Yoga of Krishna
The Teachings of Krishna can be subdivided into three components: ontological, ethical, psychoenergetical (the latter is related to man’s development within raja yoga and buddhi yoga).
It corresponds to the three components of man’s spiritual development — intellectual, ethical, and psychoenergetical.
Let us consider each of them separately.
Ontological Aspect of Krishna’s Teachings:
From the ontological point of view, the Bhagavad Gita gives complete and clear answers to the main questions of philosophy:
a) what is God,
b) what is man,
c) what is the meaning of human life and how we should live on the Earth.
The Bhagavad Gita considers God in the following aspects: Ishvara, Absolute, Brahman, and Avatar.
In other languages, Ishvara is called the Heavenly Father, God-the-Father, Jehovah, Allah, Tao, Primordial Consciousness. Ancient Slavs called Him Svarog. Ishvara is also the Highest Teacher and the Goal of every one of us.
The second aspect of the word God is the Absolute or Everything, that is the Creator existing as one with His multidimensional Creation.
The Evolution of the Absolute goes on in cycles, which are called Manvantaras. A Manvantara consists of a Kalpa (Day of Brahman) and a Pralaya (Night of Brahman). Each Kalpa begins with the creation of the world and ends with the end of the world. The meaning of such cyclic recurrence consists in creation of new conditions for continuing the universal Evolution of Consciousness (the Evolution of the Absolute).
The third aspect of God is Brahman, Who is called also the Holy Spirit. This is a collective name for all Divine Individualities Who come out from the Abode of the Creator, primarily with the purpose of helping embodied people.
There is one more manifestation of God on the Earth — Avatar, Messiah, Christ — man-God incarnated in a human body and merged by the Consciousness with the Creator. An Avatar — from the Divine level — helps people to find the Way to the Creator.
Krishna, Who presented us with the Bhagavad Gita, Jesus Christ, Babaji, Sathya Sai Baba, and many Others in the history of our planet are examples of Avatars.
… Man is not a body. The body is just a temporary material container of man. Man is a consciousness (soul), a self-aware energy. The size of the lump of the consciousness of different people may differ significantly: from tiny “rudimentary” — to cosmic sizes. It depends on two factors: the psychogenetic age (i.e. the age of the soul) and the intensity of efforts made on the spiritual Path.
Krishna said about the correspondence between man and man’s body the following:
2:18. Only the bodies of the embodied are perishable, but he himself is eternal and indestructible…
2:22. As man throws off worn-out clothes and puts on others that are new — so he throws off worn-out bodies and enters new ones.
Man represents the last stage of the evolutionary development of incarnate purusha: plants — animals — man — God. Man’s task is to strive to achieve the Divine Perfection. On this path, man goes through certain stages, steps.
One of the schemes of advancement through these stages is the description of the evolution in terms of gunas. That is, there are three gunas:
the first is tamas — darkness, ignorance, stupidity, coarseness;
the second is rajas — passionateness, intensive search for one’s place in life, fight for one’s ideals, and so on;
the third is sattva — purity, harmony.
But, Krishna said, one has to go still higher — higher than sattva, to Mergence with God, and this requires new efforts, new struggle with oneself. We have to keep this in mind, since sattva may turn out to be a trap: it captivates us with its bliss peculiar to this stage. It “relaxes” us, tempts us to abandon further efforts. It ensures paradise for us, but we have to go further. To become Brahman, having cognized the Nirvana in Brahman, and then to become Ishvara, we have to do much.
However, it is impossible to bypass the sattva guna. It is impossible to merge with God without mastering the qualities inherent to this guna.
It is also impossible to bypass the rajas guna, for it is in this guna that man masters such qualities as energy, self-discipline, power.
… Another scheme of man’s evolutionary advancement mentioned by Krishna is the scale of varnas. (Let me stress that this and many other scales are mutually complementary; a complex use of them in application to oneself or to others gives a more complete picture).
According to the scale of varnas, man on the first stage is called shudra. People of this stage are too young in their psychogenesis and able of doing too little. Their task is to learn from others who are evolutionarily more mature, by helping them in their work.
The second stage is represented by vaishyas. These include merchants, craftsmen, farmers, etc. Being in this varna implies having a developed intellect for starting creative business activity, because to run a business one has to posses a developed intellect. It is through such activity that the representatives of this varna develop themselves.
