क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् ||
अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दु:खं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते || 5||
kleśho ’dhikataras teṣhām avyaktāsakta-chetasām
avyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaṁ dehavadbhir avāpyate
kleśhaḥ—tribulations; adhika-taraḥ—full of; teṣhām—of those; avyakta—to the unmanifest; āsakta—attached; chetasām—whose minds; avyaktā—the unmanifest; hi—indeed; gatiḥ—path; duḥkham—exceedingly difficult; deha-vadbhiḥ—for the embodied; avāpyate—is reached
Translation:
Greater is the difficulty for those whose mind is set on the realisation of the unmanifest (Nirguna Brahman), because the unmanifested is reached with difficulty by embodied beings.
Commentary:
It is here declared that for those who are body-minded, the worship of Nirguna Brahman is very difficult. For others it is easy. That is, for the aspirant who is more self-controlled, who has acquired facility in desireless action, the contemplation of Brahman is quite suitable and comfortable. So it should be clearly understood that the difficulty here is only for those who have not acquired purity by worshipping Isvara (God). It should also be remembered that in the previous two verses, the Lord has declared that the goal of both paths is the same, and both require certain qualities without which no spiritual growth is possible.
Therefore let the seekers be not in a hurry to reach the unmanifest even at the start. Let them try to get over the body-attached egoism by the worship of Isvara, and obtain complete mastery of their senses through the desireless performance of all good actions. Then self-realisation becomes possible and man attains union with Brahman easily. Most people complain that their ‘sadhana’ is not bearing fruit. It is because their minds are not purified. Of what use is it to sow the seeds before preparing the ground? Will any building stand without a proper foundation? So, the mind does not come to rest in Brahman when it is impure by past ‘samskaras’. The aspirant should understand the position correctly so that he might not feel frustrated by failing to get the proper results immediately.
In truth, worship and meditation are realms of bliss and blessedness. One is entering the ocean of Sachidananda! Why the pain and difficulty? It is intended to remove suffering and not to cause it. But people find it difficult and painful because they do not know the path clearly and distinctly. So for some time in the beginning let the seekers carry on the worship of Isvara (Saguna) and then enter the path of meditation on the imperishable Brahman (Nirguna).
Swami Vivekananda Says —
Here [comes] the philosopher to show us the way out, to teach us what we really are. You may reason it out and understand it intellectually, but there is a long way between intellectual understanding and the practical realization of it. Between the plan of the building and the building itself there is quite a long distance. Therefore there must be various methods [to reach the goal of religion]. In the last course, we have been studying the method of philosophy, trying to bring everything under control, once more asserting the freedom of the soul. “It is very difficult. This way is not for [every]body. The embodied mind tries it with great trouble.”[Source]
Bhakti, then, can be directed towards Brahman, only in His personal aspect. “The way is more difficult for those whose mind is attached to the Absolute!” Bhakti has to float on smoothly with the current of our nature.[Source]
Sri Ramakrishna Says —
Sri Ramakrishna went to the Panchavati on his way back to his room. M. accompanied him. It was then about ten o’clock.
Mahendranath Gupta: “Sir, is there no spiritual discipline leading to realization of the Impersonal God?”
Sri Ramakrishna: “Yes, there is. But the path is extremely difficult. After intense austerities the rishis of olden times realized God as their innermost consciousness and experienced the real nature of Brahman. But how hard they had to work! They went out of their dwellings in the early morning and all day practised austerities and meditation. Returning home at nightfall, they took a light supper of fruit and roots.
“But an aspirant cannot succeed in this form of spiritual discipline if his mind is stained with worldliness even in the slightest degree. The mind must withdraw totally from all objects of form, taste, smell, touch, and sound. Only thus does it become pure. The Pure Mind is the same as the Pure Atman. But such a mind must be altogether free from ‘woman and gold’. When it becomes pure, one has another experience. One realizes: ‘God alone is the Doer, and I am His instrument.’ One does not feel oneself to be absolutely necessary to others either in their misery or in their happiness.
“Once a wicked man beat into unconsciousness a monk who lived in a monastery. On regaining consciousness he was asked by his friends, ‘Who is feeding you milk?’ The monk said, ‘He who beat me is now feeding me.'”
M: “Yes, sir. I know that story.”
MASTER: “It is not enough to know it. One must assimilate its meaning. It is the thought of worldly objects that prevents the mind from going into samadhi. One becomes established in samadhi when one is completely rid of worldliness. ……
M: “Isn’t it possible to develop both jnana and bhakti by the practice of spiritual discipline?”
MASTER: “Through the path of bhakti a man may attain them both. If it is necessary, God gives him the Knowledge of Brahman. But a highly qualified aspirant may develop both jnana and bhakti at the same time. ………. (Source: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)
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“In order to meditate on God, one should try at first to think of Him as free from upadhis, limitations. God is beyond upadhis. He is beyond speech and mind. But it is very difficult to achieve perfection in this form of meditation.
