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 4 of 5]

 

SannyAsa:

 

Another mode of life is the commitment to knowledge. It is said

that one must take sannyAsa and then listen to the scriptures from

a teacher. But sannyAsa is not easy unless the mind has acquired

a maturity through the life of karmayoga: sannyAsastu mahAbAho

duhkhamAptumayogataH (BG5.6), O mighty one, renunciation, on the

other hand, is difficult without the preparationof karmayoga.

SannyAsa is not impossible, but is difficult to accomplish for

a mind that is not ready. Just as bud requires time to blossom

into a flower or a fruit requires time to ripen, the mind also

needs time to mature. Karma is the means for the purification

of the mind and it is not available to the one who has renounced

the action. On the other hand, one who is committed to the life

of karmayoga becomes a muni or a contemplative one. Pne acquires

a mastery of the mind because the likes and dislikes are

neutralized. A mind free from reactions is an abiding mind; the

mind and the sense organs become conducive to the pursuit of

knowledge. This is the stage when one takes vividiShA sannyAsa

- life committed to the pursuit of knowledge through listening

to the scriptures from the teacher and reflecting and

contemplating upon the teaching. In course of time, na cireNa,

one attains sannyAsa in the absolute sense - an abidence in

the knowledge of the Self.

 

Describing a jnAni who abides in the knowledge of the Self, the

Lord says: sarva karmANi manasA sanyasyAste sukham vashI

(BG5.13), having renounced all the actions by discriminative

knowledge - between the Self and the non-Self - the wise man,

with senses under control, rests happily in the city of nine

gates, neither acting nor causing another one to act. This is

a sannyAsi in the real sense because he knows the AtmA to be

akartA or non-doer. The renunciation of action is really the

renunciation of kart^itva or the sense of doership and so even

while appearing to perform all normal actions such as seeing,

hearing, touching etc, he really does not do anything. He is

a sannyAsi in spite of apparently performing all the actions

because he is not associated with the motions of the sense

organs and rests happily, effortlessly abiding in himself.

It was said earlier, 'How can one the one who knows the Self

as indestructable, changeless, without birth and free from

modifications kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?' That

statement is fulfilled in this verse which says that the

wise man does not act, nor does he cause anyone to act.

 

(to be continued)

 

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