intellect.
vedaanaam : among the Vedas
saamavedaha : Saama Veda
asmi : I am
devaanaam : among the deities
asmi : I am
vaasavaha : Vaasava
indriyaanaam : among the senses
manaha : mind
cha : and
asmi : I am
bhootaanaam : among the beings
asmi : I am
chetanaa : intellect
Shri Krishna, elaborating on Ishvara’s expressions, says that Ishvara is the Saama Veda among all the Vedas. Each Veda has a unique characteristic. The Yajur Veda contains prose, the Rig Veda contains metric hymns, the Saama Veda contains songs and the Atharva Veda contains incantations. Of these, the Saama Veda is Ishvara’s expression, indicating his preference for music.
Among all the deities, Ishvara is the king of all deities known as Vaasava, also known as Indra. While our attention usually falls on the excesses of wealth and power that kings demonstrate, this was not the case traditionally. A king is supposed to spend every minute of his life serving his subjects, sacrificing everything. Such a rules of deities is a true expressions of Ishvara.
As we have seen earlier, we transact or interact with the world with our body, our senses, our organs of action, our mind and our intellect. The five senses and the five organs of action would be useless if not for the mind, that collects information from the senses and pulls together a complete picture of the world for us. It also instructs our organs to move, based on the inputs it receives. Shri Krishna says that this mind is an expression of Ishvara.
If we were to be born as a plant, animal or human, we would undoubtedly prefer to be born as a human. The key difference between a human and a plant or animal is the capacity of intelligence that lets us think logically, display compassion towards others, plan for the future and most importantly, pursue the path of the higher self. This wonderful intelligence in is is also Ishvara’s expression.
So therefore, if our mind generates thoughts of compassion or service, if our intellect makes us acts upon these thoughts so that we can serve others, we should remember that it is not the “I” in us that is causing everything to happen. It is all happening through Ishvara and his expressions.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 12, Chapter 8
sarvadvaaraani saiyamya mano hridi nirudhya cha |
moordhanyaadhaayaatmanaha praanamaasthito yogadhaaranaam || 12 ||
Controlling all the gates, confining the mind within the heart and establishing one’s praanaas in the forehead, situated in yogic concentration.
sarvadvaaraani : all gates
saiyamya : controlling
manaha : mind
hridi : in the heart
nirudhya : confining
cha : and
moordhani : forehead
aadhaaya : establish
aatmanaha : one’s
praanam : praanaas
aasthitaha : situating
yogadhaaranaam : in yogic concentration
Shri Krishna describes the technique meditating upon the name of Ishvara in this shloka. He outlines a series of steps which are similar to the detailed analysis of meditation found in the sixth chapter. Four steps are presented here: controlling the organs of sense perception, reducing the number of thoughts to one, directing the life force or praana, and continuing to remain in this state of concentration for an extended period of time.
The first step is to control the organs of sense perception referred to here as “gates”. In meditation, we are advised to select a spot where there is minimal distraction so that the mind does not rush out into the external world towards a sound, image or smell.
The second step is to “confine the mind within the heart”. This means that we have to slowly reduce the number of thoughts to one thought using japa meditation, for instance. No other thought should enter the mind except the object of meditation.
The third and fourth steps require the oversight and training of an experienced master. For the sake of completeness, let’s examine them anyway. An advanced yogi has the ability to control his praana or life force so that it could be focused in one part of the body. Here, such a yogi is asked to focus his life force in the forehead. Once this happens, the yogi is asked to maintain this position for an extended period of time. Such intense meditation requires tremendous effort and practice.
So then, assuming we are armed with the technique of meditation on Ishvara’s name, what name should we use? This is taken up next.
moordhanyaadhaayaatmanaha praanamaasthito yogadhaaranaam || 12 ||
Controlling all the gates, confining the mind within the heart and establishing one’s praanaas in the forehead, situated in yogic concentration.
sarvadvaaraani : all gates
saiyamya : controlling
manaha : mind
hridi : in the heart
nirudhya : confining
cha : and
moordhani : forehead
aadhaaya : establish
aatmanaha : one’s
praanam : praanaas
aasthitaha : situating
yogadhaaranaam : in yogic concentration
Shri Krishna describes the technique meditating upon the name of Ishvara in this shloka. He outlines a series of steps which are similar to the detailed analysis of meditation found in the sixth chapter. Four steps are presented here: controlling the organs of sense perception, reducing the number of thoughts to one, directing the life force or praana, and continuing to remain in this state of concentration for an extended period of time.
The first step is to control the organs of sense perception referred to here as “gates”. In meditation, we are advised to select a spot where there is minimal distraction so that the mind does not rush out into the external world towards a sound, image or smell.
The second step is to “confine the mind within the heart”. This means that we have to slowly reduce the number of thoughts to one thought using japa meditation, for instance. No other thought should enter the mind except the object of meditation.
The third and fourth steps require the oversight and training of an experienced master. For the sake of completeness, let’s examine them anyway. An advanced yogi has the ability to control his praana or life force so that it could be focused in one part of the body. Here, such a yogi is asked to focus his life force in the forehead. Once this happens, the yogi is asked to maintain this position for an extended period of time. Such intense meditation requires tremendous effort and practice.
So then, assuming we are armed with the technique of meditation on Ishvara’s name, what name should we use? This is taken up next.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 8
tasmaatsarveshu kaaleshu maamanusmara yudhya cha |
mayyarpitamanobuddhirmaamevaishyasyasamshayam || 7 ||
Therefore, remember me at all times and fight. One who offers his mind and intellect to me attains me only, without a doubt.
tasmaat : therefore
sarveshu : all
kaaleshu : times
maam : me
anusmara : remember
yudhya : fight
cha : and
mayi : to me
arpita : offer
manaha : mind
buddhihi : intellect
maam : me
eva : only
eshyasi : attains
asamshayam : without a doubt
Shri Krishna gives the ultimate teaching to all of mankind in this shloka. Since the thought at the time of death determines our fate after death, and the thought of death is an outcome of our lifelong thinking, Shri Krishna instructs us to remember Ishvara at all times and perform our duties.
Let us examine this instruction further. We are not asked to give up our duties, retire to a forest and constantly think of Ishvara there. Shri Krishna wants us to first remember Ishvara, and then perform duty consistent with our svadharma. The result of leading such a life is that we will attain Ishvara certainly. There is no doubt in this matter.
With this instruction, meditation takes on a whole new dimension. Typically, we confine meditation to something that we do for fifteen to thirty minutes, sitting in a solitary place as instructed in the sixth chapter. We now realize that those instructions were meant to prepare us for the kind of meditation that Shri Krishna wants us to pursue: 24/7 meditation of Ishvara.
