Class Summary for Oct 20, 2024 - Bhagavad Gita Chapter-9 ver 1- 6

Summarized by Rajesh: 

Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga (The Yoga of Royal Knowledge & Royal Secret)

Introduction

• The Royal Secret                  01-03
• Atman - Within and Beyond Universe        04-10
• Deluded Ignore Atman, Wise Worship 11-15
• Pointer to Atman         16-19
• You get What you Want/Pursue 20-28
• Realization PEN to all, Even wicked 29-34

Recap of previous class:

• What is Bhakti?
• Started Chapter 9
• Royal secret/knowledge
• revealing to Arjuna since he is qualified
• knowledge is easy to grasp - follows Dharma and Shraddha
• Krishna says that he’s in everything but everything else isn’t in Him
• Absolute Reality, Relative Reality and Non-Reality
• Maya is the sum total ignorance; Brahman + Maya = Iswara

Shravanam, Mananam and Nidhityasanam are mostly applicable to Jnana Yoga but we need Karma and Bhakti Yoga as well.

V1-6

Theme:

• First qualification for this secret is being FOCUSSED and BALANCED.

Theme continued:

• Inherent contradiction Ch7 V3 vs Ch9 V2 - is it hard or easy?
• Is an IIT entrance exam hard or easy?  Depends on if people are qualified and have prepared for it.  Similarly for this secret knowledge.
• Second contradiction - Aneka roopa Ishwara was ultimate - and now Aroopa Ishwara?  How to reconcile?
• Eka roopa Ishwara- for our simple mind - easy to worship and focus our attention.  Very relatable.  We can see our ishta devata like Hanuman, etc. as God.
• Aneka roopa Ishwara - more evolved minds - tougher to understand, more abstract.  Difficult to comprehend that even mosquitoes can be Ishwara.  We can see God everywhere (all the idols, every living thing, elephants, etc.)
• Aroopa Ishwara- most evolved minds - very difficult to accept.  Rises above good and evil.  Contains both good and evil - seemingly.  A-roopa = without form.  No form, no shape, no color, no thing.
• Eka roopa -> Aneka -> Aroopa, more subtle from left to right
• Ishwara is limiting (Eka roopa and Aneka roopa) while Aroopa Ishwara is unlimited Brahman.  In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna doesn’t ever use the word Brahman (it comes from the Upanishads), he refers to himself as Ishwara.

The class also discussed about Dvaita and Advaita in decent detail.

Gurudev says Religion is a form of self-discipline in Self-Unfoldment.  Spirituality is beyond Religion - it uncovers who we really are.

We watched 2 videos

Video verse 1

• No audience is interested to listen, it is the speaker’s responsibility to keep the attention of the audience.

Video verse 2 

- story about Naseruddin and the Mullah who could predict the future.