From Tibetan Book Of The Dead By Evans-Wentz: Tibetan Lamaism

 The Bardo Thodol was first committed to writing in the eighth century A.D. in the time of Padma Sambhava; was subsequently hidden away, and then when the time came for it to be given to the world, was brought to light by Rigzin Karma Ling-pa..
Karma Ling-pa means the name of a place in Tibet called The Land Of Karma. Bardo Thodol is one of the Tibetan Lost Books recovered by Rigzin of Karma Ling-pa, who is held to be an emanation or incarnation of Padma Sambhava, the founder of Lamaism.
It was in the eighth century A. D. that Lamaism, which may be defined as as Tantric Buddhism, took firm root in Tibet.
Buddhism itself entered Tibet a century earlier during the reign of King Srong-Tsan-Gempo who died in A.D. 650. Buddhism entered Tibet from two sources , from Nepal, the land of Buddha's ancestors, through the Tibetan King's marriage with a daughter of the royal family of Nepal; and from China, through his marriage -in theyear 641- with a princess of  Chinese imperial family. The king had been nurtured in the old Bon faith of Tibet, which, with its primitive doctrine of rebirth, was quite capable of serving as an approach to Buddhism; and under the influence of his two wives he accepted Buddhism, making it the state religion; but it made little headway in Tibet until a century later when his powerful successor, Thi-Srong-Detsan held the thronefrom A>D. 740 to786.
It was Thi-Srong who invited Padma Sambhava (Tib. Pedma Jungne, i.e. 'The Lotus Born"
'), better known to the Tibetans as Guru Rin-po-Che, 'The Precious Guru', to come to Tibet. The famous Guru was at that time a Professor of Yoga in the great Buddhist University of Nalanda, India, and far-famed for expert knowledge of the Occult Sciences. He was a native of Udyana or Swat, in what is now a part of Afghanistan.
The Great Guru saw the wonderful opportunity which the King's invitation offered, and promptly accepted the call, passing through Nepal and arriving at Samye, Tibet, in the year 747. It was there that the king had invited him, in order to have exorcized the demons of the locality, for as soon as the walls of a monastery which the king was having erected there were raised they were overthrown by local earthquakes, which the demons opposing Buddhism were believed to have caused. When the Great Guru had driven out the demons, all the local earthquakes ceased, much to the wonder of the people; and he himself supervised the completion of the royal monastery, and established therein the first community of Tibetan Buddhist lamas, in the year 749.

Geeta Chapter 18 Stanzas 67 to 78 : The End Of The Last Chapter Of Bhagavad Geeta.ast

Krishma continues,
"There are explicit restrictions  on how this knowledge should be distributed. It should not be given to one who lacks the rigor of discipline and penance. It should not be given to one who lacks devotion. It should not be given to those who have no desire to listen, and should not be given to those who are envious of me.

This is the most secret knowledge I have conferred upon you.The one who delivers it to my devotees with utmost faith in me will ultimately be one with my essence and there is no doubt about this.

There will be none among the inheritors of the tradition of Geeta who will be dearer to me than him who will fulfill this mission of reaching the right audience with the right understanding and he will be dear to me at all times.

Whoever will read our dialogue about the nature of truth and reflect upon it will stay in my heart as the one who performed a sacrifice at the altar of knowledge.

The one who will listen to it with faith and with a heart free of malaise will be free of every sin and will reach the realm where the pious souls dwell.

Arjun, did you listen to me with one-pointed concentration? Did it remove your doubts completely
which were born out of ignorance?

Arjun said,
"My doubts and illusions are no more. My deep memory (of my Self) has been regained by your grace.  I am back to myself on stable ground. Now I will execute your word."

Hereafter Dhrutarashtra's envoy Sanjay took over the thread of the narrative. Sanjay said, "I had been listening to an astonishing dialogue between the son of Vasudeva and the son of Prutha ( Arjun, who is called here the son of Prutha which was another name of his mother Kunti.)
It was the most thrilling experience to say the least. While The Master among all Yogis, Krishna was speaking  I had the Divine Eye endowed upon me by the grace of the sage Vyasa to hear and absorb the most secret doctrine of Yoga.