How can this be possible? Our mind can only think of one thought at a time. So the way to meditate continuously is to somehow understand that everything we see, do and know is Ishvara.
Now we understand why Shri Krishna defined the terms brahma, karma, adhibhuta, adhideva, adhyaatma, adhiyagnya at the beginning of the chapter, because all those are nothing but Ishvara. If, while performing any action, we know that the actor, the action, the instrument, the process and the result - everything is Ishvara - we will never forget Ishvara.
Even if this kind of thinking is not possible for us in the beginning, we can emulate the mind of a mother who, regardless of what she is doing, always thinks about her child in the background. By practising meditation on our favourite deity we develop an attachment to it, so that we can recall it every time we feel distant from Ishvara.
So therefore, by practicing meditation constantly on Ishvara, we should strive to change our thinking such that our final thought will be nothing but Ishvara. This constant meditation upon Ishvara is called upaasanaa.
mayyarpitamanobuddhirmaamevaishyasyasamshayam || 7 ||
Therefore, remember me at all times and fight. One who offers his mind and intellect to me attains me only, without a doubt.
tasmaat : therefore
sarveshu : all
kaaleshu : times
maam : me
anusmara : remember
yudhya : fight
cha : and
mayi : to me
arpita : offer
manaha : mind
buddhihi : intellect
maam : me
eva : only
eshyasi : attains
asamshayam : without a doubt
Shri Krishna gives the ultimate teaching to all of mankind in this shloka. Since the thought at the time of death determines our fate after death, and the thought of death is an outcome of our lifelong thinking, Shri Krishna instructs us to remember Ishvara at all times and perform our duties.
Let us examine this instruction further. We are not asked to give up our duties, retire to a forest and constantly think of Ishvara there. Shri Krishna wants us to first remember Ishvara, and then perform duty consistent with our svadharma. The result of leading such a life is that we will attain Ishvara certainly. There is no doubt in this matter.
With this instruction, meditation takes on a whole new dimension. Typically, we confine meditation to something that we do for fifteen to thirty minutes, sitting in a solitary place as instructed in the sixth chapter. We now realize that those instructions were meant to prepare us for the kind of meditation that Shri Krishna wants us to pursue: 24/7 meditation of Ishvara.
How can this be possible? Our mind can only think of one thought at a time. So the way to meditate continuously is to somehow understand that everything we see, do and know is Ishvara.
Now we understand why Shri Krishna defined the terms brahma, karma, adhibhuta, adhideva, adhyaatma, adhiyagnya at the beginning of the chapter, because all those are nothing but Ishvara. If, while performing any action, we know that the actor, the action, the instrument, the process and the result - everything is Ishvara - we will never forget Ishvara.
Even if this kind of thinking is not possible for us in the beginning, we can emulate the mind of a mother who, regardless of what she is doing, always thinks about her child in the background. By practising meditation on our favourite deity we develop an attachment to it, so that we can recall it every time we feel distant from Ishvara.
So therefore, by practicing meditation constantly on Ishvara, we should strive to change our thinking such that our final thought will be nothing but Ishvara. This constant meditation upon Ishvara is called upaasanaa.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 4, Chapter 7
bhoomiraaponalo vayuhu kham mano buddhireva cha |
ahankaara iteeyam me bhinnaa prakritirashtadhaa || 4 ||
Earth, water, fire, wind and space, along with mind, ego and intellect, in this manner, this is my eight-fold differentiated nature.
bhoomihi : earth
aapaha : water
analaha : fire
vayuhu : wind
kham : space
manaha : mind
buddhihi : intellect
eva : along with
cha : and
ahankaaraha : ego
iti : in this manner
iyam : this
me : my
bhinnaa : differentiated
prakritihi : nature
ashtadhaa : eight-fold
Shri Krishna, having promised Arjuna that he will reveal his true essence, begins to do so in this shloka. He says that five primordial elements, as well as mind, ego and intellect, comprise his prakriti or nature.
Earth, water, fire, wind and space here do not mean tangible physical elements that we can perceive through our senses. They refer to the qualities of the physical elements. For example, water here refers to the quality of liquids that enable them to flow. Fire refers to the quality of a flame to generate light and heat. When these elements combine with each other, they have the potential to create every object in this universe. In other words, Shri Krishna says that the building blocks of the universe are nothing but his manifestation.
What is the implication here? For many of us that have a set image of Ishvara as a certain deity, this is a whole new way of understanding. It means that Ishvara is within our grasp 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All of the objects, situations and people that we interact with are made up of these elements.
This means that if we realize that everything comes from Ishvara, then we should not have room for any negative emotions such as jealousy, anger etc. Why? When we know that everything is created and owned by Ishvara, we do not get agitated if our neighbour buys a bigger car or gets a better job. We see everything as ultimately belonging to Ishvara, so it does not matter who temporarily claims it as his or hers.
Now, having discussed the five elements, let us take up the other three through an illustration. In the morning, just before we are about to wake up, our mind is in an unmanifest state. We are not aware of anything. As we begin to get up, the first thought that comes to mind is subject awareness, i.e. “I am so-and-so”. Soon after, we begin thinking that “I am so-and-so in this bedroom and it is 7 am now”. The mind goes from unmanifest, to the ego (I am), to awareness of objects.
The creation of the universe per the Saamkhya school of philosphy follows these three stages as well. The universe originally lies in an unmanifest state. The first manifestation or transformation in this state is the ego-principle, which is also known as self-assertion or the “I-principle”. It creates the notion of the subject and object, or of the experiencer and experienced. Finally, this ego-principle learns how to manifest itself in terms of objects, which is known as the cosmic mind. These three states - unmanifest, ego-principle and cosmic mind are denoted in the shloka as mind, ego and intellect.
The cosmic mind then begins to manifest itself from the most intangible elements to the most tangible ones, step by step. The first element produced is space, which is invisible. Next is air, which we cannot see but can infer from its effects. Next is fire, which we can see but not touch. This is followed by water, which we can see and touch. Finally, earth is produced which is the most tangible element of all. If you reverse the order of elements given in this shloka, it exactly follows the doctrine of creation in Saamkhya.
So, if we take all of these 8 factors into account, we realize that all the material aspects of the universe is Ishvara. Ishvara has not created this world like a sculptor creates statues out of clay. He has created the world out of himself. It is like the spider that creates the web out of himself, like the Mundaka Upanishad says.
