CHAPTER 6, TEXT 33: Arjuna said: O Madhusūdana, the system of yoga which You have summarized appears impractical and unendurable to me, for the mind is restless and unsteady.
In Chapter 6 entitled Dhyana Yoga, Krishna is instructing Arjuna to follow a very stringent system of yoga practice to purify the body and mind. Go to the forest, sit upon a firm yet soft mat, gaze at the tip of the nose with eyes half-open, and control the mind until it becomes like a "lamp in a windless place" (6.29).
One would imagine that as an obedient disciple to God Himself, Arjuna would be nodding his agreement to all of these instructions. Even if he did have misgivings, Arjuna would never object to instructions given by the guru.
Right?
Not quite.
Krishna has presented a system of mysticism to achieve perfection, but it is "rejected by Arjuna out of a feeling of inability."
Cue inner sigh of relief.
The yoga of mystic meditation and mind control seems interesting, and the past few dozen verses have certainly made valid points about the importance of self-control and recognizing the divine within others and within oneself. That said, Arjuna does not mince words - he declares that the system "appears impractical and unendurable." In fact, Arjuna is a warrior and already highly self-disciplined; he also "had much better facilities than we do now, yet he refused to accept this system of yoga... Of course it may be possible for some very few, rare men, but for the people in general it is an impossible proposal."
Arjuna's rejection of Dhyana Yoga demonstrates two things. The first is that above all, The Bhagavad-gita is a practical scripture; this wisdom is meant to be applied by the common man in every age, every place, and every culture. The Gita is not meant for a few, rare men. The Gita is meant for the people in general, and people need practices that are accessible and meaningful. The Gita is meant for you and for me, today, here and now.
The second thing that Arjuna's rejection of Dhyana Yoga demonstrates is how a disciple should engage in dialogue with the teacher. Arjuna uses his intelligence and is respectfully, unflinchingly honest. What kind of disciple would Arjuna be if he just nodded his head and "accepted" everything that Krishna was telling him to do, but in his heart he felt doubtful and incapable? Arjuna speaks up about his concerns. Thus he is showing us how to conduct ourselves on the spiritual path - Do not blindly follow, but also do not blindly reject.
Use your intelligence.
Use your heart.
Be practical.
Ultimately, be sincere.
Full purport by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/6/33/
In Chapter 6 entitled Dhyana Yoga, Krishna is instructing Arjuna to follow a very stringent system of yoga practice to purify the body and mind. Go to the forest, sit upon a firm yet soft mat, gaze at the tip of the nose with eyes half-open, and control the mind until it becomes like a "lamp in a windless place" (6.29).
One would imagine that as an obedient disciple to God Himself, Arjuna would be nodding his agreement to all of these instructions. Even if he did have misgivings, Arjuna would never object to instructions given by the guru.
Right?
Not quite.
Krishna has presented a system of mysticism to achieve perfection, but it is "rejected by Arjuna out of a feeling of inability."
Cue inner sigh of relief.
The yoga of mystic meditation and mind control seems interesting, and the past few dozen verses have certainly made valid points about the importance of self-control and recognizing the divine within others and within oneself. That said, Arjuna does not mince words - he declares that the system "appears impractical and unendurable." In fact, Arjuna is a warrior and already highly self-disciplined; he also "had much better facilities than we do now, yet he refused to accept this system of yoga... Of course it may be possible for some very few, rare men, but for the people in general it is an impossible proposal."
Arjuna's rejection of Dhyana Yoga demonstrates two things. The first is that above all, The Bhagavad-gita is a practical scripture; this wisdom is meant to be applied by the common man in every age, every place, and every culture. The Gita is not meant for a few, rare men. The Gita is meant for the people in general, and people need practices that are accessible and meaningful. The Gita is meant for you and for me, today, here and now.
The second thing that Arjuna's rejection of Dhyana Yoga demonstrates is how a disciple should engage in dialogue with the teacher. Arjuna uses his intelligence and is respectfully, unflinchingly honest. What kind of disciple would Arjuna be if he just nodded his head and "accepted" everything that Krishna was telling him to do, but in his heart he felt doubtful and incapable? Arjuna speaks up about his concerns. Thus he is showing us how to conduct ourselves on the spiritual path - Do not blindly follow, but also do not blindly reject.
Use your intelligence.
Use your heart.
Be practical.
Ultimately, be sincere.
Full purport by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/6/33/
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