We had some major issues with my webhost over the last two weeks and due to this the site has been unavailable or down for a large amount of time. It is a long story, but I have now managed to move to a new host and I hope that such problems do not recur.
I thought I will resume my posts on Chapter 6. In our last post on this chapter, “The Restless Mind”, we discussed Sloka 34. Arjuna had expressed his doubts on the ability of a yogi to control his mind. Arjuna felt that the mind is restless and it cannot be controlled. The Lord did not reply to this observation and hence Arjuna elaborated further and said that the mind was unsteady, powerful, turbulent and stubborn and was as difficult to control as a storm.
The Space institute in America, NASA, had advertised that it required people who were prepared to fly to Mars. An engineer, a doctor and a lawyer responded to the ad. Each person was asked how much money they wanted for this. The engineer said that he wanted a million dollars which he would then donate to the university where he studied. The doctor said he wanted two million dollars, 1 million for himself and another million for the hospital where he worked. The Lawyer said he wanted 3 million dollars. The interviewer asked him why he wanted so much and the lawyer replied, “One million for me, One million for you and a million for the engineer who will then go to Mars”
Normally, if we see lawyers in court, they not only put forth their argument, but also anticipate a response and counter even that response all by themselves, because they have all their guns loaded and ready to fire. Arjuna too was in this situation. He told the Lord that all this talk about controlling the mind was a total waste because the mind is restless. He expected the Lord to say that the mind should be controlled and even went on to give a whole lot of reasons as to why the mind cannot be controlled. He was waiting for the Lord to come up with a set of arguments that he can once more attack. When a person comes to argue, the last thing that he would expect is that his argument will be totally accepted. When an argument is totally accepted, then he is taken aback. He feels as though the rug has been pulled away from under his feet. Lord Krishna’s response to Arjuna is just this. The Lord says:
asa.nshayaM mahaabaaho mano durnigraha.n chalam.h .
abhyaasena tu kaunteya vairaagyeNa cha gR^ihyate .. 6.35..
Lord Krishna says, “Oh mighty armed Arjuna, there is no doubt that the mind is restless and difficult to control, but with repeated practice and control of one’s desires, the mind can be brought under control.
asa.nshayaM - Without doubt : mahaabaaho – the might armed one : manaH – the mind : chalaM – restless : durnigrahaM – difficult to control : kaunteya – Son of Kunti : tu – But : abhyaasena – by repeated practice : vairagyena cha – and by controlling of desires with determination : gR^ihyate – it can be controlled.
The Lord tells Arjuna that there is no doubt at all about the fact that the mind is restless and difficult to control. Arjuna who had been expecting the Lord to counter his argument is stunned and open mouthed. At this time, the Lord also says, “A person who practices with determination and dispassion, can control his mind”. The two statements are quite contrary, but it makes Arjuna and all of us think. The Lord says, that the difficult task can be achieved but has two requirements. The first requirement is that we should practice regularly and with determination.
If you fill an earthen pot with water and place it on a shelf, after some time all the water evaporates, but if you keep it immersed in water, it remains full as long as it is there. Such is the case with spirituality. If we cultivate love for God for some time and then engage ourselves in everything else, forgetting Him, then we find that our hearts become empty of the love for God. But if the heart is always kept immersed in thoughts of God, then it will always remain filled with love of God. We hence need to continuously strive to fill our minds with thoughts of God, so as to restrain it from running after everything else.
If a person wants to learn cycling or driving or swimming, none of this will be easy when he attempts at first. But with practice it becomes easy. If you ask any good musician how he has gained expertise, he will say how many hours of Sadhana he does, even after he has become a “maestro”, an expert. So for success in any field, a lot of practice is necessary. It is said, “Practice makes perfect”. Spirituality is no exception. The Lord says that if a person practices continuously, then it is possible to tame the mind.
The Lord addresses Arjuna as “mahaabaahaH” meaning the mighty armed one. It is to gently remind Arjuna, that he is a strong man, not a weakling and so he should not be afraid of the process of controlling the mind. The Lord also says that the person should get rid of all his desires and passions. If a person still has desires left, even if he has total faith and is very devoted, it is not enough. The desires will shatter his control and it will not be possible for him to achieve God realization. So the Lord says that it is absolutely necessary for a yogi to have vairagya or dispassion, to be able to control his mind. The Lord says that if a person is dedicated enough then it would be possible for him to achieve control over his mind.
That was a superb read,I just subscribed to your rss feed.