The entire world of experience is Ishvara. But what about the experiencer himself? This is taken up in the next shloka.
ahankaara iteeyam me bhinnaa prakritirashtadhaa || 4 ||
Earth, water, fire, wind and space, along with mind, ego and intellect, in this manner, this is my eight-fold differentiated nature.
bhoomihi : earth
aapaha : water
analaha : fire
vayuhu : wind
kham : space
manaha : mind
buddhihi : intellect
eva : along with
cha : and
ahankaaraha : ego
iti : in this manner
iyam : this
me : my
bhinnaa : differentiated
prakritihi : nature
ashtadhaa : eight-fold
Shri Krishna, having promised Arjuna that he will reveal his true essence, begins to do so in this shloka. He says that five primordial elements, as well as mind, ego and intellect, comprise his prakriti or nature.
Earth, water, fire, wind and space here do not mean tangible physical elements that we can perceive through our senses. They refer to the qualities of the physical elements. For example, water here refers to the quality of liquids that enable them to flow. Fire refers to the quality of a flame to generate light and heat. When these elements combine with each other, they have the potential to create every object in this universe. In other words, Shri Krishna says that the building blocks of the universe are nothing but his manifestation.
What is the implication here? For many of us that have a set image of Ishvara as a certain deity, this is a whole new way of understanding. It means that Ishvara is within our grasp 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All of the objects, situations and people that we interact with are made up of these elements.
This means that if we realize that everything comes from Ishvara, then we should not have room for any negative emotions such as jealousy, anger etc. Why? When we know that everything is created and owned by Ishvara, we do not get agitated if our neighbour buys a bigger car or gets a better job. We see everything as ultimately belonging to Ishvara, so it does not matter who temporarily claims it as his or hers.
Now, having discussed the five elements, let us take up the other three through an illustration. In the morning, just before we are about to wake up, our mind is in an unmanifest state. We are not aware of anything. As we begin to get up, the first thought that comes to mind is subject awareness, i.e. “I am so-and-so”. Soon after, we begin thinking that “I am so-and-so in this bedroom and it is 7 am now”. The mind goes from unmanifest, to the ego (I am), to awareness of objects.
The creation of the universe per the Saamkhya school of philosphy follows these three stages as well. The universe originally lies in an unmanifest state. The first manifestation or transformation in this state is the ego-principle, which is also known as self-assertion or the “I-principle”. It creates the notion of the subject and object, or of the experiencer and experienced. Finally, this ego-principle learns how to manifest itself in terms of objects, which is known as the cosmic mind. These three states - unmanifest, ego-principle and cosmic mind are denoted in the shloka as mind, ego and intellect.
The cosmic mind then begins to manifest itself from the most intangible elements to the most tangible ones, step by step. The first element produced is space, which is invisible. Next is air, which we cannot see but can infer from its effects. Next is fire, which we can see but not touch. This is followed by water, which we can see and touch. Finally, earth is produced which is the most tangible element of all. If you reverse the order of elements given in this shloka, it exactly follows the doctrine of creation in Saamkhya.
So, if we take all of these 8 factors into account, we realize that all the material aspects of the universe is Ishvara. Ishvara has not created this world like a sculptor creates statues out of clay. He has created the world out of himself. It is like the spider that creates the web out of himself, like the Mundaka Upanishad says.
The entire world of experience is Ishvara. But what about the experiencer himself? This is taken up in the next shloka.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 35, Chapter 6
Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:
asamshayam mahaabaaho mano durnigraham chalam |
abhyaasena tu kaunteya vairagyena cha grihyate || 35 ||
Shree Bhagavaan said:
Indeed, the mind is hard to restrain and fickle, O Kaunteya. But through constant discipline and dispassion, O Kaunteya, it can be controlled.
asamshayam : indeed
mahaabaaho : O mighty armed
manaha : the mind
durnigraham : hard to restrain
chalam : fickle
abhyaasena : constant discipline
tu : but
kaunteya : O Kaunteya
vairagyena : dispassion
cha : and
grihyate : controlled
Having heard Arjuna's question with regards to the difficulty of controlling the mind, Shri Krishna responded by first agreeing with Arjuna’s statement. This no doubt provided a dose of encouragement to the ever-diligent student Arjuna. By referring to Arjuna as the son of Kunti, Shri Krishna also hinted that a son of such a valiant mother is capable of undertaking the formidable challenge of taming the mind.
Shri Krishna then said that the mind, though hard to restrain, can be controlled through constant discipline and dispassion, it can be controlled. Shri Krishna provided a two-pronged approach to controlling the mind, and in doing so, summarized the entire spiritual technique of the Gita.
When we transition from college to the workplace, we have to learn new ways of doing things, and also, we have to unlearn some habits. Any transition requires learning new ways and dropping old ways. Abhyaasa or discipline is what we have to learn and practice. Materialistic and desire-oriented thinking is what we have to give up or unlearn through the practice of constant dispassion.
First, let us look at abhyaasa or discipline. It is the technique of constant hearing, contemplation and internalization of knowledge (shravanam, mananam and nidhidhyaasana) that reveals our true self. Due to ignorance inherent in the human condition, we forget our true self and think that we are this finite body, mind and intellect. We need to continually hear the knowledge of the eternal essence to remove this ignorance. But even before we can reach a stage where we can hear such knowledge, we first need to clear our mind of impurities in the form of selfish desires, and the notion of doership and enjoyership.
That is why Shri Krishna prescribed the practice of karma yoga in order to first clear the mind of selfish desires. Karma yoga slowly leads to karma sanyaasa, where we slowly give up the notion of doership and enjoyership. Only then will the mind be able to contemplate upon and internalize the knowledge of the self through meditation. This is abhyaasa or constant discipline.
But this is not enough. We have to give up our attachment to people, objects and situations so that our mind stops becoming agitated. This can only happen when we stop and check the mind each time it rushes out into the world, and examine whether we will truly get joy through the object that the target of the mind.
If the mind gets excited when it sees our favourite fried dish, we have to examine whether or not that dish has the capability to give us permanent joy, or whether it sows the seed for future sorrow, perhaps in the form of cholesterol or even indigestion. Such a constant, disciplined investigation automatically brings forth dispassion.
