Meditation in the Bhagavad Gita: Training the Mind

Explore the Bhagavad Gita’s approach to meditation: steady practice, returning attention, and a disciplined relationship with the mind.

Bhagavad Gita

The mind can be trained

Krishna asks Arjuna to lift himself through disciplined effort. This frames meditation as an active practice of self-guidance, rather than waiting for the mind to become quiet by itself.

Returning is part of the practice

The Gita does not expect uninterrupted concentration from the start. Its instruction is to bring the restless mind back under the direction of the self whenever it wanders. The return is the work.

Keep the practice realistic

Set aside a regular, manageable time to sit quietly and return attention to a chosen object of contemplation. If meditation raises distress or worsens a mental-health condition, seek appropriate professional support.

Read the source passages

These passages provide the textual basis for this guide.

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