The next varna is represented by kshatriyas. These are people who have ascended still higher in their intellectual development, in being energetic. These are leaders possessing sufficient “broadness” of the mind and personal power (the power of the consciousness). By the way, one can start preparing oneself for this stage of spiritual development starting at a young age by developing the personal power and energy. Helpful in this work are physical labor, motion kinds of sport, dances to rhythmic music. If one does this without coarse emotional states, remembering about God and about the necessity to observe the ethical norms in front of Him, then this can form a good potential for future spiritual development in mature age. In mature age, it will be necessary to renounce both competitiveness and passionateness. On the contrary, one has to come then to calm, harmony, tenderness, wisdom. But this should be based on the foundation of large personal power — i.e. the energy might of the consciousness and intellect.
The highest varna consists of brahmans, that is spiritual leaders.
It became historically established in India to hand down the varna membership by inheritance. Therefore, it is quite obvious that not all people who assign themselves to the highest varna have high spiritual achievements.
… Let me cite words of Krishna about how to choose the adequate methods of work on oneself — that is those which are in accordance with the real stages of psychogenesis and ontogenesis.
12:8. Fix your thoughts on Me, submerge yourself as a consciousness into Me — verily, then you will live in Me!
12:9. But if you are not able to fix your thoughts steadily on Me — try to reach Me by practicing yoga…
12:10. If you are not capable of doing constantly yoga exercises, then dedicate yourself to serving Me, performing only those actions which are needful to Me — then you will achieve Perfection!
12:11. If you are not able of doing even this, then seek Mergence with Me by renouncing the personal profit of your activity; restrain yourself in this way.
The activity which is dedicated to serving the Evolution and devoid of egoistic, selfish components (spiritual service, in other words) is karma yoga.
… Let me also note what great importance Krishna attached to the intellectual development of people on the spiritual Path.
This is especially important due to the fact that there are many schools denying the importance of intellectual development — up to opposing the traditional education of children.
But Krishna exalted Wisdom:
4:33. Superior to all outer sacrifices is the sacrifice of wisdom… All actions… become perfect when they are performed by the wise!
4:34. Therefore, gain wisdom through devotion, inquiry, and service!…
4:37. As fire turns firewood into ashes, so does the fire of wisdom burns all false actions to ashes!
4:38. There is no purifier better than wisdom in this world. With its help, the one skilled in yoga attains Enlightenment in the Atman in due course.
4:39. The one full of faith gains wisdom. The one controlling the indriyas gains it too. Having achieved wisdom, they quickly attain the higher worlds.
7:16. There are four types of righteous men worshipping Me…: desiring to free themselves from suffering, aspiring to knowledge, seeking personal achievements, and the wise.
(It follows from the last words of Krishna that: first, any active person who is not of demonic nature, i.e. not indulging in coarse vices, is regarded by Krishna as righteous. Second, the representatives of the first three mentioned groups are not wise yet: the wise are an independent group of a higher level. Those striving to become free from suffering, those thirsting for knowledge, and those striving for personal achievements at the stage of rajas — they are not wise yet.)
7:17. … Superior to others are the wise, even-minded and devoted to Me completely. Verily, I am dear to the wise, and they are dear to Me!
8:28. Studying the Vedas, performing sacrifice, ascetic exploits, and good deeds give proper fruits. But yogis possessing the true knowledge are superior to all these; they attain the Supreme Abode!
So who can be called the wise? — They who have a wide breadth of knowledge on the main subjects: about God, about man, about man’s Path to God. This is the basis, the foundation of Wisdom. But it is not Wisdom yet. This is just possession of much knowledge, erudition. Wisdom implies an additional capability of operating the knowledge, the ability to create intellectually.
How can we develop this quality in ourselves? The first and easiest way is to study in usual educational institutions: schools, universities… Also — to master as many skills, professions as possible; to communicate with people, with God; and many other things. It is essential to master the stage of grihastha (householder) in full. It is through service to other people, through caring about them — first within one’s own family, and then within the “family” of spiritual disciples — that Wisdom can be gained.
And the Creator does not let foolish people into Himself: He does not need them.
