Notes
God is one who is the originator, the controller and the enjoyer.
About the Soul
Life exists even beyound the bodily platform.
1. Near Death Experience
2. Past life memories
3. Astral body transfer
All these shows the life does exist, even beyound the body.
Soul is indestructible.
1. Any kind of weapons can't cut the soul. No fire can burn the soul. Soul can't be dissolved. Air can't wither the soul.
2.Soul's are all different. It's an independent entity and will maintain his individuality.
3. Soul is satchidananda - soul is pure. We are all sure that we are going to die, but why aren't we planning for it. For the soul no death, no birth, no old age, no disease.
4. body is - asat (going to die), achit (doesn't remember anything), source of niranatra (problems/disease)
5.soul is situated in the region of the heart
6.soul is really small - pull out the tip of the hair and divide it into 1/10000 the tip of the hair is the size of the soul - can't be seen.
7.spirit gives life to matter. Otherwise mass is a lump. The matter has form because the spirit soul has form.
8. 3 kinds of body - gross body (which we all see made of earth, water, fire, air, ether - occupies some space), subtle body (under the gross body - mind, intelligence and ego) and under that is the spirit soul.
9. 5 types of air - then everything is ok. But if there is a disturbance of movement then there are problems in the body. Hence we do pranayama.
10. Mind - plan before acting; intelligence - discrimination is done by intelligence; false ego - makes us feel that we are the body as it's connected to mind and intelligence. Hence, we need to identify ourselves with the soul and not the body.
11. Death is only the death of the gross body. The subtle body doesn't die - based on the mind, intelligence and ego we go to the next gross body.
12. Spirit soul is completly eternal - blissful happy.
13. BG 15.7 - In this creation, all are just a tiny fragments of the super soul. all the living entities are eternally tiny part of Krishna.
14. all parts are created to serve the supersoul. We can never become GOD. Only after self realization we become Godly. Like God but not God himself
15. All are called jivatma. But God is called - paramatma. The super soul.
16. We are anu and he is vibhu. He is unlimited and we are tiny.
17. we are cognizant of what's happening in our body but not in others body.Whereas, God is aware of everything that is appening all over. Universally consious.
18. The body is changing continuosly but we don't percieve that it's changing all the time.
19. Before we die, we should know that we are never going to die - that person is self realized.
20. Don't be like a parrot just chanting - ACT
21. The body as long it's there, it should be maintained - but why aren't we happy. Because the soul is hungry. The soul needs to be fed. The food for the soul is different from the food for the body.
22. example - parrot in a gold cage. Hence, feed the parrot inside. The soul is made of spiritual element. Soul also needs it's food everyday.
23. The food for the soul is - the holy name of God. Especially in the kali yuga. There is no other way for spiritual realization than chanting the holy name of the God.
24. Upanishad to cross the age of Kali
25. Chanting 108 because there are 108 upanishads, don't chant on the meeru beads.
26. nature of the Lord - he's all blissful. Another nature of him is ever expanding and hence to increase his bliss he expands in all directions
27. BG 15.15: i'm seated in everyone's heart. From me only everybody gets forgetfullness, rememberance, knowledge.
28. soul enters based on your activities and supervision from above.
29. Life is preparation and death is examination - Need to wait for your result. What karma makes you go where?
30. After how many days does the spirit soul take - 7 to 8 months before the next body is got.
31. we all have choices and independence to do anything.
why do good things happen to bad people or bad things happen to good people.
5 topics in BG -
1. Who is God - Krishna - isvara
2. What are the living entities - Souls - jiva
3. What is prakriti - material world and the nature of this material world.
4. What is time? - kala
5. What is Karma or activity? - science of activity
Prakrati - 3/4th of the creation is the spiritual world and 1/4th is the material world.
The nature of the spiritual world - vaikunta loka (kunta = anxiety; vaikunta = no anxiety) - no birth, no death, no dualities - This is ones goal of life. But in one tiny part of the spiritual realm is the material creation. This has in-numerable universes and our universe is like a mustard seed in comparison to million of universes. And all these universes put together in the material world is only 1/4th of the creation of the the Lord.
This is called the home of misery.Everything is temporary - miseries are going to come soon. So why did he create this?
