On Attitude toward One’s Own Path to the Perfection

Bhagavad Gita with Commentaries / On Attitude toward One’s Own Path to the Perfection

On Attitude toward One’s Own Path to the Perfection

God suggests that we consider our lives as the possibility to approach the Perfection by constantly making efforts on transformation of ourselves, as well as through active creative love-service to God, which is manifested as service to people. Below are the corresponding statements of Krishna:

Fighting Coarse Negative Emotions and Worldly Cravings

12:13. He who is not hostile to any living being, who is friendly and compassionate, … even-minded among joy and sorrow, all-forgiving,

12:14. ever content… — such a loving Me disciple is dear to Me.

12:15. He who does not injure people…, who is free from anxiety, elation, anger, and fear — such one is dear to Me.

12:17. He who neither … hates, (nor) grieves… — such one is dear to Me.

5:23. The one who here, on the Earth, before liberation from the body, can resist the power of worldly attractions and anger — such one achieved harmony, he is a happy person.

16:21. Threefold are the gates to hell where man perishes: lust, anger, and greed. Therefore, one has to renounce these three.

16:22. He who has freed himself from these three gates of the darkness makes his own good… and attains the Supreme Goal.

18:27. Excited, desirous for fruits of his actions, greedy, envious, admiring himself, dishonest, subjected to rejoice and sorrow — such a doer is called rajasic.

18:28. Arrogant, coarse, angry, obstinate, … somber… — such a doer is called tamasic.

A comment needs to be made to the statements 5:23 and 16:21.

It is necessary to understand that in these words of Krishna there is no denial of sexuality and sex. Only that sexuality has to be avoided which is of egoistic nature (characterized by the formula: “I want! Satisfy me!”) and which distracts one from the higher aspiration to the Creator. But in general, sexuality is regarded by Krishna positively and even with respect (see verse 7:11).

It is obvious that sexuality and sex are necessary for reproduction. Sexuality also socializes people [9]. Upbringing of children plays an important part in formation of many valuable qualities in man. Moreover, the stage of sattva can hardly be mastered without the experience of the higher harmony of sexual relationships.

But later on, in order to become free from the stereotypes of the guna sattva, one has to make certain efforts. As the indriyas are taken off earthly objects and the consciousness merges with the higher layers of the Absolute, the subjective importance of sexuality necessarily diminishes. It may remain only as a means of helping others with strengthening sattva and crystallization of the consciousness.

Raja Krishna Himself had wives and children; it is described in the other books of the Mahabharata. But it is necessary to understand that they were not just wives in the usual sense, but spiritual disciples incarnated into female bodies.

Sexuality as well as all other qualities of man can be differentiated according to the gunas. That is, the sexuality peculiar to the representatives of a certain guna has the nature of this guna. This knowledge may become the ground for self-analysis and self-improvement, and for understanding other people better. Sexuality may be even transcendent to the gunas. Only the sattvic sexuality is worthy of encouragement.

In the Bhagavad Gita, much is said about the sattvic qualities; they are harmoniousness, calmness of mind, subtlety of consciousness, the ability to control one’s own emotions with refusal of the coarse emotional manifestations, prevalence of the state of subtle and joyful love, absence of egocentrism, violence. From the methodological standpoint, it is important to stress that the sattvic qualities can be developed only if the body is healthy and cleansed from coarse energies. To become sattvic, one needs, among other things, to exclude completely meat and fish from the nutrition. The sattvic qualities can be steadfast only in the person who has passed fully through the stage of kshatrism, has developed vigor, personal power, high intellect, and has gained thorough knowledge about the most important in life.

Fighting False Attachments

12:17. He who neither falls in love (with people)… — such one is dear to Me.

12:18-19. … Free from worldly attachments… such a person is dear to Me.

13:8-11. … Dispassion toward earthly objects…, absence of worldly attachments… — all this is acknowledged as true…

2:62. But if he comes back in his mind to the earthly objects, then inevitably the attachment to them arises. The attachment leads to desire to possess these objects, and impossibility to satisfy this desire produces anger.

16:1-3. … Generosity, … absence of greed… — the one of Divine nature possesses these qualities.

18:26. Unattached to action… — such a doer is called sattvic.

18:49. He who as a consciousness is free and omnipresent, who cognized the Atman, who has no worldly desires — he attains through the path of renunciation the Highest Perfection and the freedom from the fetters of his destiny!

Fighting Egoism, Egocentrism, and Ambitiousness, which Are Manifestations of the lower self

12:13. He who is… without worldly attachments and egoism, even-minded among joy and sorrow, all-forgiving,

12:16. He who requires nothing from others… — … is dear to Me.

13:7-11. Humility,… simplicity,… absence of egoism… — all this is acknowledged as true…

16:4. … Haughtiness, pride… are the features of the one of demonic qualities.

18:26. … Devoid of self-admiration… — such a doer is called sattvic.

12:18. Equal toward a friend and toward a foe, the same toward glorification and disgrace, in warmth and in cold, among joy and sorrow, free from worldly attachments,

12:19. regarding equally praise and blame, laconic, content with everything what happens, not attached to home, determined in decisions, full of love, such a person is dear to Me.

The problem of fighting false attachments, egoism, and egocentrism can be radically solved by:

— forming the right spiritual orientation (i.e. whole-hearted aspiration to the Creator),

— mastering the control over the indriyas, and

— direct elimination of the lower self in Nirodhi through the meditation total reciprocity. (If this meditation is performed in the Holy Spirit, then it results in the state of Nirvana in Brahman; if it is performed in the eon of the Creator, then Merging with the Creator happens).

The work with the indriyas is a component of the psychoenergetical work of self-development; it is possible only for those who have mastered on the stage of raja yoga the methods of moving the consciousness from one chakra to another, developed all three dantyans, and then — on the stage of buddhi yoga — brought to the perfect state the both bubbles of perception, and solved the mystery that Krishna spoke about in the beginning of the 15th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.

Cultivating Positive Qualities in Oneself

12:19. … Determined in decisions, full of love — such a person is dear to Me.

2:14. The contact with matter produces feelings of heat and cold, of pleasure and pain. These feelings are transient: they come and go. Endure them with fortitude!

2:15. He who is unmoved by them, … who remains sober and unfaltering in joy and in trouble — such one is able to attain Immortality.

4:33. Superior to all outer sacrifices is the sacrifice of wisdom… All actions, O Partha, become perfect when they are performed by the wise.

4:34. Therefore, gain wisdom through devotion, inquiry, and service. Sages and clairvoyants, who perceived the essence of things, will impart this to you.

4:38. There is no purifier better than wisdom in this world. Through it, the one skilled in yoga attains enlightenment in the Atman.

4:39. The one full of faith gains wisdom. The one controlling his indriyas gains it too. Having achieved wisdom, they quickly attain the higher worlds.

11:54. Only love can behold Me thus, O Arjuna! Only love can contemplate Me in My innermost Essence and merge with Me.