Fix your heart on Me alone and rest your understanding in Me;
thus shall you doubtlessly live in Me here after. (Bhagavad Gita chapter 12
verse 8)
The bhaktas feel that they have nothing to do for
themselves, but certain charges are laid upon them by the Lord, which they must
fulfill.
Work can have dangerous effects. But there is a way in which
work can be done without the evil effect of causing more bondage. And that is
by renouncing the fruit of our labour, by consecrating our work to God.
Therefore Sri Krishna said: “Surrender all actions to Me.”
And in this verse, Sri Krishna gives another very important
instruction: ‘Fix your heart on Me alone and rest your understanding in Me;
then surely shall you live in Me hereafter.”
Manas and buddhi, that is, mind and understanding, must
reach out to God. All our thoughts, our purposes, our determination and reasoning
should have the deity for the goal. That is called ‘resting in Bhagvan.’ Our
thoughts reach out to God; we try to remember Him, to think of Him always. And
our purpose is to serve, to please Him, to obey Him. And our determination is
based on the highest Truth. From that standpoint we decide our actions, we determine,
we reason.
Truth is always our goal. And that Truth is the Spirit. And
then, with our life thus regulated, we rest in Him. Then, Sri Krishna assures
us, we will abide in Him here after.
Not only hereafter, but now and always do we then abide in Him.
Here and hereafter are two conditions very different for us who identify ourselves so much with the present life. They mean with and without body; and we
can only imagine a life in the body. But the true bhakta does not see such a
great distinction between the two states, for already his life is centred in
the Spirit. Already his body-existence means very little to him. When his body
drops away it simply frees him from a little burden, he feels freer still. He
lives in God now. There go all his thoughts, his interests, his aspirations.
And so, here after it will be the same, but in a still fuller sense. The physical
world will then no longer stand in his way. He will be absorbed in God.
Source - Reflections on the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Atulananda - Prabuddha Bharata June 2005
Source - Reflections on the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Atulananda - Prabuddha Bharata June 2005