Bhagavad Gita Course: Chapter 12 (contd)

Class Notes | February 13, 2018

Notes by Deepika Allana, New Delhi, India

Prince Arjuna is feeling relief and rest from sorrow. He is feeling realization of who he is — that he is not just Prince Arjuna. He is realizing in the far sense, who is his sadguru — Bhagwan Krishna in front of him and Bhagwan Brahman.

Completion of Chapter 12

Last week Summary
We studied:

• The question of What is Bhakti? Should we practice with saguna (with Bhagwan) or nirguna (with Brahman)? Bhakti is depending. You should depend on that which is natural. What is natural? Depending on a form and name (like our parents) is natural. Our Bhakti should be directed towards saguna because this is natural.
• The Reasoning: To engage in dependence on nirgun (to live for infinite), one should be extremely pure and extremely prepared. Not ordinarily, but to the highest extent, because you are reaching for the highest.
• The Message: If reasoning has to do with why shouldn’t engage in nirguna bhakti then message is why should engage in saguna bhakti. The reason is that we should live for God.

Acharya Sankara shares in Vivekacoodamani- our study is like a bird- one wing is viveka and other is vairagya. Each pushes down to create lift. The more viveka we have, the more vairagya grows, and vice versa. Those 2 wings in Chapter 12 are jnana and bhakti. The more knowledge I have of god and infinite, the more I want to know God and infinite.

Swami Tejomayananda shares- “Do what you value and value what you do.”

Chapter sections: 12.11–12.12

Shlokas 9–12 — Titled — The support

The support is towards the Message (to live for God). No bhakta left behind.

• IF you cannot depend on God (have bhakti towards saguna), THEN you should practice depending on God.
  >>>If you can’t do something, then you practice it. Everyone one of us falters in our sadhana. Practice leads to perfection. If you don’t practice, then your Ego will fantasize different options/paths. Ego fantasizes that there are more options than there actually are. Other than practicing, what can we do to be more loving to Bhagwan — this is the only way. There is no substitute for hard work. If you can practice bhakti, you will feel more secure. If depend on Bhagwan to take care of finances, safety, etc., you feel more secure.
• IF you can’t practice depending on Bhagwan, THEN dedicate your actions to Bhagwan (this is yagna). How do you know if you are dedicated? You will feel light and have less likes and dislikes.
• IF can’t dedicate actions to God, THEN accept the fruits of your actions. One way to know that shloka 10 (prasada buddhi), is being implemented, you don’t insist on a particular result. Another way is that we don’t get tired. Someone who is tired is not getting what they want. If we don’t have prasada buddhi, you get tired with life, or bored with life. You know prasada buddhi is there when you feel generous. You appreciate and feel all is a gift, so you become generous.

Summary:

Option 1: Depend on God
Option 2: Practice depending on God
Option 3: Dedicate your actions to God
Option 4: Accept the fruits of your actions.

Shloka 9 — feel more secure
Shloka 10 — light shloka
Shloka 11 — generous
Shloka 12 — Greater than abhyasa is jnana. Greater than jnana is dhyana. Greater than dyana is tyaga.

• If take the words literally, doesn’t take sense. Think of implied meaning.
• Abhayasa — rituals
• Jnana — ritual with information
• Dhyana — understanding (different than information)
• Tyaga — practice (practice what you know of your understanding so it becomes more internal and closer to you)

You should constantly ask yourself, where is my mind? An important question for a sadhaka. It is the only way to lead us to Samadhi.

Chapter sections: 12.13–12.15

Bhagwan- the one who is fortunate. Bhagwan’s fortune is in 6 ways. God fortunes infinite matter.

1. Aishwarya — joy
2. Dharma — responsibility
3. Yasha — reverence
4. Shriya? — virtues
5. Vairagya — independence
6. Jnana — wisdom

Bhakta uses this fortune as a means to get to Bhagwan. If I am trying to invoke this fortune, it will lead me to Bhagwan.

Shlokas 13–19 — Titled — The Strength — this is to add to the Support. To help one engage in the levels of Bhakthi. These shlokas take up a lot of virtues — of someone who is the perfect disciple.

Sampling of the virtues:

1) Advaishta — the 2 poisons that we have towards all beings are likes/dislikes (love and hatred). Advaishta means these 2 poisons are not there. One does not judge people. Swami Tejomayananda — when we love God, we love all as God, because God is all.

2) Maitra — friendliness/friendship — a friend is one who challenges you to follow dharma (be a better person). A friendly person is never friendless.

3) ??? — One who doesn’t agitate the world and is not agitated by the world. Someone who is dharmic never bothers the world because they are engaged in their responsibilities. Never gets bothered by the world because they are focused on what their contribution is.

4) Dhaksha- decisive (dexterous only if decisive). Even if it is a wrong decision, they accept it is a wrong decision. Do this by being analytical.

5) Gata vyata? — not engage negativity (no gossiping, judging, being pessimistic, picking on others).

6) Mouni- someone who is engaged in mananam. They are thinkers and don’t let any experience pass them without learning from that experience.

7) Santushta (satisfied/content) — with little input, they are content. Being low maintenance. Sleep anywhere. Use any shampoo.

8) Aniketa (no home) — one is comfortable in any space/time/manner. Don’t have a comfort zone restricted to your own pillow.

Chapter 12 conclusion

Shloka 20 is a summary — Those disciples are not dear to me, they are extremely dear to me. This becomes the seed for the last chapters of the Gita.

Coming next: Focus on Asi (from Tat Twam Asi). It is not that you are exceedingly dear to me, but that you are me.

RAD from last week: Sleep 30 minutes less every day and not be tired. This was to prepare for Mahashivratri.
RAD for this week: Count the virtues for shlokas 13–19.

