Bhagavad Geetha Chapter 6: Aatmasamyama Yoga — Knowledge of Self and Individual Consciousness

Chapter 6: Aatmasamyama Yoga

Knowledge of Self and Individual Consciousness

Part of the Bhagavad Geetha — Complete Commentary by Guruji M. Mohan Sundar

( KNOWLEDGE OF SELF OR INDIVIDUAL CONSCIOUSNESS ) Lord Krushna says, "One who honestly does his duties in a righteous way without depending on the results of such duties, such a person is a renunciate and a Yogi. He who wears renunciate clothes and gives up fire (giving up cooking and living on alms is mandatory for monk order) or one who gives up ACTION totally seeking Moksha, cannot become a Yogi.

Note: Here Lord Krushna describes how a person doing his duties can also become not only a renunciate but also a Yogi (Karma Yogi). Arjuna, know that the act of sacrifice of the results of the duties is nothing but renunciation and itself is a Yoga. Yoga is attainable only when worldly interests are dispensed and one who is not detached from worldly desires cannot become a Yogi. A person wants to spiritually evolve, he must perform his actions without any attachments, and it will help him in attaining Yoga. After attaining Yoga, he will not have any intentions for the returns of his action and it is good for his Spiritual attainment. A person who is not indulging in the pleasures offered by the senses and fruits of his actions, such a person spiritually evolve towards attaining Yoga. A man is an enemy to himself and also a friend to himself. If he evolves away from the worldly affairs despite being in the midst of them, then he is a friend of himself. If he does not evolve himself from the worldly aspects, then he is allowing himself to go down in the spiritual evolution and he becomes an enemy to himself. Any individual/person who has taken control of his mind and senses is a friend to himself, and he who has not taken control of his mind and senses remains an enemy to himself. A person who is well established in the Supreme Being is not disturbed by heat or cold, happiness and sorrow, or insults and praises because his inner-self has become absolutely peaceful. He, who is well established in the Supreme Knowledge as well as science of Supreme Being, he will be totally freed from the influence of senses, and for him, a stone, soil, gold are all equal in his view because he has already attained the Supreme Being and sees Supreme Being in everything. He who has attained Equanimity will have a neutral view towards friends, enemies, people who neglect him, Meditators, relations and even between righteous and unrighteous people and such person is a Spiritually evolved person.

Note: A spiritually evolved person, even though he has equal perception towards every aspect yet he is endowed with wisdom that at grosser level how to deal with each aspect according to their merit i.e. being totally practical. A person who intends to attain Yoga must control his mind, senses and body, and also give up his greed and the attitude of unnecessarily accumulating wealth. He shall remain all alone in an isolated place (like Temple etc.) and Meditate upon the Supreme Being as much as possible.

Note: The State of Yoga means to align Individual Consciousness with the Universal Consciousness for all times. A seeker of Yoga must select a clean area and spread there Kusha Grass (Darbha) and put clean clothes on it and make neither too high nor too low seat which is suitable and sit on that, and then try to focus on controlling the mind and senses by way of Meditation. Meditation is essential for the purification of inward layers of mind (which is the store house of accumulated Karma from innumerable births), keep the head, body and neck straight as far as possible, but be comfortable without straining and focus the attention of the mind at the tip of the nose without deviating as much as possible.

Note: Meditation is a process in which a Divine Sanathana Name of any particular deity of one's choice is taken, sitting comfortably either on a chair or on a mat on the ground closing the eyes easily and comfortably, focussing the mind at the spot between the eyebrows (where the nose and eyebrows meet) and repeating the chosen Divine Name only mentally without moving tongue and lips in a natural way for about half an hour or more. Sanathan Divine Names are the Cosmic Codes which with constant repetition gradually opens the Individual Consciousness to Universal Consciousness/ Supreme Being/ GOD. This is the highest and best form of INWARD Spiritual practise which the great sages and saints of Bhaarat practised since ages and realised the Supreme Being to attain Moksha. Moksha is nothing but disseminating Individual Consciousness into the Universal Consciousness for all times and never to return into the cycle of births and deaths. Following the path of Divine Conduct (Brahma = Divine, Charya= Conduct), devoid of fear and totally being calm, but yet being alert, should focus the attention of his mind on ME (Supreme Being) as far as possible with better concentration. A Yogi who takes control of his mind through the above said Spiritual Practises must be able to divert his mind inward towards his own Consciousness and in-turn the Supreme Consciousness and attain Supreme peace and bliss. Arjuna Yoga cannot be attained by a person who over-eats or one who does not eat at all, and also by one who sleeps too much or one who does not sleep at all. Yoga can be attained by a person who adopt limitations in food, sleep, action and other activities. Moderation in everything is the mantra for attaining Yoga i.e., aligning with ME. He whose mind is fully absorbed and established in his own consciousness (Self), for him all the worldly desires evaporate and such a person becomes a Yogi. Just as a flame of a lamp (Deepa) remains still when there is no wind without getting swayed, similarly, a Yogi's mind when absorbed into the Supreme Being in Meditation shall not deviate. He whose mind has transcended senses and the intellect will be able to enjoy the bliss and from which he will not deviate. Such a person will attain the Supreme Being and from thereon nothing to be attained, and such a person will not be affected by the tragic aspects of the worldly life, and such a state is known as the attainment of Yoga. This state of Yoga should be attained without losing patience and courage.