Let us consider now the ethical aspect
of Krishna’s Teachings:
Ethics consists of three components:
a) man’s attitude toward people, all other living beings, and toward the entire environment;
b) attitude toward God;
c) attitude toward one’s own Path to the Perfection.
Let me cite Krishna’s statements on each of these three parts of the ethical teachings.
What Krishna said concerning the first mentioned point?
Krishna suggested regarding everything existing in the universe as a Manifestation of God in the aspect of the Absolute. Love for God in this aspect implies our love for the Creation as for His integral Part:
7:8. I am the taste of water, I am the shining of the Moon and the light of the Sun, and Pranava, and Universal Knowledge, and the Cosmic Voice, and humanity in people!
7:9. I am the pure scent of earth and the warmth of fire! I am the life of all the living and exploits of spiritual warriors!
7:10. … I am the Consciousness of all who developed the consciousness; I am the splendor of all the beautiful!
7:11. I am the strength of the strong who is devoid of attachments and sexual passions. I am the sexual power in all beings that does not contradict dharma.
7:12. Know that sattva, rajas, and tamas originate from Me. But understand that they are in Me, not I am in them!
12:15. The one who does not injure people… is dear to Me.
16:2-3. … Compassion for living beings… — the one of Divine nature possesses this quality.
17:15. Speech causing no dislike, … pleasant… — such is the asceticism of the speech.
17:16 … Amicability toward everyone… — such is the asceticism of the mind.
6:9. They possesses a developed consciousness and are advanced spiritually who are well-disposed both to friends and to foes, to neutrals, to strangers, to the envious, to relatives, to the pious, to the vicious.
Now — about the attitude toward the Creator:
11:54. … Only love can contemplate Me in My innermost Essence and merge with Me!
13:10-11. Steadfast and pure love for Me… — this is acknowledged as true…
9:27. Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you sacrifice or offer, whichever feat you perform… — perform it as an offering to Me!
12:14. … Seeking Unity with Me, resolutely cognizing the Atman, having devoted the mind and consciousness to Me — such a loving Me disciple is dear to Me.
12:20. … All… for whom I am the Supreme Goal — … are dear to Me above all!
About the attitude toward one’s own Path to Perfection:
God suggests that we regard our lives as the opportunity to approach Perfection by making efforts on transformation of ourselves, as well as through active creative love-service to God, which is manifested as our service to people. These are the corresponding statements of Krishna:
The first point concerns fighting
coarse negative emotions and worldly cravings:
12:13. The one who is not hostile to any living being, who is friendly and compassionate, … even-minded among joy and sorrow, all-forgiving,
12:14. ever content… — such a loving Me disciple is dear to Me.
12:15. The one who does not injure people…, who is free from anxiety, elation, anger, and fear — such one is dear to Me.
12:17. The one who neither… hates, (nor) grieves… is dear to Me.
5:23. The one who here, on the Earth, before liberation from the body, can resist the power of worldly attractions and anger — such one achieved harmony and is a happy person.
16:21. Threefold are the gates to hell where man perishes: lust, anger, and greed. Therefore, one has to renounce these three!
16:22. The one who has freed oneself from these three gates of the darkness makes one’s own good… and attains the Supreme Goal!
18:27. Excited, desirous for fruits of actions, greedy, envious, admiring oneself, dishonest, subjected to rejoice and sorrow — such a doer is called rajasic.
18:28. Arrogant, coarse, angry, obstinate, … somber… — such a doer is called tamasic.
By the way, sexuality as well as all other qualities of man can be differentiated according to the gunas. That is, the sexuality peculiar to the representatives of a certain guna has the nature of this guna. This knowledge may become the ground for self-analysis and self-improvement, and for understanding other people better. Only the sattvic sexuality is worthy of encouragement.
In the Bhagavad Gita, much is said about sattvic qualities; they are harmoniousness, calmness of the mind, subtlety of the consciousness, the ability to control one’s own emotions with refusal of coarse emotional manifestations, prevalence of the state of subtle and joyous love, absence of egocentrism and violence.
From the methodological standpoint, it is important that sattvic qualities can be developed only if the body is healthy and cleansed from coarse energies. To become sattvic, one needs, among other things, to exclude completely meat and fish from one’s diet.
