Detachment is the Key to Joy
Vasudeva tells Arjuna, quoting the story of the Brahmana on the highest pursuit of life. There is nothing greater that yields more happiness than this. He calls Arjuna a wise person, with intense faith and strength to conquer enemies. As a parting note, he says that the mortal who gives up this world of movement and change as having no essence at all, quickly attains to the highest state of being.
This is all that I have to say and nothing more, says Sri Krishna. If one practises this yoga for six months, then his mind will attain to the state of yoga. The emphasis here is more on the practice than on the teachings. Even a nugget of information that we receive becomes efficacious only when put to practice. Six months is the time that Sri Krishna mentions for a thought that is applied to become a reality.
Stories are means to express the highest truths in the Mahabharata and Sri Krishna here has one more story. A married couple is shown discussing the ways to attain the supreme reality. A Brahmin wife, approaching her husband, who is well-versed in the Vedas, asks him, “To what world will I go to, having lived with you as your wife?” Her question also includes a description of her husband as one who is seated simply, giving up all actions and also speaking in a harsh tone to her.
She explains that the wife reaches to the same world of experience as her husband does and hence is concerned by his actions. Hearing these questions, the peaceful person that the Brahmana was, smiled when he spoke, “O sinless woman, even though you have spoken tough words I am not upset.”
Actions are either done with the hands and feet, seen by the eyes and perceived by the sense organs or that which already exist. People engaging in actions interact with these three possibilities only. When they engage in doing actions without the right knowledge or without the ultimate purpose in mind, they only get confounded and confused. Even for an hour in their life they can never experience peaceful existence sans actions.
Actions exist in all beings from birth to death and attaining another form. This is expressed through actions, speech and thoughts. The husband says that since all the yagnas that he was doing were destroyed by rakshasas, he has given up all actions and is meditating upon the indwelling self.
He is meditating on that home of Brahman which is beyond all duality of heat and cold, joy and sorrow, pride and insult. All the five elements of earth, water, fire, air and space serve this supreme truth that resides within.
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