Advaita Bhoda Deepika #13

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119-121. In the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna asked Sri

Bhagavan: 'O Krishna! Is not the mind always capricious,

disturbing to the man and too strong to be checked? It is easier

to hold the air in the fist than to control the mind'.

In the Yoga Vasishta, Sri Rama asked Vasishta: 'O master! Is

it not impossible to control the mind? One may sooner drink up

the oceans or lift up Mt. Meru or swallow flaming fire than control

the mind.' From the words of Rama and Arjuna, and our own

experience, there can be no doubt that it is exceedingly difficult

to control the mind however able and heroic one may be.

 

122-124. D.: Control of mind being so difficult, how can

yoga be practised at all?

M.: By dint of practice and dispassion, the mind can be

brought under control. The same has been said by Sri Bhagavan

to Arjuna and by Vasishta to Sri Rama. Sri Krishna said : "O

Son of Kunti! There is no doubt that the mind is wayward and

difficult to control. Nevertheless by dint of practice and dispassion

it can be controlled." Vasishta said: "O Rama, though

the mind is hard to control yet it must be subdued by dispassion

and effort even at the cost of wringing your hands, clenching

your teeth and holding down the senses and limbs; it must be

accomplished by will power."

Therefore intense effort is necessary for the purpose.

 

125-127. The honey bee of the mind ever living in the

lotus of the heart turns away from the sweet honey of unequalled

Bliss of the Heart lotus, and desirous of honey bitter with misery,

collected outside as sound, touch, form, taste and smell, always

flies out through the senses. Though by dispassion the senses are

forcibly closed and the mind shut in, yet remaining within, it

will be thinking of the present or recollecting the past or building

castles in the air.

 

D.: How can even its subtle activities be checked and itself

completely subdued?

M.: Checking its external activities and confining it within,

this bee of the mind must be made to be drunk with the honey

of the Heart lotus, i.e., the Bliss of the Self.

 

128. D.: Please explain this yoga.

M.: With an intense desire for Liberation, reaching a Guru,

hearing from him the non-dual Brahman shining forth as Being-

Knowledge-Bliss of the Self, understanding It though indirectly

yet as clearly as one understands Vishnu etc., turning the mind

one pointedly to this Brahman, without taking to enquiry by

reflection (manana) always meditating on the non-dual Self of

Being-Knowledge-Bliss, attributeless and undifferentiated, is

called yoga. By its practice the mind becomes tranquil and can

gradually go to samadhi. In samadhi it will experience the

Supreme Bliss.

 

129-130. D.: Has any other said so before?

M.: Yes. Sri Bhagavan has said: The yogi who, controlling

the mind, always turns it upon the Self, becomes perfectly

calm, and ultimately gains Me i.e., the Bliss of Liberation.

The mind of the yogi who always practises yoga, will be steady

like a flame protected from the breeze and without movement

will pass into samadhi.

 

131-133. Similarly by enquiry, the mind readily gains peace

and samadhi.

D.: What is this enquiry?

M.: After hearing from the Guru about the nature of the

Self which in the shastras is spoken of as Brahman or Being-

Knowledge-Bliss, to gain a clear indirect knowledge, then

according to upadesa and by intelligent reasoning to enquire

and find out the Self which is Pure Knowledge, and the nonself

which is objective and insentient like the ego, to discern

and sift them, then directly to experience them as different from

each other, later on by meditation to extinguish all that is

objective, and to absorb into the Self the residual mind left over as

non-dual, ends in the direct experience of Supreme Bliss. Here

it has been described in brief, but the shastras deal with it

elaborately.

 

134. This chapter on Sadhana has dealt with these two

means, Enquiry and Yoga, for making the mind still. According

to his merits an intelligent seeker should practise either of them.

 

135. This Chapter is meant for the earnest student in order

that he may study carefully and analyse his qualifications to

ascertain what he already has and what more are wanted. After

properly equipping himself he can find out which of these two

methods suits him and then practise it till success.

 

(End of Chapter III)

 

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Taken from Advaita Bhoda Deepika

as published by Sri Ramanasramam

Tiruvannamalai 2002.

 

To be continued...

 

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