Class Summary for May 1, 2022 - Bhagavad Gita Chapter-6: Slokas 22 - 25

 Summarized by Shailesh Vyas

Started with meditation, anulom vilom.

Recap & Initial Q&A

• We talked about the support needed for the upcoming skit.

• Recap
• Recapped conversation around Ashtanga Yoga
• Talked about food
• Eat only half a full stomach.
• Sleep - 6.5 to 7.5 hours
• Too much sleep is Tamasic
• Too less sleep doesn’t bring 100% out
• Ahara
• Vihara
• Yukta - One whose mind is restrained.
• We chanted 19, 20, 21 again
• Revisited Translation of Verse 19, 20, 21

 

Verse 22, 23, 24, 25

• Verse 22
• Translation - Having gained that state one doesn’t consider any attainment to be greater, Being thus established, one is not shaken even in the midst of the greatest calamity.
• Verse 23
• Translation - That state of severance from union with misery is known as Yog. This Yog should be resolutely practiced with determination free from pessimism.
• Verse 24
• Translation - Completely renouncing all desires arising from thoughts of the world, one should restrain the senses from all sides with the mind. Slowly and steadily, with conviction in the intellect, the mind will become fixed in God alone, and will think of nothing else.

Theme 

• Like a flickering flame impacted by wind cannot provide light for long; a mind agitated with desires cannot focus for long.
  
• We need to have spiritual discipline to protect the mind, like our own Lakshman Rekha
  
• Steady mind destroys Vasanas and connects to the higher like a steady flame moves upwards.
  
• Karma yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Jnana yoga will help "still" the mind.
  
• We need to be unaffected by sorrow or sufferings
  
• We are creating our own prison cell, locking ourselves in it; and throwing away the key!
  

Discussion

• When there is no wind, fire will rise up.
• Tools that we have learned to make our mind steady.
• Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga.
• We bind ourselves to sorrow and suffering. Folks think they can manage happiness but are not sure of suffering.
• It's like we are creating our own prison cell and throwing away the key.
• For e.g. 
• Example 1 
• A 5-year-old kid, who is terminally ill. If you see the kid will cry only when he/she is in pain. If the pain goes away, he/she will be playing. Suffering is limited to the pain.
• However, when an adult realizes they are terminally ill. They will always be sad/crying (relatively more than kids). This is due to the fact that you are thinking you are terminally ill. Kid is limiting its suffering to the pain.
• Folks end up living more than what doctors suggest, however we define our own misery.
• Ramakrishna Paramahansa always referenced that the body is suffering.
• Example 2 - Players often think playing Cricket on home turf, they will have the upper hand. This is also a mindset.

