Yoga as Freedom from Duality and Designation 47

When a person is situated on the practical level of
spiritual realization, it should be understood he is
actually situated in yoga. It is not that one should
continue to attend yoga classes and yet remain the
same throughout his life; there must be practical
realization. And what is the sign of that practical
realization? The mind will be calm and quiet and no
longer agitated by the attraction of the material
world. Thus self-controlled, one is not attracted by
the material glitter, and he sees everything—pebbles,
stones or gold—as the same. In the material civiliza-
tion, so much paraphernalia is produced just to
satisfy the senses. These things are produced under
the banner of material advancement. He who is
situated in yoga sees such paraphernalia as just so
much rubbish in the street. Moreover:

suhrn-mitrary-udasina-
madhyastha-dvesya-bandhusu

sadhusv api ca papesu
sama-buddhir visisyate

‘A person is said to be still further advanced when
he regards all—the honest well-wisher, friends and
enemies, the envious, the pious, the sinner and those
who are indifferent and impartial—with an equal
mind.” (Bg. 6.9) There are different kinds of friends.
There is suhyt, who is by nature a well-wisher and is
always desiring one’s welfare. Mitra refers to an
ordinary friend, and udasina is one who is neutral.
In this material world someone may be my well-
wisher, friend or neither friend nor enemy but
neutral. Someone else may serve as a mediator
