Class Summary for June 06, 2021 - BG - Q&A session with Swamiji

Summarized by: Shailesh Vyas

Started with meditation, anulom vilom.

Initial Q&A -

• Book recommendation for Summer class - Living Vedanta, Vedanta Cintanam by Swami Tejomayananda

Q&A with Swami Shantananda Ji

• Ques - What is free will? How does it relate to God's grace or God's will, our vasanas and prarabdha? Do we really have a free will?

Swamiji's Answer - Yes, we have free will. Animals are not given a choice. Your Prarabhdha takes you to satsang but how/what you do with it is your free will. You can sleep or not participate or you participate and apply it practically in your life.

God's grace is always there. It is like Sunlight, it's always there. BIrth/death/marriage are governed by Prarabhdha, but you have free will. You can change Prarabdha. If you always rely on Prarabdha and do not execute free will then there is no hope, it's laziness to just rely on Prarabdha.

• Ques - Who really owns the actions? Isn't there some doership with this ownership?

Swamiji's Answer - All of it is owned by Ahamkara/ego. 

• Ques - How to practice "Sakshi bhava" in the current world or life?

Swamiji's Answer - Sakshi Bhava should be practiced through meditation, you have to watch your mind/thoughts. Slowly you will be able to watch it on a regular day. Without practice, we recognize ourselves with thoughts.

• Ques - It seems that to fully understand Bhagavad Gita, we should first believe in Prarabdha and Re-birth. Why is it so?

Swamiji's Answer - ReBirth is with Karma theory. That which is born will die and one who has died will be born again. Cycle of birth/re-birth is there.

How each one is born with different parents or male/female, it's not all random. Karma Theory is given to us to understand it. It's like a gravitational force, we have to accept it.

• Ques - What should be the goal of our Jiva aatma in this current life?

Swamiji's Answer - Goal is to realize true nature. Reflected Consciousness is Jivatama. It's like when Original consciousness is reflected in the body/mind, it's called Jivatma and Goal of Jivatma is to realize original consciousness.

• Ques - Why was the Gita started with Arjuna assuming that he is going to win the war and kill all his enemies. In real life we are always not in the same starting position (i.e. going to win).

Swamiji's Answer - It should be the attitude of everyone that he/she will win. Arjun had all the qualifications. In Chapter 13, Arjun single handedly defeated all Kauravas. He collected blessings and missiles from heaven/Shiva/Kuber.

He was fighting a dharmik war. This boosts confidence.

• Ques - What are the ways in current life to burn Sanchit Karma?

Swamiji's Answer - Only through practice of meditation. In the heat of meditation, seeds of vasans are roasted. Surrender is the biggest way. Surrender your ego to the Lord. Sharanagati.

• Ques - Does God really know the future of our world and each one of us? If so, why can't he prevent Bad from happening?

Swamiji's Answer - God is beyond Good/bad, likes/dislikes. If there is a calamity, it's total Karma in play. Historically when anything goes bad, all devatas used to pray to Lord Vishnu, it happens due to total mind. So Prayer helps in such situations. The Lord usually will not interfere. If it's too much, he comes down to balance. 

yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛijāmyaham

• Ques - Isn't ego the one choosing?

Swamiji's Answer - Ego is misunderstanding. It is not real. What is real is Atama, everything else is misunderstanding, the more you are giving weightage to ego the more you are mis-identifying yourself. 

• Ques - In the 11th Chapter, Krishna shows Arjuna the entire war. Krishna could see the future, if it is will based how can it see?

Swamiji's Answer - We are the only instrument in his hand, we can't comprehend his true power.

• Ques - Where does free will reside? Intellect? Who empowers it?

Swamiji's Answer - Purushartha should be used for Moksha. It can only be gained if you exercise free will. It resides in intellect and is empowered by the Lord.

• Ques - Isn't Buddhi also governed by Vasanas?

Swamiji's Answer - You are going into a vicious circle. How to choose is your samskara. Choices are not tainted, how you choose is tainted.

