Saturday, July 24, 2010

Sthitaprajna – steady wisdom

In the last part of 2nd chapter of Bhagvad Gita, Shri Krishna talks about the nature of that human mind which has achieved perfect equilibrium, perfect steadiness, which The Gita calls Sthitaprajna. It is a wonderful word- Prajna – knowledge-wisdom; sthita means steady. Our knowledge is not steady, it comes and goes. By training we can make mind steady - wisdom steady. A measure of stabilization in the mind is needed for steady work. Frenzy is not good accompaniment of efficient work. Calm silent and study work is what brings out permanent result. The one lesson we have to learn is that the people who jump about and shout about are not efficient workers. In whole teaching of Gita this subject is upper most: How to work? How to work efficiently? This subject immediately brings out the idea of training of the mind. What is the state of mind? Unless it is calm and quite great work cannot be done. Just emotional effervescence is not efficiency it all disappears in no time. So Shri Krishna gives us the initial measures of stability within the mind. We have capacity to bring it about. We have to exercise that capacity. That is the first step towards great work – and life.
Taken from writings of Swami Ranganathanandaji


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