O my Lord, there is no end to my wonder and astonishment as I recall and again that miraculous form of Hari (another name of Krishna). O King I am filled with great astonishment and I feel a tremor of ecstasy run through me again and again.

Where there exist together the Master Yogi Krishna and the Master marksman Partha, there you will find wealth, victory, prosperity and the right path. I have no doubt about this.   


 Aum Tat Sat, with this ends the eighteenth chapter called the yoga of freedom and renunciation which is a part of the dialogue between Shri Krishna and Arjun,  which occurs in the Upanishad called Bhagavadgeeta which forms a part of the science of Yoga and all together is a part of The knowledge of Brahma


 

Geeta Chapter 18 Stanzas 53 to 66

Krishna continues,
"The one who discards egoism, vanity of power, arrogance of power, lust, anger and hoarding, is closer to Brahma on the path of emancipation.
The one who lives in proximity to Brahma obtains a cheerful disposition. He neither grieves nor craves. He is the same to all and thus he is joined to me with his devotion.

His devotion gives him the knowledge of me, the knowledge of the essence of my being, the dimension of my being, the way I am, no less , no more. Then having known me in the essence he comes and rests in me.

The one who takes refuge in me, even as he appears to be engaged in worldly tasks, has found a permanent secured place in me.

Leave all your Karma in my custody and serve me with faith. Resort to the discipline of the intellect (Buddhi Yoga) and merge your consciousness with mine.

Thus when your consciousness has become one with me you will sail across all the difficulties of this ocean of life. But if you choose to ignore me out of pride you will surely destroy yourself.

Your misplaced pride is speaking in a rebellious voice just now when you ask, "Why should I fight?"
I tell you, this is stubbornness and it is futile. The Law of Nature will ultimately prevail and nature, the law of your own nature, is going to appoint you to fight.

You are bound by the the law of your own nature, Arjun. That which you decline to do out of ignorance, you will be forced to do with no option later.

Arjun, with his Maya, with his illusory magic,  the God Almighty has placed  all beings on this huge wheel revolving eternally,while He remains still at the heart of all beings who are moving round about on this eternally revolving wheel and believe that they are moving.

Take refuge in Him wholeheartedly. With His grace you will find the ultimate peace that lies beyond our understanding .

 I have delivered to you this knowledge which is otherwise wrapped in secrecy because it is the most occult of all knowledge and therefore needs to be kept secret. Now think over it completely without ignoring the smallest detail., and thereafter do what you want to do.

I repeat my words, please listen again. I have poured my heart to you and revealed to you what needs to be guarded as the most secret of all knowledge. I hold you firmly to my heart as my soulmate in this world. Therefore I have your welfare as the foremost thing in my heart. Whatever I say to you is
 nothing if not in your interest.

Place your heart and mind in me. Be united with me. Whatever you do, offer it to me as a sacrifice. Do obeisance to me. You will not wander; you will not stray away from me. You are bound to come to me. I say this with a resolve as the sacred truth. You are my beloved.

Discard all other voices of faith and take refuge in me alone. I am responsible for whatever actions you are going to commit, good or bad. Do not grieve my dear."

Geeta Chapter 18 Stanzas 46 to 52

Krishna continues,
"All beings derive their propensity to act in accordance with the Law of Nature (Prakruti). Whatever karma has fallen to your lot as a way of life, do it without aversion. Do it in the spirit of penance and prayer.('Archana'). Do it as a discipline that you must follow and do it with love (of God) in your heart.

Whatever you can do best within your capacity, according to the law of your individual nature, do it with confidence and faith (in yourself). You may find another way of life alluring and comfortable, but if you are not born into it, if it does not agree with the grain of your personality, do not follow it. Stay then within the way which agrees with your natural propensity and basic values. There is nothing wrong in following your natural inclination.

The karma which you choose to do in accordance with the natural propensity of your (Sattvik) nature may look unattractive and full of faults, but do not give it up if you feel that basically it is what you must do. All beginnings are shrouded like the flame surrounded by smoke.