So therefore, with the two-pronged approach of constant discipline and dispassion, we can slowly purge the mind of unwanted desires, leaving room for contemplation and meditation. But what if someone attempts to meditate without controlling the mind? Shri Krishna answers this question in the next shloka.
asamshayam mahaabaaho mano durnigraham chalam |
abhyaasena tu kaunteya vairagyena cha grihyate || 35 ||
Shree Bhagavaan said:
Indeed, the mind is hard to restrain and fickle, O Kaunteya. But through constant discipline and dispassion, O Kaunteya, it can be controlled.
asamshayam : indeed
mahaabaaho : O mighty armed
manaha : the mind
durnigraham : hard to restrain
chalam : fickle
abhyaasena : constant discipline
tu : but
kaunteya : O Kaunteya
vairagyena : dispassion
cha : and
grihyate : controlled
Having heard Arjuna's question with regards to the difficulty of controlling the mind, Shri Krishna responded by first agreeing with Arjuna’s statement. This no doubt provided a dose of encouragement to the ever-diligent student Arjuna. By referring to Arjuna as the son of Kunti, Shri Krishna also hinted that a son of such a valiant mother is capable of undertaking the formidable challenge of taming the mind.
Shri Krishna then said that the mind, though hard to restrain, can be controlled through constant discipline and dispassion, it can be controlled. Shri Krishna provided a two-pronged approach to controlling the mind, and in doing so, summarized the entire spiritual technique of the Gita.
When we transition from college to the workplace, we have to learn new ways of doing things, and also, we have to unlearn some habits. Any transition requires learning new ways and dropping old ways. Abhyaasa or discipline is what we have to learn and practice. Materialistic and desire-oriented thinking is what we have to give up or unlearn through the practice of constant dispassion.
First, let us look at abhyaasa or discipline. It is the technique of constant hearing, contemplation and internalization of knowledge (shravanam, mananam and nidhidhyaasana) that reveals our true self. Due to ignorance inherent in the human condition, we forget our true self and think that we are this finite body, mind and intellect. We need to continually hear the knowledge of the eternal essence to remove this ignorance. But even before we can reach a stage where we can hear such knowledge, we first need to clear our mind of impurities in the form of selfish desires, and the notion of doership and enjoyership.
That is why Shri Krishna prescribed the practice of karma yoga in order to first clear the mind of selfish desires. Karma yoga slowly leads to karma sanyaasa, where we slowly give up the notion of doership and enjoyership. Only then will the mind be able to contemplate upon and internalize the knowledge of the self through meditation. This is abhyaasa or constant discipline.
But this is not enough. We have to give up our attachment to people, objects and situations so that our mind stops becoming agitated. This can only happen when we stop and check the mind each time it rushes out into the world, and examine whether we will truly get joy through the object that the target of the mind.
If the mind gets excited when it sees our favourite fried dish, we have to examine whether or not that dish has the capability to give us permanent joy, or whether it sows the seed for future sorrow, perhaps in the form of cholesterol or even indigestion. Such a constant, disciplined investigation automatically brings forth dispassion.
So therefore, with the two-pronged approach of constant discipline and dispassion, we can slowly purge the mind of unwanted desires, leaving room for contemplation and meditation. But what if someone attempts to meditate without controlling the mind? Shri Krishna answers this question in the next shloka.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 34, Chapter 6
chanchalam hi manaha krishna pramaathi balavaddrudham |
tasyaaham nigraham manye vaayoriva sudushkaram || 34 ||
For, the mind is fickle, rebellious, strong and stubborn, O Krishna. To control it, I think, is as arduous as the wind.
chanchalam : fickle
hi : for
manaha : mind is
krishna : O Krishna
pramaathi : rebellious
balavat : strong
drudham : stubborn
tasya : it
aham : I
nigraham : control
manye : think
vaayoho : the wind
iva : like
sudushkaram : arduous
Arjuna further elaborates on the difficulty of controlling the mind for meditation to Shri Krishna. He says that it is as difficult as trying to harness the wind. Why is that so? The mind is fickle, rebellious, strong and stubborn. It will refuse any attempt to be controlled.
Shri Krishna had acknowledged the fickle nature of the mind in previous shlokas. We oursleves have directly experienced how fickle our mind is. Most of the time, our mind is jumping from one thought to another. Many analogies have been offered to illustrate this fickle nature of the mind. The most common one is a drunken monkey jumping from one branch to another. We can also tell how fickle someone’s mind is by observing their eyes. If they dart around too much, that means their mind is racing through thoughts.
Next, Arjuna says that the mind is “pramaathi”. It is difficult to exactly translate this world. The closest word is “rebellious”. It is like a wild horse that is being tamed for the first time. it will never let the rider stay on its back for more than a few seconds. Trying to control the mind becomes a wrestling match where the opponent does not let us get a good grip on him.
Furthermore, Arjuna refers to the mind as strong and stubborn. In other words, once the “mind is made up”, or the mind has decided that it wants a certain thing, it is very hard to change it. It is like a child throwing a tantrum - it will cry, yell and scream till it gets its way. The mind will resist all efforts to be controlled, and will start creating a list of desires which will throw us completely off track.
So therefore, Arjuna sums up the difficulty of controlling the mind by comparing this endeavour to taming the wind - something that is next to impossible. Coming from Arjuna, a mighty meditator who is said to have propitiated Lord Shiva through his meditation, makes it a valid question. Shri Krishna responds to Arjuna’s question in the next shloka.
tasyaaham nigraham manye vaayoriva sudushkaram || 34 ||
For, the mind is fickle, rebellious, strong and stubborn, O Krishna. To control it, I think, is as arduous as the wind.
chanchalam : fickle
hi : for
manaha : mind is
krishna : O Krishna
pramaathi : rebellious
balavat : strong
drudham : stubborn
tasya : it
aham : I
nigraham : control
manye : think
vaayoho : the wind
iva : like
sudushkaram : arduous
Arjuna further elaborates on the difficulty of controlling the mind for meditation to Shri Krishna. He says that it is as difficult as trying to harness the wind. Why is that so? The mind is fickle, rebellious, strong and stubborn. It will refuse any attempt to be controlled.
Shri Krishna had acknowledged the fickle nature of the mind in previous shlokas. We oursleves have directly experienced how fickle our mind is. Most of the time, our mind is jumping from one thought to another. Many analogies have been offered to illustrate this fickle nature of the mind. The most common one is a drunken monkey jumping from one branch to another. We can also tell how fickle someone’s mind is by observing their eyes. If they dart around too much, that means their mind is racing through thoughts.
Next, Arjuna says that the mind is “pramaathi”. It is difficult to exactly translate this world. The closest word is “rebellious”. It is like a wild horse that is being tamed for the first time. it will never let the rider stay on its back for more than a few seconds. Trying to control the mind becomes a wrestling match where the opponent does not let us get a good grip on him.