Note: Lord Krushna emphasises that, such a state of Yoga can only be attained through constant practise with patience, perseverance and with confidence without losing heart. A practitioner of Yoga should prevent the mind and senses from rising desires and he should fix the mind and the intellect on the Supreme Being only and denying the other thoughts which create desires. The nature of the mind is to constantly move from one thought to another in the process of thinking. The practitioner of yoga should try to divert this movement of the mind inward through Meditation (focussing towards self through the repetition of a Divine Name or Mantra). He whose mind is calm, free from negative traits (free from blemishes), and free from its inconsistent nature, such a yogi will align his consciousness with the Universal Consciousness and will be happy within himself (not searching for happiness anywhere outside). A Yogi whose sins (bad Karma) are totally extinguished, will align with the Supreme Being without any further interruption and will enjoy the Supreme peace and Bliss forever. A Yogi, who is well established in the Supreme Being will be able to view in every aspect of the creation both in the living and non-living beings the presence of the Supreme Being everywhere at all times. Further he sees ME as "Vasudeva" (creator) spread over everywhere and also sees ME as the inner core of every aspect of the creation and for him I will never disappear nor he will disappear from MY awareness.

Note: Lord Krushna says that a Yogi will be able to comprehend the presence of God/Supreme Being in every aspect of the creation and he will be always aligned with the Supreme Being and the Supreme Being also will be aware of him all the time. This state is nothing but attainment of Supreme state where by there is no return into the cycle of births and deaths. A person who is aligned with ME through Yoga will see ME in all the living beings, worshiping ME constantly and aligning with ME all the time and wherever, whatever behaviour he exhibits, such a behaviour becomes MY behaviour.

Note: Whenever a person is established or aligned with the Supreme Being, then he becomes a tool in the hands of the Supreme Being and whatever actions he does will always be in accordance with the WILL of the Supreme Being. Arjuna, if any Yogi sees all the Living beings as himself and their happiness and sorrows as of his own, such a Yogi is Supreme among the Yogis.

Note: Here the Lord is saying that a Yogi who sees other living beings as his own self and therefore he will be able to comprehend the pains and sorrows of other living beings and shows supreme kindness on them. This is a message to mankind not to inflict violence, pain and sorrows to other human beings as well as to the animal beings and thereby live in harmony with them. Violence can only be used if needed to putdown the unrighteousness.

Arjuna questioned, " Hey Krushna, the Yoga of Equanimity YOU are preaching appears difficult for me because the mind is oscillatory in nature and therefore a stable state is not able to be experienced ". Arjuna questions further " Krushna, mind is always wavering and it is strong and powerful. Therefore, controlling it is as difficult as controlling the wind, is it not ? ". Lord Krushna answered, " It is true, controlling the mind is difficult. But with the regular practise of Meditation on the Supreme Being, it is possible". Arjuna, he who cannot take control of his mind cannot attain the state of Yoga. With constant practise one can succeed in controlling the mind and attaining stable state. Arjuna Questions, " Krushna, whoever is interested in Yoga but not able to attain, for such a person what happens at the time of death? Will he realize the Supreme Being (GOD) or what really happens to his soul ? ". Arjuna further questioned " Krushna, if one fails to realise the Supreme Being in his spiritual pursuit (through the Yogic practices), will he not lose both the GOD realisation (attainment of yoga) as well as the worldly life ? ". Shree Krushna said, " Hey Arjuna, a human effort to realize the Supreme Being/ GOD either in this world or in the other world will never go waste. One who tries to spiritually evolve and strive for establishing in THAT Supreme Being, he will never be let-down " . He who fails in his attempt in attaining Yoga will go to heavenly planes where people of good deeds reside. He will be there for a long time and after enjoying all the benefits of the heavenly planes of existence, he will be born in such a family who are spiritual in Nature and also, generally well to do in the worldly life. If a seeker of Yoga although fails to attain Yoga but full of detachments, he does not go to heavenly planes. Instead, he will take birth in the families of Yogis and continue his Saadhana (Spiritual pursuit) from there onwards. Such a birth is very rare to come. Whatever Yogic values he has attained in the past life without much effort he will get in this life too (in the sense that he carries forward Yogic instinct and also that state of mind). Under the influence of this carried forward instinct, once again he will try to attain Yoga seeking the Supreme Being with a more stronger effort. And whatever spiritual benefits that are envisaged in Vedas he will transcend (go beyond) and attain the Supreme Being.

Note: A Right and True Spiritual Practise to attain the Supreme Being or GOD will never be lost and the sum of his effort will be carried forward to next life, and he will easily get all those practises once again and he would try in a much forceful and effective way to attain God. Having born in a rich family inclined towards yoga, though he has failed in the past life to attain Yoga, he will be automatically attracted towards the practises of the Yoga and Meditation and with the development of the Even state of mind he can go beyond good actions recommended by the Vedas and their fruits. Because of the carried forward past life Saadhana, in the next life the seeker will be able to work-out all his sins (bad Karma) and in that very life he will be attaining the Supreme Being. A Yogi is superior to Thapaswi (One who does ritualistic penance), he is also superior than the people of scriptural knowledge. Further the Yogi is superior to one who does right actions with certain motives. Therefore Arjuna, you become a Yogi.

Note: Here, Lord Krushna is advising Arjuna to become a Yogi so that he is not emotionally disturbed while waging the war. Even among the Yogis, one who meditates on ME in his own mind turning the mind inward towards ME who is the Self as well as Universal Self , such a person is a superior Yogi.

Note: Here, Lord Krushna is emphasizing on Internal Meditation on the Supreme Being (Taking any one of the Cosmic names of the Supreme Being as available in Sanathana Dharma and Meditating on it), then he becomes the best of the Yogis. [ see pages 398 for Right Meditation process ] HERE ENDS THE AATMASAMYAMA YOGA Suspension of mental activity in Meditation is neither attainment of Trans nor is the end of spiritual journey. Dissemination of Individual Consciousness into the Universal Consciousness / Supreme Being is the real end of spiritual journey like a river joining the Sea.