The Gradual Mind Training
Little by little, through patience and determination, the mind should be stilled using the intellect.
Meditation is not mastered overnight. Krishna acknowledges that the mind is restless and difficult to control, but insists it can be trained through patient, persistent practice. This realistic assessment encourages us to accept imperfection while continuing to practice. Krishna names two means for this training—abhyasa (repeated practice) and vairagya (dispassion)—the same pair Patanjali's Yoga Sutras prescribe.
Little by little, through patience and repeated effort, the mind will become stilled in the Self.
Pema Chödrön often quotes similar Buddhist teachings—meditation is about showing up again and again, not achieving perfect stillness immediately.
Bhagavad Gita
Written about in
- What the Bhagavad Gita says about habit and discipline
The instruction is little by little, held steady by patience and repeated effort. The Gita expects the training to be slow, which means a bad session is not evidence that the method has failed.