The Self as Friend or Enemy
For one who has conquered the self, the self is the best of friends; for one who has not, the self is the greatest enemy.
Our relationship with ourselves determines our quality of life. When we master our lower tendencies, the self becomes an ally supporting our highest aspirations. When we remain slaves to impulses, we become our own worst enemy, sabotaging our goals and well-being. This teaching emphasizes self-mastery as the foundation of a good life, a truth confirmed by research on self-regulation and success.
For one who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, the mind will remain the greatest enemy.
Paramahansa Yogananda taught that this verse reveals the secret of self-transformation—we must become allies with ourselves through patient, persistent practice.
Bhagavad Gita
Written about in
- What the Bhagavad Gita says about the self
The verse is about the mind. Mastered, it is the best of friends; unmastered, it is the worst enemy you have. Nothing about the self's dignity spares you that work.
- What the Bhagavad Gita says about habit and discipline
The same mind is both the instrument of discipline and its object: conquered, it is the best of friends; unconquered, it is the greatest enemy. Nothing outside you does the sabotaging the Gita is worried about.