Summarized by Prasanna Kumar:
The class started off with our Omkar routine followed by prayers and Pranayama & meditation.
We did a recap from our last class
We looked at the meaning of Aadhibhuta -Adhidaiva - Adhiyajna The best of the embodied beings, the physical nature, which is constantly changing, is called adhibhuta [the material manifestation]. The universal form of the Lord, which includes all the demigods, like those of the sun and moon, is called adhidaiva. And Lord Krishna, the Supreme Lord, represented as the Supersoul in the heart of every embodied being,is called adhiyajna [the Lord of sacrifice].
The final thought is important
Whatever one remembers while leaving the body, that is what he or she becomes in the next birth. King Bharatha a noble king was getting old , he therefore divided his ancestral kingdom proportionally between his sons. Then he abandoned his home, an abode of immense wealth and prosperity, and set out for the jungles to spend his last days in the worship of the Supreme Lord. In doing so, he was only following the glorious precedent set by his ancestors since time immemorial. King Bharatha who at this time was a hermit got attached to a baby deer he saved in the forest one day. His heart was bound so much in affection to the deer that whatever he be doing, sitting, sleeping, wandering, standing, eating or performing any task, king Bharata would always be thinking about the young one. As time passed, the aging king came close to death, and when the inevitable end came, Bharata left this world with his mind fixed on the baby deer.
Thus it was inevitable that in his next birth king Bharata was born as a deer. A sensible individual won’t wait for the last moment to decide on his last thought. Ideally we want to think about Lord and recite his name in the final moments if we can. But as we never know when the last moment is and don’t know if our faculties will function appropriately to think of Brahman at that time, it is important to keep God in our daily thoughts and thus have a better chance of having the right thought at the last moment.
Another way to approavh this subject is through the practice of detachment or Vairagya. Vairagya is the opposite of Raga (attachment). Vairagya is dispassion. This does not mean we have to walk away from everything and practice vana prastha. Each of us can practise Vairagya while continuing our Grihastha life.
A person practising Vairagya has no attraction for the material world. So Vairagya is a supreme, inexhaustible wealth for spiritual aspirants. Vairagya aids concentration of mind (Samadhana) and generates burning Mumukshutwa, or strong yearning for Liberation.
Spiritual Education or Brahma Vidya is essentially an education that transports us from the present state (whatever it is) to the ONLY state that we need to be in (The Reality). And this process of Education involves basically three steps viz., Shravanam (Listening that is to hear with attention), Mananam (Continuous Reflection) and Nidhidhyasanam (Deeper Contemplation or Meditation)that should ultimately lead to Brahman (Realising or Actualizing the Truth).
In the spiritual journey it is believed if we take one step towards God , God takes ten steps towards us. All we need to ensure is the direction we are marching and hope that is towards this goal. Just like a bullet that leaves the gun and move towards the target as long as our pursuit is right and intentions are pure we will attain moksha either in this Janma or in the Janma s to come.
We ended the session listening to Swamijis videos
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