Furthermore, Arjuna refers to the mind as strong and stubborn. In other words, once the “mind is made up”, or the mind has decided that it wants a certain thing, it is very hard to change it. It is like a child throwing a tantrum - it will cry, yell and scream till it gets its way. The mind will resist all efforts to be controlled, and will start creating a list of desires which will throw us completely off track.
So therefore, Arjuna sums up the difficulty of controlling the mind by comparing this endeavour to taming the wind - something that is next to impossible. Coming from Arjuna, a mighty meditator who is said to have propitiated Lord Shiva through his meditation, makes it a valid question. Shri Krishna responds to Arjuna’s question in the next shloka.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 26, Chapter 6
yato yato nishcharati manashchanchalamasthiram |
tatastato niyamyaitadaatmanyeva vasham nayet || 26 ||
Wherever the fickle and unstable mind strays, remove it from there and constantly focus it only on the self.
yataha : wherever
nishcharati : strays
manaha : mind
chanchalam : fickle
asthiram : unstable
tataha : from there
niyamya : remove
etat : it
aatmani : self
eva : only
vasham : focus
nayet : constantly
Having asked the meditator to slowly but surely practice meditation, Shri Krishna elaborates on what exactly is the aspect of meditation that needs constant practice and repetition. He urges the meditator to check the mind as soon as it strays into another thought, and bring it back to the thought of the self. The meditator has to do this again and again, each time the mind strays. It is one of the most practical shlokas about meditation.
As we practice meditation, we begin to appreciate the speed at which the mind moves from thought to thought. For example, let’s say that the thought of taking a one week vacation enters the mind. It then leads to a chain of thoughts. First the mind makes a list of all our favourite vacations spots. Then it calculates how much each place will cost. Then it visualizes what each of those places looks like. It might also bring up memories of past vacations. The mind has thought all of this within seconds. By the time we are aware that the mind is thinking like this, it has strayed far away from the object of meditation.
So therefore, Shri Krishna urges us to be extremely vigilant and alert with regards to our thoughts during meditation. We have to cultivate this vigilance as a habit. We have vigilant habits in other parts of our life. Men, for example, check their face daily for any stray hairs just after shaving. Similarly, we should be vigilant about stray thoughts during meditation. The constant practice of removing stray thoughts is called “abhyaasa”.
The mind loves to stray towards thoughts about objects, people and situations that we have given importance to. Abhyaasa helps us diminish our importance towards stray thoughts. Shri Shankaraachaarya in his commentary gives us a wonderful tip with regards to abhyaasa. Each time we encounter a stray thought, we should instantly analyze it like a scientist. We should inspect each thought and say: it is nothing but name and form on top of the eternal essence. If the thought is about name and form only, then it is not real, it is does not have “satyatva”. And if it is not real, it is not important, so I should not go after it.
Furthermore, if the very same thought occurs the next time, we should inspect it and say : I have already determined that this thought is not important to me. If we do so each time that same thought comes, we develop dispassion or vairagya towards it. Only then will meditation work properly.
If we follow this technique, the mind will eventually become quiet - “prashaanta”.
tatastato niyamyaitadaatmanyeva vasham nayet || 26 ||
Wherever the fickle and unstable mind strays, remove it from there and constantly focus it only on the self.
yataha : wherever
nishcharati : strays
manaha : mind
chanchalam : fickle
asthiram : unstable
tataha : from there
niyamya : remove
etat : it
aatmani : self
eva : only
vasham : focus
nayet : constantly
Having asked the meditator to slowly but surely practice meditation, Shri Krishna elaborates on what exactly is the aspect of meditation that needs constant practice and repetition. He urges the meditator to check the mind as soon as it strays into another thought, and bring it back to the thought of the self. The meditator has to do this again and again, each time the mind strays. It is one of the most practical shlokas about meditation.
As we practice meditation, we begin to appreciate the speed at which the mind moves from thought to thought. For example, let’s say that the thought of taking a one week vacation enters the mind. It then leads to a chain of thoughts. First the mind makes a list of all our favourite vacations spots. Then it calculates how much each place will cost. Then it visualizes what each of those places looks like. It might also bring up memories of past vacations. The mind has thought all of this within seconds. By the time we are aware that the mind is thinking like this, it has strayed far away from the object of meditation.
So therefore, Shri Krishna urges us to be extremely vigilant and alert with regards to our thoughts during meditation. We have to cultivate this vigilance as a habit. We have vigilant habits in other parts of our life. Men, for example, check their face daily for any stray hairs just after shaving. Similarly, we should be vigilant about stray thoughts during meditation. The constant practice of removing stray thoughts is called “abhyaasa”.
The mind loves to stray towards thoughts about objects, people and situations that we have given importance to. Abhyaasa helps us diminish our importance towards stray thoughts. Shri Shankaraachaarya in his commentary gives us a wonderful tip with regards to abhyaasa. Each time we encounter a stray thought, we should instantly analyze it like a scientist. We should inspect each thought and say: it is nothing but name and form on top of the eternal essence. If the thought is about name and form only, then it is not real, it is does not have “satyatva”. And if it is not real, it is not important, so I should not go after it.
Furthermore, if the very same thought occurs the next time, we should inspect it and say : I have already determined that this thought is not important to me. If we do so each time that same thought comes, we develop dispassion or vairagya towards it. Only then will meditation work properly.
If we follow this technique, the mind will eventually become quiet - “prashaanta”.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 6
prashaantaatmaa vigatabheerbrahmachaarivrate sthitaha |
manaha saiyamya macchitto yukta aaseeta matparaha || 14 ||
One whose personality is calm, fearless and established in the vow of renunciation, with a restrained mind, the seeker should sit with his mind focused on me, regarding me as supreme.
prashaantaatmaa : calm personality
vigatabheehi : fearless
brahmachaarivrate : vow of renunciation
sthitaha : established in
manaha : mind
saiyamya : under restraint
macchittaha : mind focused on me
yuktaha : the seeker
aaseeta : should sit
matparaha : regarding me as supreme
This shloka continues the topic of the method of meditation. Once we have made all the physical preparations and are ready to begin meditation, the question comes up: what do we meditate upon? What should be the object of our meditation? Shri Krishna has a simple answer. He says - meditate upon me. He asks us for two things: to focus our mind on him, and to regard him as the highest goal to be attained.
For beginning seekers, the notion of meditating upon the abstract aatmaa or self is difficult. To that end, he asks the seeker to choose any one form of Ishvara that the seeker takes delight in. Unless the seeker learns to take delight in one form of Ishvara, he will need a lot of effort to focus his mind on Ishvara. The seeker needs to put effort in making Ishvara his goal. This is why Shri Krishna repeatedly urges us to detach from sense pleasure and attach ourselves to something higher. Otherwise, if we love food for example, we will begin to meditate on food since it will be the first thing that pops into our mind when meditating.