• Verse 20 -23 
• Verse 20 - 
• Talks about Chitupramana - Total tranquility and relaxation of mind. When you start focusing on the inner, all other thoughts go away. When you realize ataman all other noise goes away.
• Focusing on just ataman is not a thoughtless state, there is focus on one thought that is ataman. You are able to feel one with ataman. Technical definition of paramatma and Jivatama
• Verse 21 - 
• Ultimate happiness you can ever get.
• Let’s say you meditate and get a glimpse of ataman, the second time you had the same experience .. if you continue to have that experience you will dissociate your identity with gross.
• Nothing is aging in self, it’s just the body.
• The Self that was experienced as a child, it’s the same self that is experiencing old age.
• Why are we able to solve other problems - For our own situation our emotions take over? However, if you dissociate your grossness with subtleness, you will be more efficient.
• Verse 22 - 
• There is no achievement in this world that is greater than atma. There is nothing in the transactional world that can make you sad.
• Transition from “What" to "So what” becomes relatively easy.
• Verse 23 -
• Yoga is to unite two things. You are not uniting with atma. Atma is the only reality. Also Atma is not something that is material .. its omni present and beyond time. When you establish in witness principle, this delusion that Samsara is subsiding atma will go away.
• When this ignorance goes away, you realize Atma and Paramatma are the same.
• Once you objectify the body, you realize this is the body and I am not the body.
• Witness while breathing your body (as an object) rising.
• This is Annmaya kosha, next is pranmaya kosha. Next stage is You focus on breath, however you are not "breath" either.
• Then Manomaya and Vigyamaya kosha. Next stage is you focus on thoughts. Watch the thought without being judgemental. You separate yourself from your mind.
• As you watch thoughts start slowing down. There will be gaps between thoughts. Focus on that gap (that silence).
• Now realize that you are not that silence. Put the thought that I am the ataman.
• It's hard to explain the unexplainable. Don’t think of that and get demotivated.
• For e.g. 
• We all know magnets attract iron, it doesn’t attract wood. Let’s say wood is tied to iron, iron is going to force the wood towards the magnet. Because of bondaze to the iron, it's getting pulled. If you remove iron, wood will not be attracted to the magnet.
• We are like wood. Vasnas are like iron, and the world is like a magnet. You need to be unaffected by worldly force. More you attach to Vasana you get attracted to worldly affairs.
• Bhakti Yoga is like expanding your love.
• For e.g. Britishers asked Nelson Mandela what he wanted for your family, he said my family is 40 million people.
• Gnana Yoga - What is permanent and what is impermanent. Once the iron piece is gone, none of the worldly affairs will be important.
• Another example - Lokmanya Tilak and a girl
• A girl challenges her mom why she should do a certain ritual when Tilak doesn’t do it. Hearing this Lokmanya Tilak shows takes her out and shows the crowd that this is my devotion.

Swamiji’s Video -

• Video 1 -
• Like the flame of the candle remaining in the corner of the room without a cross bridge, it doesn’t flutter, rather it steadily goes up. In the same way your thoughts are steadily going upward to higher reality if the wind of desire doesn’t flutter.
• “stha" means remaining on.
• Video 2 (127) - Verse 20 - Beyond Intellect - Torch and Battery
• True intellect can illuminate everything.
• Suppose you enter the dark room with a flashlight, you can see everything that you can illuminate.
• Can you see the name of the battery in the dark room? You cannot, because if you take out the battery, the torch stops.
• The intellect has intelligence only when life is functioning. In the light of intelligence there is nothing in this world (OET) you cannot perceive. Intelligence itself is powered by consciousness. 
• Once Einstein is dead, his same grey matter is not holding intelligence.
• Video 3 - (128) It cannot be explained
• What is that state which is beyond that intelligence. Even in a dark room you know who you are. It is the self in you that you are searching. It cannot be felt or thought of.
• Krishna said, never mind, Yoga is divorce from sorrow. You are currently wedded to sorrow.
• Video 4 - (129) - Borrowed desires
• Swamiji if there is no desire what is the purpose of the body.
• Krishna particularly used adjectives and qualified desires that you should get rid of. Some desires will always come because they are impressions of your vasanas.
• Krishna says - A desire that arose in you because of your fancy. How would you know which one is yours and which one is borrowed?
• Whatever desires arising in your mind are borrowed. Someone is naturally good at writing and now wants to sing like his wife, it will not be ideal.
• All desires that are spinning in your mind nearly for imitation are borrowed.

Subjective analysis

• Go beyond yourself and focus on the welfare of the world.

Ended class with Meditation.

Class Summary for April 24, 2022 - Bhagavad Gita Chapter-6: Slokas 16 - 18

 Summarized by Shilpa Sail

Starting the class with meditation helps us calm our minds and prepares us for the class.

Discussed verses 16, 17, and 18 in detail and chanted verses 19 to 21.

Analysis of verses 16 to 18.

Sleep

Scientific publications have mentioned that 6.5 to 7.5 hours of sleep is required, based on diverse research.

Why is sleep important for meditation?

Meditation is recommended for 10 mins to a max of 30 mins.

