Dissipation of the Cloud of Unknowing – Bhagavad Gita Verses 2.51-2.53

Chitvish · May 15, 2008

With the following verse Krishna comes to the end of karma yoga.

Karmajam buddhiyukthaa hi phalam thyakthvaa maneeshiNa:
Janmabandha vinirmukthaa: padam gachchanthyanaamayam - 2.51

Endowed with this attitude and giving up the results born of actions, (they become) wise. Freed from the bondage of birth, verily, they attain goal which is free from evil.

The Lord teaches a wonderful way of enlightenment. The Yogi views all forms of karma alike, since all are imbued with misery of various degrees. He converts the karmas filled with misery to karmas freed from misery. He renders the karma ineffective in perpetuating the wheel of birth and death. Converting evil into good needs special dexterity. (Remember the Bhishma example). We know how Lord Shiva converted poison into nectar. The yogi goes Shiva's way, as though! He converts the bondage-producing karma into freedom-yielding one.
Sri Ramakrshna explains this as
With the aid of the perishable phenomenon, get at the Imperishable noumenon!

In the next verse, Krishna condenses all that he has taught Arjuna from 2.11 – 2.51.
The attainment of the Imperishable is indicated as follows:

Yadaa thae mOhakalilam buddhirvyathi tharishyathi
Thadaa ganthaasi nirvaedam s(h)rOthavyasya s(h)ruthasya cha - 2.52

When your intellect goes beyond the midst of delusion, then, you will attain dispassion towards what is yet to be heard and what is already heard.

Every seeker has to go through two stages of sadhana.
The first is the religious life of Karma Yoga where action is required.
The next is Jnana Yoga stage where philosophical enquiry starts.
Karma Yoga stage continues till one gets detachment from external conditions.
In the second stage, we do not do anything to be happy. We realise, happiness in ourselves.
This verse takes one to a level of life that is free from problems. It makes clear the state in which one will "gain indifference" and thereby shows a way to "abandon attachment", as demanded by verse 2.48.

The aspirant may wonder as to when such an exalted state would come to him.
The assurance comes in the next verse:

S(h)ruthivith prathipannaa thae sthaasyathi nischalaa

Samaadhaavachalaa buddhi: thadaa yOgamavaapsyasi - 2.53

When your intellect, which is confused by listening (to various means and ends) abides in the Self without distraction and without division, then, you will attain Yoga.

The various perspectives of Vedic literature confuse one about the path of realisation.
But in Jnana Yoga – the transcendental consciousness, the intellect calms down because there is clarity of vision. This is called Samadhi or Spiritual Illumination. Atma in its original splendour is understood. Yoga reaches its culmination here. This state of Pure-Consciousness is the goal of life.

Love,
Chithra.

Anandchitra · May 15, 2008

Dear Chithra
The titles are becoming fancier .. maybe to aid in understanding the difficult verses.. Every seeker has to go through Karma and Jnana yoga.. If you notice they both are intertwined.. bec inquiry leads us to karma yoga and action and being dispassionate about the results and the need to be so leads us to jnana yoga.
Its interesting to read how the path leads to the ultimate goal of life. These verses reinforces what one needs to do in life and the path to adopt difficult though it may be.
Thank You for writing on this topic.

Cheeniya · May 15, 2008

Dear Chithra
Having laid a strong foundation of Karmayoga, the Lord now moves on to Gnanayoga.
That the Intellect, when it gets cleared of the mist of delusion, can take us to a higher plane of existence is what that the Lord emphasises in these verses. It, therefore, becomes necessary that the term ‘intellect’ is understood properly.

