Summarized by Shailesh Vyas
- Started with meditation, anulom vilom.
- Recap & Initial Q&A
- We did a recap of verse 7 to 9.
- We Talked about two stories as an example on how to live in samsara in detached mode and how renunciation is the state of mind.
- First Story (Living in Samsara in detached mode)
- Rajmata to save the baby in water.
- People keep searching for the prince for years. In the meantime this baby was found by some beggar. They raise the baby and he ends up becoming a beggar. He goes through uncertainties of what a beggar goes through, whether he will get food.
- Ministers from that kingdom found that baby .. they found that baby and made him King.
- He is happy for sometime.
- One day, the King went out disguised as a beggar, he went out into the kingdom.
- Action is still the same … but attitude changed. He has no worries anymore of sleeping hungry.
- In our everyday life, we perform the same action, it's the attitude that changes. We live in samsara in a detached mode.
- Second story (Renunciation - Shift in state of mind)
- Renunciation is contagious.
- You may think this is a hard thing to do. When you start it, it becomes easier.
- The US President was visiting India, and asked, I heard a lot about renunciation .. Can I meet one guy who has been renunciate?
- In his mind he was thinking of some sadhu from Himalaya.
- State department appoints a person to find someone who is realized.
- An Anointed person finds a guy who is just loitering around.
- An Anointed person gives him an offer to earn 1 Lakh. He agreed as long he doesn’t have to do anything.
- Contract is - You just have to sit in front of the state department office and anybody offers you anything, don’t take anything .. otherwise our contract is void.
- He sits there in advance a week. Lot of people start visiting him, word goes around and he becomes famous.
- People offer him anything and he says no I don’t need anything. I have everything.
- Finally one day the President asked did you find anyone who is a renunciate?
- To his surprise, the President is taken to the person sitting in front of the state department. President offers everything he says no. President gets inspired.
- After a week or two, the assistant goes there to pay saying your contract is over. The person refuses, saying I have everything I need.
Theme for Verse 7-9
- How does a Gnani interact with the world?
- Goes beyond dualities by controlling his BMI.
- Acts as the constant around whom everything else is changing.
- Try to listen and don’t get affected by surroundings.
- Master not a slave.
- You are pro-active on all your actions.
- Treats all objects the same - Dirt, stone, Gold etc.
- Convert the knowledge (external) to wisdom (internal) e.g. raw pickle to seasoned pickle.
- Treats all types of people around the same - Friend, Foe, indifferent etc.
- e.g. Animal biscuits!!
- Kids eat different shapes of biscuit, but all of them taste the same.
- Realize that the emptiness is imaginary and not real.
- In every day interactions, is constantly aware of the knowledge and is not touched by ups and downs.
- If there is any ego attached to a goal .. it's not a higher goal.
- Question - How can you be the same to a friend and enemy? (Reference to Shloka - 9)
- Example of Lion and Tiger .. you cannot hug them.
- You operate in this world with dualities but with non-duality understanding.
- Example of how Pandavas killed each other? They were still respectful to each other.
- Will Smith and Chris Rock example.
Verse 10 - 13
- Verse 10
- Translation - Those who seek the state of Yog should reside in seclusion constantly engaged in meditation with a controlled mind and body, getting rid of desires and possessions for enjoyment.
- Discussion - Once you start evolving, You will not be afraid to spend time with yourself.
- Our true quest is invert not external.
- Your search for ultimate truth has to be done by yourself. In order to do it, you have to be comfortable with yourself.
- It's a lonely journey. Guru and Shashtra can only guide and cheer, you have to do tasks by yourself.
- Verse 11
- Translation - To practice Yoga, one should make an asan(seat) in a sanctioned place, by placing kush grass, deer skin, and a cloth, one over the other. The asan should be neither too high nor too low.
- Discussion - Your physical surroundings should be comfortable to help you meditate.
- Prefer sitting on the ground, if not then sit on a chair, if that's not possible, you can lie down, but important is to meditate.
- By referencing deer skin, no one is promoting himsa. In olden days, the most common thing that was cozy was deer skin (naturally dying animals).
- Where you are seated, it should not be too hard or too soft.
- Verse 12
- Translation - Seated firmly on it, the yogi should strive to purify the mind by focussing it in meditation with one pointed concentration, controlling all thoughts and activities. He must hold the body, neck, and head firmly in a straight line, and gaze at the tip of the nose, without allowing the eyes to wander.
- Discussion - Focus on any one point, like tip of nose, important is focus.
- During tree pose, if you focus on one point, it's easy to perform this yoga.
- Chapter 5, it asks you to focus between your brows. Idea is to not get distracted by surroundings. Focusing on the tip of the nose or middle of brows minimize the distraction. Point is to withdraw yourself. Closing eyes is also recommended.
- Question - When we are sleeping, we focus on one thing, is it comparable?
- Not really.
Discussion
- How to meditate properly?
- How to remove disturbances?
- World → Alone
- Not in the middle of a shopping mall.
- Body → Posture
- Mind → Senses Subdued
- It should not matter what you are smelling or hearing.
- Intellect → Free from desire
- Exhaust those vasnas
- Subtle intellect → Uniting with self
- Whenever you have multiple recognition, how my sister in law thinks about it.
- Drop Possessiveness
- How to physically prepare?
- Have a clean place
- Firm seat - not too high or too low; or too hard or soft.
- How to Focus?
- Desires have to be OFF-loaded
- Focus on the HIGHER self
- Self Purification
- Location also matters. Cleaning the bathroom is not an option. Even bedroom or study. Choose a place that is conducive for meditation.
- You can sit in front of the temple.
- When we send a rocket from one atmosphere to another (or one world to another), how much preparation we do. Similarly when you are going from one place to another, preparation matters. Don’t take the preparation part lightly.
- One size may not fit all. Each one of us is different. Some may find it easy to meditate in front of a temple, others may not.
- Chicken looks at the duck and it looks like she can do it .. it tries and drown.
- Difference between mindfulness and meditation? One says you can do it anywhere.
- You need to be in this state all the time.
- They are complimenting each other.
- Morning meditation helps you to be in that state throughout the day.
Swamiji’s Video -
- By sitting in a quiet secret place, don’t advertise. Now you call four friends and tell me. They may disturb you now. Even your wife doesn’t need to know.
- Sit in meditation for even 5 mins. It's not length, it's depth. No other thought should disturb you. Do it alone. Not even with your wife or girlfriend.
- One who has controlled his mind. Don’t let your mind roam around.
- e.g. If you open shoes outside the temple, don’t focus on shoes while meditating in the temple.
Ended class with Meditation.
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