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The Bhagavad Gita · 2 of 2 · tr. Kashinath Trimbak Telang

Chapter V, Section 1b

For the enjoyments born of contact (between senses and their objects) are, indeed, sources of misery; they have a beginning as well as an end . O son of Kuntî! a wise man feels no pleasure in them. He who even in this world, before his release from the body, is able to bear the agitations produced from desire and wrath, is a devoted man, he is a happy man. The devotee whose happiness is within (himself), whose recreation is within (himself), and whose light (of knowledge) also is within (himself), becoming (one with) the Brahman , obtain the Brahmic bliss . The sages whose sins have perished, whose misgivings are destroyed, who are self-restrained, and who are intent on the welfare of all beings , obtain the Brahmic bliss. To the ascetics, who are free from desire and wrath , and whose minds are restrained, and who have knowledge of the self, the Brahmic bliss is on both sides (of death). The sage who excludes (from his mind) external objects, (concentrates) the visual power between the brows , and making the upward and downward life-breaths even, confines their movements within the nose, who restrains senses, mind, and understanding , whose highest goal is final emancipation, from whom desire, fear, and wrath have departed, is, indeed, for ever released (from birth and death). He knowing me to be the enjoyer of all sacrifices and penances, the great Lord of all worlds, and the friend of all beings, attains tranquillity.
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Themes
Detachment Gelassenheitpraxis

Eckhart's Abgeschiedenheit/Gelassenheit — radical letting-go of will, image, and grasping that opens the soul to God; distinct from inner_silence (quietness) and from material renunciation, and adjacent to Sufi tark and Buddhist non-grasping as a practice rather than a metaphysical claim.

The passage praises the wise man who feels no pleasure in sensory enjoyments and is free from desire and wrath.

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Inner Lightanthropology

The divine spark or luminous quality residing within the human person, potentially recognisable through introspection.

The text describes the devotee whose 'light (of knowledge) also is within (himself),' indicating an internal source of illumination.

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Inner Silencepraxis

The practice of stilling the mind and speech to open receptivity to divine knowledge or presence.

The sage is described as excluding external objects and restraining the mind and understanding to achieve a state of tranquility.

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Kingdom Withinanthropology

The claim that the divine realm is present inside the individual, accessible without external mediation.

The passage emphasizes that the devotee's happiness and recreation are found 'within (himself),' locating the divine realm internally.

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Love Of Neighbourethics

Active compassionate care for others as a central spiritual obligation or expression of divine love.

The sages are described as being 'intent on the welfare of all beings,' highlighting a universal compassionate orientation.

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Meditationpraxis

Disciplined inward attention — sitting, focused, or open-awareness practice — as a stand-alone term that umbrellas active_contemplation, inner_silence, and dhyana-style sitting.

The text details specific meditative techniques such as concentrating visual power between the brows and regulating breaths.

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Mystical Unionsoteriology

The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.

The text explicitly states that the devotee becomes one with Brahman and obtains Brahmic bliss, describing a state of complete merging.

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Return To Sourcesoteriology

The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.

The goal of 'final emancipation' and becoming one with Brahman implies a return to the ultimate divine origin.

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Self Knowledgesoteriology

The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.

The passage identifies 'knowledge of the self' as a defining characteristic of those who attain Brahmic bliss and final release.

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Soul Migrationcosmology

The transmigration of the soul across lives.

The mention of being 'released from birth and death' presupposes the doctrine of transmigration (samsara) which is being transcended.

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Unity Of Beingtheology

The doctrine that all existence is ultimately one substance or one divine reality; non-duality as a theological claim.

The passage centrally describes the sage becoming one with Brahman and attaining Brahmic bliss, emphasizing non-dual realization.

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Related passages · 3 parallels · 1 contrast
buddhism|The Dhammapada|Chapter XVI, Section 1
p. 56 CHAPTER XVI. PLEASURE. 209. He who gives himself to vanity, and does not give himself to meditation, forgetting the real aim (of life) and grasping at pleasure, will in time envy him who has exerted himself in meditation. 210. Let no…”
Both passages emphasize the transient nature of worldly pleasures and the importance of inner peace and self-control. They advocate for a life free from desire, fear, and attachment, leading to ultimate bliss or liberation (Brahmic bliss in the Bhagavad Gita and Nirvana in the Dhammapada).
platonism|Plato: Timaeus|Section 1at
For a man who is in great joy or in great pain, in his unseasonable eagerness to attain the one and to avoid the other, is not able to see or to hear anything rightly; but he is mad, and is at the time utterly incapable of any participation…”
Both passages discuss the idea that external pleasures and pains are sources of suffering and that true happiness and tranquility come from inner peace and self-control. They emphasize the importance of controlling desires and achieving a state of inner harmony, though they use different cultural and philosophical frameworks.
renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part II (Gli Eroici Furori)|Third Dialoguef
Here the eyes imprint upon the heart, that is upon the intelligence, and rouse in the will an infinite torment of love, where there is no pain because nothing is sought which is not obtained; but it is happiness, because that which is there…”
Both passages discuss the attainment of a higher state of bliss or happiness through inner focus and self-restraint. The Bhagavad Gita emphasizes inner happiness and the attainment of Brahmic bliss through self-control and devotion, while the Third Dialogue describes an infinite torment of love and the highest good as an infinite state of happiness and enjoyment.
western_esoteric|The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall)|IntroductiongCONTRASTS
In reality, however, pleasure (especially of a physical nature) is the true end of existence and exceeds in every way mental and spiritual enjoyments. Pleasure, furthermore, is limited wholly to the moment; now is the only time. The past…”
The passages present opposing views on the nature of pleasure and happiness. The Bhagavad Gita emphasizes inner peace and detachment from worldly pleasures as the path to true happiness, while the Cyrenaic philosophy advocates for the pursuit of physical pleasure as the true end of existence.