Class Summary for Sep 24, 2023 - Bhagavad Gita Chapter-1- 7 summary and Intro to Chapter-8

   Summarized by Prarthana :

Opening prayers, pranayama and meditation. 

Brief introduction of all present in the class and class format

Introduction to the study of the Gita, class guidelines

We proceeded to summarize all the previous 7 chapters that we have completed over the past few years. 

Chapter 1 - Vishaada yoga

Arjuna is placed right in the center of the battlefield by Krishna and has a complete mental breakdown of his intent to fight, he calls his actions wrong and states that he would prefer defeat and even death rather than fight his great-grandfather, his guru and his brothers and other family. Krishna listens without saying a word

Chapter 2 - Sankhya / Jnana yoga

Arjuna surrenders to Krishna and says that he does not know what to do. Krishna then begins to address him and tells him that he is giving in to cowardice. He begins with the highest teaching that the atman alone is real and never begins or ends and he should stop lamenting about the mere physical bodies of his family. He proceeds to tell him that his duty is of his actions alone and not the result of his actions. He also describes the qualities of the Sthitaprajna who has the ability to control his senses just like a tortoise can withdraw his limbs into his shell when needed. 

Chapter 3 - Karma Yoga 

Krishna tells Arjuna that the path of right action involves Nishkaama karma where he must act with detachment to his actions. To work in yagna spirit and renounce the thoughts and worries of the future and regrets of the past to the Lord and act in the present 

Chapter 4 - JnanaKarmaSanyasa Yoga

Focus is on renouncing doership. The wise see action in inaction and inaction in action

Chapter 5 - Sanyasa Yoga

Focus on Karma for Chittashuddhi

Do what is needed externally without being internally attached

The ultimate goal is to gain knowledge and not walk away physically

Chapter 6 - Dhyana yoga

Krishna explains the techniques of controlling the mind to sharpen it as an instrument through meditation. The chapter describes the procedure for meditation and the tyes - Saguna, Nirguna and other forms of focus like japa.

Chapter 7- Jnana Vigyana Yoga

Here Krishna describes who to meditate upon. The concepts of Para and Apara Prakruthi are described along with the types of gunas. The types of devotees - Arthyarthi, Jigyarthi, Jnanarthi and Arthi are described. Everything begins and ends with him. 

Chapter 12 - Bhakti Yoga

Here Krishna describes the 36 qualities of a true devotee and how one must reach/ pray to God according to one’s vasana package

We then began with a brief introduction into Chapter 8.

Verses 1 - 4 Brahman Atman & World (Arjuna’s questions)

Verses 5 - 7 As you Think so you Become

Verses 8- 14 How to attain Brahman

Verses 15 - 22 Rebirth and Beyond

Verses 23 - 28 Return, Non-return, Liberation

Class Summary for May 07, 2023 - Bhagavad Gita Chapter-7: Slokas 27- 30

  Summarized by Prasanna Kumar :

Class started with Pranayama, Meditation

We reviewed some key topics from previous discussions -

Instead of calling it three types of Karma, let us call it as three categories of Karma

Sanchita karma - It is our accumulation of past Karmas associated with the Athma but with previous births

Praarabda karma - It is the karmas that have yielded results or those that have fructified from the current birth and our sanchita karma

Agami karma - Good and bad fruits of the karmas that we have done. These are mostly consequences that we will face in this life (future) or in the next life. These are Sanchita karma's that have not yet fructified.

Our duty is to do Sadhana continuously. This is the only way to achieve the ultimate goal of being one with Brahman.  Don’t postpone,  the time to start your  Sadhana is now.

We discussed the importance of having a living will. There are times when a decision need to be taken about DNR ( do not resuscitate ) so it’s always a good idea to have a living will so that there is no confusion or mental agony for some one else to take that decision for us.

 We talked about dualities, and we have to learn to cope up with dualities. E.g Hot or cold. Understand that they are two sides of the same coin. The law of duality means that two exact opposite results derive out of the same thing. The nature teaches us that after every sunrise is a sunset . After day is night. after every spring is autumn and each organism living will one day be dead.

We also talked about extreme examples of dualism, where both may not be desirable  , like a Nobel prize winner who is busy all the time and not available to the family vs a person who is out of work and staying at home all the time. 

