The Hindu : Miscellaneous / Religion : Yoga of self-control

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Tuesday, Dec 28, 2004

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

Yoga of self-control

CHENNAI, DEC. 28 . The Supreme Being has articulated His mind for man's spiritual edification during His incarnations in the world directly in the form of teachings and also by example. The teaching of the Bhagavad Gita by Lord Krishna to Arjuna in the battlefield was one such important discourse on spirituality. After expounding the Yoga for achieving self-control at length He disclosed His considered opinion that the Yogi was superior to the ascetics and that he was regarded as superior even to those versed in the sacred lore. Further the Yogi is superior to those who perform action with some interested motive and advised Arjuna that he should become a Yogi. Finally He said that of all Yogis he who devoutly worshipped Him with his mind focussed on Him was the best.

In his discourse, Sri Goda Venketeswara Sastri said this statement of the Lord was the seed of the elaborate treatment of the path of devotion (Bhakti yoga) that followed in the Gita. Earlier Arjuna had raised the doubt about the relative merits of the paths of action (Karma) and knowledge (Jnana). This is a common doubt that besets a spiritual seeker in the initial stages, as it is human nature to adopt what he considers superior. The various spiritual paths have been prescribed for spiritual seekers of different levels of evolution and hence it will not be possible for one to adopt the path of knowledge until he has by the practice of Karma cleansed the mind of its latent tendencies. Only then will it be possible to meditate on the Self (Atman).

How long should the seeker perform Karma yoga and how is he to know whether his mind has been purified to take up the path of knowledge? The Gita points out that action must not be forfeited and it will drop away on its own accord when the mind has achieved the right equilibrium. At this stage the mind will automatically acquire the meditative quality and withdraw from worldly pursuits effortlessly. Another doubt that will arise is whether meditation is meant only for the monks.

Renunciation is neither giving up Karma nor a state to be attained. The Gita clarifies that he who performs action with detachment (without the result being the motive for action) is the true ascetic and hence it does not matter whether he is a householder or a monk as long as he achieves mental detachment. Such a person who has no attachment to sensory pursuits is said to have climbed the heights of Yoga.

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