The course involves 1 theory session (50 min) and 1 practical mediation session (50 min) per week for the entire semester. Since there is a lot of confusion among people about what meditation really means and what its purpose is, I thought of correlating these meditative practices with Your overall philosophy and the spiritual path as explained by You. However, the concepts in Your philosophy are quite different and even contradictory to the understanding of many people owing to which they might raise objections. So, I have tried to support every concept with quotations from the Gita (mainly Chapter 2). Since the Gita is already well accepted by most people, if I provide references from the Gita to support each of Your concepts, students and my faculty colleagues might find it easier to accept.

I am aware that Your concepts require no support since You are self-standing (svatah sidhah) and self-luminous (svayam bhaati). I have written this article mainly as my own notes for my own clarity. While I was writing this article, I noticed with even more clarity than before about the extraordinary correlation that exists between Your philosophy and the Gita. I was elated as You were revealing one correlation after the other to me.

My intention is to introduce some of these points as and when I get a chance during the class sessions, or in whichever other way You instruct. If You feel there is no need to introduce these concepts to others, that is also fine. In any case, I request You to kindly correct and improve my thinking and logic on this topic. At Your Divine Lotus Feet, Nikhil

How can we deal with stress and difficulties in life?

At the beginning of the Bhagavad Gītā, we see that Arjuna was faced with his beloved elders and cousins standing as his enemies on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. In that situation, Arjuna underwent an emotional breakdown. In spite of knowing fully well that his enemies supported injustice, Arjuna refused to do his duty as a warrior to destroy them and establish justice. He even presented false arguments to justify his proposal of turning back from the battlefield. He tried to cover up his own blind attachment to his relatives and prove that his retiring from the war was justice.

Arjuna’s situation generally represents the situation of a person facing any worldly difficulty. These difficulties come in various forms including financial problems, career problems, relationship problems, health problems, the loss of loved ones, and so on. When faced with these different worldly problems we too experience stress like Arjuna, and that stress makes us miserable and reduces our efficiency. Sometimes, that stress becomes too much to bear and we cannot even lead a normal life. The extreme stress prevents us from doing what is right and forces us to do what is wrong. The consequences of such actions are serious and cause immense suffering to us and others around us. Naturally, we want to find a solution to this problem of mental stress. We want to learn the technique of how to permanently avoid stress and suffering and always remain happy and active throughout our lives. This very technique is the subject matter of the Bhagavad Gītā. Lord Kṛṣṇa has masterfully revealed this timeless technique that is most relevant to every human being, irrespective of region, religion, race, and gender. Let us understand that technique in a nutshell.

Who is a sthitaprajña? What is the state of yoga or samādhi?

After hearing Arjuna’s difficulty and his justifications to quit the battle, Lord Kṛṣna presented several counter-arguments. He tried to motivate Arjuna to give up his blind attachment to his relatives, and perform his duty of fighting to establish justice. He instructed Arjuna to free his intellect from delusion (overattachment), give up the fruit of his actions, and establish his intellect in a state of equal-mindedness (yoga; yukta buddhiḥ) (Samatvam yoga ucyate—Gītā 2.48; Yadā te moha kalilam, buddhirvyatitariṣyati—Gītā 2.52; Karmajaṃ buddhiyuktā hi phalaṃ tyaktvā manīṣiṇam— Gītā 2.51). Lord Kṛṣṇa recommended that Arjuna establish his intellect in an unshakable samādhi, which is the state of yoga or equal-mindedness (Samādhavacalā buddhistadā yogamavāpsyasi—Gītā 2.53).

The Veda says that we desire various worldly items and people (loved ones) only for the sake of the self (Ātmanastu kāmāya sarvam priyam bhavati). All our worldly actions are only driven by these self-centered desires or desires for self-benefit. Such actions are called kāmya karma, which means: actions (karma) driven by self-centric desires (kāmya). Devotion (bhakti) is the true love for God. False love for God means loving God as an instrument for fulfilling our self-centric desires. This is instrumental devotion or false devotion. True devotion to God means loving God without the desire for any self-benefit. In true devotion, there is no aspiration for getting anything for oneself in return from God (niṣkāma bhakti). It is the state in which we love God more than our self. We are no longer self-centric; we become God-centric (Yā niśā sarva bhūtānāṃ tasyāṃ jagarti saṃyamī, yasyāṃ jagarti bhūtani, sa niśā paśyato muneḥ—Gītā 2.69). When the mind is totally filled with only the love for God, there is no room for any self-centric desire. All the self-centric desires automatically fall off. A ripe fruit effortlessly falls from the tree. One can think of it in the following way: When the fruit’s love for the Earth exceeds its love for the tree to which it is attached with its stalk, it falls off from the tree without any effort (Urvārukamiva bandhanān mṛtyoḥ mukṣīyaṃ amṛtāt—Veda). If you have to pluck it forcibly, it is not ripe enough—its love for the Earth has not ripened enough. Similarly, if you have to force yourself to give up self-centric worldly desires, it means that your love for God has not ripened yet. The focus then should be on how to ripen one’s love for God. The love or devotion to God can be developed only through the knowledge of God. This might seem odd at first glance. However, once understood, it is found to be perfectly logical.]