Material world is like a prison house. We are all prisoners.She has 10 hands (10 directions) and Durga mata has a trident - body and mind, other entities and natural problems. Durga is the servant Of Krishna and is the controller of this prison house. She has the thankless service to creating difficulties to all of us so we know we want to go back to Godhead. Hence, we need to reform ourselves and go back.
bhur bhuva sva -
400000 species of human beings - based on conciousness of us.
3 modes of humans - prakriti
1. Satva guna - mode of goodness - A person in the mode of goodness is very clean of sinful desires and wants to lead a sinless life. And because he lives a pure life he sees things in proper perspective. But he thinks he is happy and is satisfied in whatever position he is in and he thinks he is very knowledgable.
2. Rajo guna - mode of passon- unlimited desires. the more they have, the more they want. Never satisfied in life. Any work they perform is for some benefit. Strong desire of sexual life.
3. Tamo guna - mode of ignorance - he thinks will never die, lazy for spirituality,
Everything can be divided into 3 modes. Mode of goodness is early in the morning - people like to do activities in the morning - they enjoy the activities in the morning, after sunrise is the mode of passion and after sunset is the mode of ignorance, When people in the mode of goodness wake up, people in the mode of ignorance sleep.
Even food tells how people are in which mode.
1. Mode of goodness - which increases one's life span (satva) purifies ones's self, increases health, and bala. Very satisfying to the body. - juicy fresh foods, fatty foods - milk, butter, ghee; sthira - gives stamina and which are very pleasing and condusive to one's health.; Light music
2. Mode of passion - Gita says - katu (bitter), extremely pungent, extremely salty, spicy, when you eat it burns and it burns when you pass out - that's mode of passion. dry food - the result is dukh, shoka, unhappiness and disease. Hence they are moving to vegetarianism. Loud music
3. Mode of ignorance - Gita says - These people like food which is cooked after 3 hours stale (except that is offered by God) - not tasty, dried and canned. Foul smelling, decomposed (dead bodies), Because of all this the conciousness is covered over. For such people - everything is music - even wife shouting is music. They have no appreciation.
Hence we should move to the mode of goodness which is the spring board of getting close to Krishna. Because the mode lower the mode, the more difficult it is to get out of that mode.
Soul get's influced by the mode in which you are in. Because everybody is in different modes hence people are different. Every soul is the same, but it's what's it's covered with. For example a white light is the soul, but depends on what it's covered with paper color, blue, red etc.
Before you give up the gross body, if you give up the subtle body then you are liberated. Because that's the chain which is binding the soul to the gross body. Hence, we need to work on the subtle body - mind, intelligence and false ego.
what is time
Time is the energy of Krishna.We can't see it but we are all bound by it. Time devours all. Time is compared as the waves of the ocean - greek empire, roman empire. It can make you all powerful and sometime it makes you very weak. It's like an expert gambler. It allows the other player to win initially and just when he's becoming very rich, he loses everything. Time is compared to day and night - one more day and night and we are closer to death. Finally as old age or death - the gambler wins and everything is finished. The time wins. krishna says - I'm all devouring. We know we are one day closer to death but yet, we are trying to enjoy life. Time is compared to a wheel or a kala serpa. Wheel because it's cyclic - birth, disease, old age, death, birth....
An intelligent man should understand that time devour everything. 6 transformations of the human body - birth, grow, off springs, disease, old age and die. Time is the most feared component of life.
KARMA
The soul within the body made of 3 modes of nature is also doing some activity. That activity is called karma. Subtle or gross karma. The laws of karma - these are very complicated.
Fundamentals
1. For every activity there is a reaction. We are accountable for everything we speak, think or do. Hence we should be aware of the activity we perform. So very important to do something good all the time.
2. Good karma and bad karma. Good karma - pious activty recommended by the scriptures. Bad karma - activities not recommended by the scriptures.
- 4 things which are sinful - meat eating, intoxication, illicit sex and gambling.
Dharmic - pious person. The laws of karms only apply to Human beings and not to animals as we have the discriminatory power. We have free will to choose. But once you make the choice, then the reaction comes and that is destiny. Destiny has been made by us in the past. example - at the airport you have a choice of which airplane you want to get one, but once you are on, then that's your destiny. That's the difference between destiny and karma.
