Chapter
6: The Yoga of Meditation
Lord Krishna further
said, “One who performs actions without desiring the fruits thereof, is the real
Sannyasi and Yogi, not the one who has merely
renounced householder life including the sacred fire and the rites.”
A Sannyasi is no longer eligible to light
the sacred fire of sacrifices, nor is he able to perform rites and rituals as
prescribed in the Vedas. These are
all meant for householders who earn merits through such actions. However by mere
renunciation of the sacred fire and the rituals one does not become a Sannyasi. It is the renunciation of
desire that demarcates renunciation from non renunciation. Therefore one who has
renounced the fruits of actions, which are the manifestations of desires, is a
true Sannyasi.
The Lord continued in the same vein, “That which is called Sannyas or renunciation is also called
Yoga. One who has not renounced
desires cannot become a Yogi.”
Action is the only means of propelling a sage to the path of Yoga. Actions like oblations,
sacrifices, meditation and worship enables one to advance in the path of Yoga. However one who is established in
Yoga, serenity or contemplation is the means (of staying in the course).
One who is neither swayed by the senses nor by the actions, does
not become attached to them, and has renounced all desires and will, is
established in Yoga.
One must be able to render help to the soul or spirit within so
that it does not fall, through dejection, depression or deprivation (of
spiritual knowledge). The self is the true friend of one self, the self is the
enemy. One can be enemy of oneself when one allows his soul to fall through
perpetration of evil and through perpetuation of ignorance. A fallen soul is
characterized by extreme unhappiness because the light of knowledge and bliss
never ignites the soul. One is a true friend of oneself when he is able to
enlighten the soul through his spiritual quest, by dispelling the darkness of
ignorance. However one is a sworn enemy of oneself who makes no such attempt,
but rather weakens the soul through transgressions, misdeeds, depression and
laziness.
One who has conquered the soul in the end, is blissful and is ever
united with God, remains indifferent to the pairs of opposites like happiness
and misery, hot and cold, and honour and dishonor. The Yogi who is thus firmly established in
the knowledge of higher Self and is a master of all passions and senses, treats
gold, a lump of mud and stone equally. He has no greed and no intention to
acquire wealth for material prosperity. To him it matters not whether he turns a
pauper or a prince. He treats everybody equally including friends, enemies,
sinners, saints, relatives, his haters and wrongdoers and even those who are not
known to him. There is no preference or attachment to anybody. Equanimity is a
chief characteristic of a Yogi. Such
a Yogi always remains hidden (from
society), immersed in Self, ever free from hopes and desires (of materialistic
gain).
How does one become such a Yogi? Lord Krishna also answers this
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