What the scriptures say about steadiness

1. A restless mind
2. practice
3. Letting go
4. Steadiness
5. Peace
6. highest happiness

The mind is restless, strong, and stubborn, as hard to hold as the wind. Krishna agrees that by practice and letting go it is held. Little by little, with understanding held firm, the mind is brought back each time it wanders. To the one whose mind is calm, the highest happiness comes.

• Arjuna

  अर्जुन उवाच योऽयं योगस्त्वया प्रोक्तः साम्येन मधुसूदन । एतस्याहं न पश्यामि चञ्चलत्वात् स्थितिं स्थिराम् ॥

  arjuna uvāca yo’yaṃ yogastvayā proktaḥ sāmyena madhusūdana | etasyāhaṃ na paśyāmi cañcalatvāt sthitiṃ sthirām ||

  Arjuna said: This yoga of evenness that you have taught, Madhusudana, I do not see how it can last, because of restlessness.

  Bhagavad Gita 6.33

• Arjuna

  चञ्चलं हि मनः कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्दृढम् । तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वायोरिव सुदुष्करम् ॥

  cañcalaṃ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavaddṛḍham | tasyāhaṃ nigrahaṃ manye vāyoriva suduṣkaram ||

  For the mind is restless, Krishna, turbulent, powerful and stubborn. I think it is as hard to hold as the wind.

  Bhagavad Gita 6.34

• Krishna

  श्री भगवानुवाच असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलं । अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते ॥

  śrī bhagavānuvāca asaṃśayaṃ mahābāho mano durnigrahaṃ calaṃ | abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate ||

  The Blessed Lord said: Undoubtedly, mighty-armed one, the mind is restless and hard to control. But it is held by practice and by detachment, Kaunteya.

  Bhagavad Gita 6.35

1. Grief
2. the vast
3. Joy
4. action
5. Steadiness
6. Faith
7. understanding
8. understanding
9. truth
10. Self-knowledge

Narada knows every science and says that he knows the words, not the self, and he grieves. Sanatkumara leads him inward. One speaks truth when one understands. One understands when one reflects. One reflects when one has trust. One has trust when one is steadfast. One is steadfast when one acts. One acts when one finds joy. Joy is in the vast, not in the small.

• Narada

  सोऽहं भगवो मन्त्रविदेवास्मि नात्मविच्छ्रुतꣳ ह्येव मे भगवद्दृशेभ्यस्तरति शोकमात्मविदिति सोऽहं भगवः शोचामि तं मा भगवाञ्छोकस्य पारं तारयत्विति तꣳ होवाच यद्वै किंचैतदध्यगीष्ठा नामैवैतत् ॥

  so’haṃ bhagavo mantravidevāsmi nātmavicchrutaꣳ hyeva me bhagavaddṛśebhyastarati śokamātmaviditi so’haṃ bhagavaḥ śocāmi taṃ mā bhagavāñchokasya pāraṃ tārayatviti taꣳ hovāca yadvai kiṃcaitadadhyagīṣṭhā nāmaivaitat ||

  'Sir, I know only the texts; I do not know the self. I have heard from people like you that one who knows the self crosses beyond sorrow. I am in sorrow, sir. Please take me across.' He said to him: 'Whatever you have studied is only name.'

  Chhandogya Upanishad 7.1.3

• Sanatkumara

  यदा वै करोत्यथ निस्तिष्ठति नाकृत्वा निस्तिष्ठति कृत्वैव निस्तिष्ठति कृतिस्त्वेव विजिज्ञासितव्येति कृतिं भगवो विजिज्ञास इति ॥

  yadā vai karotyatha nistiṣṭhati nākṛtvā nistiṣṭhati kṛtvaiva nistiṣṭhati kṛtistveva vijijñāsitavyeti kṛtiṃ bhagavo vijijñāsa iti ||

  When one acts, one becomes steadfast. One does not become steadfast without acting; only by acting does one become steadfast. So action itself must be understood. 'Sir, I wish to understand action.'

  Chhandogya Upanishad 7.21.1

• Sanatkumara

  यदा वै सुखं लभतेऽथ करोति नासुखं लब्ध्वा करोति सुखमेव लब्ध्वा करोति सुखं त्वेव विजिज्ञासितव्यमिति सुखं भगवो विजिज्ञास इति ॥

  yadā vai sukhaṃ labhate’tha karoti nāsukhaṃ labdhvā karoti sukhameva labdhvā karoti sukhaṃ tveva vijijñāsitavyamiti sukhaṃ bhagavo vijijñāsa iti ||

  When one finds happiness, one acts. No one acts without finding happiness; only by finding happiness does one act. So happiness itself must be understood. 'Sir, I wish to understand happiness.'

  Chhandogya Upanishad 7.22.1

1. Expectations
2. Attachment
3. A restless mind
4. Confusion
5. Worry
6. Steadiness
7. Joy

Hope is a river whose water is wishes and whose waves are craving. Its crocodiles are attachment and its birds are restless thoughts. It uproots the tree of steadiness and its whirlpools are delusion. Its high banks are worry. Those who cross it with a clean mind rejoice.

• Bhartrihari

  आशा नाम नदी मनोरथजला तृष्णातरङ्गाकुला रागग्राहवती वितर्कविहगा धैर्यद्रुमध्वंसिनी । मोहावर्तसुदुस्तरातिगहना प्रोत्तुङ्गचिन्तातटी तस्याः पारगता विशुद्धमनसो नन्दन्ति योगीश्वराः ॥

  āśā nāma nadī manorathajalā tṛṣṇātaraṅgākulā rāgagrāhavatī vitarkavihagā dhairyadrumadhvaṃsinī | mohāvartasudustarātigahanā prottuṅgacintātaṭī tasyāḥ pāragatā viśuddhamanaso nandanti yogīśvarāḥ ||

  There is a river called Hope. Its water is wishes, its waves are craving; passions are its crocodiles, doubts its birds; it uproots the trees of courage; its whirlpools of delusion are hard to cross and deep, and its banks of worry tower high. Only great yogis, pure in mind, who reach the far shore, rejoice.

  Bhartrihari · Vairagya Shatakam

1. Fear
2. Laziness
3. Steadiness
4. Resolve

The low do not begin because they fear obstacles. The middling begin, then stop when obstacles strike. The best, struck by obstacles again and again, do not give up what they have begun.

• Bhartrihari

  प्रारभ्यते न खलु विघ्नभयेन नीचैः प्रारभ्य विघ्नविहता विरमन्ति मध्याः ॥ विघ्नैः पुनः पुनरपि प्रतिहन्यमानाः प्रारब्धमुत्तमगुणा न परित्यजन्ति ॥

  prārabhyate na khalu vighnabhayena nīcaiḥ prārabhya vighnavihatā viramanti madhyāḥ || vighnaiḥ punaḥ punarapi pratihanyamānāḥ prārabdhamuttamaguṇā na parityajanti ||

  The lowest do not begin at all, for fear of obstacles. The middling begin, but stop when obstacles strike. The best, struck by obstacles again and again, do not give up what they have begun.

  Bhartrihari · Niti Shatakam