Never THAT Easy!
Here we are at the end of our reading of The Bhagavad Gita and what indeed have we learned? At the start of the last Chapter, Krishna is explaining the truth of “renunciation” to Arjuna. Renunciation has a few different terms, two in the Bhagavad Gita (sanyasa and tyaga) and also in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras it is one of the Twin Pillars of yoga, vairagya. All have subtle differences, but in the end, I think that what Krishna explains as “the truth” about renunciation falls close to the aspects of the detachment of Patanjali’s vairagya that I understand. Along with the action (abhyasa) that is unavoidable in our human existence, renunciation is equally important to guide us on the path of yoga.
abhyasa vairagyabhyam tannirodha
Light on the yoga sutras of patanjali – bks Iyengar
Practice and detachment are the means to still the movements of consciousness.
Those who are able to equalize their actions with their renunciations are sattvic (balanced and pure) in nature and are on the path to Divinty. “Sattvic people, not plagued by doubt and aware of the True Self (Atma), are steady in their obligations. They neither shy from the disagreeable nor yearn for the pleasant. They just do…relinquishing all desire for personal reward” (BG 18.10-11)
Krishna reminds us that the Atma itself is not the doer of any action, that is the realm of ego. And, every action is merely another modification of impermanent nature, Prakrti. However, when the sattva guna presides over the “three general elements of action: knowledge, action, and the doer” (BG 18.18-19), one becomes closer to Divine “perfection”.
- knows the Divine of the Self and sees Divinity in all beings (18.20)
- finds no drudgery in one’s duty (18.23)
- all work is the work of the Divine and see themselves as instruments of Divinity (18.26)
- has discrimination and wisdom in knowing the Truth from non-Truth and Real from non-Real (18.30)
- a firmness of mind with unwavering devotion to the Divine and a profound resolve to merge with it (18.33)
With this sattvic nature, pure and unadulterated bliss is possible. Not an impermanent happiness from impermanent forms of sensory pleasures, but from the resounding and endless well of sheer joy and contentment in being. This takes work, all the work that has been eluded to by Krishna in The Bhagavad Gita and what is laid out in The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, but how do we know what work is ours? Arjuna at least gets a full conversation and Divine eyes to SEE his Divine and dharmic path. Most of us aren’t that lucky and living in the ever changing nature of human form and life is never THAT easy!
One part of the last chapter is devoted to describing four general headings of segments of society, but how do we know where we fit? What the call of our inner Truth is? We know that the caste system that was originally spelled out here has been bastardized by human action in and of itself. What has been given by the Divine can also be used to move away from it. This is the difficulty of The Bhagavad Gita itself. There are no specific answers or specific tasks to undertake…there is only ONE person hearing their dharma in this text. We are tasked to do the work on ourselves and for ourselves. And as Jack Hawley reminds us in the Epilogue, even when Arjuna has his answers, he does indeed falter.
So, if you read no other pages of The Gita, Chapter 18, paragraphs 50-62 sum up many of the concepts repeated throughout, explaining “How one Becomes Perfect”. I do not necessarily like the term “perfection” either as that has also been coopted by social norms and moral judgements which The Bhagavad Gita and its teachings are devoid of. We are given guidance and path markers toward finding our Inner Truth, the qualities and experiences being closer to the Divine might elicit. But ultimately the action we take and the devotion we give can only come from us and our individual dharmic path here in this life – dictated by past karma and our ability to detach from our own individual, small ego self.
In the end, nothing is truly THAT easy! Choosing the spiritual life, guided by Purusa, over a material life, guided by sensory and personal attachments of Prakrti, is a moment by moment and action by action choice. Choose with wisdom!
