Summarized by: Shailesh Vyas.
Started with meditation, anulom vilom.
Recap & Initial Q&A
- How can Sanchit karma be dissolved in this life, when we are just born to fructify Prarabhda karma?
- Karmas are associated with subtle identity of self. Once a seeker dissociate itself from his identity, there is no identity to bear the results of these Karmas.
- Swamiji often shared a story of Abdul with three wives. When Abdul dies, which one will get widow first. If the husband has died, all three are widow at the same time.
- Being consistent in this spiritual path by doing Sarvanam, Mananam, Nidhidhyasam, one cannot reduce the physical suffering but surely can minimize the mental suffering.
- Can you drop the "i" yourself by doing Abhyasa and Vairagya?
- Scriptures suggest continuing on this path and have faith. When a seeker will be close to the final stage, this is where grace will help.
Chapter 9 (Raja Vidhya Guhya Yog - Royal Knowledge and Secret)
Verse 21, 22, 23
- Verse 21
- te taṁ bhuktvā swarga-lokaṁ viśhālaṁ
kṣhīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśhanti
evaṁ trayī-dharmam anuprapannā
gatāgataṁ kāma-kāmā labhante - Translation
- When they have enjoyed the vast pleasures of heaven, the stock of their merits being exhausted, they return to the earthly plane. Thus, those who follow the Vedic rituals, desiring objects of enjoyment, repeatedly come and go in this world.
- Verse 22
- ananyāśh chintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate
teṣhāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣhemaṁ vahāmyaham - Translation
- These are those who always think of me and engage in exclusive devotion to me. To them whose mind is always absorbed in me, I provide what they lack and preserve what they already possess.
- Verse 23
- ye ’pyanya-devatā-bhaktā yajante śhraddhayānvitāḥ
te ’pi mām eva kaunteya yajantyavidhi-pūrvakam - Translation
- O son of Kunti, even those devotees who faithfully worship other God also worship me. But they do so by the wrong method.
Theme/Discussion
- Earth is Karma Bhumi, Heaven is Bhog Bhumi and Bharat is considered as Punya Bhumi.
- Actions to be performed with intense awareness of the ultimate God.
- When you seek the ultimate goal, materialistic items are obtained as a by-product.
- e.g. Marathoner keeps focus on ultimate goal and not on cookies and drinks that are served on the way.
- We are behaving like a prisoner who gets comfortable in jail after staying there few days, conveniently forgetting that his goal is to seek ultimate freedom.
- All our effort can get us to the final thought of obtaining Moksha. Beyond this, it just dissolves by his grace.
- Verse 22 - This one is middle shloka of Bhagwat Gita.
- Our scriptures talk about both Karma Kanda and Gyan Kanda.
- e.g. Ramanuja was good at Math but not at other subjects.
- e.g. Tansen was so good at Music but at some point, he was begging.
- So keep your focus on ultimate goal, while keep doing other stuff.
- One may ask - why do we need Karma Kanda, if Gyan is the ultimate theme of our scriptures?
- Everyone has different texture and not the same thing will suit to all.
- Some people do rituals, some do Seva, some don't show up at all.
- Everyone has different immediate needs, if someone is struggling to make ends meet, it's hard to seek ultimate knowledge. So even though knowledge is ultimate path, there is a path for different to seek materialistic needs as well.
- There is no separate Bhakti Yoga in Gita. However, Bhakti is the underlying foundation for both Karma Yoga and Gyan Yoga.
- God is saying here, do the rituals but still continue to absorb in me.
- e.g. If one organize Satayanarayan puja, don't ask for personal outcome as fruits of that puja.
- e.g. When a runner run for a Marathon, the goal is not to collect a water bottle or cookies that are offered on the way. Even though they collect them, but don't lose focus on the ultimate goal of finishing the Marathon.
- Yog Kshema - Not only I will help you to acquire but also sustain.
• Yoga | • Kshema |
• Spiritual Growth | • Material Success |
• Acquire | • Preserver |
• Wealth | • Happiness |
- •
- Accomplish person behaves the same as un-acommpalished person. He still operates in the transactional world with no attachment. The only thing that changes is in his internal attitude.
- A quote from Hui Neng, 7th century, Zen Patriarchy fits well here -
- Before I sought enlightenment, the mountains were mountains and the rivers were rivers. While I sought enlightenment, the mountains were not mountains and the rivers were not rivers. After I reached satori, the mountains were mountains and the rivers were rivers.
- Subjective Analysis - Moderation and Balance is the key.
Videos
- Video
- Title - Seek Him Series - 8 - Two types of devotees - 2. Single pointed devotion Chapter 9 Verse 22
- Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2C6JGhq_jY
- Summary - To those people who have turned their mind entirely to me, remember me sincerely, I shall look after their Yoga and Kshema. Most humans, however diff they are, they focus their entire energy in Yoga and Kshema, whether it be wealth or anything else. Even after one acquire the wealth, rest of the energy goes in looking after it (maintaining it).
- Video
- Title - Bhagavad Geeta - Seek Him Series - 9 - Seek Him Directly (Chapter 9 Verse 23)
- Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWJlRobBZ98
- Summary - Those who are running after these various centers of powere in the society, the community, those who are seeking these other Gods. They also are really seeking me only. All these various mighty powers are given to them by me. e.g. You can go to revenue department to seek a land, but all these departments are getting power from the ultimate Government.
Ended class
No comments:
Post a Comment