What are the other prerequisites of a meditator? His personality or aatmaa is prashaanta. In other words, he is a calm, quiet and deep person. Only when the seeker’s mind becomes extremely quiet is meditation possible. In fact, if the mind is disturbed, even worldly things such as studying for an exam cannot be accomplished. Even though the mind is not quiet throughout the day, the meditator should take care that the mind is quiet at least during meditation time. It will take 10 minutes or so for the mind to calm all its thoughts, hence the meditator should plan on sitting for at least 15-20 minutes.
The next prerequisite is that the meditator should be vigatabheehi which means fearless, one from whom fear has completely gone away. The biggest fear that the meditator harbours is that he will lose his worldly identity, that he will drop his worldly life. That is why the meditator has to have prepared himself, following the instructions given so far, to give up his individuality. Another way of looking at this is that we fear of duality. We are scared to think that we are separate from other people, objects and situations. But one who has learned to see the sameness in everyone has eliminated this fear, because he sees his self in everyone.
Another prerequisite is that the meditator should be established with the vow of renunciation. Colloquially, the word brahmachaari means celibate. Here it means one who casts off all roles and dons the role of a seeker when he sits for meditation. He has no other pursuits in mind, no other roles in mind. He is not someone’s boss, employee, son, husband, brother and so on. If he associates with any of these roles, thoughts associated with that role will enter his mind during meditation. The only role to be assumed is that of a saadhaka or a seeker.
manaha saiyamya macchitto yukta aaseeta matparaha || 14 ||
One whose personality is calm, fearless and established in the vow of renunciation, with a restrained mind, the seeker should sit with his mind focused on me, regarding me as supreme.
prashaantaatmaa : calm personality
vigatabheehi : fearless
brahmachaarivrate : vow of renunciation
sthitaha : established in
manaha : mind
saiyamya : under restraint
macchittaha : mind focused on me
yuktaha : the seeker
aaseeta : should sit
matparaha : regarding me as supreme
This shloka continues the topic of the method of meditation. Once we have made all the physical preparations and are ready to begin meditation, the question comes up: what do we meditate upon? What should be the object of our meditation? Shri Krishna has a simple answer. He says - meditate upon me. He asks us for two things: to focus our mind on him, and to regard him as the highest goal to be attained.
For beginning seekers, the notion of meditating upon the abstract aatmaa or self is difficult. To that end, he asks the seeker to choose any one form of Ishvara that the seeker takes delight in. Unless the seeker learns to take delight in one form of Ishvara, he will need a lot of effort to focus his mind on Ishvara. The seeker needs to put effort in making Ishvara his goal. This is why Shri Krishna repeatedly urges us to detach from sense pleasure and attach ourselves to something higher. Otherwise, if we love food for example, we will begin to meditate on food since it will be the first thing that pops into our mind when meditating.
What are the other prerequisites of a meditator? His personality or aatmaa is prashaanta. In other words, he is a calm, quiet and deep person. Only when the seeker’s mind becomes extremely quiet is meditation possible. In fact, if the mind is disturbed, even worldly things such as studying for an exam cannot be accomplished. Even though the mind is not quiet throughout the day, the meditator should take care that the mind is quiet at least during meditation time. It will take 10 minutes or so for the mind to calm all its thoughts, hence the meditator should plan on sitting for at least 15-20 minutes.
The next prerequisite is that the meditator should be vigatabheehi which means fearless, one from whom fear has completely gone away. The biggest fear that the meditator harbours is that he will lose his worldly identity, that he will drop his worldly life. That is why the meditator has to have prepared himself, following the instructions given so far, to give up his individuality. Another way of looking at this is that we fear of duality. We are scared to think that we are separate from other people, objects and situations. But one who has learned to see the sameness in everyone has eliminated this fear, because he sees his self in everyone.
Another prerequisite is that the meditator should be established with the vow of renunciation. Colloquially, the word brahmachaari means celibate. Here it means one who casts off all roles and dons the role of a seeker when he sits for meditation. He has no other pursuits in mind, no other roles in mind. He is not someone’s boss, employee, son, husband, brother and so on. If he associates with any of these roles, thoughts associated with that role will enter his mind during meditation. The only role to be assumed is that of a saadhaka or a seeker.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 12, Chapter 6
tatrekaagram manaha kritvaa yatachittendriyakriyaha |
upavishyaasane yunjyaadyogamaatmavishuddhaye || 12 ||
Seated on that seat, making the mind single pointed, having subdued the activities of the mind and senses, engage in the yoga for purification of the self.
tatra : that
ekaagram : single-pointed
manaha : mind
kritvaa : making
yatachittendriyakriyaha : subduing activities of mind and senses
upavishya : seated
aasane : seat
yunjyaat : engage
yogam : yoga
aatma : self
vishuddhaye : purification
In this shloka, Shri Krishna provides a comprehensive introduction to the process of meditation, and also points out the goal of meditation. He says that the goal of meditation is to purify the intellect. The process to do that is by sitting down, controlling the mind and senses, and focusing the mind, making it single pointed.
First let us examine the goal of meditation which is the purification of the intellect. The shloka says “aatma-vishuddhaye” meaning “self-purification”. Note that the word self means the intellect here. But what does purification of the intellect mean exactly? To understand that, we need to take a step back and examine where meditation is placed with respect to the topics in the Gita. Meditation is the culmination of the entire curriculum of the Gita which aims at removing the three main defects of our personality: mala, vikshepa and aavarana.
In the third chapter of the Gita, we encountered karmayoga. It enables us to purify the first impurity of the personality known as mala or dirt. Mala causes the mind to rush out into the world of sense objects due to a sense of finitude. In other words, it causes us to act in the world. As we have seen earlier, we use karmayoga to turn this defect against itself, just like a thorn removes another thorn. Next, devotion or bhakti is used to remove the second defect known as vikshepa, which the tendency of the mind to get distracted. Chapters 7 to 12 examine bhakti in great detail.
After dealing with mala and vikshepa, the Gita addresses the last defect known as aavarana or covering. This covering prevents us from fully getting established in the knowledge of the eternal essence. Having gone through shravanam (reading and listening to knowledge) and mananam (removal of doubts), meditation helps us achieve the last step which is nidhidhyaasa or internalization of this knowledge.
