JOIN USThe concluding portion of the second chapter of the Bhagavad Geeta speaks about the qualities of a Yogi, a being who has transcended all the dualities of this ephemeral existence and attained the supreme bliss of God realization. An oft (mis)used term, its real meaning is best given by the Geeta itself when it says “equanimity of mind is Yoga’ and thus by extension, “he who achieves this state is a Yogi”.
The Geeta explains “he who has conquered his senses and is free from the attractions of sensual pleasures attains mental stability. Therefore he is able to take both sorrow and pleasure in his stride. Not being dejected in pain, not elated when pleasure visits, he is free from all attachments, fear and anger. Mental equipoise is his hallmark. Even while living amidst the sensory attractions of this world, he withdraws into himself, like a tortoise that withdraws its limbs into its shell. He is always in full control of his senses, never letting them drag him into the treacherous alleyways of sense pleasures. Like the ocean which remains unchanged even with the continuous inflow of freshwater, the Yogi remains calm and undisturbed in the face of innumerable worldly attractions”.
The Geeta calls such a being as a ‘Sthithaprajna’, one who has achieved this state through years of arduous discipline, self-control and devotion. Though it may be asked of what use is all this for ordinary mortals, it must be noted that the lives of such great souls, irrespective of country or religion are guiding beacons for mankind in the crucial and neglected ‘art of right thinking and right living’.
Maybe everybody might not be able to reach such heights of perfection, but the ideals of sense control, contentment, dedication, dispassion, mental steadiness in the face of life’s misfortunes and control over anger and envy are values worthy of emulation. The Geeta succinctly encapsulates this is, saying ‘when all beings are asleep, the Yogi is awake and when others are awake, the Yogi is asleep”.