Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 6: The Path of Meditation

Bhagavad Gita 6.3

ārurukṣormuneryogaṃ karma kāraṇamucyate | yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva śamaḥ kāraṇamucyate ||

For a sage who wants to climb to yoga, action is said to be the means. For the same person, once established in yoga, calm is said to be the means.

Modern context

Different stages need different means. While a person is still climbing, action is the method: work done without clinging is what trains the mind. Once the summit has been reached, calm becomes the method, and the settled mind carries itself. The verse warns against a common mistake, which is to imitate the stillness of someone far ahead before doing the work that made them still. A beginner who tries to rest in quiet usually finds only restlessness. The way to calm runs through effort.