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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com)

 

Equanimity of mind, key to spiritual progress

 

CHENNAI, SEPT. 12. It is common knowledge that man cannot desist

from action. Even a person who is unable to physically act will

not be able to keep his mind free of thoughts. It is clear that

the body and the mind are dynamic in nature and are instruments

given to human beings for engaging in action. This leads to the

question ``What is the objective of performing action?'' and one

has to take recourse to the scriptures to get insight into this

fundamental query. While the majority of the scriptural texts are

the articulation of the spiritual experiences of the sages, the

Bhagavad Gita is the gospel of the Lord when He incarnated as

Krishna, which focusses on the inevitability of action in human

life.

 

The Lord told Arjuna when he threw away his arms just when the

war was about to commence, ``Perform your prescribed duties. For,

action is superior to inaction. If you are totally inactive, even

the survival of the body would become impossible.'' The duties of

every individual were clearly spelt out according to the norms of

``Varnashrama'' during the time when the Gita was written and it

is necessary to interpret them to suit the modern context. One's

duties must be understood to refer to those which did not oppose

one's inborn nature (Svabhava) or the tenets of Dharma, said

Swami Nishtatmananda in his discourse.

 

While this is the rule of thumb that can be applied when in

doubt, specifically one must know how this can be translated in

one's personal life. Duties vary from those related to

profession, to those done by way of discharging debt to parents

or those a person does to realise his cherished goals in life.

All these are important and hence have to be included under

duties. Whatever action manifests one's spiritual nature must be

considered as duty. By discharging his duties man elevates

himself.

 

Next comes the consideration of how a person should perform his

duties. While every act of a person is called Karma, only that

which manifests his spiritual nature is termed Karma Yoga. So

when every act is yoked to the Self all actions get transformed

into Yoga. Understanding that every individual is a spark of God,

and is blissful and infinite, and uniting it with the Supreme

Being is known as Yoga. Another important quality a spiritual

aspirant must develop is equanimity of mind both in success and

failure. The Gita says, ``Engage yourself in action with the mind

steadfast in Yoga. Abandon attachments and be unperturbed in

success and failure. This equilibrium of mind is Yoga.''

 

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