31. Intellect Leads to Equanimity

 



Krishna says that in karma yoga, the buddhi (intellect) is coherent and the intellect of those who are irresolute is bahu-shakha (many-branched) (2.41).

Samatva (equanimity) is yoga, which is the balance between the pairs of polarities we face, like pleasure and pain; winning and losing; and profit and loss (2.48 & 2.38). Karma yoga is the path to transcend these polarities, ultimately leading to a coherent intellect. On the other hand, an imbalanced intellect robs us of our ‘peace of mind’.

Our general presumption is that ‘peace of mind’ automatically follows pleasure, winning and profit. Krishna dispels this notion when he says that a coherent intellect brought about by the practice of karma yoga gives us peace of mind by helping us transcend polarities.

An irresolute intellect keeps dividing situations, outcomes and people as good or bad. Our behaviour is deeply influenced by such divisions. In the workplace, we apply one yardstick to those below us and a different one to those above us in the hierarchy. Children fail to comprehend ‘samatva’ when they see different yardsticks being applied in the family where we have one set of rules for loved ones and another set for others.

In our daily lives, we are victims of shared myths like religion, caste, nationality, gender etc. They were implanted in our minds during our childhood, and they continue to create divisions in us. Each side of these shared myths affects us in different ways.

With an irresolute intellect, we have one level of justification to judge our mistakes and another set of parameters for judging those of others. While seeking help and offering help, we apply different yardsticks.

Krishna says that by following the path of karma yoga, one attains a coherent intellect capable of ‘samatva’, which is the foundation for peace of mind.


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