Chapter 6-Aatmasanyamyoga – Control of the Mind.
Summary:
We have seen in the last Chapter that karma and sannyasa become one in the state of akarma.The Chapters that follow deal with the means to reach the state described in the Fifth Chapter.
Many people have a misconception that spirituality and spiritual texts like the Gita are meant only for the ascetics. Lokmanya Tilak has drawn our attention to this in his ‘Gita-rahasya’.We wholeheartedly endorse Lokamanya Tilak’s view that the Gita is for ordinary people engaged in worldly life.Vinobaji also endorses this point of view.
Gita teaches how our daily life can be purified, leading to contentment and peace of mind.This Chapter discusses the yoga of meditation.
One-pointedness of mind:
The yoga of meditation consists chiefly of three important components.
(i) One-pointedness of mind:It is indispensable for any work. Even in worldly affairs, one needs concentration. It is not that the qualities needed for worldly success are different from those needed for spiritual progress. Spirituality means nothing but purification of worldly life. Business, scientific research, politics, diplomacy—in fact, take any activity, concentration of mind is the key to success.How to get this one pointedness?A man who has become rich, not by robbing others but through his own hard work, will never squander his money. We too should not waste the Self’s power in gross and petty matters.
(ii) Moderation and regulation in life to help attain one pointedness:All our actions should be measured and weighed.All the sense-organs should be under strict vigil. We should be ever alert lest we should eat too much or sleep too much. All our activities should thus be continuously examined with meticulous care.
(iii) Equanimity and evenness in outlook: It means having an outlook infused with Control of the mind.It implies faith in the goodness and order in the universe. There cannot be concentration of mind without it. We should not have any fear in our mind.If we keep thinking that the whole world is bent upon troubling us,then where is peace?
Two other aids have also been suggested : vairagya (non-attachment) and abhyasa (cultivation through constant practice). One is negative in nature while the other is positive. Vairagya is akin to uprooting weeds from a field. It is negative in nature. Abhyasa is akin to sowing the seeds. To sow seeds is a constructive work. Abhyasa is constructive. It involves rumination upon pure thoughts.
