The birthplace of Yoga is said to be Nepal as Lord Shiva has given the lessons on Yoga (especially Ashtanga yoga) from the Mountain Kailās which is situated in Nepal. Lord Shiva is known as the inventor of Yoga which he taught to Goddess Parvati. She asks many questions regarding, yoga and other types of austerity with Lord Shiva. The conversation was taken place in Kailas Parvat (mountain). In her answer, Lord Shiva reveals the secrets of asanas, yoga and other hidden knowledge.
These conversations can be found in different old epics, especially in Shiva Puran. Lord Shiva has revealed many secrets and depth of Yoga in the ancient epic. There were many Yogis who had been practicing yoga in Himalayans like Kailas parvat. We can still find some Yogi continuing yogic practice in the forest, mountains, and Himalayan of Nepal.
Buddha was born at Lumbini in Nepal who taught equanimity followed by awareness throughout his life. The birthplace of Yoga is known to be in Nepal due to his birth in Nepal as well. The meditation techniques taught by Buddha is found to be the most scientific, natural and effective. His path is followed in all over the world.
There were some people to get enlightenment before Gautama Buddha and after his physical life as well. But the maximum number of people who got enlightenment was in the time of Buddha. There were other techniques and spiritual master besides the Buddha, but history says that too many people got enlightenment during the period of Buddha through his meditation. Basically, he taught meditation in Northern India and in Nepal. Thus yogic knowledge was flourished from India as well.
Patanjali has explained the Yoga dividing it into eight branches (Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi). Actually, the birthplace of Patanjali is far from clear. Nor it is known where he lived and taught Yoga to the public. The language he used is in Sanskrit. And Sanskrit language has prevailed in Nepal and India. From this sense, the birthplace of Yoga can be regarded to these both countries.
The practices of Yoga were begun in Nepal and India from the ancient time. Gradually, it was flourished all over the world. Hath Yoga has been developed from the concept of Patanjali. He introduced the systematic practice of Yoga which works on body, mind, and spirit simultaneously.
Yogeswar (the lord of Yoga) Krishna was incarnated in Mathura, India. He has decoded eighteen types of Yoga in Bhagawat Geeta, when, Arjuna was refusing to fight the battle of Mahabharata. The place where Lord Krishna gave the knowledge of Bhagawat Geeta was in front of the worriers of Mahabharata, which was prevailed in Nepal and India. In the ancient time, Nepal and India were not in existence. These countries were divided into many small countries. And whatever the important factors, regarding Yoga, were taken place, those have happened within these place.
After many years, Nepal and India got their identity in the form of a particular country. From this point of view, the birthplace of Yoga is sometimes said to be Nepal and India. The Yoga stated in Bhagawat Geeta is theoretically based. Bhagawat Geeta contains different 18 forms of yoga, which basically talks that yoga is the balance of mind rather than that of the body. It states that the equanimity of mind is called Yoga. The lord has given emphasis on Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga etc.
Among different types of Yoga, Hath Yoga begins with physical practices. In the ancient period, many people from India and Nepal practiced it and achieved accomplishment. These types of practices have been continuing in this modern period as well, in different places of Nepal. Since Nepal is the birthplace of Yoga, practicing Yoga in this place gives a better result. Nepal is the country of Himalayans and Yogis, wherein many ancient people had achieved perfection through the continuous austerity.
The yogic vibration in Nepal is found to be comparatively more than in another part of the world. There are different yoga centers in Nepal wherein general yoga teaching, Yoga Teachers Training, Yoga Instructors Course, Therapeutic Yoga etc have been conducting. The environment and wave favor for Yoga and meditation. Many foreigners and natives have been practicing yoga, meditation, and other spiritual practices in the birthplace of Yoga i.e. Nepal and India.