If a person is sleep-deprived, they may feel sleepy when they begin meditation.

More sleep is also not conducive to mediation. Excessive sleep leads to tamasic behavior. As a result, an individual may feel lethargic. 

Food

How much food is enough?

Eat only half of what is required, fill a quarter of the stomach with water, and keep the remaining empty for the food to mix and digest.

Some other guidelines on adequate intake of food are based on the ashrama.

Sannyasi - 2 servings

Vanaprastha - 4 servings

Gṛhastha - 8 servings

Brahmacharya - as needed as they are the most active.

The amount of food intake decreases as an individual grows older. 

In short, sleep decides the duration of contact with the outside world and food decides the type of contact with the outside world.

Any input/stimuli can be considered as Ahara. Reaction to the stimuli is considered a Vihara. Response to the stimuli is karma.

Every action should be a response rather than a reaction to the stimuli.

In the context of mediation, one who consistently responds rather than reacts can do mediation effectively, the more balanced that individual is.

Who is Yukta /accomplished person from a mediation perspective?

One whose mind is restrained --> karma yoga, bhakti yoga, and gnana yoga.

The three things help us focus and help an individual to be fixed on self and they are free from desires.

This leads to a person being able to meditate effectively.

Ashtanga yoga - 

These eight steps are known as the eight limbs of yoga.

1. Yama (Restraints, five steps we should not be doing) 

• ahimsa (non-violence) - make sure we are not harmful
• satya (truthful) - do not tell lies
• brahmacharya (moderation) - Do not indulge. Control of our senses is required.
• asteya (not stealing) - Do not keep something that does not belong to you. 
• aparigraha (not hoarding) - non-possessiveness, Do not covet what other people have. 

     2. Niyama (Observances/ Dos) 

• Saucha (purity) - Make sure we keep everything around you clean, including thinking, action, and surrounding. 
• Santosha (contentment) - Contentment. Be happy with what you have and stay satisfied. Critical to keep ourselves happy in what we have.
• Tapas (austerity) - Train ourselves to fast. fasting levels - without water, only water, fruits and nuts, and many other ways like sabunana khichadi. Bring about the disciple in yourself and assert some control over the stomach and over the desire the stomach is producing, considering Ekadashi fasting.

• Savdhayaya (Studying scriptures) - self-study of scriptures
• Ishvara pranidhana (surrender to a higher source) - Occasional puja, surrender to God.

      3. Asana (Posture) - make sure the body is fit and can sit for the length of meditation.

      4. Pranayama (Breath Control) - Practice pranayama regularly.

      5.Pratyahara (Withdrawal of the Senses) - 

     

      The above five steps are required before we start mediation. It is related to preparation for meditation. 

      

Below are three steps required during meditation. 

      6. Dharana (Concentration) - Siting and starting to focus on the Ishtha devata. Continue to do that for the period of  mediation. The key is not to get distracted by any other thoughts. 

      7. Dhyana (Meditation) - Ability to stay focused on the Ishtha devata for the duration of the meditation. To attain this level, an individual needs a lot of practice.

      8. Samadhi (Pure Contemplation) - 

• Samadhi is of two kinds - Samprajnata Samadhi, with the support of an object of meditation, and Asamprajnata Samadhi, without the support of an object of meditation.

Preparation for mediation is as critical as meditation itself.

We watched Gurudev's videos - Chapter 6- verses 16 and 17.

Verse 16 - Moderation in eating is a MUST.

Verse 17 - When and where to use my energy. 

We chanted verses 18, 19, and 20.

It ponders on the type of focus that is required for meditation. It is compared to that of a lamp with fire and the steady fast nature of the lamp. Holding the mind steadily under control during mediation is vital.

Detailed analysis will be in the next class.

Summary 

For effective meditation

1) posture is important

2) Moderation/ balancing in everything we do, particularly in food and sleep is essential.

