Class Summary for Jan 8, 2023 - Bhagavad Gita Chapter-7: Slokas 1-6

Summarized by Anand Santhanam: 

Summary from previous class:

• We discussed about the differences between the hearing and listening. 
• Hearing with focus is listening. 
• Why are enlightened men so rare. Does that mean, the theory is wrong ? 
• The solution is to do sadhana so that we can identify such men, and eventually become one.
• Should we even be attempting to identify such men? 
• When we do sadhana, we are in the right direction. Krishna says, “believe in the sadhana system. It is a hard path, but you will get there. 
• Discussion on “Animal men” and “tree men”. 
• Animal man is busy in their own nature. 
• Tree men eat all day and do nothing. 
• “Men men” act to improve the life of others. 

• There is a “lower nature” and “higher nature”. 
• For example: Light is the lower nature that comes out of a bulb. 
• The electricity is the higher nature. 
•  Differences between “Prakruthi” and “Purush”. 
• Body lives in prakruthi. Because of the lower prakruti and ignorance, we don’t realize the higher prakruti. 
• What is real ? 
• That which transcends time that does not vanish and gets created is real. 
• Three components that help us identify the “real” is sadhana, abhyasa, and Vairagya. 
• As long as the three are practiced we can ensure that we can identify the higher nature. 
• Maya is the key part of self-unfoldment. 
• Versus 4-6 have a different interpretation. 
• “Para” prakruthi and “apara” prakruti. 
• The latter divides into 8 pieces. 
• The “para” remains the same. The “apara” divides into everything. 

Introduction to Slokas 7 - 9

• Krishna says “There is nothing higher than me, Dhananjaya. All this strung in me, as clusters of gems on a string. I am the sapients in water, light in the moon, syllable OM in the Veda’s, virility in men, sweet fragrance of earth, brilliance in the fire, life in all beings, the austerity in austere