God gave Duryodhana a choice, he succumbed to it. He never thought of changing himself. If you say I am helpless it doesn't work.

Post Swamiji's Session Discussion notes 

• There are certain questions that are in a vicious cycle. We need to annihilate them. Its like Chicken and egg. There is no debate about not having an answer.
• Both dvaita and advaita are 95% the same, they differ by less than 5%.
• Stick to Advaita. "I" in BMI is the most subtle. When you deviate more you start rejecting all theories.
• Choices are not tainted but how you choose is tainted. e.g. We miss a turn, turn is always there but your conscience is clouded. Taint is not on a choice, it's on us.
• In Chapter 11, God is saying Everybody is in me, why are you worried who is going to be killed.
• Calamities happen due to collective mind.
• Duroyodhana had a choice between Krishna and the Army. He chose the army instead of Krishna. It was his free will.
• Lord is like a gas in a car. It's on you how you drive and where you drive, ditch v/s good path.
• Water is coming equally to everyone, if your faucet is blocked it's not water's fault.
• We cannot guide others. This is all about your journey.
• Q - Kids will not learn all of this knowledge till 20-25, does it create bondage? Don't worry it's part of their package.

Om tat sat iti Srimad-Bhagavad-Gitaasu Upanisatsu brahma vidyayam yoga saastre Sri Krishnaarjuna samvade Karma Sannyasa yogo naama panchamo'dhyaayah||

Ended class with Meditation and Summary of class.