Sattvic qualities can be steadfast only in those who have passed fully the stage of kshatrism, have developed vigor, personal power, high intellect, and have gained deep knowledge about the most important in life.
About fighting against false attachments:
12:18-19. … Free from worldly attachments… such a person is dear to Me.
13:8-11. … Dispassion toward earthly objects…, absence of worldly attachments… — all this is acknowledged as true…
2:62. But if one comes back in the mind to the earthly objects, then inevitably an attachment to them arises. This attachment leads to the desire to possess these objects, and the impossibility to satisfy this desire produces anger.
16:1-3. … Generosity, … absence of greed… — the one of Divine nature possesses these qualities.
18:49. The one who as a consciousness is free and omnipresent, who has cognized the Atman, who has no worldly desires — such one attains through the path of renunciation the Highest Perfection and the freedom from the fetters of destiny!
About fighting egoism, egocentrism, and ambitiousness,
which are manifestations of the lower self:
12:13. The one who is… without worldly attachments and egoism, even-minded among joy and sorrow, all-forgiving,
12:16. … who requires nothing from others… — … is dear to Me.
13:7-11. Humility, … simplicity, absence of egoism… — all this is acknowledged as true.
16:4. … Haughtiness, pride… are the features of the one of demonic qualities.
12:18. Equal toward a friend and toward a foe, the same toward glorification and disgrace, in warmth and in cold, among joy and sorrow, free from worldly attachments,
12:19. regarding equally praise and blame, laconic, content with everything that happens, not attached to home, determined in decisions, full of love — such a person is dear to Me!
The problem of fighting against false attachments, egoism, and egocentrism can be solved radically by:
— forming the right spiritual orientation (i.e. whole-hearted aspiration to the Creator),
— mastering control over the indriyas and
— direct elimination of the lower self in Nirodhi through the meditation total reciprocity. If this meditation is performed in the Holy Spirit, it results in the state of Nirvana in Brahman; when performed in the eon of the Creator, it results in Mergence with the Creator.
Work with the indriyas is a component of the psychoenergetical work on self-development. It is feasible only for those who have mastered — on the stage of raja yoga — the methods of moving the consciousness from one chakra to another, developed all three dantians, and then — on the stage of buddhi yoga — brought to the perfect state both bubbles of perception.
About cultivating positive qualities in oneself:
12:19. … Determined in decisions, full of love — such a person is dear to Me!
2:14. The contact with matter produces feelings of heat and cold, of pleasure and pain. These feelings are transient: they come and go. Endure them with fortitude!
2:15. The one who is unmoved by them, … who remains sober and unfaltering in joy and in trouble — such one is able to attain Immortality.
4:33. Superior to all outer sacrifices is the sacrifice of wisdom… All actions… become perfect when they are performed by the wise!
4:34. Therefore, gain wisdom through devotion, inquiry, and service! Sages and clairvoyants, who perceived the essence of things, will impart this to you.
4:38. There is no purifier better than wisdom in this world! Through it, the one skilled in yoga attains Enlightenment in the Atman.
4:39. The one full of faith gains wisdom. The one controlling the indriyas gains it too. Having achieved wisdom, they quickly attain the higher worlds.
11:54. Only love can behold Me thus!… Only love can contemplate Me in My innermost Essence and merge with Me!
About service to God:
14:26. … The one who serves Me with steadfast love — such one, having freed oneself from the three gunas, deserves to become Brahman.
5:25. The Nirvana in Brahman is attained by those rishis who dedicate themselves to the good of all.
And now let us discuss what Krishna said about
the psychoenergetical aspect of development:
The psychoenergetical direction of yoga, as Krishna expounded it, includes the following stages:
1. Preparation of the body.
2. Preparatory exercises for the energy structures of the body.
3. Cognition of the Atman through:
a) bringing in order the emotional sphere,
b) refusal of false attachments,
c) formation of right aspiration and following it,
d) control of the activity of the indriyas,
e) meditative practice aimed at the refinement of the consciousnesses, mastering the ability of moving the consciousness, growth of the personal power, and cognition of the Atman.