Geriatric is formed from the Greek word “geras” and has the same meaning as Sanskrit word “jara” and means related to old age, medical care for older adults.

Just as the waves, the foam and bubbles are no different from the water or H2O that it emanates from, so does the supreme/Brahman  that emanates from the self no different from the self.

Class Summary for April 30, 2023 - Bhagavad Gita Chapter-7: Slokas 27- 30

 Summarized by Anand Santhanam :

Class started with Pranayama, Meditation

We reviewed some key topics from previous discussions -

Three types of Karma,

Sanchita karma - It is our accumulation of past Karmas associated with the Athma but with previous births

Praarabda karma - It is our accumulation of the karmas associated with the current birth and the derivative karmas associated with our sanchita karma

Agami karma - Good and bad fruits of the karmas that we have done. These are mostly consequences that we will face in this life (future) or in the next life. These are Sanchita karma's that have not yet fructified.

Sharanaghati - When we truly surrender, all the karmas are taken care by the god, one way or other. Normally we will have to go through it ourselves without knowing the point of why we are going through. Now with this tatva, we will have the guidance and trust on the god and this will help us go through the fructifications of our own karma

Our duty is to do Sadhana. This is the only way to achieve the Total Sharanaaghati.

The mind is restless and difficult to control, but it can be subdued through practice and detachment. One who has achieved this state of self-control is free from sorrow and can attain a state of tranquility. The yogi who is self-controlled and has dedicated themselves to the practice of meditation, sees the self in all beings and all beings in the self. They remain equal in pleasure and pain, and are steadfast in their devotion to the supreme consciousness.

Kala Shebona Karthavyaha, Ksheenamaayuhu Kshane Kshane

Yamasya Karunaa Nasti Karthavyam Hari Keerthanam

The time to do the Sadhana is now. Yama will not wait for you to do the Hari Keerthanam. So don’t waste time. 

Then we chanted the four slogams (27-30)

Class Summary for April 23, 2023 - Bhagavad Gita Chapter-7: Slokas 23- 26

 Summarized by Bala Dhandapani :  

Class started with Omkar, Prayer, Pranayama and Meditation. 

Salient points from April 16^th class were discussed, specifically from Gurudev’s videos: 

• Incomplete feeling when goes after material pleasure, completeness can be felt when one pursues a spiritual path  
• Discussion on Free Will 
• Sastras give/show direction to attain Brahman, each one need to put the effort and realize directly. 

Discussion on Meditation  

• With practice one can attain “no thought state” during meditation,   
• May get a glimpse of the thoughtless state during meditation, practice to extend the state. 
• Brain is wired to have thoughts, hence it is tough to achieve the no thought state, but doable with practice.  
• For beginners, Gurudev starts off with Introspection.   
• Turiya State is a meditative state that exists throughout in the waking state, dream state and deep sleep state, but we do not realize it.   
• Make meditation as part of Sadhana 
• With Sadhana bad vibes will be removed 
• If one tries, state of Samadhi can be achieved even in this lifetime,  if not – it is a cumulative effort.  All the efforts are not lost, can be achieved in the next birth.  

Types of Karma 

Sanchita karma – Sum of past karmas of jeevatma from previous births 

Prarabdha Karma – karma that we are born with in this birth or those Sanchita karma that have fructified

Agami Karma – Consequences that we face in this life that does not fructify in this life time that will be carried over to the next life.  (future)

When we truly surrender, all the mountains of Karma are wiped out by Bhagavan. 

Bhagavan will support Shraddha and Sankalpa.  

 

Exercise for the class (timing and team to be announced in subsequent classes) 

1. Who are the four types of devotees, does this categorization by the lord promote discrimination?
2. Explain how the lord indicates support to any belief system or follower-ship ?
3. What is Para Prakruthi and Apara Prakruthi ?
4. Explain what is Maya and how we can traverse though it ?

Class Summary for April 16, 2023 - Bhagavad Gita Chapter-7: Slokas 23- 26

 Summarized by Sridhar.V :  

Hari Om.

The class started off with our Omkar routine followed by prayers and Pranayama & meditation.

We did a recap from our last class where in verses 23 to 26 from Chapter 7 were discussed.

Summary of discussion from previous class and stories/ examples were

• Hope for the infinite and don’t settle for finite things.
• Lord will provide you with the seed but its up to the individual to seed it, raise it and have the faith in his effort 

            that it will fructify.

