Gita 06.25 – Don’t expect overnight change – determinedly make gradual changes

Thank you slowly step by step the same word over there means to seize, to stop, to hold back to end with intelligence sustained by conviction with intelligence sustained by conviction what should one do means on the Atma, on the self keep the mind fixed on the self and then and don't think about anything else so what happens by this this is the process by which Krishna says that one will attain the yogic perfection so we cannot suddenly rise to the top of the mountain of yoga we have to take steps one by one till we can eventually come to the top so what is required is just like if somebody wants to climb up a mountain that person cannot actually get to the top of the mountain in one leap the step actually is one has to move one at a time and by that eventually one will come to the level of one step, one step then one comes to the top of the mountain similarly if you envision getting yogic realisation getting yogic perfection as climbing on top of a mountain we cannot get there in one giant leap somebody who tries to leap up to the mountain may just leap a little, little, little but eventually get exhausted may even dangerously slip and fall back also gradually, step by step uparame the consciousness is caught in matter and the pursuit of material enjoyment so gradually, step by step build the consciousness out of matter and how does one do that? with intelligence sustained by conviction triti is it is actually determination, conviction Krishna actually differentiated between buddhi and triti in the 18th chapter he will talk about buddhi in the three modes and then he will talk about triti in the three modes and the essential difference if you look at the way he talks about is buddhi is in terms of perceiving the right thing to do and triti is in perceiving in doing the right thing so mudhya triti gruhi itaya so intelligence sustained by conviction essentially means that one understands that one understands what is to be done when we actually perceive when we perceive that I am spirit and my entanglement with matter is simply causing me misery therefore I will not get entangled in matter instead I will pursue spirit when we understand that mudhya triti gruhi itaya with intelligence sustained by conviction when we do that there is intelligence in one sense we could say means to know what to do and determination means to be able to keep doing it so withdrawing of consciousness from matter and fixing it on the self so as to realize one's true identity that Krishna is saying with intelligence sustained by conviction so by intelligence we will know what is the right thing to do but if we don't have the determination triti we don't have then we will not persevere for very long on that path we will soon get exhausted and think this is not going to work mudhya triti gruhi itaya and what exactly is to be done atma samstham manah kritva atma samstham the manah the mind is to be fixed on the self and once the mind is fixed on the self nakinchit apichintayet not even slightly should one think of anything else Krishna is saying nakinchit apichintayet even slightly why because the slight distraction doesn't stay slight once we start entertaining temptation temptation starts becoming bigger and bigger eventually it consumes us and that's why it's best to not give it any room there is a saying that give a camel an inch and it will take an L so the idea is that if we allow someone a small favor then people enroach and take far beyond what is allocated so like that we give a small room for temptation and the small room doesn't stay small the desire which is entertained it actually it just pervades eventually and dominates the consciousness so entertainment somebody knocks on the door and we say we entertain but then that person comes in and takes control of the room only and catches us and makes us follow his or her orders this is my room and how does this person come in that's what actually temptation does if we allow it to come inside it takes over control and makes us do its will that's why Krishna is saying don't entertain it so if you think of other things if you don't think of our spiritual identity and our spiritual purpose start thinking of other things one thing will lead to another in that sequence of other things and finally we will end up we will finally end up thinking of material things and we will pursue it and fall back therefore don't give that room Krishna is saying rather fix the mind and the self and in that way progress steadily towards life's supreme perfection through yoga so now in this particular verse how is this verse different from the previous verse where also Krishna said that be determined, control the senses don't entertain desires here the significance is several things are added Krishna has mentioned don't expect overnight miracles take steps one by one another he has stated is that it's actually very important because if we do not use our intelligence and if we do not sustain our intelligence and determination we will not be able to persevere for long when we perceive with our senses then through our senses we will see the path of yoga primarily as a path of austerity only oh there is so much trouble why am I following this path and we will see the path of sense gratification filled with so much pleasure why am I not enjoying that that's why we need intelligence to be able to see beyond the surface of things to the real nature and beyond that we also need we need dhriti determination because there will be obstacles and there will be discouragement so nishchay and dhriti are similar and Krishna's repeated use of nishchay in the previous verse indicate that this is required this is essential and then he is after giving these two points gradually and with intelligence and determination he says then repeat the message of atma samstham fix the consciousness on the self and in that way move towards perfection thank you.