Class Summary for April 10, 2022 - Bhagavad Gita Chapter-6: Slokas 10 - 15

 Summarized by Shivkumar Natarajan

We watched the below video of Gurudev on verses 11 to 13

If mediation is the path by which one can gain tranquility and equal vision within oneself, it is necessary that Lord Krishna gives a complete and exhaustive explanation of the technique of mediation.

Link :120 - Preparation for meditation - The Seat - Ch6v11

Key points : Verse 11

1. Where should I sit down?
2. India is a tropical climate. Hence we sat down on the floor
3. Seat should not be very hard or very soft.
4. While Bhagvad Gita tells us that we need to have Kusa grass with deer skin on top and with cloth covering it; the scripture should not be taken literally. It means be practical. Prepare seat as though you have made this arrangement for sitting. It does not mean have the same items. Fold blanket in four , put a cloth and sit down
5. If we cant sit down, sit on a chair
6. Its not where you sit down but what you do when you sit down
7. Sit in a clean place as the the external conditions have a direct bearing on the human mind

 

Link :121 Preparation for meditation Training the Muscles Ch6v12

Key points : Verse 12

1. When everyone is turned outward why must I turn inward (single pointed) ?
2. We are not doing it to reach Him as He is with you.
3. Due to evolution we had to turn outward for self preservation. To defend from enemy and find food we had to turn all attention to outer world.
4. Objective sciences is easy to master as its all turned outward
5. To turn attention inward is very difficult. Natural to look outward. But difficult to look inward. This is similar to right handed people struggling to do same activity with left hand.
6. Similar to child learning to write we need to train our muscles.
7.  Its analogous to having a good camera and focusing with lens. Initially the object being viewed will appear distorted but on focusing the lens you will be able to see clearly. Similarly our equipment is out of focus currently and needs to be brought to focus.
8. Sitting in seat of meditation , strive to contemplate exclusively and steadily to Higher thoughts as then enormous amounts of vasanas get burnt like baked speed no longer sprout. Vasanas will not produce desire and agitation and mind becomes quieter and quieter
9. Mind has to be single pointed to block the inner forces of its surging imagination and the outward pull exerted by the sense organs.
10. A purified mind which has no agitation and when the mind thus has become pure and steady he Consciousness looking at the steady refection if itself comes to rediscover its own Real Nature

Link:122 - Preparation of Meditation - The Posture - Ch6V13

Key points : Verse 13

1. While sitting on seat what should be the atmosphere around ?
2. No disturbances, no pollution, no sound or smell .
3. No insects around
4. Essentially any thing to disturb from outside.
5. The lower part of body is steady
6. Upper part : Keep body, neck, head in one straight line.
7. Don’t sit like a question mark. You are going to your own house.
8. Dont go like a beggar. Straighten with chest out.
9. Hold upper part in straight line and don’t move it (Sthiram). Physical movement contributes immensely to the shattering of mental concentration and inner equipoise

Link 123 - Preparation for Meditation - The Direction -  Ch6V13

Key points : Verse 13 continued

1. The direction of attention
2. Firmly look at the tip of the nose.
3. Meditation does not bring any difficulty to you as it is relaxation
4. Similar to when you sleep , you close your eyes, as I am not trying to see anything and experience embrace of sleep.
5. Understand that this is scriptural : Similarly when you see the tip of the nose of between the brows what it means its that you areturn attention 45 degrees elevated in level of heart or direction of nose as thought Lord is atnding in front of you. Some would like to look at his face, or chest or some look at his  legs
6. Don’t turn your attention to all directions . Mind is steadily focused on as though in direction of face (attention to brows) , (attention to tip of nose ) chest or (attention to your heart)legs of the Lord.
7. Essentially where the eyes go, the mind faithfully follows , that is the law

 