In the pursuit of your vocation, do not cling to anything , or do not create a bondage. Have no craving. Conquer your best self and ask it to guide you. Conquer your Atman (with love) and once you win over your Atman, obey its command. This is the way of true 'sanyas', the renunciation. It means doing your job without hankering after money and felicitation. It means no indulgence , no unnecessary involvement, and that is the greatest (spiritual) achievement.
This way will save you from many a nightmare. You will live within the safety of your spirit, its vitality ('chaitanya').

This way is the great achievement on the path of (personal) liberation. It has the foundation of faith in knowledge. It leads to the highest attainment of Brahma. I shall explain to you how. Please try to understand.

I have told you how to pursue your vocation under the guidance of your inner voice. It is the voice of your purest intellect. While at work, obtain perfect control over your mind with courage and confidence. Discard bookish knowledge and keep attachment and aversion out your field of work.

How does a yogi fare in life?
He eats as much as is sufficient to energize his body to do his job. He avoids mingling with the crowd. He has control over his speech, body and mind. He remains in a meditative state of mind always. He maintains the spirit of detachment in whatever he undertakes to do.
 A yogi who follows this practice in life reaches the knowledge of the Inner Self with practice, discipline and detachment. This path of yoga is the best to follow and therefore it is called the king of all paths :Rajayoga.  

 

Geeta chapter 18 stanzas 34 to 40

Krishna continued,
"For the ordinary man who is burdened with his daily chores of the worldly life, there is the courage of the Rajas type. He needs to fulfill the tasks of living the life in the light of  the code of right conduct, the need for earning a livelihood, and for fulfilling the desires of the body. (Dharma, Artha, and Kama). With courage he launches his boat into the sea of life and remaining vigilantly at the helm, captains it with courage to reach the other shore of this life on earth. That is Rajas courage. He works hard and obtains the fruit of his labor by treading the path with a resolute mind.

Tamas courage is a way of clinging to unproductive, regressive habits of the mind which block progress but give a desperate kind of courage to hold on to addictions and obsessions with a false sense of security. The tamas courage hinges the mind on sleep, fear (of insecurity), sorrow, regret, and intoxication.

After the three kinds of courage we shall turn to the three kinds o joy. O wise man Arjun, listen. You have to practise the right kind of joy. It is a skill, an art of living that you must acquire by practice. On one of those happy days in the past I had promised to give you the secret of three kinds of happiness.

Listen, there is a kind of joy which initially tastes bitter like poison but eventually turns into nectar. It is the joy born out of the pleasure of the mind. It is born of the communion with the spirit.That is  known as Sattvik joy. It is a product of a mind that is restful and creative.

Rajas joy is born out of sensual pleasure which tastes like nectar initially but turns toxic in the long run.

Tamas joy is born out of drowsiness, sluggish indulgence in the pleasures of the body. From the beginning through to the end its path is marked by unfortunate errors of judgement.

In short there is no order on this earth which is not penetrated by the three Gunas.

Geeta Chapter 18 Stanzas 20 to 32

Krishna continues,
"I will speak to you about the knowledge which dawns when the Sattvik (pure, undefiled, noble, luminous) state of consciousness arises.
It is the state beyond all ordinary knowledge. What we know as knowledge presupposes a duality of the object of knowledge and the person who tries to know the object. Here there is no duality. It is a state of transcendence when the knower and the object merge like the river and the sea. It is the end of duality and therefore words, language, feelings and description cannot encompass that state. It is oneness of the spirit while to all outward appearances it is difference, separate identities, distinctions, categories etc. whereas at the level of consciousness there are no two entities apart from each other.
(Note: If we try to take it at the level of cognition we will have to describe it as empathy. But in the realm of mysticism it is  a state of total oblivion. The history of mysticism has saints and mystics who have had this experience. In Geeta the Lord chooses not to elaborate on this experience.)

