124. No Shortcut to Hard Work
K rishna talked about establishing in oneness, whatever may be the mode of living, to attain infinite bliss (6.28 & 6.31). There are three major issues faced by us to attain oneness. One is that it is called by different names in various cultures, and to compound the complexity, the paths prescribed by these cultures appear to contradict one another. Secondly, our mind is trained to divide which prevents us from attaining oneness. Thirdly, we tend to reject what we don’t know and ‘oneness’ is completely new terrain for all of us. Reflecting on these difficulties Arjuna asks how to control the mind. Krishna says, “No doubt, the mind is restless and difficult to control, but it can be controlled by practice ( abhyaas ) and dispassion ( vairagya ) (6.35). Take my word that yoga is hard to attain by the ungoverned man, but it can be attained through striving” (6.36). Krishna had earlier advised regular practice (6.23) of controlling senses with determination (6.26) to bri...