Class Summary for Jan 6, 2019 - Chapter-2: 51 to 53

Summarized by :  Sunil Jyothi

We watched a video by Swami Chinmayananda on a simple but effective message around Thoughts and Consciousness. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n-6LVunHho

Gist of video: A thought cannot be without an object. In deep sleep there are no thoughts and so no objects. When you become conscious of an object, it becomes a thought.

So Thought = Object + consciousness

Therefore Thought - Object = Consciousness 

Mani Sir reminded us to think about responding on the following: 

1. Name a person who is practicing karma yoga in today's life &

( 2. State a situation where you could have or did practice karma yoga at work OR

  3. State a situation where you could have or did practice karma yoga at home)

What can I do to practice Karma Yoga?

1. Think well: Think before you ink. Make it a habit
2. Have pure motives: Have positive attitude behind every thought/action. Remember the values from Self Unfoldment of Satyam, non Harming and Brahmacharya
3. Be Duty bound - Think about your duties as a father, as a spouse, at work, etc
4. Give your best - You are the best judge of your best. Self measure and adjust
5. Forgo 'attachment' to results - Plan, have goals and execute. Dont get bogged down by results. Swamiji had said "Separate out praise from manager from best result". Get satisfaction from achieving the best result than waiting for your boss's feedback and being disappointed when you dont get it.
6. Serve all - What are you doing for the greater society above and beyond your duty? Do without any attachments. Karna didnt want his left hand to know what his right hand was giving.
7. Be Disciplined - Only when you are disciplined can you execute to a set rhythm and achieve your goals.

Another way to look at this:

1. Becoming aware - Many a times, we are not conscious/aware of our thoughts, words, actions and surroundings. Be aware.

2. Observing reactions - Observe your own reactions and reactions of others. This will help you adjust your communication when you become aware of other's reactions. You might be inadvertently reminding people of things that they want to forget and watching their reactions can help prevent that.

3. Developing immunity - Develop immunity from praise / criticism. This is not about being insensitive / impersonal. This is more for you.

4. Managing emotional expression - During celebration or during grieving

5. Letting go of obsessions - coffee, tea, alcohol, smoking, etc

Benefits of Karma Yoga

1. Purifies your heart- Sukshma Shariram - over this life and prior

2. Makes negative feelings such as ego, hatred, jealousy disappear

3. Will inculcate good qualities like love, humility and tolerance. When negative feelings goes away, these will surface and fill up that space. Definition of Ego from chapter 1: Attachment to pseudo self. The Mahabharatha character for this is Bhishma who identified himself more with Hastinapur and could not clearly identify the wrong side. When Ego becomes smaller and smaller and then associates with pure self, it is the right ego.

4. This path will make you look at life in a more broader and liberal manner

5. Helps forgo selfishness

6. Make you sacrifice oriented and feel one with everybody. Develop empathy and sympathy

7. Make you aware of yourself and feel bliss

8. Will develop your inner spiritual strength and power

A few of us talked about the exercise that Mani sir had given as the class started and we concluded with prayers.

Class Summary for Dec 9, 2018 - Chapter-2: 51 - 53

Summarized by :  Neelima Turaga

The class started with Om chanting, Pranayam and opening prayers. There was a recap of the shlokas 47-50. There were many views and questions about the practical applicability of Karma yoga in daily life. The concepts of not being attached to the result, and work itself being the reward, were discussed at length with many examples.

Mani Sir told us about the book, Scripture - A mirror,  about the importance of Study groups and the experiences of individuals who attended various study groups at Chinmaya. As it was relevant to the topic, we briefly discussed an individual’s experience with reference  to practice of Karma yoga. He was constantly overlooked, had a low self esteem, and felt he did not get due recognition at work. He talks about how his life changed for the better, and how he grew in his career and became a much happier person, by imbibing and following the principles of Karma yoga. There were several other work place related examples, and there was a reference to how many large Corporates in the Western world are now adopting the Bhagavad Gita.

Some of the Key points discussed were :

"Be committed to the process without being emotionally attached to the results."

“Detachment is an art of enjoying something while always being open to the possibility of losing   it someday.”

Karma Yoga is a combination of Proper action and a proper attitude.

It has been scientifically proven that an action performed without being attached to the outcome, results in higher gamma waves and thereby the right energy levels.

We chanted Shlokas 51-53, and briefly discussed the meaning.

51 - The wise, possessed of knowledge, having abandoned the fruits of their actions, freed from the fetters of birth go to the state which is beyond all evil.

52- When your intellect crosses beyond the mire of delusion then you shall attain to indifference as to what has been heard and what is yet to be heard.

53-when your intellect, though perplexed by what you have heard, shall stand immovable and steady in the self,  then you shall attain self realization.

Actions performed without attachment to the results, frees one from the cycle of life and death resulting in moksha.

Steadfast focus on true freedom is required to overcome the attraction to fruitful actions.

Karmayoga Exercise for next class

The class was divided into two groups and were given assignments to talk about, in the class next week.

