Gita In Daily Life - The Teaching of Bhagavad Gita by swami Dayananda-ji

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The Teaching of Bhagavad Gita (Ten essential verses) by Swami

Dayananda, published by Sri Gangadhareswar Trust, Purani Jhadi,

Rishikesh, India, 249201.

 

 

Introduction (continued) [segment 2 of 5]

 

The two-fold commitment:

 

Then comes the question of sAdhana or the means. What do I require

to gain this knowledge of fullness, of oneness with the Lord? I

require a mind that can discover fullness. The mind should be

contemplative, simple, contented. A person who commands such a

mind can commit himself or herself solely to the pursuit of

knowledge. This is called jnAna-yoga or the life-style of a

sannyAsi. JnAna or knowledge is the only sAdhanafor such a

person and nothing else. This person has no interest in artha

(security) and kAma (pleasures).

 

But suppose someone is not ready for a contemplative life.

Contemplativeness is a disposition; one cannot command a

contemplative mind. The mind cannot be contemplative as long

as it is in the hold of likes and dislikes. As long as one has

definite or pronounced likes and dislikes the mind will be

disturbed when they are not fulfilled - when what one does not

want happens or what one wants does not happen. Mind becomes

contemplative when likes and dislikes are neutralized. Likes

and dislikes can be neutralized by cultivating a proper attitude

of the mind; they can neither be suppressed nor can simply be

given up. One has to neutralize them, grow out of them. And

this is done by maintaining a certain attitude towards action

and its result. And so we have another mode of life where one

is no doubt committed to knowledge as the ultimate end, but

presently committed to action as a means of neutralizing likes

and dislikes or purification of the mind, antahkaraNashuddhi.

This mode of life is described by the Lord as the life of a

karmayogi.

 

 

(to be continued)

 

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