The thirtieth 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 6:08, Swamiji discusses a wide range of topics, including spiritual knowledge (jnana) and discrimination (viveka), fixing the mind on the Self, and the example of Anandamayi Ma in impartiality. These spiritual teachings will help your spiritual growth and your practice of yoga and meditation.
Here are the Gita verses (6:08-6:10) covered in this talk:
The yogi who is satisfied with knowledge and discrimination, unchanging, with senses conquered, to whom a lump of clay, a stone and gold are the same, steadfast–is said to be in union. (6:8)
He is preeminent among men who is impartial to friend, associate and enemy, neutral among enemies and kinsmen, impartial also among the righteous and the unrighteous. (6:9)
The yogi should fix his awareness constantly on the Self, remaining in solitude, alone, with controlled mind and lower self, without desires or possessiveness. (6:10)
Here’s a summary of Swamiji’s talk on the “Knowledge and Discrimination”:
- Jnana and Viveka: The Yogi possesses true knowledge (Jnana) and discrimination (Viveka), understanding the difference between what is real and false, helpful and harmful.
- Unchanging Perception: A Yogi remains unruffled by the dichotomy of good or bad, recognizing their nature but not being swayed by them.
- Peace and Happiness: True yogis embody peace and happiness, not negativity or grumpiness, which are signs of misunderstanding or false realization.
- Value of Material: The Yogi views elements like clay, stone, and gold with equanimity, not for their monetary value but for their intrinsic worth or utility in life.
- Impartiality: Yogis are impartial to friends, foes, and family, seeing all with the same eyes, which reflects a deep understanding of unity and equality in spiritual terms.
- An Anecdote of Anandamayi Ma: Illustrates Ma’s acceptance of all, even those considered unsavory by others, showing her embodiment of divine love and equality. However, she also demonstrated the ability to discern when someone’s presence was not beneficial, as seen with the woman from America.
- Solitude: The Yogi is described as solitary, not in the sense of physical isolation but in maintaining an internal solitude or union with the divine, even amidst crowds.
- Self-Realization: Emphasis on fixing awareness on the self, using the mantra “Soham” to aid in this process, leading to a state of living in the self.
- Practical Life: Discusses the challenge of balancing meditation with worldly duties, suggesting that true balance might involve equal parts of sleep, work, and meditation, though this is idealized.
- Clean Place for Meditation: The talk concludes with a brief mention of establishing a firm and clean place for meditation, with more details promised for the next session.
This talk underlines the importance of spiritual knowledge, discrimination, and the practical aspects of living a yogic life, emphasizing inner peace, impartiality, and the pursuit of self-realization.