Karma - is like a queue - what you had put in first and is what you get first. The mills of the lord may run slowly but finely. We are just seeing life from womb to the tomb. That's why we always think - why good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people - because it's their karma from previous life.
Instant Karma and Delayed Karma - Instant karma - you slap somebody, you get reaction back. Delayed karma - example - takes longer. Hence, what kind of seed you have sown is what you get.
Individual karma and collective karma (family, community, state, country, world...).
When somebody understands Jiva, prakarati, kala and karma is on the path of liberation.
It's our duty to understand the scriptures and live by them. Ignorance to any law is not the God's problem, we need to live by the law of the scriptures.
For every good karma, you will enjoy good karma. But for every bad karma, you will get that kind of karma. Good karma or bad karma should be both bindings. An intelligent person understands that they don't want to be tied to karma because even to enjoy or suffer the activities you will need to come back into this world.
Scriptures suggest don't to bad karma, good karma do akarma. Activities which don't have any karma or no reaction. Example of a person fighting for the country gets a medal but when he kills his neighbor he get's hanged. Because the government takes the responsibility, but in the latter, you misused those for your own results. Hence when we act according to the instructions of God,such activities are free of karma. Actually, by following my instructions God, removes all the bad karma reaction from previous lives. Hence, be detached with the fruits of the karma and only simple obey the orders. This is called yoga. When somebody acts in yoga - their karma balance is zero and all bad karma reactions are destroyed. Hence such a person doesn't enjoy or suffer in the world and hence he's free for liberation. Example duryodhana was fighting for the kingdom, but Arjuna was fighting for Krishna by surrendering to his instructions for his pleasure. To escape karma, akarma should be performed.
Good karma - charity, helping others. Bad karma - hitting somebody, killing somebody, akarma - doing activities for the Lord, without any consideration for the fruits is called akarma. Such a person has neither good or bad in his balance and this is called yoga and are promoted to vaikunta and not to heaven or hell but to the spiritual world.
Life is a preparation and Death is an examination.
Mode of ignorance - sleep, don't wake up; mode of passion - go early to work and make more money; mode of goodness - get up and chant.
vibheshan - satva - mode of goodness
ravana - in rago guna - mode of passion
kumbakarna - mode of ignorance - always sleeping
But by strong determination, good association and cultivating transcendental knowledge one can slowly overcome the lower modes and get into goodness.
If you pray to God with a sincere heart and tell the God that you are ready to be pure and in mode of goodness, then all your sins are washed away.
3 energies - internal (spiritual world), marginal(the living entities or jiva) - why called marginal because they are like the shore, sometimes dry and sometimes wet. Why are we called marginal - soul is internal and body is matter/external energy and external(material world - dead matter). God can make external energy to internal and vice-versa. God can change one energy to another.
6th session - So how to perform Yoga
Krishna tells Arjuna to become a Yogi because a position of a yogi is higher than a tapasvi,jyani, karmi. He is telling us to become one through Arjuna.He's using Arjuna as an instrument he is imploring all of us to become a yogi.
What is not Yoga
Not a mere physical exercise or for sense gratification, not for mystic powers, nor is it going to the Himalayas. It's not for sense gratification. Increase life by controlling the breath - but that's not the purpose of Yoga.
What is Yoga - comes from the root word Yuj Dhatu - Yuj is to unite- and Krishna says you should become a yogi. It is the union of love of individual conciousness and krishna conciousness - ie. living entities and supersoul. Because all living entities are part and parcels of the Lord. We are never separated from the Lord, there is always a connection. Yoga is the reconnection with God. To re-establish the connection with the Lord. The words, actions, thoughts to re-establish our connection with God.Endeavor to again connect with God is Yoga.
Out of 8.4 billion species only 4 million are humans who can attain yoga. Even about 4 million species there are lots of different levels - atheists, moralists, etc...
But as long as God isn't in the center, morality is useless. Hence, real morality can't come without a clear understanding of God. Morality is the standard by which God is satisfied, else everything else is immoral. 2 kinds of human beings - those who abide by the laws of God and the others who don't abide by the laws of God. Very few abide by the laws of God and there are lots of different levels there too.
