From Attachment to Freedom: The Art of Self-Mastery
Chapter 2 v.65-68
Discover how cultivating a serene, resilient mind and mastering the senses unveils the path to divine guidance, Self-realization, and ultimate freedom from suffering.
Contents
The Path from Desire to Wisdom
Finding Equanimity through Mastery
Navigating the Battle Between Ego and Soul
Understanding the Mind: Desire, Attachment, and Aversion
The Practical Work of Mind Purification
The Grace-Filled Mind: Chitta Prasad
Firmly Established in Wisdom
PODCAST EPISODE: Cracking the Code of Lasting Happiness
Through disciplined practice and devotion, we can learn to navigate life skillfully, free from restless desires and attachment.
We are continuing our exploration of Chapter Two of the Bhagavad Gita, focusing deeply on verses 65 through 68. This profound chapter offers not only an understanding of our true spiritual nature but also practical methods to live aligned with this truth. Central to this teaching is the necessity of mastering our minds and senses so that we remain established in spiritual wisdom and inner peace.
The Path from Desire to Wisdom
To understand the flow of these verses clearly, let's revisit a translation by Eknath Easwaran, beginning with verse 2.62:
"When you keep thinking about sense objects, attachment comes. Attachment breeds desire, the lust of possession that burns to anger. Anger clouds judgment. You can no longer learn from past mistakes. Lost is the power to choose between what is wise and what is unwise, and your life is utter waste. But when you move amidst the world of sense, free from attachment and aversion alike, there comes the peace in which all sorrows end, and you live in the wisdom of the Self." (Bhagavad Gita 2.62-65)
These verses clearly illustrate the pitfalls of unchecked sense desire and attachment, showing how easily one can lose connection with spiritual wisdom. The verses caution us against being caught up in sensory pursuits that cloud discernment, advising instead a path of balanced living, free from extremes of attraction and aversion.
"When we are anchored in our true Self, soul-guided awareness becomes natural and peace becomes our path."
—Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
Finding Equanimity through Mastery
Verses 64 and 65 highlight the result of disciplined living:
"When you have perfect control over the senses, beyond attraction and aversion, the mind is anchored in the wisdom of the Self. Such a person attains equanimity. In equanimity, all sorrows are dispelled. The intelligence of one whose mind is in equanimity is established firmly." (Bhagavad Gita 2.64-65)
Here, yoga is beautifully expressed as both the goal and the method. Yoga is union with divine reality and liberation from sorrow, achieved through a disciplined approach to managing the restless senses and the fluctuations of the mind.
The mind becomes steady (chitta prasad) when it is no longer swayed by attraction or repulsion. Such serenity allows wisdom to firmly take root, illuminating our daily life with spiritual clarity and steadiness.
Navigating the Battle Between Ego and Soul
The Bhagavad Gita frames spiritual life as an ongoing internal battle, symbolized in the dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna. Paramahansa Yogananda described this metaphorical battle as one between "King Soul," representing spiritual awareness, and the "usurper King Ego," representing restless desires and attachments.
In our daily lives, this is the inner conflict we continually navigate. Will the higher guidance of the soul direct our lives, or will ego-based desires control our actions? The determining factor in this battle is the state of our minds. When the mind is clear, calm, and illumined, soul-guidance prevails. But when the mind is clouded by desire, restlessness, or frustration, ego dominates.
Kabir beautifully describes our potential as spiritual beings when he writes:
"The devotee who can stay in the junction of the manifest and the hidden knows all that is within and without, like a lamp at the door."
This junction represents our capacity to remain aware of both inner spiritual guidance and outer sensory experiences without losing our equanimity.
Understanding the Mind: Desire, Attachment, and Aversion
Yoga philosophy shows us clearly that the root cause of our struggles is avidya, or ignorance—misidentifying ourselves with the limited ego rather than the infinite Self. This mistaken identity creates desires reinforced through attachment (attraction) and aversion (repulsion).
It’s important to clarify that desire itself isn't inherently problematic; the trouble arises when ego appropriates these desires, turning natural inclinations into attachments. Baba Hari Das provides clear insight into this subtle process:
"The cause of suffering is ignorance, which takes the form of desire, fear, anger, attachment or aversion. We see everything according to our desires and get attached to the idea 'it is mine' or 'it is not yet mine.' A fear of losing the object develops, and the mind uses anger as a defense mechanism."
When the mind recognizes its ignorance, awareness arises. With this awareness, the yogi begins the work of releasing attachments, gradually cultivating dispassion, which leads to freedom from suffering.
The Practical Work of Mind Purification
One common obstacle we face is the subtle justification: "Just this once won't hurt." This seemingly harmless thought maintains patterns of behavior that bind us to suffering. By seeing through this strategy clearly, we learn to reject such traps, moving instead towards genuine freedom.
Conversely, consistent positive practices—even if small—create lasting beneficial habits. As the Buddha taught:
"Do not make light of your failings, saying, 'What are they to me?' A jug fills drop by drop; so a fool becomes brim full of folly. Do not belittle your virtues, saying they are nothing. A jug fills drop by drop; so the wise become brim full of virtue." (Dhammapada)
Steering the Ship of Life Skillfully
The Gita likens an uncontrolled mind to a boat tossed helplessly at sea, driven off-course by storms. Verse 67 states:
"For the mind that follows in the wake of the wandering senses carries away a person's discrimination as wind carries away a boat on the waters."
However, with a skilled navigator—our disciplined spiritual practice—we learn to utilize the winds (sensory input) to propel us forward rather than be driven off course. Meditation, self-study, devotion, and disciplined living provide the strength and clarity needed to skillfully navigate life's challenges.
The Grace-Filled Mind: Chitta Prasad
The serene, peaceful, and grace-filled mind (Chitta Prasad) is central to this teaching. A mind established in serenity is receptive to divine wisdom. Patanjali's Yoga Sutra teaches us to cultivate this peaceful mind through attitudes of compassion, joy, and equanimity. When we anchor our awareness in these positive attitudes, we maintain clarity and peace, essential for living in alignment with our highest truths.
Prasad also refers to the sacred offerings made during spiritual ceremonies—offerings made to the divine that return to us as blessings. Similarly, cultivating Chitta Prasad means living our lives as a continuous offering to the divine, receiving grace-filled blessings in return.
Firmly Established in Wisdom
Verse 68 concludes this section, stating:
"Therefore, the intelligence of one whose senses are withdrawn from their objects is firmly established."
When the senses no longer dominate, the intellect naturally becomes steady and clear, allowing wisdom to guide our daily lives and interactions. Through disciplined practice and devotion, we can learn to navigate life skillfully, free from restless desires and attachment. By remaining anchored in wisdom, we live in harmony with our true nature, experiencing lasting joy, clarity, and peace.
Listen to the full podcast episode below.
Bhagavad Gita, pt 18: Cracking the Code of Lasting Happiness
Chapter 2 v. 65-68
Explore the secrets of cultivating a serene and resilient mind, unshackled from the chains of attachment and aversion. By exploring the profound wisdom behind the power of our senses and mastering the art of self-navigation, we unveil the path to divine guidance, Self-realization, and the ultimate liberation from suffering.
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