4. Cognition of Brahman.
5. Further strengthening of the consciousness.
6. Cognition of Ishvara and merging with Him.
7. Merging with the Absolute.
About preparation of the body:
Krishna did not leave specific methods for realization of this task, but gave general directions:
17:5. Know that they who perform severe ascetic exploits… for the sake of self-admiration and pride…,
17:6. unwise, torturing the elements that compose their bodies… — know that their decisions are demonic.
17:14. … Purity, … abstention, non-harming (the body) — such is the asceticism of the body.
6:16. Verily, yoga is not for those who eat too much or do not eat at all, not for those who sleep too long or wake too long!…
6:17. Yoga dispels all suffering in those who have become moderate in eating, resting, working, also in sleeping and waking.
17:8. Food that promotes longevity, strength, health, jocundity, and serenity of mood, which is succulent, oily, substantial, and tasty — such food is dear to the sattvic.
Preparatory exercises for the energy structures of the body:
It is impossible to start working with the Atman straight off. This work should be preceded by preliminary trainings.
About this preparatory stage Krishna said briefly:
12:9. … If you are not able to fix your thoughts steadily on Me — try to reach Me by practicing yoga… (This concerns the use of the methods of raja yoga, which are described in detail in our book Ecopsychology).
About conquering the mind:
In the Bhagavad Gita the following is said about this:
Arjuna said:
6:33. For such Yoga, which is attained through inner evenness, … I do not see a firm ground in myself because of the restlessness of the mind.
6:34. For the mind is truly restless… It is turbulent, obstinate, hard to restrain! I think it is as difficult to curb it as to curb the wind!
Krishna said:
6:35. No doubt,… the mind is restless and it is hard to curb. Yet, one can put it under control by constant practice and dispassionateness.
6:36. Yoga is hard to attain for man who has not cognized the Atman. But the one who has cognized the Atman is on the right way to Yoga — this is My opinion.
In the esoteric practice, the problem of controlling the mind is easily solved with the help of the methods of raja yoga and then of buddhi yoga. For this purpose, one has to learn to move the consciousness into the anahata chakra. This helps to destroy the mental dominants and to make the mind quiet; at that, the mind's indriyas detach from the “earthly”.
Later on, at the stage of buddhi yoga, the problem of controlling the mind is solved even more radically — when one masters moving separately the developed structures of the upper and lower bubbles of perception in the subtle worlds far outside the body.
It does not mean, of course, that such meditators lose to some degree their intellectual ability. Being not in meditation, they continue to reason about the “earthly” aspects of life not less but more adequately. During meditations, their intellects are not “switched off”; in meditation the intellect switches completely from the “earthly” — to the “unearthly”, to the Divine.
Higher stages of the solution of this problem become available with the help of special meditative techniques in full Mergence of the consciousness with Brahman and then with Ishvara. The intellect of the meditator in this case is united with the Intellect of God.
In some degraded sects, they use inadequate methods in attempt to control the mind. For example, long “seclusions” by themselves, i.e. without special esoteric techniques, make no sense; they who resort to such seclusions only waste their time. Equally ineffectual for this purpose is the use of psychedelics, which have in addition harmful effects on physical and psychical health. The only right way of mastering control over the mind is to use the methods of raja yoga and buddhi yoga in a completely adequate and clear state of the consciousness.
Description of the Atman and how to cognize it:
8:3. … The main essence (of embodied beings) is the Atman…
6:7. The one who has cognized the Atman attains full peace, because such one takes refuge in the Divine Consciousness when being in cold or heat, in situations of joy or grief, honor or dishonor.
6:10. Let a yogi be constantly concentrating in the Atman!…
6:18. When he, as a refined consciousness free from all cravings, is concentrated in the Atman alone, then it is said about him: “He is in harmony!”.
5:17. The one who has cognized oneself as a buddhi, who has associated oneself with the Atman, who is devoted only to the Lord and takes refuge in Him — such one, purified by salvational wisdom, goes to Liberation.
15:11 Rightly aspiring yogis cognize not only the soul but also the Atman in themselves. But the unwise do not find the Atman.
2:58. When (a yogi)… takes the indriyas off the worldly objects like a tortoise withdraws its limbs and head into its shell — then he has attained the true understanding.
13:22. Observing, Supporting, All-receiving, the Highest Ruler, also the Divine Atman — this is how one calls the Supreme Spirit in this body.