No Discussion or Question and Answer because class started 30 minutes later, due to Mahashivratri celebrations.

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Bhagavad Gita Course: Chapter12 continuation.

Class Notes: February 13, 2018.

Notes by Mihira Rath, Buffalo, New York.

Question: How many birth days you have a year?

Answer: Three.

1st birth day is when God was born (manifested) on Maha Shiva ratri.

2nd birth day is when God’s ambassador was born (Veda Vysa) on Guru Purnima.

3rd birth day is when the body was born. Sarira madhyama Khalu dharma sadhana. Means only purpose the body is born is to follow dharma. Our Dharma is to follow Sat Guru, and Guru’s dharma is to follow God.

Prince Arjuna is feeling relieved, He is feeling rest. He is feeling realization. He is feeling relief from confusion, relief from fear, relief from sorrow.

Last week the discussion was about Prince Arjuna’s question about Bhakti.

Bhakti is depending. Arjuna wanted to know which path to be practiced — Saguna bhakti or Nirguna bhakti is easier, like parents as they are the closest in form and name.

Lord Krshna replied that; to engage in dependence on Nirguna bhakti one must be extremely pure to the highest extent, and extremely prepared. Therefore we should engage in Nirguna bhakti. Depend on that which is natural, infinite. Depending on like name and form.

The purpose of our life is to live for God, or depending on God. Ravana lived for lust-he was depending on pleasure.The message is “live for God.”

Acharya Sankara shares in VivekChudamani is that our sadhana is like birth. One wing of this birth is viveka, and the next wing is vairagya. Prioritization is viveka then independence (independence from that which is not a priority.) When one wing goes up the other wing naturally goes down. Therefore the more viveka I have, the more vairagya grows, vice versa more vairagya I have more viveka grows.

The two wings of chapter XII are jnanna and bhakti. The more knowledge I have about God and the infinity, the more I love God or the infinity, the more I want to know God or infinity.Chapter XII is beautiful as itintroduces the second wing which is bhakti.

Swami Tejomayananda shares, “Do what you value and value what you do,” Example: Are you engaged in a career you value, are you engaged in a relationship you value? If you are engaged in what you value do you value what you are doing?

Sloka 9 thru 12 is support to the message, “live for God.”The support is towards the message, “no bhakta left behind.”

In sloka 9 Bhagaban says “if you can not depend on God, If you can not have bhakti towards the higher than you practice bhakti, depend on God. Practice is abhyasa. Here the if-then starts. Every one of us falter in our sadhana,Godd says then practice, as practice leads to perfection. If you do not practice you will give up. The ego will fantacise on different optionsfalsly as there are no other options. Therefore practice loving towards the Divine. Bhagaban lovingly says this is the only way.

SwamyTejomayananda says there is no substitute to hard work.

If you can practice bhakti you will feel more secure, as you are depending on God.

In sloka 10 bhagaban says if you can not practice bhakti, then dedicate your actions to bhagaban. In summary: option 1: depend on bhagaban, if you can not — option 2: pactice bhakti (abhyasa) if you can not practice then dedicate your actions to this divine form and name (arpanabudhi)yajna. When you feel like working for God you will feel more light, you will have less likes and dislikes.

In sloka 11: God says if you can not have arpanabudhi then accept the fruits of your actions (prasadabudhi.) One way you know that you are engaged in prasadabudhi is you will let go of the insistence.

SwamyTejomayananda says, “this insistence on results makes us disgruntuled. If you give up insistence you will be cheerful and in peace. Another way you know if you are engaged in prasadabudhi is you will not get ired. You will be generous, as you will feel that everything is a gift.

Greater than abhyasa is jnana. Greater than jnana is dhyana. Greater than dhyana is tyaga.

Here abhyasa means ritual, jnana is information (ritual with info), dhyana is understanding (become part of the ritual), tyaga is practice (practicing what you are understanding.)

How you know what you are engaged in: constantly ask yourself- where is my mind? If your mind is not there then it is ritual, If your mind is there than it is practice. Samadhi-Sam is well, ma is fully placed, and dhi is mind.

Sloka 12.13–18 is the last portion which elaborates that Bhagaban is bhagya — fortune in 6 ways: 1: Aiswarya (joy) 2: Dharma (responsibility.) 3: Yasha (reverence.) 4: Shreyas (reverence.) 5: Vairagya (independence.) 6: Dhyana (wisdom.) For bhaktas use this bhagya to reach Bhagaban.

Sloka 12.13 thru 12.19: Takes up a whole lot more virtues. Some of the virtues are:

1: Adwaithasarbavutanam. Dwi means two, visha means poison. Two poisons we have are likes and dislikes. Therefore do not judge people. SwamyTejomayananda says, “when we love God we love all as God-is all.

2: Maitrya — friendliness. Focus of Kiskindhakanda is maitra dharma. SwamyTejomayananda says, “ afriendly person is never friend less.”

3: Na udvijatelokah/lokannaudvijate. When one does not bother the world and the world does not bother them. This is only possible for a person who follows dharma.

4: Daksha — decicive, by being analytical they are dextures.

5: Gatabyatha — not engaged in negativity.

6: Mauni — who is engaged is mananam.

7: Santust — Content. SwamyVidyarana says, “alpabhogantusyati.” Low maintenance.

8: Aniketa — No home — you are comfortable without limit of you are comfortable without space and time.

Sloka 20: Summary of chapter XII: Those disciples are immeasurably dear to me. This preceeds to the next chapter where Krsnafocouses on “Asi” or you are me, part of the Mahabakya “tat twamasi.”

RAW for this week is count the virtues from sloka 13 through sloka 19.

There was no discussion this week.