PLEASE NOTE:

PLEASE NOTE: The posts here are strictly meant as supplement notes for participants of the study group, and not for a non-participant.
Non participants of the study group may not clearly understand the subjective aspects of the post, and could be confused. Hence, it is recommend that non-participants do not refer to this BLOG, and instead attend the study group first.
Study group meets on Sunday's at 12.45 pm @ Chinmaya Vrindavan, 95, Cranbury Neck Road, Cranbury, NJ

Thursday, January 5, 2023

Class Summary for Dec 18, 2022 - Bhagavad Gita Chapter-7: Slokas 1-6

 Summarized by Shailesh Vyas


Started with meditation, anulom vilom.

Recap & Initial Q&A 

  • We did a recap from the previous class.

Swamiji’s Video and discussions
  • Chapter 7 - Verse 1 & 2 - Hearing v/s Listening
    • Link to Video
    • Hearing is the function of the ears. Hearing is when you are not involved. Hearing with total involvement is listening.
      • E.g. Mental involvement during Gossip v/s Gita talks.
  • Chapter 7 - Verse 3 - Why are realized men so rare?
    • Link to Video
    • Why are realized men so rare? Why are there not many Buddha or Sankracharya?
      • Rarely do humans put an effort required for realization.
      • Many of us have human bodies, but we are either tree men or animal men (slave to our instincts), but very few are man-man. Such satvic people are ready for the next stage of evolution.
      • Even if someone puts in the effort, it's the effort of many lives.
      • e.g. How much food we have eaten in our lives and only some of it stays as energy. What happened to the rest of it? Mountains of food we have eaten.
      • Very few try, and one rare person will come to know my true nature.
      • Because it is rare, doesn’t mean it is a false philosophy.
  • Chapter 7 - Verse 4 - Know your equipment - The lower nature
    • Link to Video -
    • e.g. Electrical energy -> Light energy
      • When one sees the light from the bulb, we rarely realize, its enlivened by the electrical energy.
    • Same with the body of matter is powered by life.
      • Our body is also just a bundle of matter .. functioning due to the life energy.
    • Five named elements are fundamental for our existence.
    • When you die it goes back to main fundamentals.
    • Eight factors - Five elements + Mind + Intellect + Ego
    • Ego is a pseudo self.
      • Identifying with the remaining seven is ego.
      • Association with BMI. For e.g. someone calls another person fat .. who is fat? You or your body.
      • Ego can be diminished by identifying with Atman.
      • e.g. Clay v/s Pot - Clay is considered higher. It can take the form of pot or something else. Clay is an absolute form.
    • Consciousness is not produced by the brain. It's a separate entity.
      • e.g. Movie GoodBye where someone says - Learning Musical notes first is science v/s playing Music first is faith.
  • Chapter 7 - Verse 5 - The higher nature
    • Link to Video -
    • These eight aspects of me (five elements + Mind + Intellect + Ego) constitute my lower nature and I am something higher.
    • Touch of higher nature enlivens the remaining eight.
    • Lower nature consists of eight things and there is something higher. That touch of life enlivens everything.
      • e.g. Electricity and light
      • Our body is composed of minerals bundled in skin .. still we are able to think and function due to something higher.
    • Consciousness is powering everything including BMI. 
      • In some way by even attaching to lower, we are still attaching to consciousness.
    • We need to let go of our attachment to lower nature. 
      • e.g. Pole vault. At some point the athlete has to let go of the vault to jump the rope.
    • Consciousness and existence.
      • Consciousness exists outside of the boundary of BMI. Same is true with existence.
    • Association with higher ideas
      • Individuality disappears when your country is playing a game. We all become Indian. Same with Surabhi events in temples. People forget their personal misery for that period.
    • Is there a downside of not associating with the body?
      • Shouldn’t you take care of your body?
      • It's important to take care of your equipment.
        • e.g. Pole vault - Goal is to jump above the rope, but it's important to take care of the pole.
  • Chapter 7 - Verse 5 - Know your equipment - Jugu Jugu Jugu
    • Link to Video -
    • Jagat - World of Plurality
      • Einstein world of flux operates with the constraints of time and space.
    • My lower nature, enlivened by nature is this presentation that you are seeing.
    • Me as a vital member of the community.
    • One can say … There are no inventions, there are all discoveries.
    • e.g. Nobel prize for auto phasing and Ekadashi vrat.
      • Now scientists have discovered that one should fast for 24 times a year and coincidently our scripture has recommended Ekadashi fast which comes 24 times a year.
  • Chapter 7 - Verse 5 - Search for the higher
    • Link to Video -
    • Realize … I, my higher nature, playing with my lower nature is me, a miserable creature.
      • Someone's sorrow and misery are limited to their association to the lower nature.
    • The Lord is saying you have freedom to associate with higher nature. If you will associate with lower nature you will have worldly pleasure and misery.
    • At this moment we only know our lower nature and are searching for my higher nature.

Ended class

No comments:

Post a Comment