When the mind, fully controlled, finds rest only in the self, free from all desires, then one is said to be truly united in yoga. This state is likened to a lamp placed in a windless spot, its flame steady and unflickering—so is the yogi whose mind is disciplined, absorbed in union with the self. As the mind, restrained by yoga, comes to quietude, the yogi sees the self by the self and finds contentment within. In this stillness, one experiences a happiness that is boundless, grasped by the intellect and beyond the reach of the senses. Established in this state, one does not waver from the truth. Having attained this, no other gain is considered greater, and even great sorrow cannot shake the yogi from this peace. This, indeed, is yoga—the disconnection from union with suffering. Such yoga must be practiced with determination and an unwavering mind. Entirely abandoning all desires born of intention, the yogi restrains the senses by the mind alone. Gradually, step by step, stillness is attained by holding the intellect steady; fixing the mind on the self, one thinks of nothing else. Wherever the restless and unsteady mind wanders, it is gently brought back under the control of the self. Supreme happiness comes to the yogi whose mind is peaceful, whose passions are calmed, who has become Brahman and is free from blemish. Constantly disciplining himself in this way, the yogi, freed from impurities, easily attains boundless happiness through contact with Brahman. With the mind united in yoga, the yogi sees the self abiding in all beings and all beings in the self, viewing everything with equal vision. He who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me is never lost to Me, nor am I lost to him. He who worships Me, established in unity and abiding in all beings, lives in Me, whatever his way of life. Arjuna, the yogi who, by comparison with himself, sees the same everywhere—both in happiness and in sorrow—is considered supreme. Arjuna then spoke: “O Madhusudana, this yoga you describe as equanimity—I do not see a steady foundation for it, because of the restlessness of the mind. Indeed, Krishna, the mind is restless, turbulent, strong, and obstinate; controlling it is as difficult as controlling the wind.” The Blessed Lord replied: “Without doubt, O mighty-armed, the mind is hard to control and restless; but by practice and detachment, O son of Kunti, it can be restrained. In my view, yoga is difficult to attain for one whose self is not controlled; but for one who has mastered the self and strives by proper means, it is attainable.” Arjuna asked: “What is the fate, O Krishna, of one who, though endowed with faith, but lacking self-control, whose mind strays from yoga and does not attain perfection? Does one who has fallen from both paths perish like a broken cloud, lost and without foundation, confused on the path to Brahman? This is my doubt, Krishna; please resolve it completely. No one but you can remove this doubt.” The Blessed Lord answered: “O Partha, neither here nor hereafter is there destruction for him. One who acts virtuously never comes to misfortune, dear one. Having attained the worlds of the righteous and dwelled there for many ages, the one fallen from yoga is born in the home of the pure and prosperous. Or else, he is born in the family of wise yogis—a birth truly rare in this world. There, he obtains the connection with the intellect from his previous body and strives again for perfection, O descendant of Kuru. By that former practice, he is drawn even against his will. Even one who desires to know yoga transcends the words of scripture. But the yogi, striving with effort, purified from faults, perfected through many births, attains the highest path. The yogi is greater than ascetics, greater even than the wise, and greater than those who act. Therefore, become a yogi, Arjuna. Among all yogis, the one who worships Me with faith, with his inner self absorbed in Me, is considered by Me to be the most united.” Then the Blessed Lord continued: “With your mind attached to Me, practicing yoga under My shelter, hear how you will know Me fully and without doubt. I will declare to you this knowledge and wisdom completely; knowing this, nothing else remains to be known in this world. Among thousands of people, scarcely one strives for perfection; among those striving and perfected, hardly one knows Me in truth. Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intellect, and ego—these eight are My distinct material nature. But know My other nature, O mighty-armed, which is higher—consisting of living beings, by which this world is sustained. Understand that all beings arise from these two natures. I am the origin and the dissolution of the entire universe. There is nothing higher than Me, O Dhananjaya. All this is woven in Me, like pearls on a string. I am the taste in water, O Kaunteya; I am the radiance in the moon and sun; I am the syllable Om in all the Vedas, the sound in space, and the strength in men. I am the pure fragrance in the earth, and the brilliance in fire; I am the life in all beings, and the austerity among ascetics. Know Me, O Arjuna, as the eternal seed of all beings; I am the intelligence of the intelligent, and the splendor of the splendid.