Many Yogis were born over here in the ancient time and this is continuing. King Janaka, Ashtavakra, Mahavatar Baba, Yukteshwar Giri, Yogananda, Ramakrishna Paramhamsha, Swami Ram Tirtha,Vivekananda, Yogi Naraharinath (who wrote over 600 books in 28 different language), Khaptad Baba, Osho, J. Krishnamurti, S.N. Goyanka etc. are some yogis who have been emphasis that this place is the birthplace of Yoga. Swami Kuvalayananda kept continuing the teaching of Yoga.
Similarly, some of the Yogis like Chidananda Saraswati, Sivananda Saraswati, Satyananda Saraswati, Swami Rama, Dhirendra Brahmachari, Swami Veda Bharati, B. K. S. Iyengar , K. Pattabhi Jois have played a great role in flourishing the Yoga throughout the world making clear to all that the area of Nepal and India is the birthplace of Yoga. Their contribution will remain immortal and will sustain till the expiry of this world. The supreme knowledge that they offer to the people has taken the people to the path of welfare, perfection and finally towards the enlightenment.
There are too many historical places which represent the remains of the ancient practice that were happened in Nepal and India. In some dense forest and mountain of these places, especially in Himalayan area there can be found some diggings and dwellings where past friar used to perform their spiritual practices. These vestiges signify the birthplace of Yoga is in the area with the boundary limited to Nepal and India.
Let’s explore why we suggest you to join Yoga in Kathmandu, Nepal?
Yoga in Kathmandu provides you all the aspects of yoga with a wonderful experience. Being a holy country, the energy from the divine inspires you to have complete knowledge of yoga and meditation in Nepal. Culturally accepted yoga in Kathmandu has its different perspective with the completeness of doing yoga and receiving the knowledge of yoga can be your plus point.
Nepal is the country where yoga was originated many years ago. Most of Nepalese adopt the yogic culture in their life. There is the yogic way in Nepalese cultures pre-birth to post-death. Yogic ways of the conception of a baby and yogic process to make baby safe into the womb of a mother are also found in the practice in Nepalese culture. The scientific logic of the culture is to enable a mother to give a perfect child.
There are many cultures in between the life of people in Nepal. Even after the death of a human, the culture wants to protect its soul and let it go in the higher level of the spiritual realm. There is a different way to mourn in Nepali culture that the suns of a father or mother stay in the meditative state for 13 days, eating only for a time, and wearing very clean cloths. They hear the philosophy of death and after death from a priest. The philosophy focuses on living yogic lifestyle throughout our life which is the different aspect of yoga in Kathmandu.
Nepal is naturally beautiful so we can enjoy the natural beauty in the process of learning yoga in Kathmandu. It is so close connection between yoga and natural beauty. Natural beauty adds the value of yoga and yoga encourages us to love natural beauty around us. In past days, yogis went to the jungle to practice meditation because jungle can give us the energy which motivates us to find the inner self and join the inner self with the supreme self of the universe.
Natural vegetation increases the level of Oxygen in the atmosphere. Oxygen is the life force of every creature of earth. The real function of pranayama is to increase the level of oxygen in our brain and every cell of the body. Oxygen increases the immune system of human body and saves us from many diseases. Pranayama and meditation are the part of yoga in Kathmandu which is helpful to connect with the life energy. Meditation is the best way to be free from the stress.
Kathmandu is the city of temples and the divine energy can be found in the surroundings of the capital city of Nepal. People of Nepal believe in God and their motto for the guest is, “Guests are God”. They have been teaching this motto from their childhood. Their heart is so broadened to the guests. The yogic philosophy is very easy to teach them because most of the concept should not teach them so Nepali teacher can teach yoga in Kathmandu perfectly. They can express the spiritual knowledge openly and comprehensively.
Nepal is the country of many yogis. From Buddha to yogi king Janaka was born in Nepal. Buddha spread his knowledge most of the Asian countries. Now, Buddha’s teaching is becoming the most influent spiritual philosophy in the world. Buddha and Janaka are the national heritage of Nepal. It is believed that many yogis are still meditating in the Himalayan areas of Nepal.
