KRISHNA

#1

Those who succeed in meditating are not those who are lethargic or who don’t take any action; rather, it is those who put in effort without the hope of receiving anything in return. They have truly given up everything.

#2

As a result, Arjuna, you need to have a clear understanding that renunciation and the performance of service without regard for oneself are the same thing. Those who are unable to let go of their attachment to the outcomes of their actions are a long way off the path.

#3

The path for aspirants who want to climb the mountain of spiritual awareness is work that is focused on others, while the path for those who have ascended to yoga is one that is focused on stillness and peace.

#4

A person will be able to ascend to the unitive state once they have freed themselves from attachment to the results of their actions as well as desires for the enjoyment of sensual objects.

#5

Remake yourself through the strength of your will, and under no circumstances should you allow yourself to be diminished by your own willpower. The will is the only ally of the self, and it is also the only foe of the self. Both roles are played by the will.

#6

The will is a friend to those who have already won the battle with themselves. However, it is the enemy of those individuals who have not yet discovered the Self that resides within them.

#7

The consciousness of those who have triumphed over themselves is the place where the supreme reality can be found revealed. They do not fear the heat or the cold, the pleasure or the pain, the praise or the blame; they live in peace.

#8

Spiritual enlightenment and an awareness of one’s true nature confer total satisfaction on them. They have now reached the pinnacle of human consciousness, and in the process, have triumphed over their senses. For individuals with this mindset, a clod of dirt, a stone, and gold are all the same thing.

#9

They have the same attitude toward their family, their enemies, and their friends. They have the same attitude toward those who support them as well as those who are hostile toward them. They are able to achieve great success due to the fact that they are objective.

#10

Those who wish to achieve the yoga state should practise meditation in order to seek the Self within the stillness of their own minds. They should constantly practise one-pointedness, free from expectations and attachment to material possessions, and they should have control over their bodies as well as their minds.

#11

Find a spot that is clean, not too high or too low, and seat yourself firmly on a cloth, a deerskin, and some kusha grass.

#12

Once you are seated, you should make an effort to quiet your thoughts. During meditation, if you focus your thoughts in a single direction, you will find that it cleanses your heart.

#13

Make sure that your body, head, and neck are all firmly aligned in a straight line, and that you don’t let your eyes wander.

#14

Once all of your fears have been dispelled by the tranquilly of the Self, and once all of your desires have been given over to Brahman, then sit in meditation with me as your only objective, having the mind under your control and focusing on me.

#15

An aspirant achieves nirvana, also known as the state of everlasting joy and peace in me, when their senses and mind are constantly controlled through meditation and they are united with the Self within.

#16

Arjuna, those who eat too much or too little, who sleep too much or too little, and who try to meditate, will fail because their bodies are not properly regulated.

#17

On the other hand, those who practise moderation in their eating and sleeping habits, as well as their work and their leisure, will be able to rid themselves of their sorrow through meditation.

#18

They learn, through consistent effort, to withdraw the mind from egotistical cravings and to instead absorb it in the Self. They achieve the state of union in this manner.

#19

When one has mastered the practise of meditation, their mind becomes as steady as the flame of a lamp in an area where there is no wind.

#20

The Self makes its appearance when the mind is still and when one is deeply meditating on it. An aspirant experiences the bliss and tranquilly of total fulfilment when they behold the Self through the medium of the Self.

#21

Having attained that enduring joy that is beyond the senses, which is revealed in the quieted mind, he never deviates from the truth that will endure forever.

#22

He is satisfied with nothing else and is unmoved by the heaviest load of sorrow that can be placed upon him.

#23

Meditation is a practise that can liberate a person from any and all suffering. This is the way yoga should be practised. Continue doing so with doggedness and an unwavering spirit of excitement.

#24

Employing your willpower to exert dominion over the senses requires you to give up completely all of your egotistical desires and expectations.

#25

The mind will eventually become stilled in the Self through a combination of perseverance, patience, and continued effort.

#26

Whenever the mind becomes restless and scattered in the process of looking for fulfilment outside of oneself, direct it inward and teach it to find peace in one’s own being.

#27

Those who can learn to quiet their minds will find that joy stays with them. As they purge themselves of the stain of self-will and bring their consciousness into harmony, they merge with Brahman and become one with it.

#28

Those who have liberated themselves from the weight of evil and have a firm grasp on who they are; are well-positioned to experience the boundless joy that comes from touching Brahman.

#29

They are able to see the Self in every living thing and the Self in all of creation. They have achieved a unified state of consciousness through meditation, which allows them to view everything with the same perspective.

#30

Those who have seen me in every living thing will always feel my presence with them. When I look at all of life as my manifestation, it is impossible for them to be distinct from me.

#31

They honour and adore me in each and every one of their hearts, and everything they do is inspired by me. They are always with me, no matter where they call home.

#32

When a person can respond to the happiness and sadness of others as if they were his own, that person has reached the pinnacle of spiritual union and has attained the highest state possible.

ARJUNA

#33

The stillness of the divine union that you describe, O Krishna, is something that is beyond my ability to comprehend. How is it possible for the mind, which is always racing, to find peace that lasts?

#34

To try to exert control over something as restless, turbulent, powerful, and violent as the mind is, like attempting to exert control over the wind.

KRISHNA

#35

It is accurate to say that the mind is fidgety and difficult to exert one’s will over. Arjuna, however, you can prevail over it by engaging in consistent practise and cultivating a detached attitude.

#36

Those who lack the ability to self-regulate will find it difficult to make progress in meditation; however, those who are able to self-regulate and who strive arduously while employing appropriate methods will succeed in reaching their objective.

ARJUNA

#37

What happens to a person who has faith but not enough self-control to prevent him from straying from the path and thereby failing to achieve success in yoga, Krishna?

#38

If a man becomes misguided on the path to spiritual enlightenment, will he, like a cloud that has dispersed across the sky, lose the support of both worlds?

#39

Krishna, you have the power to dispel all doubts; free me from this particular doubt that ties me down.

KRISHNA

#40

Arjuna, my son, a person with such qualities, will not be annihilated. No one who does good work will ever suffer a misfortune, either in this world or the world to come. This is a guarantee.

#41

When people like this pass away, their souls are transported to other realms where the righteous reside. They spend an untold number of years there, and then they are reborn into a family that lives in a place that is both holy and prosperous.

#42

Another possibility is that they were born into a family that meditates regularly; however, this is a very unlikely occurrence because being born into such a family is extremely uncommon.

#43

Arjuna, the knowledge that they have accumulated over the course of previous lives, will be reawakened, and they will work even harder to realise their true selves.

#44

They will, in point of fact, be propelled forward by the power of their previous disciplines. Even someone who is just curious about the practise of meditation puts themselves in a higher category than those who simply carry out rituals.

#45

A person can become free of all of their egotistical aspirations and arrive at the pinnacle of human achievement by exerting consistent effort over the course of many lifetimes.

#46

The most severe forms of asceticism and the path to knowledge cannot compare to the benefits of meditation. In addition to this, it is superior to performing selfless service. Arjuna, may you reach the pinnacle of your meditative practise!

#47

Even among those who meditate, the person who worships me with perfect faith and who is completely absorbed in me is the most firmly established in yoga. This applies to both men and women.