“But it is easy to meditate on an Incarnation — God born as man. Yes, God in man. The body is a mere covering. It is like a lantern with a light burning inside, or like a glass case in which one sees precious things.” (Source: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)
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A NEIGHBOUR: “Revered sir, what are the doctrines of Vedanta?”
MASTER: ‘The Vedantist says, ‘I am He.’ Brahman is real and the world illusory. Even the ‘I’ is illusory. Only the Supreme Brahman exists.
“But the ‘I’ cannot be got rid of. Therefore it is good to have the feeling, ‘I’ am the servant of God, His son, His devotee.’
“For the Kaliyuga the path of bhakti is especially good. One can realise God through bhakti too. As long as one is conscious of the body, one is also conscious of objects. Form, taste, smell, sound, and touch — these are the objects. It is extremely difficult to get rid of the consciousness of objects. And one cannot realise ‘I am He’ as long as one is aware of objects.
“The sannyasi is very little conscious of worldly objects. But the house-holder is always engrossed in them. Therefore it is good for him to feel, ‘I am the servant of God.’” (Source: Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)
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In order to learn archery one should first aim at a banana tree, then at a reed, then at a wick, and last at a flying bird. At the beginning one should concentrate on God with form. (Source: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)
‘The path of Brahman is very difficult. Pray to the Master(Sri Ramakrishna) and he will give you the knowledge of Brahman in proper time.’
— Sri Sarada Devi (Source: Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi by Swami Vireswarananda)
Knowledge of Brahman and such things is not for ordinary people. For them the Lord’s words : “To those whose minds are set on Me, verily I become ere long, O son of Prithâ, the saviour out of the ocean of the mortal Samsâra (world)”; for “the goal of the Unmanifested is very hard for the embodied to reach.” The knowledge of Brahman is difficult for him who has not got over the consciousness of mind and body. But then, because the knowledge of Brahman is beyond the reach of such, it is not that they should become hopeless. In this connection an incident in the life of Shri Ramakrishna flashes before my mind. One day I had been to Dakshineswar. There were many others also. One of them was a great Pundit. Shri Ramakrishna asked him to explain Vedânta. For more than an hour he explained Vedanta to the great satisfaction of Shri Ramakrishna and everybody else. But then, Shri Ramakrishna said after this, “Well, all these things, however, do not appeal to me. Your philosophising—knowledge, knower, and known, etc.—all this is good no doubt. But what I like is, ‘I and my Mother alone exist and there is nothing else’.” These few words he expressed with such great feeling that everyone present felt it for the time being. All the conclusions of Vedanta seemed to pale before this idea. The Master’s idea seemed to be so easy to comprehend.
The main thing is, you have to keep your mind fixed on God, whatever be the means. If that can be done, then our lives are blessed and won’t be spent uselessly. Eating, drinking, etc. we shall have so long as the body lasts. But Râmprasâd, the devotee of Kâli, says, “O my mind, worship Kâli, repeat day and night the Mantra given by your Guru. In lying down think you are prostrating before the Mother, make sleep your meditation on the Mother, while eating think you are offering to Mother Shyâmâ; all sounds that enter your ears are but Mantras of the Mother, for She, Kâli, is in all letters; going round the town, think you are circumambulating the Mother. Râmprasâd declares that Mother is in everything.” We have to follow the teachings of such great souls as these, and we are sure to have devotion for the Lord’s feet. Is what Râmprasâd says different from the knowledge of Brahman—seeing God in everything, everywhere, in every action, and in every being ? To work for the Lord, to know Him as the one object of our love, to love Him and give up all other attachments and to have no ill-feeling towards anyone—this is the easiest method to attain Him. Love, Love, that is what is required : if we have it for Him, then everything will be added unto us. It is not that we do not know what is love. We are habituated to love wife, children, friends, wealth, etc. This we have to direct towards God, for He is the one Reality in this world which is ever changing. Everything else in this world becomes after some time stale and even bitter. Love for Him alone is ever on the increase and ever new. With respect to other objects one gets disgusted after some time. That is why Prahlâda, the great devotee, says, “That deathless love which the ignorant have for the fleeting objects of the senses—as I keep meditating on Thee—may not that sort of intense love for Thee, slip away from my heart.” If one gets such love for Him there is no more delay for God-realisation—He even comes out of the pillar to manifest Himself to His devotee. Everything is a question of love. The more one loves Him, the more He manifests Himself in one’s heart. He is the friend of the sincere and pure. He is ever in our hearts, but we fail to see Him because our eyes are directed to other objects ; but for this there would have been no delay in realising Him. He is ever with us, we need not go to any place of pilgrimage in search of Him. If we but in all sincerity search Him for a moment, He comes to us. But who wants Him ? Ours is mere talk, we do not want Him from our hearts. Such is the power of Maya that we fail to see the Truth. So the Lord, out of His grace, has shown us the way out also. “Those who are absolutely resigned to Me, easily cross over this Maya of Mine.” “Surrender to Me”—there is no other way out. May the Lord out of His infinite grace hold our minds on to His feet—let this be our one prayer.
— Swami Turiyananda (Source: Religion and it’s Practice by Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna)
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 12 🔻 (20 Verses)
