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Gita Lesson - 1813: Description of a Wise Person

Bhagavad Gita
Unit - 18
Lesson - 1813: Description of a Wise Person
By Raja Subramaniyan

After listening to Lord Krishna, Arjuna seeks few clarifications on the wise person who has risen above the influence of AEM. Lord Krishna provides the explanation and concludes this chapter.

Indications to identify a Wise Person
The Wise Person is one who understands the truth and no longer thinks that he is the ego. He is impartial and can treat his own body/mind complex or family objectively. He is not affected by the events of the world. Everyone in the world has objectivity as long as the event does not concern them directly.

Example: An earthquake in the other side of the earth is a news item and everyone views it objectively. It becomes a disaster only when our own family or properties are affected by it.

A Wise Person remains equally objective whether it happens to him or to others.

A Wise Person is not affected by the status of his own mind because he understands the nature of mind. He has distanced himself from his own mind.

It is a shift in identification. While being an Aura dominant person, he used to identify himself as his ego. After crossing the influence of AEM, he identifies himself as Brahman. This shift in self-identification enables him to accept old age, sickness, death and other sufferings of the world as part of nature. He is not affected by any problem in life. He remains as a witness to his own life. He lives joyfully.

It is impossible to identify a Wise Person because the external behavior will vary depending on the personality. He will behave like any other Aura dominant person. Therefore, the indicator given above by Lord Krishna can be used to only for self-measurement.

As long as we have attachment to the body/mind complex, we should put effort to correct ourselves and train the mind to become steady on the knowledge. When we have sufficient training, we will be able to distance ourselves from our mind.

The behavior of the Wise Person
Wise Person is one who knows that he is different from his own body/mind complex. This knowledge is not shaken by the events of the world. Even a death of a near and dear one or a serious illness to himself will not upset his balance.

There are no surprises or shocking events for him for he knows that all the events and the environment is the result of his own past actions. He trusts in God to do a perfect job of matching the results with the actions of the individual.

Whatever happens to him or others are perfectly in order and in line with the past actions. Therefore, there are no rights or wrong events.

He is aware that every person he meets in this life, including his friends and relatives are doing so to provide him experiences in line with his past actions. Therefore, he does not wait for a particular experience nor wish to get away from anyone.

He will do whatever is to be done as demanded by the situation without getting affected by it. He will be calm and quiet, irrespective of the thoughts in the mind.

The sense organs provide the first set of thoughts depending on the inputs received from the external world.

Example: Someone shouts, 'You are a fool'.

A thought corresponding to these words are formed in the mind. There is no difference with respect to formation of this thought in the mind of a Wise Person. Like any other human being, his mind receives this sound through the ears and converts it as a thought.

However, the second sets of thoughts are quite different. People, who are under the influence of AEM, will be affected in line with the dominance.

Matter dominant people may not even understand the implication of these words and may even accept that it is a statement of fact.

Energy dominant people will be greatly affected by these words. He may shout back or react according to the situation.

Aura dominant people will understand why such words are spoken and will address the root cause. They also will be affected.

In case of the Wise Person, he knows that the comment does not concern him. The word 'you' in the statement, 'you are a fool' refers to the mind of the Wise Person. Since the Wise Person is not his mind, he is not affected.

Thus, the second set of thoughts that follows the first set of thoughts determine how one behaves or reacts to this statement. A Wise Person does not think that the statement refers to him. However, his response will be very similar to that of an Aura dominant person.

He may appear to be a careless person to outsiders, since he remains unperturbed by any event.

He sees all the transactions in the world as the normal change that happens as a part of creation. He is aware that everything is in a constant state of flux and will not have any expectation on the outcome. He knows that he can never know what the future holds but he is not bothered. This is so because he is just a witness to the events of the world and nothing can affect him.

He sees equality in everyone and treats everyone appropriately.

He is happy in himself. His own body/mind complex is a luxury to him. He depends on the world for survival and does not depend on anyone or anything for his happiness and peace. He will be always situated in Brahman and never in his body/mind complex.

Method of becoming a Wise Person
One becomes wise progressively by crossing all the prescribed steps. All the living beings have accumulated varied preferences, impressions and knowledge during the infinite number of previous births.

Preferences bind them to the world through desires. Desire is the cause of action. Action further strengthens the preferences. This is an Eternal Cycle and it is impossible to come out of this cycle except through grace of God/ will power.

The escape route from this Eternal Cycle is to do good actions/ perform the rituals prescribed in Vedas. This increases the positive impressions and they in turn provide a favorable environment for escaping from the Eternal Cycle.

The favorable environment means opportunity and proper guidance in gaining the right knowledge. When we gain the right knowledge then we have the potential to become wise.

Knowledge overpowers preferences and eliminates the effects of the accumulated impressions. This knowledge helps people to move through Matter dominance, Energy dominance and Aura dominance. Finally, the go beyond the influence of the AEM.

Since the effect of accumulated preferences and impressions is strong, the process of liberation is long drawn. It cannot be expected that everyone can gain the required knowledge for liberation in one birth. Therefore, the only method to become a Wise Person is to follow the Holy Scriptures as described by competent teachers. When we will become wise depends on our current status and the effort that we are willing to put in.

Bhakthi Yoga is the only path to reach God. One has to begin Bhakthi Yoga by demonstrating the love for God and serve him. Such actions of following the rituals will make a Matter dominant person into an Energy dominant person. Then one has to do work as worship. This will purify his mind. Then he has to develop the ability to concentrate and expand the mind by meditating on his chosen personal god. By this time, he would have moved on to become an Aura dominated person and ready to seek the true knowledge on God.

When he gains the true knowledge of Brahman through enquiry, he becomes Brahman himself. He thus realizes his natural state of being immortal, joyful and changeless.

Thus, Bhakthi Yoga enables one to become wise.

Chapter 14: Analysis of the three elements [Verses: 21 - 27]

14.21 Arjuna inquired: Oh my Lord, with what characteristics does a person who is beyond these three modes appear? What is his conduct? And how does he go beyond the modes of nature?

14.22-25 The Blessed Lord said: He who does not hate illumination, attachment and delusion when they are present, nor longs for them when they disappear; who is seated like one unconcerned, being situated beyond these material reactions of the modes of nature, who remains firm, knowing that the modes alone are active; who regards alike pleasure and pain, and looks on a clod, a stone and a piece of gold with an equal eye; who is wise and holds praise and blame to be the same; who is unchanged in honor and dishonor, who treats friend and foe alike, who has abandoned all the result oriented activities, such a man is said to have transcended the modes of nature.

14.26 One who engages in activities with full consciousness of Brahman, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus becomes Brahman.

14.27 And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness, and which is immortal, imperishable and eternal.

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