Another attraction to choose Nepal for yoga teacher training course is that Nepal is the country of the mountains. The highest peak of the world is situated in Nepal. There are 8 mountains in Nepal higher than 8,000 m among 14 in the world. The mountainous area is the best place to practice yoga because Himalaya can give us the pure energy around us.
The foundation of yoga is considered the knowledge of Vedas. The writer of Vedas is Veda Vyasa who was born in Nepal. Nepal is the suitable country to do yoga as well as learn yoga if we analyze much logic for it. Here one can find the original taste of yoga more than any other country in the world.
Every aspect of yoga should be learned in the process of yoga learning. If you want to experience the real version of yoga by learning yoga in Kathmandu, you can find in detail. Nepal is rich in medicinal herbs and Ayurveda. You can get the required knowledge about Ayurveda in the teacher training course of yoga in Kathmandu.
The climate of Kathmandu is so favorable (not so cold and not so hot) to practice yoga in every season of the year. If you are planning to learn yoga or even to be a good yoga teacher, you should choose Nepal as your destination. Nepal can provide you the aspects of yoga which cannot be learned by teaching in a yoga hall.
People of Nepal practice spirituality in day to day life knowingly or unknowingly because the practice of spirituality is in the culture of the people. In yogic culture, people eat only after praying to the God for providing food. They become grateful every time they eat. They put every result of their life in the hand of God and start to do the action. They want to establish a close relationship with God in their life.
Nepal is the home of God Shiva who is considered as the founding father of yoga. Lord Shiva founded 8.4 million yoga poses. According to Hindu philosophy, he lives in the Kailash mountain of Nepal. He gave the knowledge of yoga to his wife Parvati for the first time. Most of the yogis chose the mountainous area to practice yoga in the past.
Nepal is a holy area so many yogis in the past who wanted to came to practice yoga in Kathmandu. The place where the great sages got enlightened is considered as the holy place from where we can get the grace of those yogis. Many yogis wanted to spread the message of peace and spirituality from this land so if you are choosing as your destination to learn yoga in Kathmandu, you are right.
The beautiful part of learning yoga in Kathmandu is that this country can give you the real satisfaction of learning yoga. Nepal gives you the knowledge of every aspect of yoga, every part of yoga, every detail of yoga, every pattern of yoga. To be a perfect yoga teacher you should come to learn yoga in Kathmandu for yoga teacher training course.
Yoga Instructor Course in Nepal, a perfect place for yoga instructor course
Yoga Instructor Course in Nepal is being taught at Nepal Yoga Teacher Training and Retreat Center. The training and retreat center is located at the lap of Sivapuri-Nagarjuna National Park. The place is full of Natural beauty and purity. The greenery of forest and fresh environment can be enjoyed at this location. It is about 5 km far from Thamel, Kathmandu. The place is suitable for Yogic activities and Spiritual practices since many spiritual masters belong to this and nearer places. The environment constitutes the invisible strength and divinity of their practices. People of all categories and levels are welcomed here. There is no age bar, no gender bar, no religious bar, and no cultural bar. As sunlight is for all, so is the Yoga for all. If you are completely new to yoga, you will find a new way of life where there is only health, balance and harmony through the practice of Yoga. If you have already begun the yoga, Yoga Instructor Course in Nepal will be a medium to explore and progress your knowledge and make you a certified and qualified yoga instructor. This certification will work all over the world. If you are the advanced level practitioner, this course will be a better environment to extend your experience and broaden your realization. This is the place of many Yogi, Holy person, Spiritual Masters and the enlightened person like Lord Buddha, King Janaka, Devi Sita, Veda Vyasa (who wrote), Ashtavakra, etc. Even Lord Shiva, founder of Yoga belongs from Nepal. Thus, due to the spiritual environment since historical period, the practice of yoga over here gives a better result for all level of people. Nepal is such country where vegetation, climate, temperature combination of plain, hills, mountains, and Himalayans, all the factors favor for yogic activities.
