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id=UVTfbBezcfcC&pg=PA8&lpg=PA8&dq=perennial+psychology+of+the+bhagavad+gita
&source=bl&ots=RqbtddaS_5&sig=3gHCz7LWejxT7dbFOdDWdhWn3Ac&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjTzLeAg5nOAhUdSI8
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Even as Vedic Karmas were practiced , discrimination and wisdom declined. Righteousness was lost.

It became difficult for those who were not scholars to understand and follow the teachings of the
Vedas and Upanishads..Hence it became necessary to restate these teachings in a wat that could be
appreciated and assimilated by all. Krishna modified and simplified the

BG offers a synthesis orb integration of the two paths- two yogas

Arjuna means one who makes sincere efforts.!

Confusion can lead to conflict and conflict is not resolved it will result in one becoming desolate .

The BG conveys that meaning in its entirety and teaches the practical methods for the study and
transformation of ones inner being.

It deals with analyzing and training the internal process of the human beings so that one becomes
creative in the external world and at the same time attains a state of tranquility. Dextrous !

That which needs detailed analysis, understanding and unfoldment is the mental life , which is vast in
its characteristics . The outside world can be mastered only when the inner potentials are
systematically explored and organized. It is not possible to function effectively and harmoniously in the
external world without understanding ones inner potential.

It is not the external world that creates confusion , but the inner world of the individual which is
deluded. Practice or Sadhana should be modeled in such a way that it doesnot lead the aspirant from
one extreme to the other. One may attempt to find solace in actions or doing ones duties and the
other may aspire to retire to the solitude of the forests.However , it is the moderate path which is
useful to the general public.

http://www.swamij.com/swami-rama-gita-6.18-6.20.htm
Entire Process of Meditation
(Bhagavad Gita 6.18-6.20)
by Swami Rama

In this section of his commentary on Bhagavad Gita, Swami Rama succinctly describes the entire process
of meditation from beginning to Self-Realization.

Perennial Psychology of Bhagavad Gita

Chapter 6: Path of Meditation

18. When a very well controlled mind remains stable in the Self alone, detached from all desires, then one
is called joined in yoga.
19. As a lamp in a place without breeze does not tremble-this is the simile of a yogi whose mind is
controlled practicing the yoga of the Self.
20. Where the mind ceases, withdrawn through the observance of yoga, where one sees the self in the
Self, one is satiated in the Self.

In yoga sadhana, samyama (self-discipline) is important. In fact, it is the very means for the renunciate to
attain Brahman, for the yogi to attain Samadhi, and for the man of action to perform his duty skillfully and
selflessly. Non-attachment is part of the discipline. We have already explained that non-attachment and
discipline should be properly understood. Discipline should not be seen as a punishment or as something
imposed by teachers, and non-attachment should not be viewed as implying indifference, carelessness, or
lack of love for others. Those who are not able to practice discipline cannot foresee its positive effects; they
feel that discipline is not necessary. For fear of losing their little joys, they do not want to discipline
themselves. So is the case with people who are attached to objects and human relationships because they
use all these as crutches and as means to satisfy their sense gratifications. Such people misunderstand
non-attachment. Non-attachment brings about the love divine, and it opens new horizons, which helps one
understand that higher joys can be obtained in life.

No one in this world is satisfied. Everyone understands that and accepts it as a fact of life. But most people
are afraid of the unknown and do not search for something higher. The ordinary person is not sure that the
search for the unknown will give him something higher than what he has already. He is not happy as he is
and yet is afraid of searching in the unknown. Dissatisfaction and fear are two great enemies of the human
being; they create a great barrier in the process of unfoldment. The ordinary human being remains clinging
to his dissatisfaction, not knowing anything better. But if he would begin to discipline himself and develop
non-attachment, he would quickly begin to find something far better than what he leaves behind.

When the roving mind of the aspirant is brought back from its dissipated nature to a center of focus by
meditative practices, when his mind becomes steady and one-pointed, and when he does not long for
worldly desires, he is called a yogi. It is necessary to explain what is meant by the object or center of focus
for the mind. Every person has his own mind that differs from the nature of other minds. The capacity for
perceiving and conceptualizing differs in both degree and quality. The object that is recommended to the
student as a point of focus during meditation is therefore a delicate matter. If the object is disagreeable to
the student, he cannot practice. He begins fighting within himself instead of letting go. There are already
innumerable objects in the mind, for the mind itself manufactures numerous objects and expresses them
through symbols, ideas, fantasies, hallucinations, and dreams. The question arises: How will adding one
more object to the mind be helpful? Verse 19 tells us that the object of meditation should not be anything
but Atman, the pure Self. All of the objects created by the mind are partial and incomplete. But this object
of meditation is all-encompassing and is the source of all other objects. That brings another question: how
can one have as an object for his meditation something abstract, timeless, infinite, and eternal? To answer
this question it is necessary to distinguish between concentration and meditation, which are two different
states and experiences on the inner path.

