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THE canons of a perfect life
Being Comprehensive Selections from the Bhagavadgita
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by Swami Krishnananda
The Divine Life Society - Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, India |
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| Be Bold and Not Cowardly - The Blessed Lord said: |
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Whence is this perilous strait come upon thee, this dejection which is unworthy of you, disgraceful, and which will close the gates of heaven upon you, O Arjuna? (II.2) |
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Yield not to impotence, O Arjuna, son of Pritha. It does not befit thee. Cast off this mean weakness of the heart! Stand Up, O scorcher of the foes! (II.3) |
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| Life and Death Mean the Same Thing |
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Thou hast grieved for those that should not be grieved for, yet thou speakest words of wisdom. The wise grieve neither for the living nor for the dead. (II.11) |
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| The Soul Is Deathless |
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Nor at any time indeed was I not, nor thou, nor these rulers of men, nor verily shall we ever cease to be hereafter. (II.12) |
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The unreal hath no being; there is no non-being of the real; the truth about both has been seen by the knowers of Reality. (II.16) |
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Know That to be Indestructible, by Which all this is pervaded. None can cause the destruction of That, the Imperishable. (II.17) |
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Weapons cut It not, fire burns It not, water wets It not, wind dries It not. (II.23) |
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This Self cannot be cut, burnt, wetted, nor dried up. It is eternal, all-pervading, stable, immovable and ancient. (II.24) |
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| Bear Pain with Courage |
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The contacts of the senses with the objects, O son of Kunti, which cause heat and cold, pleasure and pain, have a beginning and an end; they are impermanent; endure them bravely, O Arjuna. (II.14) |
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| Our Physical Body Is by Nature Perishable |
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These bodies of the embodied Self, Which is eternal, indestructible and immeasurable, are said to have an end. Therefore fight, O Arjuna. (II.18) |
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| Grief and Sorrow Are Unbecoming |
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This (Self) is said to be unmanifested, unthinkable and unchangeable. Therefore, knowing This to be such, thou shouldst not grieve. (II.25) |
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| Grieve Not for Anyone |
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This, the Indweller in the body of everyone, is ever indestructible, O Arjuna; therefore, thou shouldst not grieve for any creature. (II.30) |
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| Inglorious Life Is Worse than Death |
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People, too, will recount thy everlasting dishonour (for having retracted from duty); and to one who has been honoured, dishonour is worse than death. (II.34) |
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| Treat Pleasure and Pain As Equal |
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Having made pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat the same, engage thou in battle (for the sake of duty); thus thou shalt not incur sin. (II.38) |
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| In the Performance of Duty, There Is No Loss of Any Kind |
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In this there is no loss of effort, nor is there any harm (production of contrary results or transmigration). Even a little of this knowledge (even a little practice of this Yoga) protects one from great fear. (II.40) |
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| Duty Is Not to Be Confused with Personal Benefit |
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Thy right is to work only, but never with its fruits; let not the fruits of the action be thy motive, nor let thy attachment be to inaction. (II.47) |
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| A Balanced Outlook Is Called Yoga |
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Perform action, O Arjuna, being steadfast in Yoga, abandoning attachment and balanced in success and failure. Evenness of mind is called Yoga. (II.48) |
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| Yoga Is Dexterity in the Performance of Work |
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Endowed with wisdom (evenness of mind), one casts off in this life both good and evil deeds; therefore, devote thyself to Yoga; Yoga is skill in action. (II.50) |
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| Contentment Is the Mark of Greatness and Genius |
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When a man completely casts off, O Arjuna, all the desires of the mind and is satisfied in the Self by the Self, then he is said to be of steady wisdom. (II.55) |
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| The Perfected One |
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He attains to Peace, into whom all desires enter as rivers enter the steady ocean, being filled from all sides, not he who desires objects (of sense). (II.70) |
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