Yoga Instructor course in Nepal is based on hatha yoga and Ashtanga Primary Series, attached with the skillful sequencing approached applied in Vinyasa. In other words, Vinyasa is entirely taught here. The course is residential. This offers lodging and feeding facilities. Food is vegetarian and vegan. The food is fresh and natural. If anyone is not habituated on such food and residence system available in yoga center, there is a different facility for them to which they can adapt. The Foundation Yoga Instructor Course is for 200 hours which completes in 21 days. The Advance Yoga Instructor Course is for 500 hours and completes 30 days. The practice builds a strong foundation in Asana. The physical practice of different styles of yoga is the most important sector. You will learn the styles of yoga from the ancient period to the modern age. More than 100 asanas can be learned with a deeper understanding of biological functioning, breath work, consciousness, and perfect ailment within each asana. Entering into the depth of huge ocean of Asana you will gain a strong technical foundation and experience Vinyasa style class bedighting intelligence, creativity, and intuition. It provides a better groundwork for advance level of asana and long-term meditation and austerity. It helps to uplift the health condition including vitality and mental power.
By the end of Yoga Instructor Course in Nepal, you will be able to teach Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and other normal yoga for all levels. You will be able to find the modifications for the students with injuries or physical limitations. The course has given focus on both theoretical and practical approach. It provides the comprehensive introduction of all dimensions of yoga, including effective and elegant practice. The methodology of teaching eight-limbed yoga, anatomy, philosophy, diseases, health and spiritual growth helps a person in all the aspects. Yoga Instructor Course in Nepal suits for all levels of physical practice. Trainees can get 200 hours and 500 hours Yoga Certificate course, which is connected to American Yoga Alliance.
The outline of Yoga Instructor Course in Nepal consists classes from early in the morning till 7 pm. Each day becomes very important to learn new things. You will observe a conative and practical hands-on approach, understanding the skill of adaptations, pose alignments, the use of yoga props, etc. The course is included with ethical topics such as yoga etiquette and practical elements of teaching. The following things are included in the course:
Joint exercise, fast exercise, and power exercise.
Asanas, Pranayama, and meditation
Theory classes on Anatomy, Yoga Philosophy, and other philosophy related to Yoga.
Ashtanga Vinyasa, Ayurveda
Detailed study of eight limbs of Yoga.
Health Tips and its secret
Practical healthy living approach
Food Habits
Detailed study of alignment in each asana.
By a week to day 10, you can start a self-practice. During the class, teacher guides all students one on one basis to improve your practice and go deeper into the body, offering a chance for personalized feedback. After the completion the course, you can be your own master. You can guide self for the healthy and happy living. Similarly, you can show correct path for healthy living to your family, relatives, and friends. The course helps for better management of living. You can also work as a qualified Yoga teacher or instructor in any part of the world. You can open your own Yoga Institute and conduct the classes for general people, patients, students, professionals, and other different levels of people. The Yoga instructor course in Nepal helps to develop self and other people around you.
The objectives of Yoga Instructor Course are:
To endow authorized, intuitive, sapiential instruction the practitioner of all levels.
To promote and flourish yoga knowledge all over the world in order to produce healthy people.
To welcome the students and practitioner of Yoga of all over the world and make them a qualified yoga instructor.
To create the environment for the students to deepen the love for yoga and realize its advantages.
To unite like family members of worldwide graduates.
To introduce the natural living, preservation of nature and humanitarianism; and development of strong friendship throughout the world.
How to Be a Yoga Teacher | 8 qualities to be a yoga teacher
To be a yoga teacher is not an easy task but if we have the commitment to be a yoga teacher, we can be a good yoga teacher in our life. At first, we should make our passion to be a yoga teacher in our life. Good yoga teachers are a guide, friend and parents as well for the yoga students in total. The yoga teachers should know every aspect of yoga. Yoga teachers should love yoga deeply.