His love for all souls is the purest and it is proved through His sacrifice for the sake of souls. The Veda says that nothing or no one can ever be equal to God (Na tat samaḥ cā’bhyadhikaśca dṛśyate—Veda Śvetāśvatara Up. 6.8). This final conclusion of Brahma Jñānam is called prajñā. The permanent establishment (sthiti, pratiṣṭhā) of this final conclusion of Brahma Jñānam (prajñā) in one’s awareness is also called jñāna yoga, which means the complete realization or attainment of divine knowledge. A person in whose awareness, prajñā, the final conclusion of Brahma Jñānam, is permanently established is a sthitaprajña. Such a person is thoroughly convinced that God is the greatest, the most precious, and the most loving. Being convinced is related to the intellect (buddhi). It is followed by the corresponding emotional response, which is related to the mind (manas). The corresponding emotional response to that conviction is falling in love with God, above everyone and everything else. God, and God alone becomes the ultimate Goal of that person’s life. This love for God is devotion (bhakti). Thus, the intellect being perfectly established in the final conclusion of divine knowledge causes the mind to be filled with devotion to God.

This permanent establishment (ā) of the perfectly-derived (saṃ) final intellectual (dhīḥ) conclusion of divine knowledge in one’s awareness is also called samādhi (saṃ + ā + dhīḥ). Samādhi can also refer to the resulting state of the mind being completely filled with devotion to God. The emotional love for God (devotion, bhakti) is the result of the firmly-established (sthita) intellectual conclusion (prajñā). Thus, buddhi yoga or jñāna yoga is the cause for bhakti yoga. The word dhyāna commonly means meditation. It is composed of three syllables namely, dhī + ā + na. It too means the state of the intellect (dhiḥ) being constantly (ā) established in the conclusion that God is the greatest. Thus, dhyāna yoga is the same as bhakti yoga.

How does the sthitaprajña, who is in the state of samādhi or dhyāna behave? Firstly, such a person has no worldly desire to achieve or acquire anything for the self (Rasavarjaṃ rasopyasya paraṃ dṛṣṭvā nivartate—Gītā 2.59). It does not mean that the person becomes insensitive or inactive. In fact, this person’s enjoyment in the world doubles. He remains ever-blissful not just in the good situations in life, but also in the bad situations. He becomes fully active, just, kind, sensitive, unbiased, and balanced. He does not care for his own comfort or discomfort; success or failure; or fame or insult in society. He only cares about pleasing God.

If the person has no self-centric desires, why does the person continue to act? The person continues to act for the sake of God. The goal and beneficiary of all the person’s activities is God. The sthitaprajña does his worldly duties because it pleases God. He earns and supports himself along with his family since it pleases God. Over and above supporting himself and his family, he additionally works to serve God (karma saṃnyāsa). Further, out of whatever fruit he earns as a result of his work in the world (earnings), he retains only enough to support himself and his family. All the rest, he offers to God (karma phala tyāga) as a worshipful sacrifice. In other words, he offers a combination of his service and earnings to God. This offering of service and earnings to God is called karma yoga.]

This is devotion (bhakti). It is the attainment of bhakti yoga. The person who has attained bhakti yoga naturally, expresses his devotion to God practically. He offers his service (karma saṃnyāsa) and earnings to God (karma phala tyāga), after providing sufficiently for oneself and one’s family. This is karma yoga. A person’s effort is required mainly for the first step of the spiritual path, which is learning knowledge (jñana yoga). It is also the longest step, often spanning numerous lifetimes. The other two steps follow spontaneously.

Although jñāna yoga, bhakti yoga, and karma yoga are in logical sequence, as one causes the other. The development of all three happens together. To the extent you gain divine knowledge, you also develop devotion, and you also express your devotion in practice to that extent. By the time your divine knowledge reaches completion, the other two also reach completion. Thus, jñāna yoga, bhakti yoga, and karma yoga are three interconnected vessels in which the water poured into the first vessel fills all three.

