A sadhu can cut off our attachment with this material world

Expressions researched:
"attachment" |"cut off" |"sadhu"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

For cutting something we require some sharpened instrument. But here, to cut off the mind from attachment, it requires sharpened ukti. Ukti means words. Sharpened topics. There should not be... Just like when a person cuts something, there is no mercy, similarly when a sādhu or a person saint, speaks to his student, he does not make, show any mercy. He speaks the truth so that his mind may be cut off from the unreal attachment.

Lecture on BG 6.4-12 -- New York, September 4, 1966:

So mind has nothing to do. Mind . . . simply training of the mind required. And how the mind is trained up? It is by good association. Good association, our mind is trained up. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ (BG 2.62). Kāma means desire. Desire is the function of the mind. And saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. And according to the association, my mind desires like that.

So, so we have to make good association if we want to make our mind as my friend. If I want to make my friend . . . my mind as my friend, then I have to associate with sādhu. Tasmāt satsu sajyeta buddhimān. Buddhimān means intelligent person. He must associate with satsu. Satsu means those who are trying for self-realization.

They are called sat. Sat and asat. Asat means who are trying for the temporary things. Matter is temporary. My body is temporary. So if I simply engage myself for bodily pleasure, sense gratification, then I am engaging myself to temporary things. But if I engage myself for self-realization, the permanent thing, then I am engaging myself to the sat, or to the permanent.

So tasmāt satsu sajyeta buddhimān. "Anyone who is intelligent, he should associate with persons who are trying to elevate themself for self-realization." That is called sat-saṅga, good association. And what is the result of good association? Now, because, if we make good association, the santāḥ chindanti. Santāḥ means the persons who are sādhu, who are pious. They can cut off by their words our attachment with this material world. They can cut off.

Just like Kṛṣṇa is speaking to Arjuna. What is the idea of speaking so many things? Just to cut off his attachment from the so-called material affection. He is affected with something which is stumbling his progress in his own duty. So He is . . . Kṛṣṇa is presenting His Bhagavad-gītā just to cut off. Santā eva hi chindanti uktibhiḥ. Uktibhiḥ. Chindanti means cut.

Now, for cutting something we require some sharpened instrument. But here, to cut off the mind from attachment, it requires sharpened ukti. Ukti means words. Sharpened topics. There should not be . . . just like when a person cuts something, there is no mercy, similarly, when a sādhu, or a person saint, speaks to his saints er to his student, he does not make . . . show any mercy. He speaks the truth so that his mind may be cut off from the unreal attachment.

Just like Kṛṣṇa is saying. Kṛṣṇa . . . Arjuna . . . first addressed to Arjuna. He said, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11): "Oh, you are talking like a fool . . . you are talking like a very learned man, but you are fool number one." You see. How strong word He has used. So, so far if we want detachment from this material world, then we should be prepared to accept such cutting words from the master. Santāḥ asya chindanti uktibhiḥ (SB 11.26.26).

Uktibhiḥ. We should not make compromise; "Oh, don't speak such strong words." Required. It is required.