We can be a good yoga teacher when we learn yoga teachers training course from a certified yoga centre. We have to know about many aspects of yoga before being a yoga teacher. Yoga teachers are a guide of the yoga students in the class. He must understand the theoretical and practical aspects of yoga.
He should know the philosophy of yoga. Nepal Yoga Home is certified and authentic yoga centre where you can learn yoga teachers training course to be a yoga teacher. Nepal yoga home gives the classes of 200 hrs and 500 yoga teachers training courses of the Indian and American alliance.
Yoga teachers must be an example of yogic life. He should have the qualities which should be in a yogi. He should be positive and energetic from inside and outside. There are different kinds of yoga in the world such as Ashtanga, Anusara, Hatha, Vinyasa, Shivananda and Bikram yoga. They are different in ways of doing. You should consider that which is you prefer to teach. You should think about your capacity to do yoga while choosing the yoga style.
You should choose the best yoga Guru or yoga centre who can guide you to be a yoga teacher. Guru or yoga centre can lead you in every step to become a good yoga teacher. Then, you should join in yoga teachers training course. You should learn yoga deeply being sincere in the class. You should take the courses which are verified by the yoga alliance of 200 and 500 hours. You should learn about human anatomy, physiology, instructional method and style very carefully. You can get the chance to observe the teaching very closely.
Yoga teachers are the person who gives the classes of yoga and enables the students to do yoga themselves. Yoga teachers guides the yoga students and instructs them for some period of time. The teacher teaches about the yogic lifestyle and yogic way of living. Yoga philosophy is another part of the teaching. Philosophy is a very important aspect of yoga. Without knowing yoga philosophy, one cannot be a yoga teacher.
Yoga teachers are the role model for the yoga students because students follow everything what teacher does and behaves. Yoga teachers are the centre figure of every centre which teaches yoga. He should have the overall knowledge about yoga. A yoga teacher should have the capacity to handle every question from the students. It is the responsibility of the yoga teachers to satisfy the students in the class.
To be a yoga teacher, one should be smart to know the psychology of the students. He should ask the students the purpose of doing yoga and lead them with their purpose in the yoga session. He should be the inspiration for students to continue yoga in their daily life.
Everyone has different qualities in yoga. Some likes Hatha yoga, some likes Raja yoga. Some like Karma yoga and some likes Bhakti yoga. The teacher should understand the quality of the students in doing yoga and motivate to follow one special path in their life. The teacher should balance among the types of doing yoga.
Yoga teachers should be a real motivator for the students. Some qualities that should be present in a good yoga teacher are as follows:
1. Yoga teachers should love yoga
A good yoga teacher should love yoga as his or her passion. They should respect yoga by their heart. They should love life and inspire to love life to their students. A good yoga teacher should balance himself physically, mentally and spiritually. A yoga teacher should focus on loving the self as well as every creature of the earth.
2. Yoga teachers should be prepared to teach yoga
A good yoga teacher should always prepare for the class. He should plan for the class. He should make a design for his whole class. He should create a good environment in the class. He should manage the class on his way to teach perfectly.
3. Yoga teachers should not show the ego in the class
A good yoga teacher should be egoless in the class. He should leave his ego outside of the class and enter into the class. The ego creates the distance between teacher and students. The teacher should share his knowledge openly with the students. A teacher should be close to the student so that students never feel hesitant to ask the question with the teacher. The teacher should facilitate the students to learn yoga being playful.
4. A yoga teacher should be humorous
A yoga teacher should create the humorous environment in the class so that the teaching and learning process becomes playful in the class. He should smile in the class. He should express his knowledge in a funny way sometimes. He should laugh in between of the class to make the class alive.
