Yoga means uniting of the individual self, your superficial or fake self, with the universal or supreme Self, your deepest Self. The Gītā calls this ‘the ultimate secret of Yoga
Part 2 – Towards a balance between creation and destruction
In the Bhagavad-gītā two opposing armies stand poised in the battlefield to settle a dramatic family feud. Just before the battle is to begin, Arjuna, a renowned archer and general of one of the armies, asks Krishna to maneuver his chariot between the two armies so that he can take stock of the situation. But then overwhelmed by conflicting feelings Arjuna begins to doubt what he must do and falls into a state of paralysis. His collapse emerges from the confusion in his mind over what his duty (dharma) is: ‘My very being is afflicted by a piteous weakness of spirit. My thoughts on dharma are completely bewildered.’(Verse 2.7)
Dharma is a complex concept and is of such importance that, as was commonly done in ancient Sanskrit texts, it is the very first word of the Gītā. Here it is translated as ‘moral duty’, or sometimes as ‘code of conduct’, yet more generally dharma stands for the nature of the cosmic order. The positive and negative forces of creation and destruction must be held in balance within the cosmic order. By fulfilling their duties people may contribute to maintain this balance. This external physical struggle on the battlefield of Kuru between two armies stands symbolic for these positive and negative forces which lead to an internal mental struggle for Arjuna.
It is the reason why in the Gītā this struggle is called the battle in the ‘field of dharma’. Thus the Gītā begins with the famous words: dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre: in the field of dharma, in the field of Kuru. (Kurukṣetra lies about 150 kilometers north of Delhi). It is meaningful here that Krishna, who represents the Absolute (brahman), positions himself between the two armies, thereby holding the positive and negative forces of dharma in balance. Arjuna faces a terrible dharmic dilemma: on the one hand to act according to his heart’s desire: to fulfill his duty to love and protect his family, and on the other hand to act according to what his mind tells him, to fulfill his duty as a warrior and protector of society. Arjuna does not see what is to be gained by his actions to recapture the kingdom for his brother, its rightful heir. This involves annihilating relatives, friends and beloved teachers who are fighting in the opposing army. In such a crisis situation that grabs one by the throat, deeper questions about life and death often arise, such as: ‘Who am I?’ ‘What is death?’ and ‘What is the meaning of all this?’ Arjuna too, in the field at Kuru, is faced with such questions.
It is at this point in the Gītā that the well-known dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna begins. After eighteen chapters, a total of 700 verses, this dialogue eventually drives out Arjuna’s ignorance of his true nature and makes room for his Self-Realization, that is to say, the destruction of his ego-self and the realization of his true Self. Because problems most often emerge out of a weakness of spirit, they cannot be solved at their level of emergence. When, at a deep level, Arjuna becomes aware of who he really is, his dilemma completely dissolves and he is able to perform the right action. From the viewpoint of the ignorant, paradoxically it looks like non-action. Hereby the Gītā attains the status of an extraordinary practical philosophy of life. One does not have to be a Hindu to read and value the Gītā. The many translations and commentaries from east and west bear witness to its gaining status as world class literature. Its authentic voice and spiritual wisdom have touched the hearts of millions.
Crisis situations are typically characterized by paralyzing dilemmas between heart and mind. At the same time, those in charge are asked to show leadership and take action. This is a central theme in the Gītā. As said above, all great Sanskrit texts begin by presenting their central theme. In the first verse of the Gītā, Dhritarashtra, the blind and unlawful king who has brought the kingdom into misery, asks his advisor, Sanjaya, about the battle with a question which focuses on action: ‘How did they act?’ and not with questions, like, ‘Has it already started?’ or ‘Who is winning?’, etc.
The second chapter of the Gītā is often referred to as the soul of the Gītā. It was Gandhi’s favorite chapter. The essence of this chapter is given in verse 2.48 and is summarized in the first line.
योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि ..
Yogasthaḥ kuru karmāṇi .
Act from your deepest Self
Established in Yoga (Yoga-sthaḥ), perform (kuru) actions (karmāṇi). The second part of the first word, sthaḥ, is etymologically connected with the Dutch word ‘staan’ and the English word ‘stand’; so it means: standing in Yoga, or rooted, steadfast in Yoga. What does Yoga mean here? Immediately one may think of various tortuous postures of the body, but that is only one meaning of the concept of Yoga. Yoga exercises (asanas) are performed to bring the body and mind to a state of rest thereby making them receptive to the state of Yoga.
In a more general sense, Yoga means uniting of the individual self, your superficial or fake self, with the universal or supreme Self, your deepest Self. The Gītā calls this ‘the ultimate secret of Yoga’ (see part 1; hence the term deep leadership.) It is a state of wholeness and perfection. The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word yuj, which means to connect or to join, and is recognizable in the Dutch word ‘juk’ and the English word ‘yoke’.
It is called a secret because this wisdom, despite the many words that have been used throughout the centuries to explain it, cannot be truly expressed in words. The secret of Yoga is beyond the intellect.Those who are receptive to this wisdom and diligently follow the path of Yoga may ultimately experience the energy and blissful peace (ānanda) of the eternal unchangeable Self (sat), the real Reality which is Pure Consciousness (cit). The remaining part of the first line of verse of 2.48 is of equal importance; here Krishna adds: saṃgaṃ tyaktvā, Arjuna! which means: ‘casting off attachment,’ both to your ego which demands a sense of doership: ‘I am the doer,’ and to the fruits or the results of your actions (see verse 2.47.)
Those who are not receptive and do not wish to follow this path – it appears to be a free choice human beings have – become entangled in the illusory dynamics of this chaotic world, allowing their lives to drift away on the perpetual fluctuations of happiness and misery, joy and sadness. For them the wisdom of the Gītā remains utterly veiled. This is the effect of māyā, the creative energy of brahman, and is therefore often translated as illusion.
This theme of detachment (vairāgyam) and desireless action became a central doctrine for Gandhi, upon which he founded his renowned attitude of nonviolent action (ahiṃsa).10 But this wisdom is far more profound than artificial indifference or false modesty. It boils down to the realization of the Self that evolves from Self-enquiry through asking this central question: ‘Who is this ‘I’ that I am always talking about?’
Ultimately, it means the radical destruction of your ego that turns out to be nothing more than a fantasy or fake-‘I’, which has no real existence, and the permanent establishment in That which is what you really are – here and now, as it has always been: your deepest Self (ātma-niṣṭha).
References
- Schweig, Graham M. (2007) Bhagavad-gītā:The beloved Lord’s secret love song (New York: HarperCollins), p. 37.
- Swami Gambhirananda (translation.) (2006) Bhagavad-gītā, with commentary of Shankaracharya (Kolkata: Advaita Ashram).
- Gandhi, Mahatma (2009) The Bhagavad-gītā according to Gandhi (Berkely: North Atlantis Books)
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