Relevance of the Bhagavadgita to Humanity : 26-2. Swami Krishnananda.

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Tuesday, September 20, 2022. 06:00.
Chapter 26: Being Spiritually Alone to Oneself-2.

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The self that is not so restrained stands opposed to the welfare of the higher self. The intentions of the higher self are contradicted by the longings and prejudices and the ways of life of the lower self. Whenever the lower self's way of life is not in harmony with the regulations of the higher self, the lower self stands opposed to the higher self. Then the higher self is an enemy, as it were, of the lower self, an enemy in the sense that the higher self cannot brook intervention in any of its regulations. It is an indomitable principle.

A law is expected to be obeyed. A law that is not obeyed is no law at all. The intention behind a regulation is that it has to be enforced, and the self in a particular status of itself enforces its law. It enforces it vehemently, as strongly as the self can be, and if there is any other self than itself which has its own laws subsumed under the mentioned self, which is higher, there will be a reaction automatically set by the operative law of the higher Self in respect of that disobeying self. In one sense this is karma, bondage, caused by what we call the reactions produced by unlawful and unprincipled, unspiritual behaviour. The unspiritual behaviour is the essence of disobedience to the law of the higher self. That which is spiritual is the law of the Self. The Self is spirit and, therefore, the law of the spirit is called spirituality. To live the life of spirituality is to obey the law of the spirit, to be subservient to the law of the Self, which means not to disobey the law of the self-complete nature of that Self. It is self-complete, and therefore the imagined dissatisfaction felt in any status of self, due to which it is propelled to move in the direction of outward things, would be unspiritual. Any longing for objects of sense, therefore, may be regarded as opposed to yoga. Therefore, it is necessary to exert the influence of the higher self upon the lower self. Uddhared ātmanātmānaṃ (BG 6.5): The lower self has to be lifted by the power of the higher self. We have to enforce upon the lower self the law of the higher self.

But it is never to be pampered. The lower self is not to be indulged in. That would be the avasadhana of the self: nātmānam avasādayet. To pamper the cravings and passions of the lower self would be to allow it to go down and down into greater and greater pits of sorrow. This should not be done, and such a state of affairs should not be permitted. There should always be the control of the higher self over this little self.

All morality is obedience to the law of the higher self. The restraint of the higher in respect of the lower is called the ethical mandate. The determination of the lower in terms of the higher is morality. If the higher is not to operate in the life of any particular person, there would be no ethical behaviour, and there would be no moral conduct. So morality, while it is a voluntary acceptance of a disciplined way of living, is also a kind of control exerted upon oneself by a higher principle superior to the one with which one is individually accustomed in one's physical and social life.

Thus is the importance, at least in the case of a yogi, a spiritual seeker, of perennially keeping watch over the movements of the lower self as a policeman would keep watch of permanent vigilance over conditions which may go out of control. Vigilance is yoga. Any kind of heedlessness is the death of yoga. The great Sanatkumara says that heedlessness is equivalent to death. In a moment we may slip down, and one slip is sufficient to tumble us down to the lowest level. A little kick is enough to go down and down until we are at the lowest. To rise up once again would be very hard. So never allow the lower self to have a free hand. Do not give it a long rope. Let it be always under the subjection of the law of the higher self. Never befriend the cravings of the lower self, because the higher self is the real friend of the lower self. Law is a protector, and not a punisher. It is intended for the welfare of people, and not to destroy them. Discipline is not a pain-giving mandate. It is a protective measure and a health-giving procedure.

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To be continued 

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