5. A yoga teacher should present himself in an energetic way
A good yoga teacher should present himself in an energetic way to add the trust of the students to him. The spiritual energy should enter into the class with the presence of the teacher. The presence of the teacher should be the inspiration to the students. He should be the factor of motivation to do yoga.
6. Yoga teachers should gain trust from the students
A good yoga teacher gains the trust of his students for him. This is the great quality of a good yoga teacher. If the students respect and trust the yoga teachers, yoga teachers can be successful to express his knowledge without hesitation and the students also follow the path of the teacher in a respectful way.
7. A yoga teacher should connect every one of the class in teaching
Good yoga teachers should equally emphasize to every one of the class. He should care for every student how they are doing yoga. He should guide the special student who is not doing well. He should adjust the poses of the students in the class.
8. A yoga teacher should be flexible
Good yoga teachers should be flexible in every part of the teaching. He should not be so strict in the class. He should have the flexible body too. He should bring flexibility in the class if some problem arises in the class.
Equanimity in Bhagawat Geeta – Part II | Equanimity talk by Bhagawat Geeta
Before reading this article Please, read Equanimity in Bhagawat Geeta Part-I then start this article. equanimity in Bhagawat Geeta becomes more clear in Chapter 5 verse number 18th to 23rd,-“The intelligent person perceives with equanimity on all and whole whether it be a Brahman thriving with wisdom and delicacy, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a castaway.
A person established in equanimity has conquered the mortal plane even here, since the Absolute (is also established in equanimity) is untouched by malevolent and is the equanimous (same) to all, consequently, they are founded in Paramatma (God). He who, with stable wit released from suspicion be pleased not on getting pleasant and does not perturb to the unpleasant, that knower of God lives constantly in affinity with God.
He, whose mind abides unattached to sense objects, achieved through meditation, the sattvika pleasure which resides in the mind, becoming totally identical with Brahma, revels everlasting ecstasy. The enjoyments which are born of sense-contacts; are a source of misery. They are ephemeral; have a start and expiry, they come and go. Thus, a wise man should not indulge in them. He, who can endure the urges of lust and rage in this life, before the ruin of this body, is a yogi and a blissful person.”
The following things can be found on equanimity in Bhagawat Geeta in 6th chapter, verse number 7 to 9,-“The supreme spirit has dwelled in the wisdom of the self-controlled man whose mind is completely tranquil in the middle of two opposites, such as chill and heat, pleasure and misery, admiration and slander.
The yogi whose mind is satiated with Jnana (knowledge of unmanifest divinity), vijnana (knowledge of manifest God) who is irrevocable under any situation, whose senses are entirely under control, and to whom mud, rock, and gold are all similar, is said to be a God-realized soul. He who perceives upon well-wishers, friends, enemies, who are indifferent, mediators, relatives, opponents, pious and sinful with equanimity, is great.”
Among many reasons, one reason to look with equanimity is that the Self is present everywhere, in other words- everything is the manifestation of the Self. Lord speaks in verse no. 29,-“The Yogi who is connected with the omnipresent infinite consciousness, whose sight is even, perceives the Self-existing in all beings and all creatures as approved in the self.” He further explains in verse 32,-“Arjuna, whoever looks on all as one, on the identity of his own self and perceives upon the rejoice and sorrow of all equally- such Yogi is the supreme of all.
The Lord reveals that equanimous person is dear to him in chapter 12, verse number 13 to 19,-“ He who is apart from hatred towards all beings, matey and compassionate, no feeling of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ equanimous in pain and pleasure, remissive, ever-satisfied and mentally unified with Me, as well, he has controlled his mind, sense, and body with determined resolve and devoted his mind and intellect to Me- that devotee is dear to Me.