So the notion that “I am not this body, I am the eternal essence” needs to be fully internalized so that it becomes second nature to us. This is the goal of meditation.
The process to achieve this goal is also addressed in this shloka. Shri Krishna asks us to sit down on that seat that was described in the previous shloka. He then asks us to make the mind single-pointed or focused. But this is easier said than done. Whenever we close our eyes and sit in meditation, the thoughts of the world rush in.
Many techniques are given in other literature in order to make this happen, including concentrating attention on a point on the wall, on a flame and so on. But the prerequisite to all of this is that we have to subdue the mind and the senses.
Consider the example of the person that wants to remain seated inside a room. Either he will have thoughts of objects outside the room, or someone from the outside will want him to come out of the room. Similarly, when we sit for meditation, either the mind will generate thoughts of the world, or the sense organs will pick up a scent, a touch and so on that will drag the mind out. Therefore, we have to control the mind and senses before attempting meditation.
There also are some secondary benefits to meditation. If we meditate on a regular basis, we will never be reactive to situations. No matter what kind of situation comes up in front of us, we will always take time to pause and then decide. This is because the mind has already been trained to slow down the thinking process. We will then not lose our balance and not always work in a reactionary mode. We will take a good look at situation and slowly approach it
meditative person will have this advantage.
Next, Shri Krishna delves into the specifics of meditation.
upavishyaasane yunjyaadyogamaatmavishuddhaye || 12 ||
Seated on that seat, making the mind single pointed, having subdued the activities of the mind and senses, engage in the yoga for purification of the self.
tatra : that
ekaagram : single-pointed
manaha : mind
kritvaa : making
yatachittendriyakriyaha : subduing activities of mind and senses
upavishya : seated
aasane : seat
yunjyaat : engage
yogam : yoga
aatma : self
vishuddhaye : purification
In this shloka, Shri Krishna provides a comprehensive introduction to the process of meditation, and also points out the goal of meditation. He says that the goal of meditation is to purify the intellect. The process to do that is by sitting down, controlling the mind and senses, and focusing the mind, making it single pointed.
First let us examine the goal of meditation which is the purification of the intellect. The shloka says “aatma-vishuddhaye” meaning “self-purification”. Note that the word self means the intellect here. But what does purification of the intellect mean exactly? To understand that, we need to take a step back and examine where meditation is placed with respect to the topics in the Gita. Meditation is the culmination of the entire curriculum of the Gita which aims at removing the three main defects of our personality: mala, vikshepa and aavarana.
In the third chapter of the Gita, we encountered karmayoga. It enables us to purify the first impurity of the personality known as mala or dirt. Mala causes the mind to rush out into the world of sense objects due to a sense of finitude. In other words, it causes us to act in the world. As we have seen earlier, we use karmayoga to turn this defect against itself, just like a thorn removes another thorn. Next, devotion or bhakti is used to remove the second defect known as vikshepa, which the tendency of the mind to get distracted. Chapters 7 to 12 examine bhakti in great detail.
After dealing with mala and vikshepa, the Gita addresses the last defect known as aavarana or covering. This covering prevents us from fully getting established in the knowledge of the eternal essence. Having gone through shravanam (reading and listening to knowledge) and mananam (removal of doubts), meditation helps us achieve the last step which is nidhidhyaasa or internalization of this knowledge.
So the notion that “I am not this body, I am the eternal essence” needs to be fully internalized so that it becomes second nature to us. This is the goal of meditation.
The process to achieve this goal is also addressed in this shloka. Shri Krishna asks us to sit down on that seat that was described in the previous shloka. He then asks us to make the mind single-pointed or focused. But this is easier said than done. Whenever we close our eyes and sit in meditation, the thoughts of the world rush in.
Many techniques are given in other literature in order to make this happen, including concentrating attention on a point on the wall, on a flame and so on. But the prerequisite to all of this is that we have to subdue the mind and the senses.
Consider the example of the person that wants to remain seated inside a room. Either he will have thoughts of objects outside the room, or someone from the outside will want him to come out of the room. Similarly, when we sit for meditation, either the mind will generate thoughts of the world, or the sense organs will pick up a scent, a touch and so on that will drag the mind out. Therefore, we have to control the mind and senses before attempting meditation.
There also are some secondary benefits to meditation. If we meditate on a regular basis, we will never be reactive to situations. No matter what kind of situation comes up in front of us, we will always take time to pause and then decide. This is because the mind has already been trained to slow down the thinking process. We will then not lose our balance and not always work in a reactionary mode. We will take a good look at situation and slowly approach it
meditative person will have this advantage.
Next, Shri Krishna delves into the specifics of meditation.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 42, Chapter 3
indriyaani paranyaahurindriyebhyaha param manaha |
manasastu paraa buddhiryo buddheh paratastu saha || 42 ||
It is said that the senses are superior (than the body), the mind is superior than the senses, the intellect are superior than the mind, and that (the eternal essence) is superior than the intellect.
indriyaani : the senses
parani : superior
aahuh : is said
indriyebhyaha : than the senses
param : superior
manaha : mind
manasaha : than the mind
tu : also
paraa : superior
buddhih : intellect
yah : that which
buddheh : than intellect
parataha : superior
tu : also
saha : that
As we approach the conclusion of the third chapter, Shri Krishna delivers yet another profound shloka that has layers and layers of meaning. Let us examine its practical aspects.
This shloka provides us a hierarchy of our nature, or our prakriti. Earlier in the second chapter, Shri Krishna provided us with the ultimate goal of the Gita, which is to realize that we are the eternal essence, and are distinct from our prakriti, which comprises the body, mind and intellect. So in this shloka, he further informs us that these three components of our prakriti are not equally powerful - there is a hierarchy or an order to their power. The subtler a component is, the more power it wields.
The body is the most tangible, or the most gross, aspect of prakriti. Subtler than the body are the senses. Subtler than the senses is the mind, which generates reactions in the form of emotions and thoughts, but lacks decision making power. Subtler than the mind is the intellect, which can analyze and understand the thoughts generated by the mind, and has the power to control the mind, the senses and the body. And here is the key point: if we assert control of one aspect of prakriti, we automatically bring all the lower levels in our command.
For example, let's say someone wants to quit smoking. If he convinces his intellect that smoking is harmful, and also remains alert at the time a desire to smoke arises, he has a good chance of quitting smoking. But if the intellect starts rationalizing this behaviour by saying "one cigarette is not a problem" then there is no chance.