The Lord continues,
"After the knowledge of the Sattvik nature we turn to the actions performed when the Sattva (purity) predominates. All the actions performed without any expectation of reward are do be seen as Sattvik karma. The actions performed with expectation of reward are Rajas karma (the karma required to be performed for the worldly success). There is a kind of desperation in the Rajas effort. The karma which is undertaken in ignorance, without taking into account one's capacity, power, consequences, and the harm that might be be caused to others is called Tamas (dark) karma.

Now let us see the categories of the agent of action.
A person who gets fully involved with the enterprise, does not lose courage and enthusiasm in the face of obstacles, and while engaged in the effort does not worry about the result and at the end of the effort does not get perturbed by success or failure is a Sattvik man of action.

A person who is easily distracted by allurements , goes astray, is insistent about what he must get out of the endeavor, over-ambitious, resorts to any means, fair or foul in achieving the end, is ready to resort to violence if he finds it convenient or necessary, who sways between pleasure and pain, is called a Rajas man of action.

A person who has no control over his base instincts, who is dumb, cunning,  jealous, slothful, gloomy, inefficient, slow in completing the given task is called a Tamas agent of action.

I will turn to the three categories of intellect and courage as based on the properties of the three Gunas.

Listen to the properties of the Sattvik intellect. The intellect which can differentiate between the path of absolute renunciation and the path of action, between what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, between fear and safety, between bondage and emancipation is called the Sattvik intellect.

The intellect which cannot decide between the right and the wrong, between the action which is imperative and the action which is forbidden is called a Rajas intellect.

The intellect which holds the unholy to be holy, which misconstrues the meaning of everything and perversely draws wrong inferences, is called the Tamas intellect. "   

Geeta Chapter 18 Stanza 33

Krishna continues,
"Now let us talk about the three levels of courage. The first is the level where the Sattva predominates. In this case the person has absolute control over his organs of the sense, over his mind and over the breath. With his innate discipline he halts their interference and lifts himself to stay stable in the centre of his personality which exists truly in the inner spirit."

The inner spirit or the inner man is the essence of the Divine light which is normally cast to oblivion. But when the Sattva predominates the awareness is raised to the highest level and the lower self understands the presence of the unchanging, unaffected divine light. Once that awareness dawns the man finds the teacher, the guide and the guardian living with him constantly. This inner spirit is an impartial observer who can see things as they are. The mind, the senses and even the intellect cannot be trusted because they are susceptible to external stimuli and cause disorientation and wavering at the time when there is a crisis and important decisions are to be made. We must remember why Krishna  emphasizes this aspect of courage . Arjun has lost the will to fight and is at a point when refusal to act will cause a sheer fall down into the abyss. There is a long background of injustice, cruelty and evil to the war that Arjun is about to enter. His senses have sunk to a lowest level at the sight of the elders who are sold to their earthly masters.  Even Bhishma has become an instrument in the hands of the evil-minded Duryodhana because Bhishma is bound by a pledge he took in the past to serve whoever occupies the throne of Hastinapur. Justice is at stake.
Arjun is an exceptionally courageous, trained and skilled warrior. He is fighting for a just cause. The kauravas are hell-bent to see them destitute and kneeling in supplication as beggars. There is a long history of humiliation, dishonour, exile behind the situation they have arrived at. Now if the bastion fell that would  spell a doom for all.
The  principles of philosophy which make the basis of Geeta are all already  enunciated in the Vedas and the Upanishads in the times before Geeta came in existence as a part of the main narrative of the epic Mahabharata.

Sattvik Courage leads man to seek the highest potential in him which he normally is unaware of.   

Geeta Chapter 18 Stanzas 15 to 19

Krishna continues,
"The same five forces initiate karma, action- at the level of the body, speech, mind.
 The energy flows, with an enormous force, like a river coming down from a high mountain. It runs into the streams and rivulets and small canals as it empowers the five centers, gross and subtle, the body, the mind, the senses close to the mind, under conscious control, and the internal organs not consciously controlled. It flows and becomes a light, subtle but energizing. Do not forget that the origin of it lies beyond the human understanding.