1. Karma - sakama , nishkama (kama - desire)
2. Gyana
3. Astanaga
4. Bhakti
Actually, Yoga is a ladder - and different rungs on the ladder are called by different names. Lowest rung is sakama (for their own desire). Hardworking materialistic people. A materialist is he who thinks matter is all in all. He thinks body is all in all and hence does work only for himself. eat, sleep, mate, defend for himself and hence like an animal, a sophisticated animal. Charwat philosophy - beg, borrow or steal - but enjoy your life to the maximum. The whole body is going to be turned into ashes, who has seen rebirth. So enjoy life as much as possible. They make futile attempts to learn about the actual meaning of life. example - making a sand castle and how everything finishes in one moment. That is the situation of all of us.
Jesus Christ said - make your home not on sand but on solid rock. Hence become a spiritualist.
What is craziness? A crazy person is he who doesn't know who he is Or what he's not. Are we the body or are we the soul. When the person is dead why do we want to burn the body? So hence we are the soul. So then it's crazy to take care of the body 24/7 and not take care of the soul. The materialistic don't believe in soul or rebirth. Hence an intelligent man should not make fun of God but should get God.
Then people who abide by scriptures are also of two types. But depends on what you want to get - demigods or the super soul! They follow the scriptures but they do anything and everything for sense gratification. They don't have the complete understanding of the real meaning of life. They want to enjoy the fruits.
We shouldn't forget the supreme goal of life of getting out of this prison house. The sign of intelligence is to keep advancing to the next level. So nishkama - karma with no material desire. That is the beginning of karma yoga. Sacrificing the fruit of karma.
You must perform your duty. But don't expect the result of your fruit. Don't be the cause of your karma. Don't become lazy. Offering of the work is to the supreme - whether he reciprocates or not.
Gyana Yoga - say when you perform lots of work and you get a lot of results - then you start thinking - say if I do a lot of good activities and become Indra, but that is also temporary and is going to finish. 2 kinds of people - 1. Have no understanding beyond this world and want to enjoy this world and they work on how to enjoy this world. 2. The people realize that this is a place of misery and what remains in heart is an indifference - dry renounciation and they have no motivation to work and just want to meditate. They heart becomes very hard. 3. Others who think are smart. They start saying that this whole world is temporary but I'm God and I can become God. They want to merge into nothingless. But Krishna declares that this path is also very troublesome.
Astanga Yoga - People who do pranayama and different asanas. (8 limbs of yoga) But the problem is - it's a mechanical meditative process of getting to God. But it's very difficult to practice this in this world and you might have to go to the Himalayas. 100% brahmachari. By mind, words, thoughts he has totally given up sex life. Even Arjuna who is a great yogi - said he can't do this process. Control mind and senses. But it's very difficult in this day and age. Example - hanumanji. But he was more interested in chanting the name of the lord. He can give away all this, as all he wants is the Lord.
Topmost yoga system is Bhakti Yoga. The perfection of life is to engage in bhakti yoga. BG 6.47 - He who worships me in the core of the heart and surrendering one's life is the supreme yoga. This unites bhaktas and Bhgavan. When bhagavan and bhakta develop their unalloyed love that is the ultimate perfection of yoga (yoga mean unite).
Krishna became Arjuna's partasarti, his servant because of Arjuna's pure love for the God. The supreme controller took such a meneal job and was being kicked by the devotee because he was sold out to the unalloyed love for Arjuna. That is the loving exchange of the Lord. It can come only through pure love and is called the perfection of life. How do we do this yoga.
Why is it the topmost - because this is the highest yoga and can take us above this material universe and take us back to godhead. It's minimum effort to get to Krishna. If one offers with love and devotion one leaf, one flower, some water, one fruit - Krishna is sold out to such a person. Man sees the lips but God see the heart. Man sees the result, but God sees the endeavor. Example - Shabri. See her heart - She wanted to give the God the best. He saw the endeavor. No previous qualifications are required. Only the humble shall attain the Kingdom of Lord. Only qualification is a humble heart. You become an insignificant servant of the servant. You can do this from the womb to the tomb. Prahlad heard from his mother's womb. Dhruv's saw his God at a young age. Hence it doesn't matter how and when you do it - you just need to surrender your life to the Lord.
Topmost rung of the ladder is Bhakti Yoga or pure loving devotion to Krishna. According to the BG - perfection of life is to be in Bhakti Yoga.
