Bhagavad Gita | The Essence of Vedanta

-6th chapter: verses 16, 17, 18
-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on October 30, 2020.
-16th verse: “Success in Yoga is not possible for him, who eats too much or doesn’t eat at all, nor for him, who sleeps too much or is awake too much.”
-Eating is used as a metaphor here for any kind of activity by the senses of action and perception, as they feed the mind. All such activities should be done with moderation. Extreme ascetic practices and extreme indulgence are both equally harmful.
-Some seekers may over-indulge themselves in spiritual activities thinking that they can reach the goal faster. Since we play with the mind in spiritual life, this should be done with moderation. There are remedies for over-exertion at physical level, but very few such remedies exist at mental level. For example, long hours of pranayama can cause asthma and delusions of grandeur.
-Some seekers are able to practice extreme asceticism successfully as they may have attained a high level of self-control from spiritual practices in previous life.
-According to Shankaracharya, the purpose of spiritual life is to transcend the physical level. With extreme asceticism, the body may become weak and drag the mind to physical level.
-Prayer or meditation should not be done in a way that makes one feel exhausted. Meditation should bring a feeling of inner bliss and contentment. If one has a sense of reverence towards what he is practicing, he will be able to sustain the practice without feeling the effort, and he will be able to overcome obstacles – both external and from his own mind.
-If one enforces spiritual practices on himself before being ready for it, it can create bitterness. For example, someone who is always fasting may start finding fault in others, even though the purpose of fasting is to get closer to God.
-Extreme asceticism can also manifest itself as a strong desire to let off the steam after the spiritual activity – for example, the desire to watch TV soon after meditation. This happens because of the desire to escape the strain or effort put into the spiritual activity.
-Spiritual disciplines involve a delicate process of purifying our samskaras and sublimating them. A beginner should make himself ready for spiritual practices by holy association and by reading spiritual literature. This gives the mind a new focus to concentrate upon.
-17th verse: “Yoga is the destroyer of all problems and miseries. It is attained by that person who is moderate and steadfast in eating, recreation, work, sleep and wakefulness.”
-Vyasa classifies the human mind into five categories: (1) Kshipta (scattered) (2) Mudha (dull) (3) Vikshipta (partially focused) (4) Ekagra (one-pointed) (5) Niruddha (fully focused). Most beginners are in the third stage, where the mind sways like a pendulum. If they over-exert, once the spiritual activity is over, their mind can sway in the extreme opposite direction. Hence, moderation is necessary.
-Moderation is also necessary at work. If work becomes the only supreme goal, then setbacks in life can shatter the mind. Laziness and extreme obsession to work – both should be avoided.
-One who practices moderation in all activities, for him Yoga becomes a path to spiritual discovery. He feels inner joy from his spiritual practices, A true devotee of God is in a state of perpetual contentment. Mystics and devotees, such as Prahlada, were in this state of contentment and free from strain, even when faced with problems.
-18th verse: “When a devotee is able to fully control his mind which rests in the Atman alone, when he becomes free from all desires, when he becomes established in the presence of the Lord in his own heart – then he is said to have attained Yoga.”
-Sri Ramakrishna attained this state of Yoga. He felt the presence of the Lord within him, he was focused completely on the Divine Reality, and all his emotions were spiritually sanctified.
-God’s presence is like a magnetic hill. When a boat passes near the magnetic hill, its nails and screws loosen. Similarly, God’s presence drives away lust, passion and anger.
-When one is established in Yoga, all of his emotions get purified by devotion. A cooked seed cannot germinate. Similarly, when emotions are purified and sublimated, they don’t do any harm.