The Gita and the mind

The Bhagavad Gita on desire

Dr. Sharad Wagle points out that every tradition, from Christianity to Buddhism to Hinduism, treats unchecked desire as the enemy, and that desire comes from the mind. He compares the mind’s desires to a runaway freight train. Stopping one is very possible, he says, but it takes effort.

The boat in the wind (2.67)

Verse 67 of Chapter 2: “The mind which follows the roving senses carries away his intellect, as the wind carries away a boat on water.” He explains the picture, which goes back to the Upanishads. The ocean is the world we live in. The boat is us. The captain is the intellect. The strong winds are the desires of the mind. The compass the captain steers by is the scripture and the knowledge we gain.

More on this: The Bhagavad Gita on anger: the ladder of fall.

The ocean that stays still (2.70)

Verse 70: “As the waters enter the ocean, which, filled from all sides, remains undisturbed, likewise he in whom all objects of enjoyment enter attains peace, not the desirer of objects.” Rivers pour into the ocean from every side and it does not overflow. A person chasing one object after another never gets that peace.

Letting go while living in the world (2.71)

Verse 71 says peace comes to the one who abandons desires and moves about without yearning, without the sense of I and mine. He draws attention to the words “moves about”. The Gita is not telling us to escape to the mountains. It asks us to stay in the world and let go of the grasping.

More on this: The steady mind: the sthitaprajna verses.

Desire does not fade with age

We often assume desires will get weaker as we get older. In his teaching they do not. The mind carries its desires and habits with it, which is why they show up so early in childhood and stay so stubborn.

Reach for something higher

Fighting desire head on rarely works. He calls the fundamental principle of spiritual growth “taking up an interest and love for the higher”. As that interest grows, the lower desires fall away on their own.