Bhakti Yoga: Of all the yogis he who worships me in the core of the heart is the supreme yogi. The word Bhakti - it means devotional service. Service - one who renders and one who accepts. Uninterrepted and unmotivated pure devotion. You can kick me, you can do anything to me but I shall serve you with no fruits of my effort. Then Krishna becomes the servant of the servant ex - Parthasarthi.
Pure Love can come only between Lord and devotee - unalloyed love. This union is called perfection of life. Till we don't get here - everything is meaningless. How do we get this yoga?
Bhakti Yoga is topmost because it gives maximum result in minimum time to get to the destination. In fact Krishna says - very soon you shall achieve me. Man sees the lips but God see the heart. Man sees the effort, but God sees the endeavor! Ex - Shabri. No previous qualifications are necessary for bhakti yoga. Only the humble shall attain the kingdom of God. Some animals have gone to the Kingdom of God ex - Gajendra - no age, no caste, no beauty, can be pratised at any time. Thus, it is the simplest, easiest but sublime and guaranteed. It is very safe. Example - two kinds of animals. Monkey takes care of his child and cat also takes care of kittens. The monkey never carries the child, the child has to hold on to her. But the cat carries the kitten in her mouth. The kitten is completly surrendered to the mother. This is the difference between bhakti yoga and other yogas. Bhakti is total surrender - I'm no 1. fool, please take me away so I can surrender to you. The other yogas are like the monkies - once you fall, you have to again hold on to lift up.
Krishna is telling Arjuna that the ultimate perfection is to surrender to him completely. Unalloyed love for him. Similarly when the Lord comes as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he himself taught how to do bhakti yoga. Pure unalloyed devotion to the Lord.
Two kinds of process - 1. Faithless - materialistics, ego, don't believe and have no faith in God.
2. Faifthfull - 4 categories a. mode of ignorance (they follow the scriptures due to fear) - example a boy who is naughty needs a stick to obey you. So Krishna shows them the carrot so they feel like they will gain by going to heavenly planets. But higher than that is gratitude.
God is giving us everything for free through nature. We should at least reciprocate by being faithfull to him by behaving well and behaving according to his orders - mode of goodness.
When you love somebody you don't care about reciprocation, you just love somebody and want to surrender your whole life for the beloved. That is pure love.Yoga is rising from fear, God gives us this and this, Higher than that is gratitude and then is uninterrupted, unalloyed devotion to the supreme. That is bhakti.
Then there is a very quick/swift way to get to me Arjuna and you don't have to renounce everything to achieve me. Example is Arjuna who did what he needed to do but in the conciousness of how he did it. Spirituality is achieved by change in heart, by conciousness. How to bring about a change in the heart in this fallen age and yuga.
Summary of Bhakti Yoga - 9 processes of re-awakening the love for God.
1. Sravana - hearing about God and what is our relations with God. The more you hear about the Lord the more you understand him.
God is like a magnet and we are like iron filing - Krishna is all attracting. But now, we are rusted - forget the nature of the soul.so now we are not getting attracted because of lust, anger, greed, envy, pride, illusion. Then we want to hear our glories not God's glories. But the more we hear about God, we remove rust from us. Regular hearing is most important - because you constantly hear about Krishna then you talk about him, to look like him. Hence the second step is
2. Kirtanam - speaking about the qualities of God. Then once you preach and talk you want to:
3. snamranam - Remember - we might have questions and then answer the same.
4. pada sevanam - Serve the person as you hear, preach about him, remember him then you want to server him.
5. Archanam - offering our gratitude for all the gifts we receive constantly. for morning and night
6. Vandanam - praying to the Lord - I'm insignificant, please be merciful to me as you are great, you are everything and I've walked out on you. Please give me the strength to come back to you.
7. Dasanam - announcing to the whole world saying you are Krishna's servant. Kanti mala - Krishna's dog. Serve God with mind, body and words.
8. sakhyam - most intimate friend. A friend in need is a friend indeed - nobody can help us at time of death except our friend Krishna at time of need or his pure representative.
9. atma nivedanam - Surrender to the lord by crying for his name - When we chant the mantra - man (mind) and tra (to preach). 3 words hare krishna and rama. hare is Radha rani. So if Radharani recommends then he says ok. Only through the energy of the Lord can we approach the Lord. Krishna means all attractive and Rama is the reservoir of pleasure - please please engage me in your service. I want to surrender myself to you. But in full consciousness - then Krishna will take the reins of our chariot.
