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The path to realize our true nature

There does not exist an established dogma, and each one must keep the windows of his spirit opened on other path of "communion" with God. According to Bhaagvad Gitaa (which constitutes my principal basis of thought), the research of the purification of one's soul to establish a permanent relationship to the Supreme Soul, God, is the true definition of Yoga. Some gurus compare this purification with a scale going up from the material condition towards the awareness of our true spiritual nature. They divide it into 6, 8 or even more levels. The bottom level is the purification of the body by the control of breathing, the practice of postures, physical exercises. The control of senses follows and of other disturbing mental activities, necessary condition to be able to meditate. Then come the janaana yoga (knowledge), the dhyaana yoga (meditation itself) and the bhakti yoga (drain of the emotions in a total devotion to God). But what became the dharma in all these path towards the ultimate goal of life? Many Hindus, especially young people, will say to you that the time of meditation comes during the third age from the existence, after the first age of life training (brahmachari), then the second of host (grihasta) which consists in fulfilling one's family and social duties. Ideally, during the third age (vanaprasta) the man withdraws social activities to meditate. Finally comes the fourth age of renouncement (sannyasi). Personally, I object to this planning, thinking that is wiser to start learning at least about dharma before launching out in the existence. Is it not reasonable to train gradually for keeping in mind the following truth wich seems essential to me, a pillar of the Hindu faith:

yo maam pashyati sarvatra
sarvam ca mayi pashyati
tasyaham na pranashyami
sa ca me na pranasyati

(Bh.6-30):For the one who sees Me everywhere and any thing in Me, I am never lost nor will I lose him.

The first part of the shloka is easy to understand. The awareness of God consists in recognizing his presence in each miracle of Nature, in each living being and particularly each human being, including the most unpleasant to you. This behavior line may seem difficult, but isn't the secret of happiness also? When one is aware of God presence everywhere around him, he can travel in the life with equanimity, having a constant reference in the heart. A friend, a father or whoever you prefer, with whom you can speak at every moment and who guides your acts. “me na pranashyati” can be interpreted in the Christian sense of I will not leave him go out of the track or I cherish him and I will take great care of him. Both are true in the spirit of Gitaa. Let us go on with some verse of Gitaa about devotion (bhakti):

patram pushpam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktyaa prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
ashnaami prayataatmanah

(Bh.G 9-26): Whoever offers to Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or a little water, I accept his gift (made) in full consciousness.
It has been said above that one should gradually develop an impartiality in the consideration of living beings surrounding him among which relatives. This concept goes from pair with the renouncement to ego (ahamkara). God, even more than us, must be perfectly impartial, without what his conscience would never be in peace, if you permit me to use such terms:

samo ham sarva-bhuteshu
na me dvshyo shti na priyah
ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktiyaa
mayi te teshu caapy aham

(Bh.G.9-29): I am equally disposed towards all the living beings. None is hateful nor dear to Me. But the one who devotes his effort to My service is in me and he can be sure that I am also in him.

Whatever the stage of life which one has reached, whichever his choice to devote himself mainly to meditation or to take the risk of an active service and to give satisfaction to God by enjoying His gifts, he must learn to view things with detachment. To enjoy life with detachment in any circumstances is impossible since the spirit is focuses on satisfying the pleasure of senses. So, one must take care to taste the pleasures without any remorse, grow and multiply, devote his efforts to the well being of his family, but without becoming dependent on these things like on a drug:

Sangat sanjaayate kama, kamat krodho bhijaayate

Is it necessary to recall that, if our reason (mana) and our intelligence (buddhi) constitute two essential tools for realizing what is our true nature, they can be misled in the constant research of the satisfaction of the pleasure or greed of power (cf among others Bh.G. shloka 3-40 above). Kama and artha become insatiable if not watched for. The detachment is not only indispensable to not undergo the misery resulting from their loss or from the incapacity to ever satisfy them. It is before all a preliminary condition for being able to recover our true nature. This detachment must be pursued not only in the experience of senses but also in the achievement of one's duty. To act without being concerned about the result is to reach the intelligence balance (buddhi yoga), equanimity. It consists in achieving a task prescribed by our human nature or by our social position, with surrendering to Him for guiding our hand. To accomplish a task written in our karma (svadharma which is the dharma proper to an individual), may it be difficult and unrewarding, is strongly recommended in Gitaa by Krishna addressing to Arjun (who feels guilty at the time to fight his cousins):

sukha-duhke same krtvaa
laabhaalaabhau jayaajayau
tato yuddhaaya yujyasva
naivam paapam avaapsyasi

(Bh.2-38):Fight for the sake of fighting, without taking into account happiness or affliction, loss or benefit, victory or defeat. In doing so, you do not incur any sin (it is understood that God is the actor who will kill by Arjun's hand and He has already decided their death).

You might prefer this other shloka about the same topics:

brahmany aadhaaya karmaani
sangam tyaktvaa karoti yah
lipyate na sa paapena
padma-patram ivaambhasaa

(Bh.5-10): One who performs his task without attachment, surrendering the result to the Lord, is not affected by sin, just as the lotus leaf is impermeable to water.
The following shloka introduces another meaning of the word yoga in connection with equipoised activity:

yoga-sthah kuru karmaani
sangam tyaktvaa dhananjaya
siddhy-assiddhyoh samo bhutvaa
samatvam yoga ucyate

(Bh.2-48): Achieve your task in balanced state (equipoised: yoga- sthah), giving up any attachment to its success or failure. Such serenity/equanimity/ is called yoga.

The pious person is described as follows:

adveshta sarva bhutaanaam
maitrah karuna eva ca
nirmamo nirahankaarah
sama-duhkha-suhah kshami|
santushtah satatam yogi
yataatma drdha-nishcayah
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
yo mad-bhaktah sa me priyah

(Bh.G. 12-13,14): One who is not envious of the fate of any living being, but friendly and kindly, detached of any property and free from false ego, equal in both happiness and distress, lenient, always satisfied, self-controlled, engaged in devotional service with determination, with his reason and intelligence focused on Me, such a devotee is very dear to Me (priya is the term used for the love towards one's spouse and children).

The control of the self was defined previously as a priority in dharma, from a passage of Mahaabharat. Some demands of God to us, stated in the following shloka of the Gitaa, seem quite difficult to fulfill:

samah shatrau ca mitre ca
tathaa maanaapamaanayoh
shitoshna-sukha-dukheshu
sumah sanga-vivarjitah|
tulyua-nindaa-stutir mauni
santushto yena kenacit
aniketah sthira-matir
bhaktiman me proyo-narah

(Bh.G.12-18,19): One who is equally disposed towards his enemy or his friend, equipoised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and affliction, free of any association|, serene whatever his reputation, silent and satisfied, who does'nt care of having a residence and who is engaged in devotion service with determination, such a person is very dear to Me.

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