The whole problem starts when you start thinking.

Sankhya Yoga

Chapter 2, Verse 72

 

eṣā brāhmī-sthitiḥ pārtha 

naināṁ prāpya vimuhyati 

sthitvā’syām antakāle’pi 

brahma-nirvāṇam ṛcchati

 

This is brahmi sthiti, O Arjuna. Having attained it, one is no longer bewildered; fixed in that state at the hour of death, one can attain the Brahman itself.

 

He who succeeds in attaining Brahman during this lifetime is the best flower of humanity. He enjoys the bliss of the Divine while living a liberated life: he is a Jivan Mukta. Even he who succeeds at the last moment of his life, suddenly, as a reward for his sadhana, or as a Grace from his Guru, if he is fixing his mind unshakably on the image of the Divine, free from egoism, attachment, and desires, he will enjoy a blissful state of existence in the next world. He will enjoy God’s Heaven, enjoy the existence of Narayana, eternally. However, if one has not done one’s spiritual practices, it will be quite difficult to focus the attention on the Divine at the last moment. If you are very much into the outer routine, if you are very attached to the outside world, then at the last moment, your mind will focus on what you’re attached to. So how will it be possible to focus on the Divine at the last moment? It will be very difficult!

 

Krishna says that for people who are focused on the outside material world, it will be very difficult to attain God if they have not practised focusing the mind, if they have not practised yoga, if they have not practised meditation, if they have not practised japa. How could they, who are centred in the ego which always wants more and more, how could they who are centred in all the negative qualities of the outside world, how could they attain God? How could they overcome all this egoism, possession, attachment, and desire at the last moment? When one at last succeeds in reaching God-Realisation, all this delusion, which has existed from the beginning, gets eradicated, gets removed and it will never re-appear again. This is “brāhmī-sthitiḥ. O Arjuna”. Having attained the state of a yogi who has overcome delusion, one becomes a blessing to humanity. One who has awakened the Divine within the heart, who has awakened Bhakti within the heart, who sees the Lord, who worships the Lord, who has surrendered to the Lord, is a great blessing to humanity. 

 

Bhagavan Krishna says that one who is centred in spirituality is a blessing for this world, because wherever that person goes, he carries the Divine’s blessing with him. Wherever they go, whether they know it or not, they bring a positiveness with them. It’s like a flower: if a flower is put in the middle of a place where everything else is not beautiful, everyone’s attention will focus on that flower. Be like a flower in the middle of this world of ignorance. Spread the sweetness, the fragrance, and the beauty which God has given you! In this state, you are a blessing to humanity, you are a blessing to the world. Realising this state, you become a Jivan Mukta. You walk in this world  

being free.

 

“Fixed in that state at the hour of death, one can attain the Brahman itself.” Here Krishna says that even he who succeeds at the last moment of his life, either suddenly, or as a reward for his sadhana, to fix his mind strongly on the Divine, on God, he becomes free from egoism, attachment, possession, and desires. Grace can transform everybody, even at the last minute. Even if throughout your life, you have practised your sadhana, yet you still perceive all these negative qualities inside you, don’t be distressed about it. Even with doing all the spiritual exercises, all the prayers, all the japa, you don’t feel that you have reached the state that we have been talking about – don’t worry! Because at the time of passing, at the time of leaving this world, all this becomes good punya! All this will help you; it will become like a blessing! At that moment, whatever you have done, if you have perceived results in your life or not; if you have been doing your practice mechanically or not, all this will become a help.

This will help you at the time you are dying, at the time you are leaving this world. The sadhana that you have done will become a blessing for your Realisation: it will open up your eyes, even if it is just for a second! Even if it is just for a moment, the moment you depart from this world – you are delivered. 

 

This is the sweetness of the Lord. Nothing is done in vain! Even the little that you do, will bear its fruit. This is His compassion: He does everything for the sake of mankind. Krishna says that you don’t need to be discouraged when you don’t see any results from your spiritual practices, because all these results are being collected. This  

is what Christ also says: “Work for the kingdom of Heaven.” This good punya, even if you don’t see it here, it is in Heaven, in the bank account which you have made in Heaven. And this will help you. Even if you don’t feel anything throughout your whole life when you do your sadhana, just do it! Don’t think about it. Enjoy it when you are doing it! Don’t compare yourself with anybody to see if you are superior or inferior; don’t worry about that.

 

Here Krishna says to Arjuna, “Your duty as a warrior is to fight. Fight! Don’t think about it. The whole problem starts when you start thinking. When you start thinking, you start comparing. When you start comparing, you lose everything. There is no peace of mind. And when there is no peace of mind, everything is destroyed.” This is what Lord Krishna teaches in this chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.

 

Here ends the second chapter of the Bhagavad Gita on the knowledge of the Self.

Bhagavad Gita