I would again get back to the wisdom of Eckhart. Listen to his exhortation:
“Up, then, noble soul! Put on thy jumping shoes which are intellect and love, and overleap the worship of thy mental powers, overleap thine understanding and spring into the heart of God, into His hiddenness where thou art hidden from all creatures”

From the above words, it is clear that intellect is not pedagogic knowledge of the Self and the related subjects. When we possess such intense knowledge, we tend to worship our mental powers and get carried away from the pursuit of our spiritual goal which is what all such knowledge is supposed to direct us. Intellect, on the other hand, is knowledge sans ego. Budhists are told that with the lamp of word and discrimination, one must go beyond word and discrimination and enter upon the path of realisation. All knowledge is useless until it takes us to the ultimate realisation. As long as we sit and gloat over what we know, it will be difficult to take the next step.

Lord Dakshinamoorthy shows us that intellectual illumination need not come out of words of mouth. He is the Lord of Silence. The same aspect is stressed by a Zen nun, Ryo-Nen when she says,
Sixty six times have these eyes beheld the changing scenes of Autumn.
I have said enough about moonlight,
Ask me no more.
Just listen to the voice of pines and cedars when no wind stirs!

Katha Upanishad is very lucid about the realisation of Self. According to it, this Self is not realisable by study nor even by intelligence and learning. The Self reveals its essence only to him who applies himself to the Self. He who has not given up the ways of vice, who can not control himself, who is not at peace within, whose mind is distracted, can never realise the Self, though full of all the learning of the world!
Sri

corallux · May 15, 2008

Dear Chithraji & Cheeniyaji,

This is what is happening now a days all around us. Please let me illustrate with an example:

Here in Oz, even a little effort is praised in schools with the words " That's wonderful. I know you can do better". This motivates a child to convert his good work into better & again into best.

Take the example of our famous cricketers, one century or one hat trick, they are given status almost next to Divinity. That results in their downfall.

Once mind becomes so entangled in admiring it's own capabilities, pursuit of True knowledge becomes next to impossible. Hence wise people take recourse to the feet of a Guru to prevent them falling into such traps.

Today at work, an employee was commended for her hard work in completing a task in record time. Any other person would have acknowledged the complement & gone back to work. Not this one, she kept harping about her accomplishments & she was called to the Big Boss's cabin again-To get back to work.

Self-glorification/admiration (Which Cheeniyaji & Chithraji have both dealt with in detail in the thread "Swayambhus") I feel leads to destruction.

When I was in school, my parents never praised me for getting fantastic marks in Humanities, language etc. Their eternal question remark was " Hmmmmmm. Don't forget science & maths are equally important. Why have you scored less marks in them?"

I kept wondering as to why they never saw the plus side of my marks card. Today I am thankful for that. Had that gone to my head, I would have never achieved what I am today & would never have the urge to aim for new goals.

Thanks to you both Chithraji & Cheeniyaji , Gita in it's simplified format helps us develop on the spiritual side of life.

Regards,

Corallux

sudhavnarasimhan · May 15, 2008

Dear Chithra,

That was another enlightening post.Bow So now with this attitude and freeing ourselves of the results of our actions and trying to attain our goals free from evil, we move towards Jnana Yoga.... WOW.....Karma yoga explanation and understanding prepares us to understand Jnana yoga and ultimately free us from our bondage to this Earth is it!?
I liked these lines.....
We realise, happiness in ourselves.
This verse takes one to a level of life that is free from problems. It makes clear the state in which one will "gain indifference" and thereby shows a way to "abandon attachment", as demanded by verse 2.48.

Ultimately, it is clear that once we start looking inwards, and start accepting SELF, and not EGO , that will show the path .... to Pure Knowledge right?
Lots to mull about , will have to take this knowledge with me and interact with the world and my duties, lets see if my Ego stays under cover now. Actually my chattering mouth and mind have quietened a lot these days! Lets hope that it stays so always!

sudhavnarasimhan · May 15, 2008

Dear Cheeniya,
Good that you took up the explanation on the last verse and about the term Intellect!. Also the quote was wonderful, putting on the jumping shoes of intellect and love, wow.....and spring into the Heart of God! these were wonderful lines....

