“Arjuna said: My Lord! At one moment Thou praisest renunciation of action; at another,
right action. Tell me truly, I pray, which of these is the more conducive to my highest
welfare?
Lord Shri Krishna replied: Renunciation of action and the path of right action both lead to
the highest; of the two, right action is the better...
right action. Tell me truly, I pray, which of these is the more conducive to my highest
welfare?
Lord Shri Krishna replied: Renunciation of action and the path of right action both lead to
the highest; of the two, right action is the better...
He who is spiritual, who is pure, who has overcome his senses and his personal self, who
has realised his highest Self as the Self of all, such a one, even though he acts, is not bound
by his acts.
Though the saint sees, hears, touches, smells, eats, moves, sleeps and breathes, yet he
knows the Truth, and he knows that it is not he who acts.
Though he talks, though he gives and receives, though he opens his eyes and shuts them,
he still knows that his senses are merely disporting themselves among the objects of
perception.
He who dedicates his actions to the Spirit, without any personal attachment to them, he is
no more tainted by sin than the water lily is wetted by water."(p.15)
has realised his highest Self as the Self of all, such a one, even though he acts, is not bound
by his acts.
Though the saint sees, hears, touches, smells, eats, moves, sleeps and breathes, yet he
knows the Truth, and he knows that it is not he who acts.
Though he talks, though he gives and receives, though he opens his eyes and shuts them,
he still knows that his senses are merely disporting themselves among the objects of
perception.
He who dedicates his actions to the Spirit, without any personal attachment to them, he is
no more tainted by sin than the water lily is wetted by water."(p.15)
Oh really.
I stand by my conclusion from chapters 3-4: Krishna is saying you aren't responsible for your actions if you do what god says is right while in the right frame of mind. And that is not okay. It is cowardly. Vile. Utterly lacking in compassion. Ignoring the one world and one life we have evidence of, ignoring trying to make anything better here and now, blindly trotting along after someone else without caring about the harm you're doing, in exchange for un-testable promise of good things after death.
Even if everything we are and everything we have in this world is an illusion, it is the only illusion we have any evidence for. Therefore we should try to be happy and do no harm.
Moving on. More description of those who are wise: they have no desire, no anger, they have no attachment to external things, they are moved by neither pleasure nor pain, their minds are fixed on the divine, and thus they merge with the Eternal. End chapter 5.
Chapter 6: Self Control. “Lord Shri Krishna said: He who acts because it is his duty, not thinking of the consequences, is really spiritual and a true ascetic; and not he who merely observes rituals
or who shuns all action. O Arjuna! Renunciation is in fact what is called Right Action. No one can become spiritual who has not renounced all desire."(p.17) Then we get more on how those who are spiritual practice non-attachment, and a short practical section on how to meditate:
"Let the student of spirituality try unceasingly to concentrate his mind; Let him live in
seclusion, absolutely alone, with mind and personality controlled, free from desire and
without possessions.
Having chosen a holy place, let him sit in a firm posture on a seat, neither too high nor too
low, and covered with a grass mat, a deer skin and a cloth.
Seated thus, his mind concentrated, its functions controlled and his senses governed, let
him practise meditation for the purification of his lower nature.
Let him hold body, head and neck erect, motionless and steady; let him look fixedly at the
tip of his nose, turning neither to the right nor to the left.
With peace in his heart and nor fear, observing the vow of celibacy, with mind controlled
and fixed on Me, let the student lose himself in contemplation of Me.
Thus keeping his mind always in communion with Me, and with his thoughts subdued,
he shall attain that Peace which is mine and which will lead him to liberation at last.
Meditation is not for him who eats too much, not for him who eats not at all; not for him
who is overmuch addicted to sleep, not for him who is always awake. But for him who regulates his food and recreation, who is balanced in action, in sleep and
in waking, it shall dispel all unhappiness.
When the mind, completely controlled, is centered in the Self, and free from all earthly
desires, then is the man truly spiritual."(pp.18-19)
seclusion, absolutely alone, with mind and personality controlled, free from desire and
without possessions.
Having chosen a holy place, let him sit in a firm posture on a seat, neither too high nor too
low, and covered with a grass mat, a deer skin and a cloth.
Seated thus, his mind concentrated, its functions controlled and his senses governed, let
him practise meditation for the purification of his lower nature.
Let him hold body, head and neck erect, motionless and steady; let him look fixedly at the
tip of his nose, turning neither to the right nor to the left.
With peace in his heart and nor fear, observing the vow of celibacy, with mind controlled
and fixed on Me, let the student lose himself in contemplation of Me.
Thus keeping his mind always in communion with Me, and with his thoughts subdued,
he shall attain that Peace which is mine and which will lead him to liberation at last.
Meditation is not for him who eats too much, not for him who eats not at all; not for him
who is overmuch addicted to sleep, not for him who is always awake. But for him who regulates his food and recreation, who is balanced in action, in sleep and
in waking, it shall dispel all unhappiness.
When the mind, completely controlled, is centered in the Self, and free from all earthly
desires, then is the man truly spiritual."(pp.18-19)
Then we have another recap of how non-attachment brings Bliss (yes, it is capitalized).
Arjuna says meditation is difficult: "Verily, the mind is fickle and turbulent, obstinate and strong, yea extremely difficult as the wind to control."(p.19). He further asks what happens to those who fail at meditation. Krishna answers that Arjuna is not to worry: those who fall away from true spirituality will be reborn into prosperous families, maybe even reborn into families of wise sages (I'm guessing the Brahmin caste here?), will, even though not fully regaining memories of the past life, return to trying to be spiritual, and eventually, over many lives, attain perfection. End chapter 6.
That's a really nice theory. I went through a period of wishing I could believe in reincarnation. However, no one has yet presented any evidence for it, and neither does the Bhagavad-Gita.
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