What the scriptures say about clarity

1. practice
2. Clarity
3. Joy
4. Carelessness
5. Laziness

The joy one grows into by practice, like poison first and nectar in the end, is born of a clear understanding of the self. Pleasure from the senses is nectar first and poison after. The pleasure of sleep, laziness and heedlessness deludes from start to finish.

• Krishna

  सुखं त्विदानीं त्रिविधं श्रृणु मे भरतर्षभ । अभ्यासाद्रमते यत्र दुःखान्तं च निगच्छति ॥

  sukhaṃ tvidānīṃ trividhaṃ śrṛṇu me bharatarṣabha | abhyāsādramate yatra duḥkhāntaṃ ca nigacchati ||

  Now hear from me the three kinds of happiness, best of the Bharatas: the happiness one comes to enjoy through practice, and in which one reaches the end of sorrow.

  Bhagavad Gita 18.36

• Krishna

  यत्तदग्रे विषमिव परिणामेऽमृतोपमम् । तत्सुखं सात्त्विकं प्रोक्तमात्मबुद्धिप्रसादजम् ॥

  yattadagre viṣamiva pariṇāme’mṛtopamam | tatsukhaṃ sāttvikaṃ proktamātmabuddhiprasādajam ||

  That which is like poison at first and like nectar in the end, born from the clarity of one's own understanding, is called sattvic happiness.

  Bhagavad Gita 18.37

• Krishna

  विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगाद्यत्तदग्रेऽमृतोपमम् । परिणामे विषमिव तत्सुखं राजसं स्मृतम् ॥

  viṣayendriyasaṃyogādyattadagre’mṛtopamam | pariṇāme viṣamiva tatsukhaṃ rājasaṃ smṛtam ||

  The happiness that comes from contact of the senses with their objects, like nectar at first and like poison in the end, is called rajasic.

  Bhagavad Gita 18.38

1. control of the senses
2. Clarity
3. end of misery
4. steadiness of understanding
5. Peace
6. highest happiness

A person moves among things with senses controlled, free of attraction and aversion, and reaches clarity. In clarity sorrows end and understanding steadies. Without that steadiness there is no peace, and without peace there is no happiness.

• Krishna

  रागद्वेषवियुक्तैस्तु विषयानिन्द्रियैश्चरन् । आत्मवश्यैर्विधेयात्मा प्रसादमधिगच्छति ॥

  rāgadveṣaviyuktaistu viṣayānindriyaiścaran | ātmavaśyairvidheyātmā prasādamadhigacchati ||

  But a disciplined person, moving among objects with senses under control, free from attraction and aversion, attains clarity and calm.

  Bhagavad Gita 2.64

• Krishna

  प्रसादे सर्वदुःखानां हानिरस्योपजायते । प्रसन्नचेतसो ह्याशु बुद्धिः पर्यवतिष्ठते ॥

  prasāde sarvaduḥkhānāṃ hānirasyopajāyate | prasannacetaso hyāśu buddhiḥ paryavatiṣṭhate ||

  In that clarity all sorrows come to an end; for one whose mind is clear, understanding soon becomes steady.

  Bhagavad Gita 2.65

• Krishna

  नास्ति बुद्धिरयुक्तस्य न चायुक्तस्य भावना । न चाभावयतः शान्तिरशान्तस्य कुतः सुखम् ॥

  nāsti buddhirayuktasya na cāyuktasya bhāvanā | na cābhāvayataḥ śāntiraśāntasya kutaḥ sukham ||

  For the undisciplined there is no understanding and no steady contemplation. Without contemplation there is no peace, and for the one without peace, where is happiness?

  Bhagavad Gita 2.66

1. non-possessive
2. Peace
3. Clarity
4. Equanimity
5. highest devotion

A person lets go of ego, force, arrogance, desire, anger and possessiveness, without the sense of mine and at peace, and becomes fit for Brahman. In that state one neither grieves nor craves, is the same to all beings, and gains the highest devotion.

• Krishna

  ब्रह्मभूतः प्रसन्नात्मा न शोचति न काङ्क्षति । समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु मद्भक्तिं लभते पराम् ॥

  brahmabhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati | samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu madbhaktiṃ labhate parām ||

  Become one with Brahman, serene in self, one neither grieves nor craves. The same to all beings, one gains supreme devotion to me.

  Bhagavad Gita 18.54

1. Guilt
2. Resolve
3. Clarity

By regret one is freed from the wrong done. By resolving I will not do it again one is freed from repeating it. Turning to good after a wrong, one comes out like the moon from behind a cloud.

• Dharmavyadha (the righteous meat-seller)

  विकर्मणा तप्यमानः पापाद्विपरिमुच्यते / न तत्कुर्यां पुनरिति द्वितीयात्परिमुच्यते

  vikarmaṇā tapyamānaḥ pāpādviparimucyate / na tatkuryāṃ punariti dvitīyātparimucyate

  One who feels remorse for a wrong deed is freed from that wrong; by resolving 'I will not do it again', he is freed from the second.

  Mahabharata · Vana Parva · Vyadha Gita

• Dharmavyadha (the righteous meat-seller)

  पापं चेत्पुरुषः कृत्वा कल्याणमभिपद्यते / मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो महाभ्रेणेव चन्द्रमाः

  pāpaṃ cetpuruṣaḥ kṛtvā kalyāṇamabhipadyate / mucyate sarvapāpebhyo mahābhreṇeva candramāḥ

  If a person who has done wrong turns to doing good, he is freed from all his wrongs, like the moon coming out from behind a great cloud.

  Mahabharata · Vana Parva · Vyadha Gita