This also a good point to ponder upon!
"Intellect, on the other hand, is knowledge sans ego.
All knowledge is useless until it takes us to the ultimate realisation."
Understanding Self and giving up EGO will lead us on this PATH! Easy to say but so tough to put into practise in every moment....
but guess practising all these concepts consciously , with a lot of effort and motivation, and the ultimate knowledge that this is what LIFE is all about, should do the trick.....
And loved the explanation leading to the aspect of SILENCE ! So profound ...these lines are so apt!
Just listen to the voice of pines and cedars when no wind stirs!
:thankyou2: for being there with all your added valuable inputs!

I feel so light already.....was it the weight of my EGO which i have burdening myself with ! Ha ha lets see how long i feel light!

Chitvish · May 15, 2008

Dear AC,
A freiend who is an authority on the Gita, selected this title for me.Fancy, I will not agree, but it is intensely meaningful in this context.
Only in Jnana Yoga, one seeks the state of eternal freedom, establishing the mind in the state of transcendental consciousness. His life gradually becomes more and more meaningful and he need no longer seek the meaning of all the words of wisdom.
Thankyou, AC.
Love,
Chithra.

anandchitra said: ↑

Dear Chithra
The titles are becoming fancier .. maybe to aid in understanding the difficult verses.. Every seeker has to go through Karma and Jnana yoga.. If you notice they both are intertwined.. bec inquiry leads us to karma yoga and action and being dispassionate about the results and the need to be so leads us to jnana yoga.
Its interesting to read how the path leads to the ultimate goal of life. These verses reinforces what one needs to do in life and the path to adopt difficult though it may be.
Thank You for writing on this topic.
Click to expand...

Chitvish · May 15, 2008

Dear Sri,
A brilliant summary! I am ready to swap places - you are more knowlegeable than just to write an auxilary post !

I loved the words of Zen nun, Ryo-Nen .

Jivan mukthi or cosmic-consciousness is the state in wich the intellect is truly united with the Self.
An individual minus his ego is the Self and therefore, rid of the ego, the karma yogi, it is hoped, may reach, theoritically atleast, that state beyond all sorrows.Burt mere karma cannot give us the Eternal & Immortal.
Whe the intellect becomes purer with jnana yoga, it should then lose all its present charms for the sense-experiences.Like how the sun comes out when the clouds move away,the intellect comes to live its own real nature of infinite bliss, as it sheds the veil of ignorance.
In short, these 3 verses form a prelude to the topic of Sthithaprajna (Man of Perfection) coming next, where the Lord enumerates the visible qualities and perceptible signs of one's establishments in Knowledge.

Thankyou, Sri, for enriching our thread with your posts on intellect.
Love,
Chithra.

cheeniya said: ↑

Dear Chithra
Having laid a strong foundation of Karmayoga, the Lord now moves on to Gnanayoga.
That the Intellect, when it gets cleared of the mist of delusion, can take us to a higher plane of existence is what that the Lord emphasises in these verses. It, therefore, becomes necessary that the term ‘intellect’ is understood properly.

I would again get back to the wisdom of Eckhart. Listen to his exhortation:
“Up, then, noble soul! Put on thy jumping shoes which are intellect and love, and overleap the worship of thy mental powers, overleap thine understanding and spring into the heart of God, into His hiddenness where thou art hidden from all creatures”

From the above words, it is clear that intellect is not pedagogic knowledge of the Self and the related subjects. When we possess such intense knowledge, we tend to worship our mental powers and get carried away from the pursuit of our spiritual goal which is what all such knowledge is supposed to direct us. Intellect, on the other hand, is knowledge sans ego. Budhists are told that with the lamp of word and discrimination, one must go beyond word and discrimination and enter upon the path of realisation. All knowledge is useless until it takes us to the ultimate realisation. As long as we sit and gloat over what we know, it will be difficult to take the next step.