He who does neither create annoyance to his fellow-creatures nor feel vexed with them, and who is untouched by happiness and sadness, discomfort and fear, is dear to Me. He who longs nothing, who is both internally and externally clean, is intelligent, impartial, indifferent and has emerged above all distractions, and who gives up the feeling of doership in all actions- such devotee is beloved to Me. He who neither becomes happy nor hates, nor mourns, nor hankers, and who resigns both good and bad undertakings and fully devoted, is favorite to Me.
He who behaves equally with ally and enemy, remains coequal in hospitality and infamy, who is the same in heat and cold, joy and suffering, and other opposite experiences, is free from craving who regards honour and ignominy alike, and is in rumination and is satisfied with any means of surviving, enjoying no feeling of ownership and clinging regarding residing place and is entirely devoted to Me, is dear to Me. This chapter explains Equanimity in Bhagawat Geeta in a depth manner.
The God explains the equanimity in Bhagawat Geeta in various ways. In the 13th chapter, verse 9, he says,-“Absence of craving and the feeling of mineness for son, wife, home, etc. and permanent equipoise of mind both in the suited and unsuited situation.. (is knowledge). He sees reality, who sees highest Lord as indestructible and dwelling equally in all mortal creatures, both animate and inanimate.
He attains the supreme state by seeing the supreme Lord equally in all, seeing the Lord in all he does not kill the Self. He further says in 27th and 28th chapter,-“One who sees the supreme lord as imperishable and dwelling equally in all mortal beings, both animate and inanimate, he sees truth, as, by perceiving the supreme Lord equally present in all, he does not ruin the Self by himself (nor he ruins other), thus attains the highest state.”
He who has risen above all three Gunas is an equanimous person. In other words, an equanimous person becomes above all the three Gunas. The Lord reveals the characteristics of such person in the 14th chapter from 22nd verse to 25th to elaborate the equanimity in Bhagawat Geeta. He who does not loathe fluorescence (born of Sattva) and activity (born of Rajas), and nor becomes swoon (which is born of Tamasa), when prevailing, nor wants for when they are no more.
He, who remaining as a witness, is not unsettled by Gunas realizing that Gunas alone move among the Gunas, stays fixed to unite with God and never falls behind from that state. He who is constantly dwelled in the Self, regards pain and pleasure evenly, takes clay, stone, gold alike in value, is possessed of wisdom, concede the pleasant as well as unpleasant equally and perceive twit and praise alike. He who is equilibrium in deference or infamy is tantamount towards a pal and foe, and has broken the feelings of doership in all actions, is said to have risen above all three Gunas.”
Equanimity in Bhagawat Geeta is rooted as a base. The literary meaning of equanimity is “calm mental state in all situation whether favorable or difficult” It is also said as “evenness of mind in all moment disregarding the situation like happiness and sadness”. It is the situation when the emotion ate mastered. The closer words for ‘equanimity’ could be “equable; even-tempered, dove, Pacific, stoicism, patient and uncomplaining”.
When an individual is proactive and not affected by the situation, he is said to be equanimous. The secret of developing leadership is hidden in “equanimous state”. Leadership is the function of equanimity. The Sanskrit word for ‘equanimous’ is ‘samatva bhava’ It is the psychological homeostatic and people have the ability to face, to tolerate, to endure and to absorb the world of dualities which may manifest all the time.
Bhagawat Geeta has given a great focus at equanimity. In chapter 2, verse 14 and 15 Lord Krishna says Arjuna, “The contacts between senses and sense objects, which arise the senses of heat and cold, rejoice and grief etc. are ephemeral, deciduous and fleeting; therefore, Arjuna, tolerate them. This is because the wise man to whom delight and distress are tantamount and who is not scorched by these plosives deserves for imperishability.”
Equanimity in Bhagawat Geeta provides clear idea for mental balance. Lord Krishna keeps explaining as he was refusing to fight the war, and in the 38th verse, he says to Arjuna, “Accepting identical conquest and debacle, profit and deficit, enjoyment and agony, get ready for war; combating with this mental state you will not conveyance sin.” In 48th to 51stverse, Lord says, “Adhere your works instituted in Yoga, eschewing infatuation, and be equanimous in success and failure; equanimity (evenness of mind) is called ‘Yoga’.
