The Philosophy of the Bhagavadgita - 10.5. Swami Krishnananda.

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021. 07:31. PM. 
Chapter - 10 : Forms of Sacrifice and Concentration-5.
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There is also, then, a spontaneous harmony of the movement of the pranas. The whole attention should be on freedom of the self in the absorption of consciousness in God. The senses, the mind and the intellect should stand together as if there is a single flame of light emerging from the self within. Usually the senses work somewhere, the mind is thinking something, and the intellect is acquiescing in the activities of the mind and senses; they never work in harmony. We are agitated personalities on account of the lack of harmony among the senses, the mind and the intellect. 

Like three flames of light joining into a single flame, the power of the senses and the power of the mind and the power of reason should stand together in unison. And the comparison given in the Sixth Chapter is that the flame should be unflickering like the glow of the lamp which is placed in a windless place. Such is the consciousness we attain to when there is no desire behind the working of the senses and there is no personal impulsion goading the mind towards anything outside, and the reason is satisfied.

One’s only goal is moksha, salvation, and there is no other aim in life. We have to be a hundred percent convinced that moksha is the goal of life, the liberation of the spirit is the aim of all our activities, all our studies, all our engagements, anything that we do, in any manner. Non-hatred, non-anger, non-greed follow automatically from this whole-souled attention of the consciousness on the ideal of the salvation of the spirit in the Absolute. This is Yoga in essence, says the Fifth Chapter.

All this is very inspiring, no doubt, but when we actually take to the practice, we will find that the senses are not yielding so easily. They are like turbulent horses which drag the vehicle, or the chariot, in any way they like, and to maintain a control over these horses which pull the vehicle of this body, the personality, is a hard job, indeed. The whole process of the practice of Yoga is a gradual one, not a sudden impulsive movement. We do not jump into action when we enter into Yoga. We take one step at a time, even as the mason keeps only one brick at a time when he raises a wall for a building; he does not place a thousand bricks in a heap. 

There is a gradual raising of the building by the architect or the workman, there is a steadiness and fixity maintained right from the bottom or the foundation, and a lot of time is to be taken in seeing that the foundation is strong, that every brick is laid properly in position, and firmly, with the requisite cement. Otherwise, there is a chance of the crumbling of the edifice. There should be no break or haste in any successful action, whether it is in raising a building structure, printing a book, writing a text, listening to a lecture or contemplating on God. Everything has to be done with great caution, passivity, leisure, and composure inwardly, and we will not be losers if we take time in this, because it is wiser to take time to understand each step, than to rush up and lose everything that was gained.

To be continued ...

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