Now, if we are operating on the level of our vaasanaas, the intellect is where the hierarchy would stop. Then desires would take hold of the senses, the mind and even the intellect, making us act selfishly. There would be no way out. But this shloka urges us to realize that there is something even superior to the intellect, which has the potential to root our desires that have penetrated the intellect. In the initial stages of our journey, that something is a higher ideal. But as we proceed in our journey, it is the highest possible ideal: the eternal essence itself. Unless we recognize this, we will be stuck at the level of the intellect. This paves the way for the technique of removing obstacles, which is covered in the next and final shloka of the third chapter.
Footnotes
1. Bringing one's prakriti under control is one component of the "saadhana-chatushtaya", or the four-fold qualifications of a seeker. Control of the senses is called "dama" and control of the mind is called "kshama".
manasastu paraa buddhiryo buddheh paratastu saha || 42 ||
It is said that the senses are superior (than the body), the mind is superior than the senses, the intellect are superior than the mind, and that (the eternal essence) is superior than the intellect.
indriyaani : the senses
parani : superior
aahuh : is said
indriyebhyaha : than the senses
param : superior
manaha : mind
manasaha : than the mind
tu : also
paraa : superior
buddhih : intellect
yah : that which
buddheh : than intellect
parataha : superior
tu : also
saha : that
As we approach the conclusion of the third chapter, Shri Krishna delivers yet another profound shloka that has layers and layers of meaning. Let us examine its practical aspects.
This shloka provides us a hierarchy of our nature, or our prakriti. Earlier in the second chapter, Shri Krishna provided us with the ultimate goal of the Gita, which is to realize that we are the eternal essence, and are distinct from our prakriti, which comprises the body, mind and intellect. So in this shloka, he further informs us that these three components of our prakriti are not equally powerful - there is a hierarchy or an order to their power. The subtler a component is, the more power it wields.
The body is the most tangible, or the most gross, aspect of prakriti. Subtler than the body are the senses. Subtler than the senses is the mind, which generates reactions in the form of emotions and thoughts, but lacks decision making power. Subtler than the mind is the intellect, which can analyze and understand the thoughts generated by the mind, and has the power to control the mind, the senses and the body. And here is the key point: if we assert control of one aspect of prakriti, we automatically bring all the lower levels in our command.
For example, let's say someone wants to quit smoking. If he convinces his intellect that smoking is harmful, and also remains alert at the time a desire to smoke arises, he has a good chance of quitting smoking. But if the intellect starts rationalizing this behaviour by saying "one cigarette is not a problem" then there is no chance.
Now, if we are operating on the level of our vaasanaas, the intellect is where the hierarchy would stop. Then desires would take hold of the senses, the mind and even the intellect, making us act selfishly. There would be no way out. But this shloka urges us to realize that there is something even superior to the intellect, which has the potential to root our desires that have penetrated the intellect. In the initial stages of our journey, that something is a higher ideal. But as we proceed in our journey, it is the highest possible ideal: the eternal essence itself. Unless we recognize this, we will be stuck at the level of the intellect. This paves the way for the technique of removing obstacles, which is covered in the next and final shloka of the third chapter.
Footnotes
1. Bringing one's prakriti under control is one component of the "saadhana-chatushtaya", or the four-fold qualifications of a seeker. Control of the senses is called "dama" and control of the mind is called "kshama".
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Bhagavad Gita Verse 60, Chapter 2
yatato hyaapi kaunteya purushasya vipaschitaha |
indriyaani pramaatheeni haranti prasabham manaha || 60 ||
For the senses are so turbulent, O Kaunteya, that they forcibly seize the mind of a even a wise individual who perseveres.
yatatah : persevere
hi : for
api : even
kaunteya : O Kaunteya
purushasya : individual
vipaschitaha : wise
indriyaani : senses
pramaatheeni : turbulent
haranti : seize
prasabham : forcibly
manaha : mind
Earlier, we saw that if we have predispositions to objects, they will result in thoughts popping up in our mind. This will be true even if we are not near those objects. Some of us may raise an objection to this statement. We may ask: "As long as I control my actions, what difference does it make if I think about an object such as a chocolate cake? It won't matter because I won't eat it, Correct?"
In this shloka, Shri Krishna responds to the objection. He says that thoughts can catch us at a time of weakness, when we are least alert, and undo all of our self control. These thoughts are generated by our predispositions or vasanaas.
Vasanaas are like dormant embers of coal that burn stronger when the senses add fuel to their fire. They are the seeds of thoughts, or "thought generators". This means that self control of actions is effective, but only to a certain extent, because self control does not tackle vasanaas. It is like trimming a weed instead of uprooting it completely.
Another aspect is pointed out here. One may practice conquering one's senses for a long time. That person can become an advanced practitioner through years of diligence and perseverance. He may come to the conclusion that all of his desires and vasanaas have been vanquished. But the senses and the mind are extremely clever; they will wait for months, even years, and then generate a thought that can destabilize his equanimity in a second.
In summary, it is not enough to control our actions in order to maintain equanimity, we have to remain alert and watch our thoughts as well.
indriyaani pramaatheeni haranti prasabham manaha || 60 ||
For the senses are so turbulent, O Kaunteya, that they forcibly seize the mind of a even a wise individual who perseveres.
yatatah : persevere
hi : for
api : even
kaunteya : O Kaunteya
purushasya : individual
vipaschitaha : wise
indriyaani : senses
pramaatheeni : turbulent
haranti : seize
prasabham : forcibly
manaha : mind
Earlier, we saw that if we have predispositions to objects, they will result in thoughts popping up in our mind. This will be true even if we are not near those objects. Some of us may raise an objection to this statement. We may ask: "As long as I control my actions, what difference does it make if I think about an object such as a chocolate cake? It won't matter because I won't eat it, Correct?"
In this shloka, Shri Krishna responds to the objection. He says that thoughts can catch us at a time of weakness, when we are least alert, and undo all of our self control. These thoughts are generated by our predispositions or vasanaas.
Vasanaas are like dormant embers of coal that burn stronger when the senses add fuel to their fire. They are the seeds of thoughts, or "thought generators". This means that self control of actions is effective, but only to a certain extent, because self control does not tackle vasanaas. It is like trimming a weed instead of uprooting it completely.
Another aspect is pointed out here. One may practice conquering one's senses for a long time. That person can become an advanced practitioner through years of diligence and perseverance. He may come to the conclusion that all of his desires and vasanaas have been vanquished. But the senses and the mind are extremely clever; they will wait for months, even years, and then generate a thought that can destabilize his equanimity in a second.
In summary, it is not enough to control our actions in order to maintain equanimity, we have to remain alert and watch our thoughts as well.
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