Action with a desire for fruit (self-interested motive) is too inferior to this in the form of singularity (equipoise) of mind. Take refuge in this equanimity; for beggarly, lousy and contemptible are those who perform an action to bear fruit. Accomplished with equanimity, one becomes distant from right and wrong, good and bad. Hereupon, endeavor for this Yoga of equanimity. Mastership and talent in action befall in the practice of Yoga (of equanimity). For, sapient men with equilibrium and balanced mind superseding the outcome of actions and fetterless from the chains of birth, attain the jocund supreme stage.”
Through the conversation, in the 54th verse, Arjuna asks about the characteristics of a God-realized soul, stable or equanimous mind established is Samadhi- how such man walks, speaks, sit etc. So the Lord begins the description of such person from the 55th to 72nd verse (till the end of the 2nd chapter)-“When one completely casts off all cravings of mind, satisfies in the self through the joy of the self, he is called stable of mind or equipoised mind.
He remains unperturbed amid sorrows and thirst for pleasure is no more. He is free from passion, fear, and anger. He is unattached to everything; neither rejoices nor recoils with good and evil. He withdraws his sense from the sense objects. Who does not enjoy sense objects, they turn away from him but the taste still persists. This taste disappears when he realizes the supreme.
As attachment is not destructed, turbulent natured sense organs forcibly carry away even the mind of a wise man, who is practicing self-control. So the disciple should sit for meditation controlling all the sense, devoting himself and concentrating his mind to Lord. The man who thinks of sense objects creates an attachment for them, from attachment desire evolves. When desire is unfulfilled, it ensues anger.
Anger arises delusion, delusion creates confusion of memory, from its loss of reason, and when reason is lost one goes to complete ruin. Merely, a self-disciplined sadhak achieves serenity of mind while enjoying the sense objects through his sense, which are under control and free from likes and dislikes. Then all his sorrows end. And intellect of such harmonious minded person withdrawing itself from all sides establishes in God.
When mind and sense are not controlled, there cannot have determinate intellect and contemplation. There is no peace unless there is contemplation. And how there can be happiness without peace of mind. If any of the sense organs are attached to sense organ, that sense organ takes away his discrimination.
Thus, he whose senses are total with strained from their objects; is said to possess a stable mind. That, for all beings, is night; God realized yogi, who is in the state of Divine Knowledge and supreme bliss, keeps awake. That, which is ever-changing, ephemeral worldly happiness, in which all beings keep awake, is like a night for the seer.
He won’t be disturbed even if various enjoyments merge on him. He remains peace and won’t be hankering for such enjoyment. He who has renounced all the desires and travels being free from attachment, egoism, and thirst for pleasure attains tranquility. Such realized soul; having reached this state he overwhelms delusion. And stable in this state, even at the final moment, he attains Brahmic Bliss.” In this way, Krishna explained equanimity in Bhagawat Geeta. Krishna wants human non-reactive due to attraction and hatred.
He suggests in chapter 3, verse 34,-“Craving and aversion are rooted in all sense-objects. A man should never let himself to be oscillated by them, forasmuch, they are two fundamental foes fixing in the path of his liberation.” Equanimity in Bhagawat Geeta is a concept to be free from all the external distraction.
In the 4th chapter, 10th verse, Krishna lays a case of people endowed with equanimity in Bhagawat Geeta,-“Entirely dislodged of clinging, fright, rage, totally absorbed in Me (Krishna), relying on Me, cleansed by the austerity of sagacity, many have unified with Me even in the former.”
This concludes the part-I of Equanimity talk in Bhagawat Geeta. Click here to read Part-II of Equanimity talk in Bhagawat Geeta for complete knowledge.