• Free will or Purushartha is available to all of us, and hence its up to us to decide and choose our actions in this

           lifetime so that the results of those actions will carry forward in a positive way ahead of us.

• We cannot continue to do wrong things in life citing helplessness as the reason (our Prarabdha or vasana’s). 

            Everyone is provided with a conducive environment and hence cannot chose to act as puppets in the hands 

            of the puppeteer.

We watched 5 videos of Gurudev for verses 23,24,25 and 26.

Excerpts from the videos and shloka’s:

Verse No 23- Running after balloons in life:

·       Fleeting desires for finite objects, even when fulfilled through the impermanent activities ,would surely prove to 

        be ephemeral.

·       Finite actions undertaken in finite fields, employing finite instruments cannot but produce,as a result- whether joy or 

        sorrow- only a finite result.

·       The above statement is in contrast to a pure philosophical truth, where in the Lord says” those who devote 

        themselves to ME, come to ME. Seekers of happiness in the world of sense objects can gain insignificant success 

        in the fields of sense enjoyments however if the same effort is applied by them in the right way of constructive 

        living, they too can come to discover their real identity with the eternal SELF.

·       Due to deluded ego, it comes to identify itself with its finite envelopments and reveals in a world of its endless 

        number of objects in this jagat.

 

 Verse No 24: - Nothing is permanent

·       Unintelligent people run after finite things in life, only to weep in despair after the same is lost or gone, but they 

        are not permanent.

·       People who lack discriminatory abilities to perceive the subtle truth that shines in through the vast disturbances 

        of the endless plurality, fail to realize the immutable and the peerless SELF. In their extreme preoccupation with 

        the everchanging glory of the prakriti.

Verse No 25 : Understanding Real Nature

·       We behave as though we are but the egocentric entities and that are not we are unable to come to terms with the 

        absolute reality.

·       For eg: a boy who was raised in an orphanage by a rich man on purpose, suddenly decides to take him away from 

        the orphanage and raise him with proper education and life. However, it takes time for the boy to forget his initial 

        beginnings at the orphanage and his past. Similarly, human beings after having lived in the prison of Body, Mind 

        and Intellect for a long time, fail to comprehend the idea that in essence we are the Infinite, the Immortal.

·       The above questions are unavoidable in the bosom of an intelligent seeker, when he in his aspirations come face 

        to face with the staggering revelations contained in Vedanta.

 

 Verse No 26: Nature of all knowledge:Omniscient

·  The Self, as the pure Consciousness, is the illuminating principle that brings the entire field of the mind and the 

        intellect under the beam of our clear awareness.

·  Just like how the Sun illumines every part of the world, the feeling is that the Sun is considered the only Seer or the 

        eye of the world, in as much as without the sun all organs of vision will be blind.

·  Similarly, the SELF can be considered as the SEER or KNOWER of everything in everyone at all times and in all 

        places. This omniscience of the Supreme is vividly hinted by the above example of Sun.

·  Unfortunately an egocentric limited mortal viewing the universe through the pinhole of his congested and constricted 

        mind,intellect and body fails to see the harmonious rhythm in the macrocosm. He who can open up his own self 

        from the bondages of ignorance and rise to attune himself with the macrocosm can certainly come to experience 

        the eternal SELF.

Subjective Analysis was also briefly discussed from previous class for verses 23-26.

In the next class, all of us would be summarizing the last 3 verses to wrap up Chapter 7.   

Links to videos viewed -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl_H2ZrKZkI&list=PLm6DKuwwu5zqslPPdj-sepdn-nTcFLImC&index=174&ab_channel=ChinmayaChannel      23-1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suAxpwAQM_4&list=PLm6DKuwwu5zqslPPdj-sepdn-nTcFLImC&index=175&ab_channel=ChinmayaChannel  23-2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0Yns2nyX10&list=PLm6DKuwwu5zqslPPdj-sepdn-nTcFLImC&index=176&ab_channel=ChinmayaChannel       24

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEMY-PPaVkE&list=PLm6DKuwwu5zqslPPdj-sepdn-nTcFLImC&index=177&ab_channel=ChinmayaChannel      26-1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZzpfo1qbTg&list=PLm6DKuwwu5zqslPPdj-sepdn-nTcFLImC&index=178&ab_channel=ChinmayaChannel    26-2