Equanimity leads to orientation with the Cosmic Mind: Bhagavad Gita Verse 2:48

Discussion in 'Chitvish on Hindu Culture & Vedanta' started by Chitvish, Apr 24, 2008.

  1. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    In the verse 2.47, it is clear that the Lord’s teaching on the one hand supports activity and on the other, upholds evolution and freedom. The following verse indicates how to choose an inspiring goal and “be up and doing” with a spirit of dedication to our goal in life.

    Yogastha: kuru karmaNi, sangam thyakthvaa dhananjaya
    SiddhyasiddhyO: samO bhoothvaa, samathvam yoga uchyathae 2.48


    Oh, Arjuna! Abiding in Yoga, giving up attachment and remaining equanimous in success and failure, perform actions.
    Sameness (equanimity) is called Yoga. Equanimity within, is the highest spiritual yoga. Equanimity also means poise or internal tranquillity.
    Samatvam means sameness of the mind, which is the capacity to accept unfavourable situations without reaction on our part. It is a stage when you accept everything with grace – achievements without pride and failures without hurt. Samatvam is something more than pragmatism. Sameness is yoga. There cannot be sameness in our actions and results. There can be sameness only with reference to our attitude towards the result of an action.
    Gita also says to maintain sameness of the mind in the wake of the desirable and the undesirable. This is called yoga. This is what is called emotional maturity. So we can conclude there is nothing special in being a karmayogi. It is expected out of everyone.
    The second statement is a great truth expounded by the Lord. All skill, whatever the type of work, is an offering, fit for the divine. Yoga means “to join” (join work with God ); so work (karma) becomes Karma Yoga when work is performed with total love and complete concentration. Thus a karmi (doer) gets transformed to Karmayogi and connects to God and doing His, not one’s ego-centric work.
    People assume that Yoga, spiritual seeking, means renouncing all contacts with the world. But in Gita, mental tranquillity towards all the varied happenings around us is “Yoga” (samathvam yoga uchyathae)
    Yoga is dexterity in action (yoga: karmasu kaus(h)alam).
    Yoga is the basis of an integrated life, a means of bringing into harmony, the inner creative silence and the outer activity of life and a way to act with precision and success.

    The reward of bringing the mind to this is that the small individual mind grows to the state of the cosmic mind, rising above all its individual limitations. Only if a man is in a state of lasting contentment, can he remain balanced in loss and gain.
    Though action is performed on the level of the senses, its origin is at the inception of the thinking process. A thought starts from the deepest level of the mind; it is appreciated on the thinking level, where it takes the form of a desire. Desire, in its turn, expresses in the form of action. Thus, the balanced intellect and the field of action are far apart.
    One is on the level of absolute life-energy.
    The other is on a weak and diffused level of energy because, as the process of manifestation of a thought develops into an action, the concentration of energy becomes weaker.
    It is for this reason that <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:eek:ffice:smarttags" /><st1:place>Krishna</st1:place> declares that they are pitiable who tend towards action alone rather than towards a resolute state of intellect first and then to action later.
    He introduces the ideal principle for the integration of life and provides a simple technique for its achievement. He wants Arjuna to have a deep conviction and a clear conception of the relationship between
    The state of Yoga and action
    And
    Yoga and the doer.
     
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2008
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  2. Anandchitra

    Anandchitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Chithra
    The title is little daunting but very impressive!. It is very interesting to note that there is a verse to show how to choose an inspiring goal and for us to act on it with a spirit of dedication.
    You have explained samatvam very well. Also that it is with reference to our attitude towards the results of an action. If you note the same point is being reitereated thru out. Though it expected of everyone its one of the most difficult things to do.- emotional maturity.
    I am so glad to note the second statement that all work is an offering to God.
    You have given a very good explanation for that as well.. about the karma and karma yogi.
    The reward is certainly that the small individual mind grows into the cosmic mind.. It is quite amazing that all these concepts were outlined centuries ago.. maybe our schools should teach all this great knowledge from a very young age.. like the Gurukulam!. Thanks for writing this Chithra.
    I would like to mention here a book I am reading now by Eckhart Toole called the New Earth. In it he outlines principles very similar in content with what you write. Once again thanks for writing.
     
    Last edited: Apr 24, 2008
  3. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Chithra
    I am sure most of us would have witnessed the Boat Race in Kerala either in person or in TV newscasts. It is a great sight to watch about 100 odd men rowing in beautiful synchrony to the drum beats and the Vanchipaattu. The more intense is the synchrony the greater will be the chance of victory. This is a great testimony to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous words ‘No member of a crew is praised for the rugged individuality of his rowing’. In any team game, unless the individual player’s role is in synchrony with the goal of the team, he may be a great deterrent to the Team’s chances of a victory.

