Chapter Six- Bhagwad Geeta is on the subject of attaining self control through Yoga. |
The Method of Self Control (Chapter Six) The Lord God said: "He who does not take refuge in the fruits of action While performing his duties Is a sanyasi and a yogi "While he who simply forgoes activity Is neither a sanyasi Nor a yogi "O Arjuna! That which is known as 'sanyaas' Understand that to be yoga Because any one who does not forgo his will unto Me cannot be a yogi "For a contemplative person who wishes to attain unison with Me Action without craving is the only solution In addition, once he is stable in yoga He who attains the stage of thoughtlessness is pulled neither by the senses nor by action "At that moment the forgoer of all resolutions is a sanyasi and a yogi and such a yogi is a benefactor for all "Let each man by himself raise himself from the vast ocean of this world "Let him not be the cause of his own downfall because O Parth! man is his own friend and his own enemy "That human being who has won his mind along with his senses and his body is his own friend While he who does not control his mind and senses acts in a way that makes him his own enemy "During winter and summer happiness or sorrow in praise and defamation that person whose inner faculties is properly stilled and steadied In a self-conquered person such as he the blissful Supreme Is as if ever- present "In his intellect there is no knowledge Other than of the Supreme "He whose inner-self is contented with this science of yoga whose sense organs have been won and for whom a fistful of earth a stone or pot of gold is worth the same "that yogi is fulfilled and 'God realized' so it is said "That one who is every one's well-wisher is impartial between an enemy and a friend and holds the same feelings for the sinner as for the saint is extremely superior "A yogi who keeps his mind and body under his control Who is without expectations and desires for acquisition "Sits alone in a quiet place and applies his soul to the Supreme Soul "Let him sit upon a clean floor on which is placed his seat of cloth and straw which is neither too high nor too low on such a seat let him be steady and practice yoga with Me "Let him sit straight with his body head and thoughts Aligned his vision focused on the origin of his nose Not straying in other directions "Let him be stable in celibacy and fearlessly with a peaceful inner self purify his inner being "The cautious yogi who sits with his mind controlled in My remembrance surrendered unto Me will realize that Supreme Bliss that resides in Me" "O Arjuna! This yoga is not attained by those who eat too much Nor by those who eat nothing Not by he who sleeps too much Nor by one who sleeps too little "This supreme yoga which ends all sorrow Is only for those who eat and leisure appropriately Who make effort in action appropriately And for those who sleep and awaken appropriately "Just as the flame that does not waver in the wind It is said that such is the mind of the yogi who is completely absorbed in Me "That sinless yogi always experiences The Blissful Supreme "And he who sees Me the Almighty Vasudeva As pervasive in all beings And sees all souls as being in Me I am never out of sight for such a devotee Nor is he ever out of sight for Me "O Arjuna! That yogi who sees others as he sees him self and sees happiness and sorrow in others as in himself He is said to be the best yogi" Arjuna said: "O Madhusudana! This yoga, which you have explained with such equanimity I cannot see it happening with ease "Because the mind, O Krishna! is very active Is domineering, stubborn and strong "To control the mind I feel Is as difficult as it is to control the wind" The Lord said: "O Arjuna! Without doubt, the mind is overly active and difficult to control But this can be done with practice "For him Whose mind is not in his control yoga is unattainable While for those whose mind is in control Yoga is easy This is my view" Arjuna said: "O Krishna! Those who have faith in yoga But at the end moment are unable to control their thoughts If he doesn't reach the Lord Where does he arrive at? "O Great Armed one! Is such a person who has strayed at his final moment destroyed like the clouds that is scattered in all directions? The Lord said: "O Partha! Such a person is destroyed neither in this world nor in the next Because O loved one! No person who strives to improve himself Or endeavors to attain the Supreme, ever destroyed "That person who went astray From the path of God realization- When he dies, he resides for many years in the realms divine called paradise " Then later he is re- born in a family of the righteous and the saintly He does not go to those other worlds But takes birth To knowledgeable yogis But this kind of birth On earth is very rare indeed "In his new family such a child- yogi makes effort once again With even greater force on the basis of his qualities Acquired previously "But the yogi effort maker who practices constantly attains God in this life itself through accumulated traits of character of many former births "The yogi is better than the ascetic He is greater than the knower of the Scriptures And greater even Than performer of elevated actions Therefore O Arjuna, Be thou a yogi!" "And among all yogis That yogi who is always reverential Who worships Me continually The best is he loved by Me" ****** All copy rights of this translation reserved by the author and Kalyani Publications, May 2008 |