The person who attains these three steps has also attained rāja yoga. Rāja yoga is being constantly engaged in activities the world with internal detachment. The sthitaprajña acts in the world to earn for the basic needs of himself and his family and for sacrificing the excess of his earnings to God. He also works to serve God. In spite of being fully engaged in the world, the sthitaprajña is fully detached from it internally. He can enjoy both the good and bad equally, since his goal is neither of them. His goal is God alone (Āpūryamāṇamacala pratiṣṭham samudramāpaḥ praviśanti ydvat. Tadvatkāmā yaṃ praviśanti sarve sa śāntimāpnoti na kāma kāmī—Gītā 2.70; Padmapatramivāmbhasā—Gītā).]

One can never become God-centric and develop devotion (bhāvanā). For such a self-centric person, there is no escape from self-centered desires (Indriyāṇi pramāthīni haranti prasabham manaḥ—Gītā 2.60). With desires burning in the mind, there is no peace in the mind. When there is not even peace in the mind, where is the question of happiness in life? (Nāsti buddhirayuktasyā nacāyuktasya bhāvanā na ca abhāvayataḥ śāntiḥ aśāntasya kutaḥ sukham?). At the most, the person may be able to temporarily subdue the desires by force, but eventually, they are bound to overpower him.

Hence, setting God as the goal is critically important to attain peace, and bliss in life (Yukta āsīta matparaḥ—Gītā 2.61, Paraṃ dṛṣṭvā nivartate—Gītā 2.59). In conclusion, the person who develops an unshakable devotion in God, through the knowledge of God, alone is freed of all desires and bondage in the world. Such a person remains in the ever-blissful God-like state (Brāhmi sthiti), in every good or bad situation in life, including the final situation of his own death (Eṣā Brāhmi sthiti Partha…Brahma nirvāṇa mṛcchati—Gītā 2.72).]

Merely doing these things is far from sufficient to win the championship. It only helps you gain some basic control over your body. You are certainly not equipped to compete with an expert tennis player. With that basic physical fitness, you can at the most ensure that your racket will not fly out of your hand due to the force of ball from your opponent. What basic physical fitness is to winning the tennis championship, meditative practices are to attaining the final state of samādhi. They merely yield stress relief, mental fitness, and some limited self-control over the mind. One cannot attain samādhi by merely following these practices. One cannot completely attain equanimity in both the joys and miseries of life. At the most, one can gain a temporary or a limited amount of equanimity (Abhyāsena tu Kaunteya—Gītā 6.35).

Having gained basic physical fitness and control over the body, you have to separately learn the technique of playing tennis. This is like the stage of learning divine knowledge with the peaceful and disciplined mind resulting from the meditative practices. As you go on learning tennis, your love for tennis goes on increasing. You also practically participate in small tennis tournaments. Similarly, as your spiritual knowledge (jñāna) grows, you proportionally develop devotion (bhakti). You also express that devotion practically in terms of service and the sacrifice of your earnings to God (karma). Finally, after many years, you become an expert at tennis. This is like the state of becoming a sthitaprajña or attaining jñāna yoga. At that point your love for tennis also becomes permanent. This is like reaching the climax of devotion God, which is the permanent attainment of bhakti yoga. Then finally, you will practically compete in the championship matches. That is like practically expressing one’s complete devotion to God through the climax of service and the sacrifice, which is the attainment of karma yoga. Winning the trophy is succeeding in karma yoga and attaining a permanent association with God (sāyujyam), which is accompanied by eternal bliss (ānanda) and the liberation from all worldly bonds (mokṣam).

The various steps in this entire journey are beautifully summarized in the Gītā as follows: “Śreyo hi jñānamabhyāsāt jñānād dhyānaṃ viśiṣyate, dhyānāt karma phala tyāgaḥ, tyāgat śāntir anantaram (Gītā 12.12)”. The same steps are listed below:

1. Abhyāsa means the meditative practices, which is the preparatory step before the first step of learning knowledge.

2. Jñānam: Greater than the mere preparatory meditative practices (abhyāsa) is the first step of learning divine knowledge (jñānam).

3. Dhyānam: Greater than merely learning and analyzing is reaching the final conclusion and establishing the intellect permanently in it so that it produces devotion to God in the mind (dhyāna).

4. Karma Phala Tyāga: Greater than merely holding that devotion in the mind is to express it practically in the form of service and the sacrifice of your earnings (karma phala tyāgaḥ). Having practically sacrificed your earnings to God, nothing remains to be done further. It is the final step of the journey.

The person who attains that final state has attained jñāna yoga, bhakti yoga, and karma yoga. He or she remains permanently in the association of God (sāyujyam) in an eternally blissful state (ānanda). Needless to say, the person is also permanently liberated from the bondage and problems of the world (mokṣam).]