Friday, November 16, 2012

Excerpts from the Gita

One who is not disturbed in mind even amidst the threefold miseries or elated when there is happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind. 

 The senses are so strong and impetuous, O Arjuna, that they forcibly carry away the mind even of a man of discrimination who is endeavoring to control them. 

 One who restrains his senses, keeping them under full control, and fixes his consciousness upon Me, is known as a man of steady intelligence. 

While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment anger arises.From anger, complete delusion arises, and from delusion, bewilderment of memory. When memory us bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost, one falls down again into the material pool. 

One who is not connected with the Supreme can have neither transcendental intelligence nor a steady mind, without which there is no possibility of peace.And how can there be any happiness without peace? As a boat on the water is swept away by a strong wind, even one of the roaming senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man's intelligence. A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires - that enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is always still - can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires. 

A person who has given up all desires for sense gratification, who lives free from desires, who has given up all sense of proprietorship and is devoid of false ego - he alone can attain real peace. 

 One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, in intelligent among men, and he is in transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities. In this world, there is nothing so sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge. Such knowledge is the mature fruit of all mysticism. And one who has become accomplished in the practice of devotional service enjoys this knowledge within himself in due course of time. 

A faithful man who is dedicated to transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses is eligible to achieve such knowledge and having achieved it, he quickly attains supreme spiritual peace. But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness;they fall down.For the doubting soul there is no happiness neither in this world nor in the next. 

 One who works in devotion, who is a pure soul, and who controls his mind and senses is dear to everyone, and everyone is dear to him. Though always working, such a man is never entangled.

 One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme Lord, is unaffected by sinful action, as the lotus leaf is untouched by water. 

The steadily devoted soul attains unadulterated peace because he offers the results of all activities to Me; whereas a person who is not in union with the Divine, who is greedy for the fruits of labor, becomes entangled. 

A person who neither rejoices upon achieving something pleasant not laments upon obtaining something unpleasant, who is self-intelligent, who is unbewildered, and who knows the science of God is already situated in transcendence. 

One must deliver himself with the help of his mind. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well. For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy. 

As a lamp in a windless place does not waver, so the transcendentalist, whose mind is controlled, remains always steady in meditation on the transcendent self. From whenever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the self. For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Arjuna, and to subdue it, I think is more difficult than controlling the wind. 

O son of Kunti, at the end of the millennium all material manifestations enter into My nature, and at the beginning of another millennium, by My potency, I create them again. The whole cosmic order us under Me. Under My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and under My will it is annihilated at the end. Intelligence,knowledge,freedom from doubt and delusion, forgiveness,truthfulness,control of the senses,control of the mind,happiness and distress,birth,death,fear,fearlessness,nonviolence,equanimity,satisfaction,austerity, charity,fame and infamy - all these various qualities of living beings are created by Me alone.

 I am the Supersoul, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all living entities. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings. I am inexhaustible time. I am also the gambling of cheats,and of the splendid I am the splendor. I am victory, I am adventure, and I am the strength of the strong. I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of everything, the resting peace and the eternal seed.

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