Gita 06.07 – To attain peace, focus on conquering the inner enemy, not dealing with outer enemies

Thank you Krishna 6.7 Chitatmana Prashantasya Krishna has talked about the mind in two celebrated verses there were two verses prior to this talking about how the mind can be the enemy as well as the friend and emphasizing that we need to control the mind so in previous verses we have said that the mind can be the enemy as well as the friend therefore we should elevate ourselves with the mind and not degrade ourselves 6.6 6.6 so Krishna states to it that the mind is the friend for one who has controlled it and is the enemy for one who is under its control now in this way telling that the mind may need to control the mind then in this verse Krishna tells what is the benefit of controlling the mind Chitatmana Prashantasya Chitatmana for one who has conquered the mind the person is Prashantasya the person is peaceful Prashantasya Arjuna has actually at the start of the Bhagavad Gita Arjuna was thinking that war will be very ghastly especially when it involves fighting one's elders and one's relatives so he thought that maybe Shanti will be better trying for peace would be better now Krishna is telling Arjuna that you will get peace not by merely negotiating with your outer enemies but by conquering your enemies yes in the outer world certain situations may be more disturbing more volatile or even violent volatile means they may explode into violence and violent means they are actually becoming violent so yes there is definitely variety in external situations but even in the most comfortable seeming external situations still one cannot have peace if the mind is not controlled why? because because as long as we are not fixed in as long as we have not conquered our mind we cannot be peaceful the mind will always find something to be agitated about and by thus making us agitated the mind will steal our peace the mind will say hey that person doesn't respect you see that person has a better car than you see that person's student gets more marks in exam than your student that person's child gets more marks in exam than your child gets so whatever it is in the mind whatever be the specific situation that the mind dwells on and thereby makes us visible the point is the mind will not allow us peace will not allow us to be peaceful no matter how peaceful our external situation is or not just peaceful even if our external situation is wonderful even if things are very very comfortable in our outer life even if we are wealthier, safer healthier than most of the people in the world still the mind will keep us dissatisfied by finding something that is wrong so the only way we can we can the 8th P Krishna is saying only if you learn to conquer the mind will you become peaceful without conquering the mind you will never know peace and that's why it's vital that we as sadhakas recognize this fundamental psychological reality actually acknowledging accepting this psychological reality this nature of the mind to find some reason for dissatisfaction this can help us tremendously in focusing on our devotional meditation it is only when we learn to go beyond the dualities of life as long as we are too caught up this is wrong with my life only if I could make that right so as long as we are caught in these dualities we won't be able to focus on Krishna because if our goal is primarily if we think our happiness lies in correcting life's material dualities then or not correcting those dualities rather in moving from a negative side of the duality to the positive side moving from poverty towards wealth moving from mediocre looks to extremely good looks moving like that on the material continuum moving up the material duality as long as we are thinking this is the purpose of life then we will not have we will feel that devotional is not very practical because it does not give any practical result and although we may not say it aloud although we may think that we intellectually accept the fact that that ultimately Krishna is the source of all happiness we think okay all that is ultimate now I need to move up be upwardly mobile in my life then later I will think about a spiritual advancement this will even if we don't give up our practices or even if we don't give up our devotional practices we will actually substantially de-energize ourselves de-excuse ourselves in our devotional practices we will not be able to put our heart in them and we will not be able to focus on Krishna when we are chanting and thus we will cheat ourselves of the higher happiness that comes from absorption in Krishna and of the highest destination that is ultimately attainable for those who focus on Krishna and those who learn to love him so by knowing that peace will not come by combating outer circumstances better it will come only by conquering the inner enemy the mind and devotion to Krishna is the most effective way to conquer the mind by meditating on these truths we can inspire ourselves to put our whole heart in our devotional practices.