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Bhagavad
Gita - February 19, 2010
Chapter
5, Verse: 23
Swami
Yogatmananda
Vedanta
Society of Providence
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V.23:
One who can withstand here itself - before departing from the body -
the impulse arising from desrire and anger, that person is a yogi, he/she
is happy.
The
above image is from Gita Darshan by courtesy of Sri
Ramakrishna Math, Hyderabad.
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Summary
of this lecture:
After explaining in verse 21-22 that the person of Self-knowledge has
no craving for contacts with the external objects; for s/he finds the
inexhaustible min of happiness within, Lord Krishna tells that a spiritual
aspirant must try to control the 'urges of attraction or aversion'.
Urge is a desire that has become compulsive/automatic. It appears impossible
not to succumb to it. Although some prominent Western psychologists,
led by Freud, preach that one should just give free rein to the urges,
lest their control may create many behavioral complexes and health issues,
the Yoga psychology completely denies this view. Happiness and freedom
is what all of us want and there is absolutely no way to get it without
learning to control the propensities of attachment and resentment towards
the external objects. Those who do it in this life, they alone have
lived the life - for human life IS for that. Control is human; indulgence
is animal. This control is Yoga and it results in gradual unfoldment
of inner happiness. It may be impossible to control the urge when one
is overtaken by it, but when the tide is over, one can (& must)
build defenses against them. Holy company and discipline are such defenses.
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