Lord Dakshinamoorthy shows us that intellectual illumination need not come out of words of mouth. He is the Lord of Silence. The same aspect is stressed by a Zen nun, Ryo-Nen when she says,
Sixty six times have these eyes beheld the changing scenes of Autumn.
I have said enough about moonlight,
Ask me no more.
Just listen to the voice of pines and cedars when no wind stirs!

Katha Upanishad is very lucid about the realisation of Self. According to it, this Self is not realisable by study nor even by intelligence and learning. The Self reveals its essence only to him who applies himself to the Self. He who has not given up the ways of vice, who can not control himself, who is not at peace within, whose mind is distracted, can never realise the Self, though full of all the learning of the world!
Sri
Click to expand...

Chitvish · May 15, 2008

Dear Corallux,
A little appreciation is enjoyable, but not celebrating it at the cost of stagnation at that level.
It is necessary to keep on moving ahead.I strongly believe that one should excel oneself, in every field of action.
Gita helps us develop the right thought process - it is up to us to follow and practise, to the extent possible for our own growth and spiritual benefit.
Love,
Chithra.

corallux said: ↑

Dear Chithraji & Cheeniyaji,

This is what is happening now a days all around us. Please let me illustrate with an example:

Here in Oz, even a little effort is praised in schools with the words " That's wonderful. I know you can do better". This motivates a child to convert his good work into better & again into best.

Take the example of our famous cricketers, one century or one hat trick, they are given status almost next to Divinity. That results in their downfall.

Once mind becomes so entangled in admiring it's own capabilities, pursuit of True knowledge becomes next to impossible. Hence wise people take recourse to the feet of a Guru to prevent them falling into such traps.

Today at work, an employee was commended for her hard work in completing a task in record time. Any other person would have acknowledged the complement & gone back to work. Not this one, she kept harping about her accomplishments & she was called to the Big Boss's cabin again-To get back to work.

Self-glorification/admiration (Which Cheeniyaji & Chithraji have both dealt with in detail in the thread "Swayambhus") I feel leads to destruction.

When I was in school, my parents never praised me for getting fantastic marks in Humanities, language etc. Their eternal question remark was " Hmmmmmm. Don't forget science & maths are equally important. Why have you scored less marks in them?"

I kept wondering as to why they never saw the plus side of my marks card. Today I am thankful for that. Had that gone to my head, I would have never achieved what I am today & would never have the urge to aim for new goals.

Thanks to you both Chithraji & Cheeniyaji , Gita in it's simplified format helps us develop on the spiritual side of life.

Regards,

Corallux
Click to expand...

Chitvish · May 15, 2008

Dear Sudha,
Your journey with us in understanding is very enjoyable to me, honestly!
The values of life are different at different levels of evolution.
The samadhi stage is reached when one will "gain indifference" and abandon attachment.One truly rises above doubt and delusion.
The mouth can continue to chatter! But the mind quietening slowly is important!
Love,
Chithra.

sudhavnarasimhan said: ↑

Dear Chithra,

That was another enlightening post.Bow So now with this attitude and freeing ourselves of the results of our actions and trying to attain our goals free from evil, we move towards Jnana Yoga.... WOW.....Karma yoga explanation and understanding prepares us to understand Jnana yoga and ultimately free us from our bondage to this Earth is it!?
I liked these lines.....
We realise, happiness in ourselves.
This verse takes one to a level of life that is free from problems. It makes clear the state in which one will "gain indifference" and thereby shows a way to "abandon attachment", as demanded by verse 2.48.

Ultimately, it is clear that once we start looking inwards, and start accepting SELF, and not EGO , that will show the path .... to Pure Knowledge right?
Lots to mull about , will have to take this knowledge with me and interact with the world and my duties, lets see if my Ego stays under cover now. Actually my chattering mouth and mind have quietened a lot these days! Lets hope that it stays so always!

Click to expand...