Bhagavagd Gita - Session 20- Track 2008

Question: How does one keep or sustain…?

…equilibrium. That now Sri Krishna will tell you at the end. I have not even spoken yet about the last, the highest kind of equality.

Question: Does this titikṣā, udāsīna, and nati correspond to Action, and Knowledge, and Bhakti?

That’s right; you are right, absolutely, very true.

When you are moving on the path of Devotion, then, nati comes in the middle level. If you follow the path of Knowledge udāsīnatā comes in the middle stage of your equality. And when you pursue the path of Action, then stoic equality comes, titikṣā comes in your way. But there are lower levels also.

So, we must make a distinction between the semblance of equality, and the true equality; the true equality, and the truest equality. So, at the lowest level one would be proud for example, and yet one may feel in that state of pride: “I accept everything; I am high so it does not matter at all”. So, in pride also there is a kind of equality. If you are hard and indifferent, then also you are equal: if your consciousness is hard, there is no softness in your heart, then everything is equal. These are all lower kinds of equality. Very often in the yogic process all these things come, but we must know that this is not the real equality, or this is a higher equality and this is the highest equality.

The highest equality arises when you perceive samaṁ brahman; when you see that in everything there is the Brahman, and equal Brahman in everything. That is the real equality, the true spiritual equality: ekatvam anupaśyataḥ (Isha Upn. 7), when you see oneness everywhere, then there is a real equality, it is even higher than philosophical equality; it is higher than udāsīnatā. In udāsīnatā, you stand above, and you see everything lower than you. But in the real spiritual equality, there is spiritual oneness, you are not higher, you see everywhere ‘oneness’: the Knowledge of oneness. Equality and Knowledge are equated. In fact Sri Aurobindo says that Karma yoga is fully fulfilled when you can combine Knowledge of oneness, and the attitude and the status of equality; when you have both these together, then that is the culmination of the Karma yoga.

Now, this equality, the Knowledge, having seen samaṁ brahman everywhere, and you will see in the verses, which I read out the status of equality when everything is seen as equal and one: sāmyaṁ sthita, when you stand in equality by seeing the real equality: ekatvam. In the 6th chapter again Sri Krishna will repeat in saying that, “when you see Me in all and all in Me”, when you see that, then that is the true Knowledge. You are not only thinking: in the philosophical equality you only think, you have understood. But here you really see the oneness.

There is a distinction between thought and Knowledge: the Knowledge is the light by which you grow into oneness with your being. There must be first of all a light by means of which you grow into oneness with your highest being. So, there must be an experience of your highest being, experience of oneness with it, and the light by which you can see this, you can experience it: it is that which is called Knowledge. This is the true definition of Knowledge. That is why we say Knowledge is not information: merely to be told that all is one is not Knowledge. It is may be a thought at the most. But Knowledge, the word, is reserved only when there is an experience of your highest self, experience of oneness with it, and the light by which you can experience it: this is Knowledge. In that state of Knowledge, it will be for you impossible to see the divisions.