The twenty-seventh in a series of talks by Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke) on the Bhagavad Gita, India’s most famous scripture: the unforgettable dialog between Sri Krishna and Arjuna about the essence of spiritual life.
In this talk, starting with Chapter 5:20, Swamiji discusses how we should respond to both good and evil, and shares quotes and stories of Yogananda and Sri Ramakrishna. He also discusses the concepts of raga and dwesha (attraction and repulsion), factors the yogi must master in his spiritual life.
Here are the Gita verses (5:20-5:27) covered in this talk:
One should not exult when encountering what is liked, and one should not be repulsed when encountering the disliked. With firm intellect, undeluded, the knower of Brahman is established in Brahman. (5:20)
He whose Self is unattached to external contacts, who finds happiness in the Self, whose Self is united to Brahman by yoga, reaches imperishable happiness. (5:21)
Truly, pleasures born of contact with the senses are wombs of pain, since they have a beginning and an end. The wise man is not satisfied with them. (5:22)
He who is able to endure here on earth, before liberation from the body, the agitation that arises from desire and anger is steadfast, a happy man. (5:23)
He whose happiness is within, whose delight is within, whose illumination is within: that yogi, identical in being with Brahman, attains Brahmanirvana. (5:24)
The seers whose evils have been annihilated, whose doubts have been dispelled, whose inner being is mastered, who rejoice in the welfare of all beings, attain Brahmanirvana. (5:25)
Released from desire and anger, with thoughts controlled, those ascetics who know the Self find very near to them the bliss of Brahmanirvana. (5:26)
Excluding outside contacts, turning up the eyes toward the two brows, equalizing the inhalation and exhalation moving within the nostrils, (5:27)
Here’s a summary of Swamiji’s talk on Using Spiritual Intelligence:
Here is a summary of the main points from Swami Nirmalananda Giri’s talk on Using Spiritual Intelligence:
- Emotional Balance: Krishna advises not to be overly excited by what is pleasing or repulsed by what is disliked. This does not mean that one should be indifferent to good and evil but rather maintain emotional equilibrium.
- Intellectual Discernment: There’s an emphasis on intellectual rather than emotional reactions to good and evil. One should recognize and avoid evil intelligently without personal or emotional involvement.
- Avoiding Extremes: The talk criticizes the notion that all things are equal in the cosmic sense, which can be misused by those with bad intentions to blur moral distinctions.
- Spiritual Intelligence vs. Emotional Reaction: The Yogi should use spiritual intelligence to discern truth from falsehood, without being swayed by emotions. This involves understanding reality with a firm intellect, not being deluded by appearances.
- Intuition and Perception: A Yogi should develop intuition to see through deceit, as exemplified by Warren Vickarman’s ability to perceive truth through observing energy centers (chakras).
- Self-Realization and Brahman: The ultimate goal is to become one with Brahman, not just believe in It. This involves transcending external attachments to find true, imperishable happiness within the self.
- Transience of Sensory Pleasures: Sensory pleasures are temporary and can lead to pain due to their fleeting nature. The wise recognize this and do not seek lasting satisfaction in these transient experiences.
- Endurance and Happiness: One should endure the agitations of desire and anger while still in the body, aiming for a state of steadfast happiness that isn’t swayed by these external influences.
- Practical Application: The talk suggests that understanding these principles leads to a more effective spiritual life.