There is no meditation in concentration, but there is already concentration in meditation. Many teachers
these days think meditation can be attained without concentration. That ignorant idea is misleading. The
mind as it is in its ordinary nature remains in a dissipated state. Without gathering together and
concentrating the energy of the mind, the deeper state of meditation is not possible. The student who
practices sitting in a quiet and calm place even for a short time can experience a bit of unusual joy, though
he is not able to experience the deep joy of the meditative state. Why should one be afraid of
concentration? Some say that concentration of mind can bring strain and stress and thus should not be
practiced. They even say that discipline is not needed, and they create simplified methods and call them
meditation. Such teachings appear to make difficult sadhana easy, but these easy methods do not lead one
to the higher dimensions of life.

For concentrating the mind, one needs something concrete: a form, image, or symbol that carries some
meaning. Abstract thought can lead one to the contemplative state but not to a concentrated state of mind.
Prescribing an object for the concentration of mind requires a skilled teacher. The best concentration is
achieved when the student mentally centers his mind on the flow of breath. It is easy for the mind to
become concentrates if the breath is the focal point. That has many benefits. First the mind and breath,
which are closely linked together, begin functioning in a coordinated way. When concentration is absent,
the cooperation remains unconscious; it requires effort to establish coordination on a conscious level.
Second, when the student concentrates on the breath, he is able to discover the defects in his breathing
and becomes mentally aware of breathing patterns that need to be changes, such as jerky, noisy breathing
or habits of inhaling shallowly or creating a pause between inhalation and exhalation. These bad habits are
the sources of many physical imbalances and illnesses that cannot be treated with medicine.

In most great meditative traditions of the world, the breath is the center for focusing the mind. Only those
teachers who do not have direct experience with the path of meditation and who have lost the sensitivity
for the well being of their students prescribe a gross object as a focal point. With the breath as an object,
the student is first led toward concentration, which gradually becomes more subtle. Following this fine
thread of breath, he attains inwardness. The mind then acquires the capacity of subtlety, and one develops
a penetrating sense of internal observation.

Concentration and meditation should ultimately lead on to Atman alone. One-pointedness of mind is an
important requisite to help one accomplish that. When one learns to concentrate on the breath and
removes all the defects that he finds in this breathing pattern, he tries to understand who it is that is
inhaling and exhaling. There are traditions that believe in the coordination of mantra with the breath at this
stage. Mantra is a Sanskrit word, sound, syllable, or sets of words. It is a means to remove all the
impurities of mind. There are a few mantras what are used while inhaling and exhaling that do not disturb
the flow of breath. The sadhaka reaches a point in his practice where he not only breathes the air but
constantly remembers the mantra with each inhalation and exhalation. That leads the mind to constant
awareness of the mantra. When the consciousness of the mantra is deepened, the mantra is able to guide
the mind in the inner world.

The student is then taught to be aware of the inner light that already burns without flickering. When the
mind experiences that light, it elevates itself to a state of joy that it did not experience before. That light
which is within us is the finest and best form upon which to meditate. Without that light we would not be
able to see, observe, verify, and discriminate anything in the external world. It is the light of consciousness
that is experienced in the concentrated form. The mind then begins to see clearly; it is no longer clouded.
Then the light of consciousness and mantra become one, because at that stage the mantra is not actually
remembered, but its meaning and feeling are revealed. At first one remembers and repeats the mantra in a
gross way, but gradually it is experienced in a more subtle way. When one develops the feeling of constant
awareness of the mantra, it unites with the mainstream of consciousness where light and sound are
inseparably mingled. That is a perfect state of concentration. One has then attained profound control of the
mind, and he experiences a constant closeness and union with the Self-illumined Atman. When the
sadhaka has mastered the art of concentration, his mind is fixed on the Self only. The mind of an ordinary
person is dissipated, disturbed, and fickle, but the mind of the sadhaka attains steadiness. Such a sadhaka
has mastered and controlled the usual flow of mental energy that goes out to the external world. From the
very beginning the object of concentration must be carefully chosen. At first it should be the breath and
later breath with mantra well coordinated and united. In a higher stage sound and light are united, and in
the highest state pure Consciousness alone exists.

Meditation is an inward process of therapy; it is able to remove all the impurities and weaknesses that are
responsible for creating disorder and illness. Meditational therapy is quite different from hypnosis. In a
hypnotic state, instead of having a direct experience of the unknown dimensions of life, one is influenced
by suggestions from someone outside or by self-suggestion. Therapy based on hypnosis is an unguided
method, for the therapist and client do not know what they will encounter next. They are being guided by
their conscious and unconscious minds but not by the light of consciousness. Many times in such cases, the
therapist loses touch with the client, and the client with his consciousness. Many terrifying experiences may
come from the unconscious of the client when the hypnotist is not able to maintain control over the
hypnotic session. That form of therapy goes only so far. The great therapists of the past had to abandon
that method, although lately hypnosis has been developed further and used successfully in certain cases.
But those who practice hypnosis can never develop a profound training program that independently leads
one to the source of knowledge and light. By contrast, on the path of meditation one is lead to Self-
realization.