    This Verse emphasises this particular aspect. Tuning all our activities to the Cosmic Mind is indeed a fascinating concept. Maharshi Mahesh Yogi founded his Transcendental Meditation technique based on this concept. Let us imagine our role here as that of the crew of the Boat Race and our rowing is guided by the Cosmic Mind. It is, therefore, imperative that all our actions follow the cosmic direction and there is no place for ‘one-upmanship’

    All the movements of the entire Universe follow the direction of one central force. Our solar system like millions of similar ones in the vast Universe follows this directive force. There is so much of regularity in all their movements and there is hardly any cosmic accident. Compare this to our daily traffic jams and fatal road accidents and you will realise how superior the Cosmic Mind is as compared to our individual minds. The most important faculty that we must cultivate is the one that enables to perceive our role here as part of the Cosmic Play.

    We have heard of migratory birds flying thousands of kilometres without losing their path year after year. In ancient times before all these modern navigational aids were invented, man sailed in the vast seas with the help of the Pole Star to find his way to his destination. With such great orientation with the direction provided by Nature, they hardly err. All our actions must, therefore, be in synchrony with the Cosmic Mind.

    It is not as simple as it sounds. It has to start with our own immediate family circle and then it should get extended to our society, our nation and the world as a whole. It should be like a wave in a pond. The wave will be the strongest at the point of contact but as it grows larger and larger, it finally loses its form and merges seamlessly with the quiet pond. So should be all our actions. They may be the strongest when they are individual centric but they should not end there but like the wave expand to infinity. It is worthwhile to recall the famous words of George Bernard Shah:
    “Your purpose in life is simply to help on the purpose of the Universe”
    Sri
     
    Last edited: Apr 24, 2008
  4. aishu22

    aishu22 Gold IL'ite

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    Dear Chithra,
    I was very hesitant that the topic was a bit hard to contemplate, but when i read it, re read it & re read it i was able to make out the gist.You have given a intense explanation about karma yoga, karmi and how he turns as karma yogi when doing the work with love.Its really inspiring to note that all these are an "arpanam" to god.The sequences that make absolute life - energy was very much understandable.So thinking about actions rather than the resolute intellect ..hhmm..food for thought!
    The ideal principle of integrated life ,yoga&action;yoga&doer..well explained.

    Thanks Chithra.
     
  5. aishu22

    aishu22 Gold IL'ite

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    Dear Sri,
    I could make a perfect understanding about the synch of mind.. for i could compare it to the boat example you have given.Cosmic mind.. i'm hearing this term for first time, but can understand very well with all the analogy that you have quoted.Its so very true that cosmic mind is far better and more superior than our ind.minds.As you have said, its difficult to start with, but once we make it a habit then i think we can make it contagious...GBS - quote was very apt too.

    Thanks a ton Sri!
     
  6. vidhi

    vidhi Senior IL'ite

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    Dear Chith
    You help us to make understand karma yoga better. As the week goes by it is getting more clear. I liked the following –

    Yoga means “to join” (join work with God); so work (karma) becomes Karma Yoga when work is performed with total love and complete concentration. So yoga means not renouncing all contacts with the world on the other hand it is to be more associated with the nature itself. So you are right there is nothing special about Karma yoga it is expected out of everyone and it is the law of nature.

    Love
    Vidhi
     
  7. vidhi

    vidhi Senior IL'ite

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    Dear Cheeniya Sir

    Your example of boat race and solar system was very enlightening. When you ask some people ‘How is everything with you?” the response will be like this what is great about today? Getting up, going to work, having food and going to sleep at night. It is the same thing every day nothing much. This type of response is very common here in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:eek:ffice:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place>. The routine work very often brings boredom to their life. Karma Yoga conveys us that no work is less important than the other. And yes it has to start with our family first.

    regards
    Vidhi
     
  8. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Aishu
    Cosmic Mind is that Super Power that oversees all our activities and its reach extends to the farthest end of the Universe. Some call it God; some may call it a Force without wanting to assign any Divinity to it. But everyone agrees that there is an Universal Law that binds everything in this vast expanse of the Universe. When Neil Armstrong saw the Earth suspended as a ball in the background of millions of stars, he was overawed. He returned to the planet and took up a serious study of Theology!
    A peaceful and purposeful life is possible only if we can tune to it to the Cosmic Mind.
    Sri
     
  9. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Vidhi
    Eckhart said " Any flea as it is in God is nobler than the highest of the angels in himself" So the answer is very clear. When we realise that we are here at the behest of the Divine doing His specific work, we are nobler than the mightiest person who may control half the earth. We may be just scavenging streets but our inner realisation of our role as Divine gives us an aura of Divinity. That is why Buddhists believe that ego in any form is the biggest hindrance to reaching Him. Let us always remember that the flowers of the field proclaim His existence as powerfully as the Sun, the Moon and the Stars.
    Sri
     
  10. aishu22

    aishu22 Gold IL'ite

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    Thanks for this detailed explanation Sri....BowBow

     

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