DHYANA YOGA
Summary
Post.8
Dhyana Yoga starts with a beautiful definition of “YOGI”.
Ø Yogi is one who performs his duties selflessly and does not aspire for the fruits of such work.
Ø Sannyasa and Yoga mean the same.
Ø The first step in Yoga is to bring the MIND under your control. Mind is the sum total of your Sankalpas (thoughts and decisions) and your desires which are at the root of all of your actions.
Ø Do you realize that - your Mind is not under your control? On the other hand, YOU are under your MIND’s control. Your Mind is driving you from one thought to another and one desire to another and propelling you from one action to another for satisfaction of these endless desires.
Ø Mind resists, militates and rebels – when YOU try to control it through Yoga. Mind tries all its tricks to bring you back under its control.
Ø You must remain patient and confident and strive steadfastly to bring it under your control.
Ø PREPARATORY STEPS FOR DHYANA :
Ø To achieve mind control through Yoga, select a silent, lonely place.
Ø Sit on a small, firm, raised platform. Make it convenient for you to sit without disturbance from people, insects, noises etc.
Ø Relax completely while sitting firmly and erect.
Ø Keep the mind calm and peaceful and free from external disturbances.
Ø Now watch the Mind with your Buddhi. This is a crucial step.
Ø Now, there is a watcher YOU and a watched YOU.
Ø Under the watchful eye of Buddhi, the unending stream of thoughts and desires arising in the mind slowly and gradually start coming down. This is the first success.
Ø Sankalpas (thoughts) and desires are the power of the Mind over you. When they start coming down, Mind automatically becomes weak and comes under the control of the Buddhi.
Ø A mind under Buddhi’s control is your greatest friend. But one which is not under such control is your worst enemy.
Ø Now, the ignorance or avidya in you starts clearing up.
Ø You must strive to see your self in all beings and all beings in you. And, you must see the Brahman, or the Almighty in all, including you. This process is gradual but the result is certain. This is the next step.
Ø Great peace, contentment and Joy starts arising in you now. The peace, the contentment, the joy that you now experience – is much greater than any other mundane joy. This joy is far beyond ordinary sense perception.
Ø You will now ignore any sorrows which arise in life with nonchalance. This is another important stage.
Ø Keep the mind now fixed on Brahman. This is the next step.
Ø Some times, your mind will play its old tricks of going back to sense objects and trying to lure you to them.
Ø Gently bring the errant mind back with your Buddhi to your control again and again. This is a regular process for quite some time.
Ø Practice moderation in food, sleep, work, relaxation and all areas of life, so that mind remains peaceful. Do not indulge in any excesses or abstinences in life as they will make the mind restless and suffering. It actually makes the mind highly wavering. Moderation is very important for success.
Ø Two tools must necessarily be used in Yoga. (i) Abhyaasa (constant practice) and (ii) Vairaagya (non attachment to sense desires).
Ø These 2 tools ensure the Yogi’s success in Yoga – by bringing his mind under his firm control.
Ø If the Yogi is not completely successful in achieving perfection in yoga in his life time, will his efforts go a total waste?
Ø No. His good work is not a waste at all. His good work ensures that he reaches heavens after his present life and stays there for countless years. Thereafter, he is born is a wealthy and pious family. He may even be born in the family of Yogis.
Ø All his good efforts will come along with him after his life – and in all of his future births and aid him in his practice of yoga, in such future births. His progress will be extraordinarily fast now and he will reach perfection in yoga very easily.
Ø What is success in Yoga? It is - achieving the unlimited, eternal and boundless joy which is beyond all sense perception.
Ø Such a Yogi is freed from all sorrows and is in union with the almighty / Brahman.
Ø Such a Yogi is much superior to ascetics, Jnanis and those indulging in karma.Among them, whoever is devoted to the Brahman steadfastly is very dear to the almighty. Neither they will leave him nor he will leave them.
Ø Readers may now ponder – what do we all want in life? Greatest Joy for all time and No sorrows. Is it not? That is what Yoga gives us.
Ø Therefore Krishna told Arjuna – Oh Arjuna, Become a Yogi! This advice is to Arjuna, to me and to you all.
Ø May you all have Lord Krishna’s blessings for success in your Yoga efforts.
BRIEF MEANING
OF VERSES 1 to 47
Ø YOGI – is one who does selfless work, one who does not aspire for the fruits of his work.(V.1)
Ø Sanyaasa and Yoga are one and the same. For both, you must leave your Sankalpa / desires (V.2).
Ø Karma becomes essential before becoming a yogi. But, Karma peels off when you enter Yoga seriously. You become more and more peaceful(V.3).
Ø You must gradually reduce Desire for Sense objects – to become firm in Yoga (V.4).
Ø In this path, your mind must be made your friend, in uplifting yourself. Else, your own mind can become your enemy(V.5).
Ø If you discipline your mind and senses, your mind becomes your own friend(V.6).
Ø With discipline, you will enjoy a calm and peaceful mind. You will treat comforts, discomforts, gains and losses with equanimity when mind is calm(V.7).
Ø You will be totally contented in this new wisdom (Jnanam)(V.8).
Ø You will treat friends, foes, good people and bad people, all alike in your calm mind (V.9).