Therefore these 9 processes we can get him. But how do we focus 365 days to this goal of life. This requires proper guidance.
Questions?
1.Why was Sudama suffering? example - prahlada, pandavas, dhurva, all of them had lots of sufferings because only when there is suffering we think of the Lord more. To show the advancements of these souls, the lord puts them in difficult situations, but each of them comes out so easily by surrendering to the Lord. Everybody might say hare krishna but the true test is only during suffering and at bad times do we serve the Lord.
2. How to understand whether we are making progress or at the same stage. example - when driving to destination how do you know we are making progress - Milestones, maps, direction (scriptures - different levels) - read books, acharyas, chant and associate with devotees.
3.Is it ok to eat plants if they have soul - who resists the least when you want to eat something as this is material world. Least damage - when you eat the fruits etc, you aren't damaging the plant. A thief is a thief - either a safety pin or a mobile phone. Same way we are all committing sin even if we are eating pure vegetarian food you are committing sin. 1. Do least damage but still reaction is there. So the best way to get out of this is to offer this to Lord as prasada. example when you go to somebody's house and take something you are a thief but if you say this is so nice to the person and the person says take it then it's ok. So you need to offer to Krishna first and then have prasad. When you first serve somebody you need to give them what they like - a leave, a fruit, a flower with love I shall take it. Food in mode of goodness is what Krishna eat's hence what he eats is what we eat.
4. Different rasas - servant, friend, vatsalya rasa, madhurya rasa. We are tiny insignificant people and God is the supreme. story - Once Narada was travelling and on the way we met a great pujari. Pujari said where are you going, Narada said I'm going to Vaikunta. Then pujari asked can you ask Narayana when will I come to Vikunta. Then a cobbler saw him, served him and then said please accept my humble obeisances to Narayana and ask him when can I come to serve him....
Our ignorance is when we think we understand God. We can't understand God.
Practical application of BG in our day to day life (important)
One who gives up his body, thinking of me he gets me and there is no doubt about this. Hence everyone should think of Krishna all the time. Example - child going to exam and hasn't opened his book. Hence there is no way of practicing Krishna consciousness at the end of your life.
How to practice true spirituality on a day to day basis based on our present condition - is it possible to continue spirituality:
In BG - Krishna says to Arjuna I'm going to tell you a very confidential knowledge because you aren't envious of me. This isn't theoretical knowledge but practical knowledge - day to day life.
Why does Krishna explain it to Arjuna and at the battlefield? Gita tells us how to live life dynamically/effectively. Hence he chose Arjuna - young, responsible, family responsibilities and was on the verge of how he was responsible of everyone's life on this earth before the battlefield. This is the king of all knowledge - solving the real problems of life. He wanted to show this is for everybody not just sanyasis but also grahastas. This is for everybody as we never know when death can come.
Qualities of a proper guru
1. He must come in the proper parmpara - an unbroken chain of spiritual master and disciple...what is the proof - when we hear from such a personality, there is a change in us. Otherwise kirtan will only be a pious entertainment. But there is no transformation of their heart, no transformation of lifestyle.
2. The guru must have controlled his senses. Because if the senses aren't controlled then you can't control your life and hence your life will be going in all directions. Only then can he guide everybody to the path of self realization.
3. He must have realized the conclusion of any scriptures. Gita and SB are enough. Give him anything and he can filter the essence of any scripture - lives by them and also shares to them.
4. Simply by getting the best guru isn't enough, but the Gita also describes that you must be a perfect disciple. Ex: expert farmer (guru), fertile ground (disciple), seed(the teaching)
Qualifications of a good disciple
1. pranipatein: Very humble
2. praniprashnein: Should question, one must inquire - sincere enquiry.
3. Seva: Rendering service to the guru - after having heard the message in a humble way and clarifying any doubts we have. The disciple should serve by putting it in practice. Having heard, retain it to practice it. Only then can we gain the full benefit of having a guru.
What is the contribution of great souls/acharyas to the whole world. How do they contribute. Their contribution to the whole world is a temple. It's an institution of higher education, because systematically it tells people how to make their house a temple.
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