13:29. The one who sees that all actions are realized only in prakriti and that the Atman remains in calm — such one truly sees!
13:31. The eternal and non-bound by prakriti Divine Atman, though residing in bodies, does not act and cannot be influenced…
13:32. As the omnipresent Void does not intermix with anything because of its subtlety, so does the Atman residing in bodies intermixes with nothing.
6:32. The one who sees manifestations of the Atman in everything and who has cognized through this the sameness of everything — both the pleasant and the unpleasant — such one is regarded as a perfect yogi…
9:34. Fix your mind on Me, love Me, sacrifice to Me, revere Me! To Me will you finally come, being consumed by the Atman, if you have Me as your Highest Goal!
In relation to this subject, it is important to stress the importance of the work on the development of the spiritual heart, because higher spiritual achievements are not possible without this. It is inside the developed spiritual heart that the spiritual seeker can find the Atman and then cognize Paramatman — cognize Ishvara (the Creator).
Krishna said the following about this:
10:20. I am the Atman that resides in the hearts of all beings…
15:15. I reside in the hearts of all!…
18:61. Ishvara resides in the hearts of all beings…
Now about the description of Brahman
and cognition of the Nirvana in Brahman:
13:12. I will reveal to you what has to be known, and, having been known, brings one to Immortality: this is Supreme Brahman, Who has no origin and is beyond the limits of existence and non-existence (of beings).
13:13. His hands, feet, eyes, heads, mouths are everywhere; omniscient, He abides in the world, embracing everything.
13:14. He has no organs of perception, yet He perceives everything; having no attachment to anything, yet sustaining all beings, free from the three gunas and using the gunas,
13:15. inside and outside of all beings, staying in calm and yet acting, elusive in His subtlety, being always near and yet at the unspeakable distance — such is imperishable He!
13:16. Not divided among beings and yet existing separately in everyone, He is cognized as the Helper of all. He embraces all beings with Himself and guides them in their development.
13:17. About Him, about the Light of all lights, it is said that He is beyond the darkness. He is Wisdom, the Goal of every wisdom, cognized by wisdom, residing in the hearts of all!
14:26. The one who serves Me with steadfast love — such one, having freed oneself from the three gunas, deserves to become Brahman.
18:50. How the one, who has attained Perfection, comes to Brahman, to the highest state of wisdom — hear from Me in brief…
5:24. The one who is happy within, who finds joy not in the outer, who is illuminated (by love) within — such a yogi is capable of cognizing the essence of Brahman and attaining the Nirvana in Brahman.
5:25. The Nirvana in Brahman is attained by those rishis who have got rid of vices, became free from duality, cognized the Atman, and dedicated themselves to the good of all.
5:26. Free from the worldly attractions and anger, dedicated to spiritual pursuits, having subdued the mind and cognized the Atman — they attain the Nirvana in Brahman.
6:27. The highest happiness awaits a yogi… who became sinless and alike to Brahman.
6:28. Yogis who have brought themselves into harmony and got rid of vices experience easily the unlimited Bliss of contact with Brahman!
18:51. With the completely purified consciousness, overcame oneself by steadfastness, detached from all the outer, cast off passion and enmity,
18:52. living secludedly, abstinent, subdued the speech, body, and mind, being constantly in meditation, passionless,
18:53. devoid of egoism, violence, arrogance, sexual passion, anger, greed, imbued with peace and selflessness — such a person deserves to become Brahman.
5:20. With the calmed pure consciousness, the one who has cognized Brahman and established oneself in Brahman neither rejoices receiving the pleasant nor grieves receiving the unpleasant.
5:21. The one who is not attached to satisfaction of the senses by the outer things and finds joy in the Atman — such one, upon reaching Unity with Brahman, partakes of the eternal Bliss.
18:54. Having achieved the Eternity in Mergence with Brahman, one attains the highest Love for Me!
About strengthening of the consciousness:
With advancement through the stages of buddhi yoga, one’s amount of the energy of the consciousness grows and so strengthening of the consciousness (or crystallization of the consciousness) takes place:
2:64. … The one who has conquered the indriyas, renounced attractions and distractions, and established oneself in the Atman attains the inner purity.