Class Summary for May 23, 2021 - BG - Chapter-5 Summary

 Summarized by: Shailesh Vyas

Started with meditation, anulom vilom. Initial Q&A - Chapter 7 Gurudev Video - Free will - You can put effort in any direction. If you put energy towards me. I will be supporting you, then your effort and my will will coincide. e.g. A mom may have multiple kids and let's say one of them is constantly crying even though he has all the toys around him. All he needs is mom's attention, that's the kind of attention you need on God. The best part is your work doesn't get reset, your efforts always stay. Discussion on Free Will? Question for Next class - What is Free will? Are actions driven out of desire? Is free will based on God's grace? Grace is given equally and it depends on where we are investing our efforts. A psychopath could be like that because there was some child abuse. So your current actions are based on multiple factors like past conditioning and experiences. One family may have multiple kids and go through the same abuse and one of them turns out to be different than the other. An alcoholic's son may turn out to be non-alcoholic. Someone mentioned, after observing the entire day he realized that his entire day every action is triggered by something else. It's like a reaction, where is the free will? We also talked about how to react to a situation. Pause -> Shift from reactive to creative -> Shift to witness attitude -> Broaden scope and impact -> Allow choices to emerge from heart space. Chapter 5 - Summary Arjuna asks Krishna if Sanyasa is the ultimate solution, then instead of fighting war with his own family member, why not he just leave for some monastery in Himalaya. That's when Krishna talks about Karma Sanyasa v/s Karma Yoga.  Path of renunciation of action v/s work with devotion. Both path of Karma Sanyasa (renunciation of action) and Karma Yoga (work in devotion) lead to the supreme goal. However Karma Yoga is considered superior. Its preparation of renunciation of bondage. Karma Yogi who neither desire, nor hate anything, one who is free from all dualities and are liberated from bond of materialism should be considered renounced. Karma Yoga is pre-requisite to Karma Sanyasa.  We also talked about an example where lets say a person can eat 8 total Idli and 8th idli gives a feeling of fullness, you cannot eat 8th idli directly, you have to go through first seven. Believe v/s Faith e.g. Rope walker crosses two building on a rope. While returning back he ask people do you "believe" I can do it again, everyone says Yes. Than he ask can you give me your kid for a ride, nobody agrees. This is the difference between Believe v/s Faith. True Freedom - When you are not a doer and experiencer in everything. We talked about the lotus leaf example - where even though a lotus leaf grows in muddy water it's leaves are always un-affected by water. Another example is from one of the Gurudev's video where you don't really get tired when you are driving the car.  Similarly you don't get tired when watching a dance show, because you are experiencer. Another way to look at doer v/s experiencer is -"SakshiBhava" - We need to operate with the mindset Actions are sparring from me, I am not doing anything. A man who has awakened to higher consciousness understands he/she is not doing anything. If a person is not engaged in activity, he/she is not effected by results.  Gurudev talks about an example where if a person is drunk, we tend to ignore his words or actions assuming that he is not in conscious state. Body of 9 doors - We need to operate with mindset that this body is owned by God, you do not own the results. Once you bring the shift in your mindset, nothing changes externally but you stop accumulating new bondage We need to assume we are living in this God given body and its not our own. With this mindset, No new desires will be entertained or No action that will produce attachment for future will be performed.  Perform the right action as though you are being directed by Lord. e.g. Rental apartment - When you live in a rented apartment, you do not do major investment. However when you make a decision to own the same apartment, nothing changes externally but your mindset shift.  Strengthening your conscious mind (by Sadhana), you can overcome your vasanas. e.g. Watching the maze from the top. Brahman is always there, cloud of ignorance is covering it.  In the light of consciousness, you are conscious and asking where is conscious. Oneness - Self in me is self in all. e.g. Body Analogy - One of the Gurudev's example is appropriate in this context - Whenever our leg feels scratching, our hand jus scratch it without asking what will it get in return. It operates with the sense of oneness. Fire of desire is replaced with lamp of knowledge. True happiness cannot be derived from any materialistic objects. We need to attach to higher to detach from lower. A person who can withstand a force of passion and anger (through constant effort) can be truly happy. Make a moderate/balance choices regarding desires. Exercise   We divided our class into four sub groups and assigned one question each. We prepared our subjective analysis and presented it back to our group. Here is the summary of questions and discussion points. Question 1 - What are the three stages in the spiritual process of self evolution? Three stages in the process of evolution - Karma -> Karma Yoga -> Karma Sanyasa  Karma - A person who is still associating himself/herself with BMI and PFT and guided by vasanas. Giving up a sense of doership, experiencer in everything. Renunciating action v/s renunciating sense of doership We cannot renunciate doership if we have desires. e.g. Rocket shed the load to rise higher and change the orbit. We only change when the pain of our current state is higher. Process to rise on path of evolution Shravanam, Mananam, Nidhidhyasam Shravanam allows you to understand the scriptures, but you don't believe it till you internalize it. Mananam allows you to internalize and help clear your doubts. At the end of Mananam you are convinced but still not lived through it. Nidhidhyasam - Meditation helps you to drive it deep and realize it. Question 2 - Explain how a sage goes about his life? He is Jeevan Mukta purush. He sees himself in everyone. e.g. Lotus leaf - Even though it grows in mud water it leaves are un-affected by it. His intellect is occupied in quite contemplation. We talked about Shitaprajna. Sage is the only person who is burning Prarabhda in current life. How he is going to burn is how he is going to live. e.g. Shankaracharya, Swami Chinmayananda. If you try to live a life of a sage or try to burn Prarabhdha in current life, it will also take care of Sanchit Karma. Question 3 - Who attains eternal peace and who becomes bound? One line - Person who does action without a selfish motive and no attachment attains eternal peace. e.g. Being enabler. Steam engine. If you are doing actions with attachment, you will have bondage. A person that is bound is stuck in Raga and Dwesha. Next stage is Ahamkara and Mamkara. As long as you are bound with BMI you are struck.  Question 4 - What is the relationship between desire, fear and anger? Desire becomes the root cause of fear and anger. Desire - contact with the external world.   Ignorance is the root cause of this problem. If desire is obstructed one gets anger. Acquire more knowledge. Unless we get away from desire we cannot get away from fear and anger. If desire gets through intellect, it translates into action. If you are attached to the results of the action, it creates fear and anger. Do not attach to results, Vasanas will be exhausted. Vasanas -> (intellect) -> Actions -> (Attachment to results) -> Fear/Anger Ended class with Meditation and Summary of class.