1.      Name one person whom you consider to be practicing Karma Yoga

2.      Explain one incident /situation where as an employee you practiced /could have practiced Karma Yoga      or

Explain one incident /situation where as a parent you practiced /could have practiced Karma Yoga 

Class Summary for Nov 18, 2018 - Chapter-2: 47 to 50

Summarized by :  Bala Dhandapani

After meditation, recap of Verse 47 and Swamiji’s explanation (from 11/11 Pravachan) was discussed

(Swamiji’s explanation was – One needs to be satisfied by the action – enjoy the work)

Some of points discussed were

-do your best and leave the rest
-example of seeds grown in different pots, even though the care and maintenance to germinate the seeds might be the same – the outcome/results may be different.  Things are beyond ones control and one need to understand and accept this.
- Spirituality  increases when one embraces the thought from  “What” to “So What”

Slokas 47, 48, 49 and 50

Theme

-Karma yoga starts here

-The result of any action does not depend ONLY on your effort


-Not be attached to Outcome (NATO) and have a Prasada Buddhi.  The result of any action does not depend ONLY on your effort, but on various additional factors outside of your control such as Prarabdha, Nature, Will of God, collective action of others-situation and circumstances “the X Factor”

            -Karma Yoga -> Proper Action and ->Proper Attitude

            -To give up the sense of doer ship         
            - attaching to a higher ideal is the key
             - with doer ship comes attachment, with attachment comes Vasanas and it becomes a cycle.

             -Inaction is also not an option

Discussion on Wastage of Energy (from Self Unfoldment)

             -worrying about the Past on what happened

             -worrying about the Present – being over enthusiastic

             -worrying about the Future on what may happen

Subjective Analysis

 -Gamma waves are generated by the brain at your peak performance (right amount of emotion + action).  From a sports perspective one would refer to this as “Be in the Zone”

-Maintain your mental state, and for best results, be at the Optimal State.

Class viewed Gurudev’s Video on Chapter Verse 48

-Once you have started your action do not be attached to siddhi or asiddhi

-Example of Ganges flow- there are obstacles, be like Mother Ganges, expect obstacles, but it should not upset one.

Video Chapter 2, Verse 49

-Work is inspired work, worker does not understand tiredness.

-reaching the destination is not the Goal, never should you reach the Goal – set it higher – striving to reach the ideal should be the Goal

After the videos, in a corporate setting a CEO vision was discussed – Employee is motivated to get to the vision but not to become the CEO- hence- Attach to a HIGHER IDEAL.

Class Summary for Nov 4, 2018 - Chapter-2: 44 to 45

Summarized by :  Shivkumar Natarajan

We started with a summary of last weeks discussion and then proceeded with Verses 44-46

Verse 44

Karma Vs Karmakanda:

In Karma the seeker entertains a single focused idea and strives hard in its pursuit

Karmakanda advices various ritualistic performances for fulfillment of various desires as instructed in the Vedas

Krishna is asking that we do not mistake the means to for the end.

The Karmakanda is to prepare the person to have a single pointedness when it is pursued without specific desires.

Only a prepared  focused mind is fit for steady contemplation of Vedanta.

If not such people cannot attain the path of Samadhi

Verse 45

We then watched chap 2 verse 45 of Swami Chinmayananda's video on this verse.

Everyone in the world have 2 urges that goads them into activity namely yoga and Kshema

Acquiring under expectation/belief/superstition that when I acquire things that I don’t have currently  I will be happy

Kshema : Maintenance of things I acquire

To renounce these 2 main fields that yields extreme restlessness and sorrow in life

The Lord asks Arjuna to rise above the 3 Gunas (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas) so as to free oneself from pair of opposites.

When one is attached/focused in materialistic desires then he/she finds himself in a web.

This web includes satvvic/rajasic and tamasic desires/attractions. One has to surpass beyond it to be able to attain the real.

By acquiring the ultimate, you will automatically will get everything that is real.

If one has  an Uninterrupted pleasure supply (UPS) within you then you did not  search for it outside

e.g Running marathon for the snacks

The class then discussed need for Pravachan: If independently achieved and person is happy then no classes required

We discussed how to rise above Gunas

Sattva : We need to take dirt off and clean the mirror to see a clear reflection

Rajas: We need to clear the smoke to see

Tamas: If we are in womb then we need to come out of it to see it

You cannot get something infinite (Happiness) from  something temporary (e.g. acquiring a house). How can one  get happiness from something fleeting ?

We discussed Example of Nisarg Baba who continues with running a paan beedi shop. This demonstrates that a rich/poor person may reach same point of happiness

Vedanta: Heaven is within you. In most faith based religion happiness is later post life ends (heaven).

Verse 47 is famous verse that is the core of Karma Yoga

Your job (Karma) is only to fulfil the duty (Dharma) and not expect the reward (anxiety for result)

We discussed how in management nowadays there is a move from Result orientation management philosophy to process orientation.

In whatever one does one is only a contributory factor.

e.g.: a farmer can only plant the seeds . He cannot control influence of cyclone or make good rains to make good crops.

If you reduce effort you may get disappointed by work and result

We then watched Swami Chinmayananda's video on the same verse

The Result of an action cannot come before action or during action.

We can only act now in the present. Over anxiousness on fruit of action: Wasting my vitality for unknown called future.

Class Summary for Oct 14, 2018 - Chapter-2: 41 to 43

Summarized by :  Sridhar

We met at the basement began the class with Pranayama & meditation exercises followed by the recap of the previous class. 

Objective meaning of verses 41,42 and 43

1.       Focus is the key to achieve desiring results. A man needs to work with absolute and resolute devotion /determination with a single pointed mind to attain highest level of self realization.

Certain examples of Charlie Chaplin from “Modern Minds” were discussed.

Swami Vivekananda words were cited “ Degree of concentration is the key difference between an ordinary and extraordinary mind.”

2.       Ritualistic practices gives only materialistic happiness and absolute one pointed approach executing our Dharma must be exercised .

3.       Vedas propose material benefits through various rituals but a man should concentrate on Karma and Dharma inorder to attain greatness.

Eg: Vishwamitra wanted to be the best sage and undertook penance in order to achieve the same.

Lord Indra tried to distract him by sending damsels and other approach but Vishwamitra didn’t lose his one pointed focus to achieve his objective, though initially he did get distracted.

We will continue with verses 44,45 and 46 in our next class on 11/04.