2:65. When the inner purity is attained, all sorrows disappear and the consciousness strengthens.
However this achievement can be lost:
2:67. The reason of man who yields to the pressure of passions gets carried away like a ship carried away by the storm!
2:63. Because of anger the perception gets completely distorted. The distortion of perception causes the loss of memory (about one’s own achievements). And the loss of memory leads to the loss of the energy of the consciousness. By losing the energy of the consciousness, man degrades.
Description of Ishvara:
10:8. I am the Source of everything; everything originates from Me! Having understood this, the wise worship Me with great delight!
10:9. Directing their thoughts at Me, devoting their lives to Me, enlightening each other, always conversing about Me, they are happy and content!
10:10. To them — always full of love — I give buddhi yoga, by means of which they attain Me.
10:42. … Having enlivened the whole universe with a minute Part of Myself, I remain.
10:40. There is no limit to My Divine Power!…
11:47. … My supreme and eternal Form… is revealed only in Yoga, in Mergence with the Atman…
7:7. There is nothing superior to Me!…
15:18. … I am transcendent to the perishable and even to the imperishable!…
9:4. By Me — in My unmanifest form — this entire world is pervaded. All beings have roots in Me…
8:9. They who know everything about the Eternal Omnipresent Ruler of the world, the One subtler than the subtlest, the Foundation of everything, formless, shining like the Sun behind the darkness,
8:14. … who think of Me constantly, having no thoughts about anything else — such steady yogis… easily attain Me.
11:54. … Only love can contemplate Me in My innermost Essence and merge with Me!
11:55. The one who does everything (only) for Me, for whom I am the Supreme Goal, who loves Me, who is detached, devoid of enmity — such one comes to Me…
12:8. Fix your thoughts on Me, submerge yourself as a consciousness into Me — verily, then you will live in Me!
14:27. And Brahman — imperishable and immortal — is based on Me! I am the Basis of the eternal dharma and the Abode of the ultimate happiness!
18:46. By performing his duty and worshipping through this the One by Whose Will all beings come into existence and Who pervades everything, man attains Perfection!
18:55. By Love he cognizes Me in My Essence: who am I and what am I in reality. Having cognized Me thus in My innermost Essence, he submerges into My Beingness!
18:65. Think always about Me, love Me, sacrifice yourself for My sake, seek refuge only in Me — and you will come to Me!…
6:15. The yogi who has merged with the Atman and controls the mind enters the Highest Nirvana and abides there in Me.
About cognition of the Absolute:
One of the aspects of God, as we discussed above, is the Absolute — the Creator coessential with His Creation. As to the practical aspect, the meditative cognition of the Creator and of the Absolute and Mergence with Them happen almost in parallel.
About the cognition of the Absolute Krishna said the following:
7:19. At the end of many births, the wise comes to Me. “Vasudeva is Everything!” says the one of rare Mahatma’s qualities.
18:20. The knowledge that sees One Indestructible Being in all beings, undivided in the separate, — know that such knowledge is sattvic!
11:13. … Arjuna saw the whole universe subdivided into many worlds, but united into one in the Body of the Highest Deity.
6:30. They who see Me everywhere and see everything in Me — I will never forsake them and they will never forsake Me!
6:31. They, established in such oneness, who worship Me present in everything — such yogis live in Me whatever their activity is.
Mergence with Brahman, the Creator, and the Absolute is achieved through the meditative methods that allow one to enter the state of “non-I” (total reciprocity) and through other methods of buddhi yoga. At that, not only mental but also meditative replacement of egocentrism with Godcentrism takes place.
By the way, the vector of attention in the Absolute is directed from the Creator to the Creation.
7:4. Earth, water, fire, air, akasha, mind, consciousness, also the individual “I” — all this is that which exists in the world of My prakriti, eight in total.
7:5. This is My lower nature. But know… My higher nature, Which is that Element of Life thanks to Which the whole world is sustained!
7:6. It is the womb of everything existing. I am the Source of the (manifest) universe, and it disappears in Me!…
The ultimate goal of every one of us is Mergence with Him. Let us dedicate our lives to this!
Vladimir Antonov, Ph.D. (in biology)
(chapter from the book
Forest Lectures on the Highest Yoga)
Translated from Russian
by Mikhail Nikolenko
