Kindle Notes & Highlights
Arjuna: What is it like to have such control of the senses? Krishna: When your intellect takes command of your senses, you will yawn at things that so titillate the common man; and be aroused by things they yawn at.
Stick toyour ownduties, even if sometimes they are very difficult, even when they seem so messed up and faulty. Don’t jump onto someone else’s path, even if it seems so much easier and better than yours. It is better to endure the difficulties of your own path. To walk a path meant for another is very dangerous.
Arjuna: How is it possible that worldly deeds can have spiritual effects? Krishna:In a sacrifice,everything is considered spiritual: the oil is spiritual, the fire is spiritual, the utensils are spiritual, the priest is spiritual, and the offerings are spiritual. Anything thoroughly involved in spirit becomes spiritual.
Arjuna: How can I have “constant union with soul” while I am still in this material world? Krishna: You will see spirit in everything, and everything in spirit. Everywhere you look, you will see the same thing: spirit.
Those who worship other gods go to other gods. Only those who singularly love me come to me.
First you must take full control of all your senses - closing the “doorways” to the external world. Then, confine your thoughts within your heart and focus the consciousness in your breath towards the top of your head. While contemplating me, vibrate this single spiritual syllable: “Oṁ.” If you can continue this practice even while casting off your body you will attain the topmost goal.
Arjuna: It seems there are many details. Krishna: Maybe, but the essence is this: Just try to unite your heart to mine. That is all you really need to do to be a yogi and attain the original, paramount abode - surpassing all the best results obtainable onanypath of philosophy, ritual, austerity, or charity!
“He is the cause of all causes. Everything comes from him.” If you understand this much with your intellect, you will start to feel very deep devotion towards me.
Among restrictions ~ I am time.
See in methe singularity- the entire universe simultaneously situated in one place! In this form of mine you will beholdeverything you wish to see!
Arjuna: How do matter and spirit become linked together? Krishna: Spirit becomes enmeshed in matter because it wants to enjoy the various things available in the field. That is why spirit embraces qualification and delimitation, and takes birth in matter through various wombs.
Arjuna: What is theimmediate result of each quality? Krishna:Sattvaproduces a pure result because it inspires deeds that are very pure. However,rajasresults in unhappiness andtamasresults in ignorance.
Arjuna: Why does the soul change bodies? Krishna: Different bodies offer different arrays of sense perception. The soul changes bodies because it wishes to enjoy sense objects in various ways. The soul stays in a body for some time and then gives it up after enjoying its wealth and qualities.
Krishna: Please listen carefully. Faith not only makes you who you are, it is also an expression of who you are. So when it does not come from scriptures it comes instead from our natural character. Since there are three basic types of character, there are three basic types of faith:sattva(clear), rajas(passionate),andtamas(dark). 4
Those in clarity(sattva)never give up, they carry out their responsibilities thinking, “This is my duty.” What they renounce is any claim to the rewards of those actions. They don’t detest unpleasant work, nor are they particularly attached to pleasant deeds. These intelligent people are free of all doubts and completely clear about renunciation.
Being a “renunciate” really means giving up the rewards of all your actions.
Arjuna: I think I see the link between action and knowledge.Clearknowledge sees the oneness in all things, so when it acts it does not covet a particular reward or judge some things desirable and others undesirable.Passionateknowledge sees things as being intrinsically different, and thus strongly differentiates between desirable and undesirable deeds and rewards.Darkened knowledge is careless, and so are the actions it leads to. Is that right? Krishna: Excellent!
Arjuna: Please describe the three types of actors. Krishna: The clear actor has no selfishness, and thus no attachment to the rewards of action. Therefore her enthusiasm and determination never fluctuates in the face of success or failure. The passionate actor is very attached to gaining the rewards of his actions. So, he is greedy and prone to harm people and be impure if necessary. He rejoices abundantly on success, and laments terribly on failure. The darkened actor is base and materialistic. She is unqualified to succeed, but too stubborn to improve. Instead she resorts to lying and
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Krishna: Clear intellect accurately differentiates bondage from freedom, gain from loss, what should from what shouldn’t be done, what is fearsome and what is not... Passionate intellect cannot differentiate those things clearly. Darkened intellect differentiates things incorrectly, mistaking immorality for morality, and always getting things backwards.
Clear knowledge sees oneness but clear intellect differentiates
Krishna: Clear willpower has a firm control over of the mind, life, senses, and deeds - engaging them in uninterrupted divine union. Passionate willpower latches on to materialistic results, motivated by attachment and desire for specific rewards. Darkened willpower is foolish and cannot break free from dreams, fears, lamentation, melancholy, and delusion.
Arjuna: Clarity sees the unity in all things. Clear people don’t differentiate “desirable” from “undesirable.” Thus their actions are motivated not by desire but by duty. Their intellect is set on clarifying what is their duty and what is not. Their willpower is fixed on not allowing themselves to be deviated from their duty. Although this all seems so disciplined and strict, clear people are the happiest of all because by stilling their external self they come into contact with their blissful inner self.
Swadharma
Arjuna: Passion sees things as being essentially different. Therefore passionate people find some things “desirable” and others “undesirable.” Based on that, they act with the motive to obtain the desirable and avoid the undesirable; they don’t act out of duty. Their intellect doesn’t care to distinguish what is dutiful from what is not; it is obsessed instead with differentiating the desirable from the undesirable. They apply their willpower to achieve the things they desire. Although this seems like fun at first, it winds up exhausting and lands them in conflict and misery.