We then read verse 14,15

Theme

Preparation

1. Calm/Serene mind( Supremely peaceful). If Mind is agitated then do mediation. Each feeds into the other
2. Fearless
3. Sense Control/Discipline/Moderation
4. Mind control : Else it will keep telling you that you are doing things right or wrong
5. Intellect fixed on me (Brahman)
6. Subtle intellect : Knowing Me as Supreme

 

There are 3 types of people

1. One who is always in meditation : Meditative state
2. One who has some desires : Satsang
3. One who has heavy desires : Rituals

 

Points discussed so that mind is not focused on time

1. Perform guided mediation (using apps like headspace or inside timer app)
2. Keep an alarm
3. Do mediation for maximum 30 minutes. Goal is to have focused deep/intense mediation rather than do it for a long time but its disturbed
4. Do what you ought to do without getting attached.

 

Subjective Analysis

1. One who is completely surrendered (Shraddha) can meditate properly. (Note: You can handover your worries to the Lord , focus on meditation and then take it back once meditation is done)
2. What is outside effects what is inside

 

We then chanted verses 16, 17 and 18

Verses 16,17 : Do things in moderation . Not only food but all other senses too

Class Summary for April 3, 2022 - Bhagavad Gita Chapter-6: Slokas 7 - 9 and 10 - 13

Summarized by Shailesh Vyas

• Started with meditation, anulom vilom.

• Recap & Initial Q&A
• We did a recap of verse 7 to 9.
• We Talked about two stories as an example on how to live in samsara in detached mode and how renunciation is the state of mind.
• First Story (Living in Samsara in detached mode)
• Rajmata to save the baby in water.
• People keep searching for the prince for years. In the meantime this baby was found by some beggar. They raise the baby and he ends up becoming a beggar. He goes through uncertainties of what a beggar goes through, whether he will get food.
• Ministers from that kingdom found that baby .. they found that baby and made him King.
• He is happy for sometime.
• One day, the King went out disguised as a beggar, he went out into the kingdom.
• Action is still the same … but attitude changed. He has no worries anymore of sleeping hungry.
• In our everyday life, we perform the same action, it's the attitude that changes. We live in samsara in a detached mode.
• Second story (Renunciation - Shift in state of mind)
• Renunciation is contagious.
• You may think this is a hard thing to do. When you start it, it becomes easier.
• The US President was visiting India, and asked, I heard a lot about renunciation .. Can I meet one guy who has been renunciate?
• In his mind he was thinking of some sadhu from Himalaya.
• State department appoints a person to find someone who is realized.
• An Anointed person finds a guy who is just loitering around.
• An Anointed person gives him an offer to earn 1 Lakh. He agreed as long he doesn’t have to do anything.
• Contract is - You just have to sit in front of the state department office and anybody offers you anything, don’t take anything .. otherwise our contract is void.
• He sits there in advance a week. Lot of people start visiting him, word goes around and he becomes famous.
• People offer him anything and he says no I don’t need anything. I have everything.
• Finally one day the President asked did you find anyone who is a renunciate?
• To his surprise, the President is taken to the person sitting in front of the state department. President offers everything he says no. President gets inspired.
• After a week or two, the assistant goes there to pay saying your contract is over. The person refuses, saying I have everything I need.

Theme for Verse 7-9

• How does a Gnani interact with the world?
• Goes beyond dualities by controlling his BMI.
• Acts as the constant around whom everything else is changing.
• Try to listen and don’t get affected by surroundings.
• Master not a slave.
• You are pro-active on all your actions.
• Treats all objects the same - Dirt, stone, Gold etc.
• Convert the knowledge (external) to wisdom (internal) e.g. raw pickle to seasoned pickle.
• Treats all types of people around the same - Friend, Foe, indifferent etc.
• e.g. Animal biscuits!!
• Kids eat different shapes of biscuit, but all of them taste the same.
• Realize that the emptiness is imaginary and not real.
• In every day interactions, is constantly aware of the knowledge and is not touched by ups and downs.

• If there is any ego attached to a goal .. it's not a higher goal.

