reading response gita 10-18

Bhagavad Gita:
6:24. Having abandoned vain desires and conquered all the indriyas,

6:25. gradually calming the consciousness, the Yogi should study the own Essence — the Atman — without distracting thoughts to anything else! 

Yoga Sutras:

I. 12 Practice and detachment are the means to still the movements of consciousness.

I. 13 Practice is the steadfast effort to still these fluctuations

I. 14 Long, uninterrupted, alert practice is the firm foundation for restraining the    fluctuations.

I. 15 Renunciation is the practice of detachment from desires.

I. 16 The ultimate renunciation is when one transcends the qualities of nature and perceives the soul.

While reading the Bhagavad Gita, this particular section, chapter 6, reminded me of the detachment sutras we discussed in class. In this chapter, Krishna is explaining to Arjuna the benefits of self-control in yoga. He details the detachment of yoga and the benefits of doing so. This particular passage caught my eye because it explains the whole purpose of yoga. At the beginning of the sutras, the author states that we are beginning the practice of yoga in order to dwell in our own true nature. This is what Krishna is referring to with the Atman. The Atman is the soul, the seat of everyone's divine true nature. The Atman cannot be harmed, and is not directly connected to our physical bodies. This is why, when we practice yoga, learn to focus our minds, and detach from the world around us, we can learn to dwell in the Atman. I also liked that the Gita refers to it as a "study" of our own Essence and the Sutras refer to it as "perceiving" the soul.