The Bhagavad Gita and Self-Realization 3rd in the Series Renunciation and Yoga by Action Dr. M. W. Lewis San Diego, 8-18-52 Organ music - "I Am the Bubble." "The Bhagavad Gita and Self-Realization. This is the third in the series and the second of the subject, "Renunciation and Yoga by Action. Let us read first from the Bhagavad Gita (Gita), the 13 th Discourse, 48 th line, "All undertakings, indeed, are clouded by defects, as fire by smoke. He whose reason is everywhere unattached, the self subdued, dead to desires, he goeth by renunciation to the supreme perfection of freedom from obligation.
Now let us undertake to explain the first line. All undertakings... of course, means all actions,...are clouded by defects. All action is done by hidden and unseen latent impulses, and tendencies. Just as underneath the smoke we find the fire. And so, all action we do is usually done through the latent impulses, and tendencies mental, and discriminative. These influence us to do action. Now going on. He whose reason, reason here means, or rather, he whose reason is everywhere unattached... because...the self... is...subdued... is unattached. Then the reason is guided by the soul. In other words, while there is attachment in action, your reason, of course, is guided by the sensations, and the intellect. But when the action is unattached, and reacts not from the self, but from the higher self, or God, then, then the reason is pure, and comes from the intuition of the soul.
And in the last line, He goeth by renunciation to the supreme perfection of freedom from obligation. Obligation here means freedom from karma - the law of cause and effect. Every cause we set up must be fulfilled with its effect. Now let us go on to the next reading of the Gita: The 13 th Discourse, the 56 th line. And this is what we read, "Though ever performing all action, taking refuge in e, by my grace, he obtaineth the eternal indestructible abode. Taking refuge in Me... How can we take refuge in God unless we know Him? Therefore, yoga by action is very important, true yoga by action. If we merge in God, become one with Him, then we are taking refuge in Him. When we do that, by His grace, we obtain the Eternal, Indestructible Abode. In other words, the indestructible consciousness within us is God's Consciousness. And so, when we merge in that, we attain the kingdom of heaven, or Christ Consciousness.
Now, there are two states of consciousness within us that are eternal. First, the superconscious state wherein we perceive the Light beyond the atoms, and hear the great Cosmic Sound. We can attain this by following the techniques of Self-Realization, especially the technique, the art of meditation, the Om technique. Here we contact the presence of God within the body as Light, the Astral Light, and the Cosmic Sound. This is the Christ Consciousness within the body, or Superconsciousness. Now the next state is Samadhi, which is nothing but an expansion of our superconsciousness within the body to the Christ Consciousness, or the Divine Consciousness throughout all creation. The eternal path within us is the river of God's Consciousness, coming down, as it does, from the higher abode of Cosmic Consciousness, flowing through creation as the Christ Consciousness, and finally, with its ending within our own being, as the Superconsciousness of God.
Now let us go on further to another reading of the Gita. And this is the 12 th Discourse, 6 th and 7 th lines; 12 th Discourse, 6 th and 7 th lines. And here we read, "Those verily, who, renouncing all actions in Me, and intent on Me, worship, meditating on Me, with wholehearted yoga, I speedily lift up from the ocean of death and existence, their minds being fixed on Me. Now in this passage we have clearly pointed out illustrations of first, renunciation, and second, yoga by action. Renunciation, you will remember, is the negative aspect of action toward God. Yoga by action, is the positive action. Now let us take up first those...who, renouncing all action in me... of course, that is the path of renunciation....worship, meditating upon me with wholehearted yoga... This means yoga by action. To meditate upon God wholeheartedly, we must merge in His presence. We must be one with Him.
Now going on,...being fixed in me... This again is an illustration of yoga by action....being fixed in Me... Being one with Me. And what happens? By following renunciation, plus yoga by action, we are saved. We are lifted up from the ocean of death, and existence, or delusion. Delusion cannot stay when we merge in the Light of God. Now let us pass on to the 18 th Discourse, the 62 nd verse; 18 th Discourse, 62 nd line. And we read as follows, "Listen thou again to My supreme word, most secret of all. Beloved art thou of Me, and steadfast of heart, therefore, will I speak for thy benefit. Merge thy mind in Me. Be My devotee, sacrifice to Me, surrender thyself before Me, and thou shalt surely come even to Me. This, of course, is an illustration once again of yoga by action. For we find that we would not be beloved of God unless we were close to Him; unless we had that steadfastness of heart. And we could not have that, unless we merged in His great Divine Love. And so He says, "Merge thy mind in Me. In other
words, by yoga of action, unite your consciousness with Me. Be My devotee... How can we can be a devotee of God unless we really merge in Him? But, if we do this, and fully surrender to Him, then we will surely go and be one with Him. Now passing on to the last part of our discussion this evening; the Supreme Secret. The Supreme Secret spoken of in the Bhagavad Gita. We will read from, once again, the 18 th Discourse of the Gita, 68 th and 69 th verses. And this is most important. We read as follows, "He who shall declare this supreme secret among my devotees, having shown the highest devotion for Me, without doubt he shall come to Me. Nor is there any among men who performeth dearer service to Me than he, nor any other shall be more beloved by Me on earth than he." And so you can see, this final point is most important.
Now let us discuss. He who shall declare... Declare means not just speaking of union, but it means to reveal. And to reveal we must be able to give the humble devotee some of the Spiritual Force of the Holy Vibration through our own realization. And so you can see that a quite different opinion is shared when we realize that "declare" means to reveal. And we cannot reveal the Supreme Secret of the Gita until we have merged in God. Now, as Jesus said, "Virtue went out of me. And at another instance, "Who touched the hem of my garment?" And so you can see that when you reveal the Supreme Secret, that some of the Spiritual Force of the Holy Vibration flowing through you passes out to the devotee. Now proof of this is shown here where we read, "Having shown the highest devotion for me..." We could not show the highest devotion for God unless we had merged in Him, and had attained union. The highest devotion comes when there is union with God.
And finally, "...nor any other shall be more beloved by Me on earth than he. This once again proves that to be able to give the Supreme Secret to another, we must have union with God through yoga of action. Having that, merging in God, then we are surely beloved of the Master of the Universe. And no one on earth performs a greater service than the humble devotee through whom God speaks, and allows His Divine Love to flow, just as it flowed through the Master when he said, "Virtue went out of me.