The karma begins when the soul is impelled by subtle forces of nature, like the coming of spring and the blossoms on trees, like the gathering of clouds and the pouring of rain. Then the mind wakes , looks around, at itself, at the world around and if it is dark, thinks and resolves to light a lamp. That resolve, born in the mind is as good as the spoken word, although it is spoken and heard only by the mind. The speech as a resolve born in the mind is called 'Sankalpa'. It inspires action.

 Arjun, I spoke to you about the five instruments and the five causes behind action. Is the Atman involved in all these five instruments and the five causes? Atman is like the sun who throws light on the object and makes it visible to the eye, but the sun is neither the eye nor the object. Atman does not become the karma; it manifests the karma. Like a mirror it reflects the karma, both good and bad and shows it to the mind. 

Knowledge, object of knowledge and the one who knows (Jnyana, Jneya, Jnyata), are the three driving forces behind Karma.  Performance (karana), action, and the agent of action (karta) form the accessories for Karma as a whole.

In the performance of action all the five regions of the personality participate unanimously. They all define the nature of the purpose, motive and intention behind the action.

Now let us think of this trinity of Knowledge, Karma and the Agent (of Karma) The three Gunas :Sattva (purity of soul), Rajas (dynamism), and Tamas (ignorance,evil), have a role to play here also. The extent to which their presence is felt in any of this trinity will determine the character of  the knowledge possessed by the person, his karma,and he as the agent of action.

Out of the three Gunas, the predominance of Rajas and the predominance of Tamas both lead a man astray. Only Sattva is the property that leads to the right knowledge, the right action and the right balance. Ultimately these lead a man to enlightenment and liberation. So trust only the voice of Sattva in yourself when you act and judge the other person by the extent to which his capacity of understanding is influenced by Sattva, Rajas or Tamas.  Judge his actions and his personality also  by the same criterion, against the same touchstone. Sattva will make him balanced and truthful. Too much of Rajas will influence his understanding in a way that will lean towards prejudice and quick reactions. Too much of Tamas will make him evil-minded.

Geeta Chapter 18 Stanzas 11 to

Krishna continues,
"It is not possible for a man of the world to give up all karma and live a life of inaction. The one who knows this and gives up only the attachment to the fruit of action without forsaking the life of action knows the true spirit of sacrifice (tyaga).

The one who remains attached to the fruit of action earns the consequences in three ways. He earns the desirable, undesirable and a blend of the desirable and the undesirable consequences of his actions. But a sanyasi who practises renunciation without attachment will not be subject to such consequences.

Vedanta elucidates five main forces behind all karma.  I will explain them to you.

These are the basic forces which reside inside a person. The first of these is this body which is the abode of desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, and knowledge. Then there is the agent of the action. The third is the cluster of all sense organs. The fourth is the the function of the vital organs of the body. The fifth is the spirit , the vitality, (Prana) that controls all these.

The body is the home to all the sense organs which toil day and night and earn the reward as pleasure and pain. The one who experiences them as such also dwells in the body. It is in this abode, on this stage that the drama of imprisonment and redemption is enacted.

The agent of action is the individual soul who has lost track of his divine origin. It is the divine spark of the great luminosity which is estranged from its source. It lives in the illusion of a separate identity and persuades itself to believe that it is the force behind all its actions.

The various sense organs are driven by the energy of Prakruti, a single source, but they all appear to function in isolation.

The vital organs inside the body function independently of the sense organs - the eyes, the nose, the ears, the tongue and the skin. They are empowered by the Prana, the oxygen taken in by the breath.
The breath comes in as oxygen, Prana, and gets converted into energy which is supplied to all the organs of the body.

When this entire abode, is blessed by the divine source of all life, by the universal energy, there is health, happiness, intelligence. This blessing shines in the intellect and spreads like light over everything related to the personality of the soul through the brightness of the intellect. 

Geeta Chapter 18 Stanzas 11 to

It is not possible for a man of the world to give up all karma and live a life of inaction. The one who knows this and gives up only the attachment to the fruit of action without forsaking the life of action knows the true spirit of sacrifice (tyaga).

The one who remains attached to the fruit of action earns the consequences in three ways. He earns the desirable, undesirable and a blend of the desirable and the undesirable consequences of his actions. But a sanyasi who practises renunciation without attachment will not be subject to such consequences.

Vedanta elucidates five main forces behind all karma.  I will explain them to you.

These are the basic forces which reside inside a person. The first of these is this body which is the abode of desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, and knowledge. Then there is the agent of the action. The third is the cluster of all sense organs. The fourth is the the function of the vital organs of the body. The fifth is the spirit , the vitality, (Prana) that controls all these.

The body is the home to all the sense organs which toil day and night and earn the reward as pleasure and pain. The one who experiences them as such also dwells in the body. It is in this abode, on this stage that the drama of imprisonment and redemption is enacted.

The agent of action is the individual soul who has lost track of his divine origin. It is the divine spark of the great luminosity which is estranged from its source. It lives in the illusion of a separate identity and persuades itself to believe that it is the force behind all its actions.

The various sense organs are driven by the energy of Prakruti, a single source, but they all appear to function in isolation.

The vital organs inside the body function independently of the sense organs - the eyes, the nose, the ears, the tongue and the skin. They are empowered by the Prana, the oxygen taken in by the breath.
The breath comes in as oxygen, Prana, and gets converted into energy which is supplied to all the organs of the body.

When this entire abode, is blessed by the divine source of all life, by the universal energy, there is health, happiness, intelligence. This blessing shines in the intellect and spreads like light over everything related to the personality of the soul through the brightness of the intellect. 

Geeta Chapter 18 Stanzas 1 to 10

Arjun asked,
"O valiant man Krishna, I want to know the difference between renunciation (Sanyasa) and sacrifice (Tyaga).

The Lord aid,
"The wise regard renunciation to be the giving up of everything that you desire. Deprive yourself of everything desirable , pleasurable. That is renunciation. Those who have an eye for the deeper reality of life regard the act of relinquishing the fruit of action to be the sacrifice.

Some with intransigent mind are of a strong persuasion that since all karma is binding and leads to suffering in the end, all karma should be renounced.
There are some who say that the ritual of sacrifice at the altar of fire, giving in charity, and penance for the purification of the body and the mind are those karmas which ought not to be given up.

O Arjun, the greatest of the descendants of the dynasty of Bharat, listen. I shall tell you my defintive views on the concept of Tyaga (sacrifice). O Tiger among men, Even Tyaga is said to fall into three categories.

Sacrifice (Yajnya), charitable acts (Dana), penance (tapa), ought not to be given up. They have to be performed because they purify the mind of those with a strong will.

Even these acts ought to be performed without any attachment to the result of the action. In fact they must be performed. There is no other way.

Those actions which are regarded as essential and  imperative for the health of the mind, body and for the general good of humanity cannot be given up completely.

It is sheer ignorance to renounce them completely. It is regarded to be perverse and Tamas kind of Tyaga.

To sacrifice action out of fear for life and body is a Rajas Tyaga. But it is futile to renounce action when you are required to act. It is inaction.

Listen O Arjun, you have to act when it is your destiny to act in the circumstance in which you are placed inescapably. In those times do what you need to do and do it without getting involved in the result of you action. I think this is a '' Sattvik tyaga" : the noble sacrifice.

Our fate, destiny and providence force us to confront and perform actions we would hate to perform. On the other hand there are happy days when we take delight and find fulfillment in what we do. The one who remains calm in both kinds of circumstances is said to be noble (Sattvik), intelligent and clear in the mind . He knows the true spirit of sacrifice (tyaga).

Geeta Chapter 17 Stanzas 20 to 28

Krishna continued,
"I told you about the three categories of penance based on Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Now listen to the three ways in which charity is described. Again the basis is the difference between the three Gunas. Sometimes all good things coincide at the time of making a gift of something. The time, place and the deserving person to whom one would be happy to present a gift, are all present together.  There is a tacit understanding between you and the receiver of the gift that it is a gift of love and the receiver of the gift is under no obligation to return your kindness. This is called a Sattvic gift.

On the other hand, the gift is sometimes made with an expectation of a return of one's kindness. Then it is kindness, not a gift. The most common expectation is that the receiver of the gift should remain under an obligation and a burden of gratitude. A gift made with expectation becomes a cause of despondency also because unfulfilled expectations bring sorrow. A gift of this kind is a Rajas gift.

Now listen to how the gift given in the spirit of Tamas fares. An inauspicious place which excites base passions, a person who excites base instincts, when you have no regard or respect for the person to whom you are making a gift, when you insult and humiliate the person to whom you are giving the gift--are the circumstances which turn your gift into a Tamas gift.

Para-Brahma, the Highest of all, is indicated by three syllables, uttered individually or collectively. They are Aum, Tat, and Sat. The essence of nobility(Priest), essence of knowledge (Vedas), and the spirit of sacrifice as the essence of life (Yajnya) are initiated by these syllables.

Those who have this knowledge in their heart perform all activities in the spirit of sacrifice, They give the gift with utmost nobility and perform the penance without expectation.

Those who want to lead a life of true freedom fix their attention on the syllable 'Tat', which means 'That"
"That" is indicative of the ultimate freedom which is Brahma. All the activities of their life are inspired by "That"

And what is "Sat", Arjun? Wherever there is awareness of the imperishable (Brahma), wherever there is good conduct, there exists "Sat". It also accompanies every generous act.

To live life in the spirit of sacrifice, to be in a constant awareness of the spirit of penance and to imbibe the spirit of generosity (Dana) is to live in "Sat", and to perform every act in the direction of "Sat" is also to live in "Sat".

O Partha, whenever a sacrifice is performed unwillingly or halfheartedly, whenever a gift is given with a sting, whenever a penance is done as a punishment, it is "Asat",  the absence of "Sat".  Asat is unproductive. It is futile here as well as  there, in the realm beyond the earthly life.

Aum Tat Sat, with this ends the seventeenth chapter of the Upanishad called Bhagavadgeeta which is contained in the dialogue between Krishna and Arjun. All this forms a part of the knowledge of Brahma and the discipline of Yoga is a part of that knowledge of Brahma. In it, this was a chapter called the three forms of faith.

Geeta Chapter 17 Stanzas 8 to 19

The Lord said,
"Penance is of three kinds,depending upon which of the three Gunas are present in the penance. But before coming to that let me explain to you the three dimensions of penance. Penance is discipline chosen  wholeheartedly by the individual. It reflects in the person's life and personality homogeneously.  See how it determines our behavior in three dimensions . One is the dimension of the body. Another is the dimension of speech and the third is the dimension of the mind.

When one follows the discipline of penance at the level of the body, it show in reverence for the elders and the enlightened. It shows in the purity of the body and the mind. It shows in the gentleness of attitude to those around you. This is penance at the level of the body and the language of the body.

Penance at the level of speech is characterized by these signs. There is no inclination to say things with the intention to cause despondency and agitation in the listener. At the same time the person must abide by truth and while speaking he should keep the welfare and the well-being of the listener in his mind.  This is penance at the level of the speech. The person who submits to this discipline, undertakes to educate his mind by reading, reflection and study.

Penance at the level of the mind produces a broad, quiet and cheerful mind. It does not hold radical views and expresses itself in a mild and gentle way. It remains silent and speaks when there is something that needs to be said. It remains under control as a rule.

When a person follows the discipline  thus in his attitude, speech and thought and performs all activities without attachment to the fruit, or the benefit of action for his own self, it falls in the category of Sattvik penance.  It makes the person's presence sublime to behold..

There is another kind of behavior to be seen next. When the penance is performed with ostentation and pride, with a view to gaining honor, felicitation and worship from others, it produces a dubious result. The fruit of this penance does not stay. This falls in the category of Rajas penance.

There are those who undertake penance with a vile motive of harming others. In the madness to seek revenge they do not mind suffering in their own body. This is called Tamas penance.