Building upon many years of privately shared thoughts on the real benefits of Stoic Philosophy, Liam Milburn eventually published a selection of Stoic passages that had helped him to live well. They were accompanied by some of his own personal reflections. This blog hopes to continue his mission of encouraging the wisdom of Stoicism in the exercise of everyday life. All the reflections are taken from his notes, from late 1992 to early 2017.
Reflections
▼
Primary Sources
▼
Friday, August 14, 2020
Wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita 19
18. The knowers of the Self look with an equal eye on a Brâhmana
endowed with learning and humility, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a
pariah.
19. Relative existence has been conquered by them, even in this
world, whose mind rests in evenness, since Brahman is even and without
imperfection: therefore they indeed rest in Brahman.
20. Resting in Brahman, with intellect steady, and without delusion,
the knower of Brahman neither rejoices on receiving what is pleasant,
nor grieves on receiving what is unpleasant. 21. With the heart unattached to external objects, he realizes the
joy that is in the Self. With the heart devoted to the meditation of
Brahman, he attains un-decaying happiness.
22. Since enjoyments that are contact-born are parents of misery
alone, and with beginning and end, O son of Kunti, a wise man does not
seek pleasure in them.
23. He who can withstand in this world, before the liberation from
the body, the impulse arising from lust and anger, he is steadfast in
Yoga, he is a happy man.
24. Whose happiness is within, whose relaxation is within, whose
light is within, that Yogi alone, becoming Brahman, gains absolute
freedom.
25. With imperfections exhausted, doubts dispelled, senses
controlled, engaged in the good of all beings, the Rishis obtain
absolute freedom.
26. Released from lust and anger, the heart controlled, the Self realized, absolute freedom is for such Sannyâsis, both here and
hereafter.
27-28. Shutting out external objects, steadying the eyes between the
eyebrows, restricting the even currents of Prâna and Apâna inside the
nostrils; the senses, mind, and intellect controlled, with Moksha as the
supreme goal, freed from desire, fear and anger: such a man of
meditation is verily free for ever.
29. Knowing Me as the dispenser of Yajnas and asceticisms, as the
Great Lord of all worlds, as the friend of all beings, he attains
Peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment