CHAPTER
4
THE YOGA OF WISDOM
Lord
Krishna declares that He is born from age to age, in order to raise man and
take him to the Supreme. Whenever there is a prevalence of unrighteousness and
the world is ruled by the forces of darkness, the Lord manifests Himself to
destroy these adverse forces and to establish peace, order and harmony. Hence,
we see the appearance of the great saviors of the world.
What
is the secret of Yogic action? This the Lord proceeds to explain to Arjuna.
Even
though one is not engaged in action, but if the mind is active with the idea of
doer-ship and egoism, then it is action in inaction.
On
the other hand, though engaged physically in intense action, if the idea of
agency is absent, if one feels that Prakriti does everything, it is inaction in
action.
The
liberated man is free from attachment and is always calm and serene though
engaged in ceaseless action. He is unaffected by the pairs of opposites like
joy and grief, success and failure.
One
who has true union with the Lord is not subject to rebirth. He attains
immortality. Such a union can only be achieved when one is free from
attachment, fear and anger, being thoroughly purified by right knowledge.
The
Lord accepts the devotion of all, whatever path they may use to approach Him.
Various kinds of sacrifices are performed by those engaged in the path to God.
Through the practice of these sacrifices the mind is purified and led
Godward.
Here
also there must be the spirit of non-attachment to the fruits of actions.
Divine wisdom, according to Sri Krishna, should be sought at the feet of a
liberated Guru, one who has realized the Truth. The aspirant should approach
such a sage in a spirit of humility and devotion.
God
Himself manifests in the heart of the Guru and instructs the disciple. Having
understood the Truth from the Guru by direct intuitive experience the aspirant
is no longer deluded by ignorance.
The
liberated aspirant directly beholds the Self in all beings and all beings in
the Self. He cognizes through internal experience or intuition that all beings,
from the Creator down to a blade of grass, exist in his own Self and also in
God.
Arjuna
is given the most heartening assurance that divine wisdom liberates even the
most sinful. When knowledge of the Self dawns, all actions with their results
are burnt by the fire of that knowledge, just as fuel is burnt by fire. When
there is no idea of egoism, when there is no desire for the fruits of one’s
actions, actions are no actions. They lose their potency.
In
order to attain divine wisdom, one must have supreme faith and devotion. Faith
is therefore the most important qualification for a spiritual aspirant. The
doubting mind is always led astray from the right path. Faith ultimately
confers divine knowledge, which removes ignorance once and for all.
Mere
intellectual knowledge does not lead to liberation. It cannot grant one supreme
peace and freedom. When one has achieved complete self-mastery and
self-control, when one has intense faith and devotion, then true knowledge
dawns within and one attains liberation and freedom from all weaknesses and
sins.
The
Lord concludes by emphasizing that the soul that doubts goes to destruction.
Without faith in oneself, in the scriptures and in the words of the preceptor,
one cannot make any headway on the spiritual path. It is doubt that prevents
one from engaging in spiritual Sadhana and realizing the highest knowledge and
bliss. By following the instructions of the Guru and through sincere service,
one’s doubts are rent asunder
Love.
