The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of The Bhagavad Gita, published by Ramakrishna Mission.
Jnana Yoga & Karma yoga are complementary - 3-8
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| Suka Brahmam discoursing the Bhagavatam to Pareekshit |
Karmendryani samyamya yah aste manasa smaran I
Indriyarthan vimudhatma mithya acharah sa uchyate II sloka 6
That deluded man who sits controlling the organs of action, but dwelling in his mind on the objects of senses, is called a hypocrite.
the functioning of the mind persists as long as the jivatman is bound by prakriti. And the way of the mind is to be ever assuming modifications. Thought waves continue to rise in it while the external sense organs are held under restraint. This conflict is harmful. It is like applying brake to the wheels of a locomotive while the throttle valve is fully open. To shut out the steam first and then to apply brake is the proper course. Any contrary action is disastrous to the locomotive. When a man adopts this kind of wrong restraint on himself in a violent way in order to control the senses, he ruins the personality. Whatever mars man is evil. While yet in ignorance man's pretensions to the renunciation of action is sheer hypocrisy which he should not resort to.
Two friends went out one night intent on any entertainment they came by. As they walked on they met a pious gathering listening devoutly to the holy Bhaghavatam being explained. One of the two suggested that they sat there and derived benefit from the sacred discourse. But the other preferred some earthly enjoyment and walked away to the house of ill fame. After a while, the first man thought he had made a mistake in choosing the holy assembly. All the time he was cogitating over the pleasures his friend was enjoying. The second man on the other hand, was repenting at his base choice and was imagining the divine bliss his friend was sharing with other devotees. The first man was sitting in the house of God and sinning while teh second man was craving fro divine though physically placed in a bad environment. Sin and virtue accrue ever from the frame of mind and never from the restrictions imposed on the senses.
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
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