Free The Bhagavad Gita by Jack Hawley Page A

performed by people who mistakenly think that their True Self (Atma) is connected to the worldly— which it is not. This is an elusive but important point. The Divine is absolute perfection, poise, and bliss. Worldly acts have no place in this blessed purity. Thinking otherwise is what I mean by ignorance and delusion. I repeat: God, the True Self in each living being, is in no way a part of the goings on in worldly nature.”
The Light of Wisdom
     
    16  “As the darkness of night vanishes when the sun rises, so too the darkness of ignorance and delusion is dispelled when you gain knowledge of your True Self.
    17   “Jnana-yogis, persons of wisdom (whom I previously referred to as Sthithaprajnas, Illumined Ones), cast out this ignorance of mind and thus erase past impurities.They ever fix their purified minds on Divinity and stay completely absorbed in the Divine, their one and only goal. In this way they merge into God and are freed from the birth-death cycle, never to be born again.
    18  “They know that sunlight falls equally on all creatures. Those who possess this wisdom of Self look with a unified vision upon all beings and have equal love for all, whether those beings are spiritually advanced or the least in the ranks — or even a cow or a dog. The real knower of Brahman sees only Divinity everywhere, in every being and every thing.
    19  “Even while in a body, these enlightened beings (jnana-yogis or jnanis) transcend any notion of an existence separate from God. They continually focus their minds on the absolute oneness of Divinity, and on their own unity with That. Since the Divine is flawless, they are likewise without blemish or bias, reflecting God’s utter perfection. This perfection is the same in all; it is called Atma — and yet, only the wise perceive it.”
Attaining the Bliss of Brahman
     
    20  “The wise ones, Arjuna, are totally free from delusion. They know the Supreme Godhead (Brahman), and directly experience their own identity in That. They are neither elated by good fortune nor depressed by what is painful; they neither rejoice nor grieve. They know that the sensation called pleasure appears and disappears like a flash of lightning, and know that the cost of pleasure is inevitably misery and pain, which is indeed a dear price.
    21  “These undeluded persons need no external supports whatsoever. Through intense meditation on theDivine, fully absorbed in God, they have realized the eternal bliss that comes with living in the Self (Atma). With this spiritual awareness they rise above desire for sensory attractions and experience constant bliss. God intoxicated, they revel in Divinity and in nothing else.
    22  “The wise recognize the transient nature of worldly gratification and thus do not look for happiness in the realm of the senses. Sensual delights are the wombs of misery. Earthly pleasures, though they seem enjoyable, are fleeting and ultimately painful. Wise ones know that misery inevitably, without fail, marches in lockstep with worldly pleasure.
    23  “Desire and anger are counterparts, Arjuna. Anger is your response to the frustrations of unfilled desires. When you can control or transcend desire and anger (which arise in your body, not your Atma) you will have found true, lasting happiness.
    24  “Those who find joy and peace completely within are the truly happy ones. Their bliss is in direct proportion to their disentanglement from worldly attractions. Eventually, they actually become one with Divinity, the very Source of the bliss that resides inside.
    25  “These wise ones’ sins (errors) have been washed away. Their desires, and the anger and greed that always accompanies desires, have vanished. Their ignorance has disappeared, cast out by knowledge of the Atma. Their minds and hearts are firmly resident in the Divine, always seeking to contribute to the welfare of all. Those who attain the eternal bliss of Divinity are the real holy