Ø Where and how should you perform this Dhyana yoga?
Ø You must select a lonely and silent place for practicing Yoga. You must also reduce your desires, and your expectations from others for the purpose (V.10).
Ø Ensure that the place is clean. Have a raised, firm platform, not too high and not too low for sitting. Place Kusa grass on the plat form, a deer / tiger skin on top of it and a clean cloth one top of the deer / tiger skin (V.11).
Ø Sit on this firm seat for watching your mind and the thoughts and emotions in it. (V.12).
Ø keep your trunk, neck and the head straight, firm and unmoving. Keep your eyes as though seeing the tip of the nose, but not really making any effort for the purpose. It means, eyes must be at total rest but not closed(V.13).
Ø Keep your mind peaceful, devoid of all fears, and in Brahmacharya (devoid of desires and lust) and attentive on the almighty(V.14).
Ø Now, place your total attention on the Atman (Brahman). Slowly, You will achieve a great peace in your mind. Keep that peaceful mind on the almighty (Brahman)(V.15).
Ø To become a Yogi, moderation is the key. Do not eat too less or too much; do not sleep too much and do not be awake too much. Do not be day dreaming(V.16).
Ø Eat appropriate food, relax appropriately and do appropriate actions. When you perform yoga this way, you can easily go beyond all sorrows and pleasures (V.17).
Ø Keep your mind is intent on Yoga without wavering. Then, desires cannot disturb it (V.18 &19 ).
Ø You will experience great, unlimited, boundless joy in such a state(v.20).
Ø This joy is beyond the sense organs and their perception abilities. Only the enlightened Buddhi (Intellect) will perceive it (V.21).
Ø You will know that this is the greatest joy there is – and you will now not hanker for other pleasures. You will also not be tormented now by any sorrows (v.22).
Ø Vidya or wisdom is – the ability to remain untormented by sorrows. Remaining unattached to such sorrows is called Yoga(V.23).
Ø Sankalpa (decision / thought) is at the root of all desires. If you keep control on your sankalpa and the senses, your mind becomes unwavering and steady and will be of a great help to you(V.24).
Ø Buddhi only can do it. Control your mind with Buddhi and through it the senses, slowly and steadily(V.25).
Ø Some times, mind will go after sense objects during your yogic practice. It happens and is natural; Bring the mind back gently again through your Buddhi and keep it under Buddhi’s control(V.26).
Ø The Yogi who persists in performing his Yoga, achieves a peaceful, contented mind, cleaned of the Rajasic (and tamasic) gunas (v.27).
Ø Such a yogi experiences the Brahman in himself easily and feels the extraordinary joy of union with Brahman(v.28).
Ø Such a yogi sees all beings in himself and himself in all beings and treats all as equal(V.29).
Ø He also sees the almighty (Brahman) in all beings; worships him always through this experience of sama darshana or oneness of all beings. The almighty( Brahman) will always be with the yogi in his endeavours and the yogi will always be with the almighty (Brahman)(v.30 &31).
Ø He looks upon the joys and sorrows of all, including his own, with equal eye and equanimity (v.32).
Ø At this point, Arjuna raises a valid doubt – mind is so strong, turbulent, wavering and uncontrollable.(33,34).So how do I control it?
Ø Krishna says – True. Mind is powerful and difficult to control ordinarily. But there are 2 tools for its control (i) Practice of Yoga and mind control (Abhyaasa) and (ii) Non-attachment to sense objects (vairagyam)(V.35).
Ø One who has no control at all on his mind can not attain to yoga. But, one who tries to control sincerely, slowly gains control over the mind (v.36).
Ø Now Arjuna has a further doubt : If a yogi, even if sincere and devoted, may, due to the wavering mind, fall some times from yoga. What happens to him then? (v.37).
Ø Does he not become unsuccessful in worldly life and yogic life both?(V.38).
Ø Krishna, you are the only one who can remove my doubts. Please do clarify to me, says Arjuna(V.39).
Ø Lord Krishna now assures –
Ø A yogi who has done some sadhana earnestly never comes to any grief from it and never gets adversity because of it(v.40).
Ø Such failed yogis also will reach great heavens where they will stay for long years and are then reborn in wealthy and pious families to continue their yoga (v.41).
Ø Or, in rare cases, he may even be born in a family of great yogis, which hastens his yogic achievements (v.42).
Ø Such failed yogis will also be aided by their yogic knowledge of previous births and their progress in current birth will be that much faster(v.43).
Ø Even if in current birth, you do not seem to have much links with Yoga, you will be drawn to yoga by the practices done by you in your previous birth(v.44).
Ø Such yogi will remove all his sins and impurities through consistent practice and come to perfection (with unbounded, eternal Joy) through his yogic practices of all previous and current births(V.45).
Ø The Almighty says - he considers such a Yogi – as superior to the ascetics, to the Jnanis and to all those persons who indulge in Karma (for selfish purposes). Therefore, O Arjuna, Do become a Yogi. (v.46). This is a direct exhortation to Arjuna.
Ø The best among such yogis, is the one, who always keeps me in his mind and worships with devotion(V.47)
Ø Here ends Dhyana Yoga, the chapter.6 of Bhagavad Gita.
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