• Question - How can you be the same to a friend and enemy? (Reference to Shloka - 9)
• Example of Lion and Tiger .. you cannot hug them.
• You operate in this world with dualities but with non-duality understanding.
• Example of how Pandavas killed each other? They were still respectful to each other.
• Will Smith and Chris Rock example.

Verse 10 - 13

• Verse 10
• Translation - Those who seek the state of Yog should reside in seclusion constantly engaged in meditation with a controlled mind and body, getting rid of desires and possessions for enjoyment.
• Discussion - Once you start evolving, You will not be afraid to spend time with yourself.
• Our true quest is invert not external.
• Your search for ultimate truth has to be done by yourself. In order to do it, you have to be comfortable with yourself.
• It's a lonely journey. Guru and Shashtra can only guide and cheer, you have to do tasks by yourself.
• Verse 11
• Translation - To practice Yoga, one should make an asan(seat) in a sanctioned place, by placing kush grass, deer skin, and a cloth, one over the other. The asan should be neither too high nor too low.
• Discussion - Your physical surroundings should be comfortable to help you meditate.
• Prefer sitting on the ground, if not then sit on a chair, if that's not possible, you can lie down, but important is to meditate.
• By referencing deer skin, no one is promoting himsa. In olden days, the most common thing that was cozy was deer skin (naturally dying animals).
• Where you are seated, it should not be too hard or too soft.
• Verse 12
• Translation - Seated firmly on it, the yogi should strive to purify the mind by focussing it in meditation with one pointed concentration, controlling all thoughts and activities. He must hold the body, neck, and head firmly in a straight line, and gaze at the tip of the nose, without allowing the eyes to wander.
• Discussion - Focus on any one point, like tip of nose, important is focus.
• During tree pose, if you focus on one point, it's easy to perform this yoga.
• Chapter 5, it asks you to focus between your brows. Idea is to not get distracted by surroundings. Focusing on the tip of the nose or middle of brows minimize the distraction. Point is to withdraw yourself. Closing eyes is also recommended.
• Question - When we are sleeping, we focus on one thing, is it comparable?
• Not really.

Discussion

• How to meditate properly?
• How to remove disturbances?
• World → Alone
• Not in the middle of a shopping mall.
• Body → Posture
• Mind → Senses Subdued
• It should not matter what you are smelling or hearing.
• Intellect → Free from desire
• Exhaust those vasnas
• Subtle intellect → Uniting with self
• Whenever you have multiple recognition, how my sister in law thinks about it.
• Drop Possessiveness
• How to physically prepare?
• Have a clean place
• Firm seat - not too high or too low; or too hard or soft.
• How to Focus?
• Desires have to be OFF-loaded
• Focus on the HIGHER self
• Self Purification
• Location also matters. Cleaning the bathroom is not an option. Even bedroom or study. Choose a place that is conducive for meditation.
• You can sit in front of the temple.
• When we send a rocket from one atmosphere to another (or one world to another), how much preparation we do. Similarly when you are going from one place to another, preparation matters. Don’t take the preparation part lightly.
• One size may not fit all. Each one of us is different. Some may find it easy to meditate in front of a temple, others may not.
• Chicken looks at the duck and it looks like she can do it .. it tries and drown.
• Difference between mindfulness and meditation? One says you can do it anywhere.
• You need to be in this state all the time.
• They are complimenting each other.
• Morning meditation helps you to be in that state throughout the day.

Swamiji’s Video -

• By sitting in a quiet secret place, don’t advertise. Now you call four friends and tell me. They may disturb you now. Even your wife doesn’t need to know.
• Sit in meditation for even 5 mins. It's not length, it's depth. No other thought should disturb you. Do it alone. Not even with your wife or girlfriend.
• One who has controlled his mind. Don’t let your mind roam around.
• e.g. If you open shoes outside the temple, don’t focus on shoes while meditating in the temple.

Ended class with Meditation.