Bhagavad Gita Course: Chapter 13 (review) & Chapter 14

Class Notes | March 6, 2018

BGC Compilation of Class Notes

Madhu Soni, Chinmaya Mission Chicago, Badri

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Radheka Godse, Chinmaya Haridwar, Portland, USA

Chapter 13 has lead us to (anannya) single purpose of freedom (moksha) through oneness by living this asi knowledge. Best student hears and feels IT immediately with determination, 2nd best internalizes thru’ meditation, other best thru’ discrimination (with insights on how to make it real & personalized, then meditating then feeling IT). Another thru’ faith on the Guru, another by dedication(following Dharma) and finally comes devotion — where the student gets prepared to feel IT. Simply put knowledge is विनश्यस्तु अविनश्यन्तं — that within the perishing/relative there is non-perishing/absolute. Chapter 13 tells see that… one who sees IT sees deeper than our BMI/deeper than creation. Tvam & Tat /Prince Arjuna(has major) & Bhagavan Krishna(has transactional) limitations/upadhis of form and name. Removing the limitations only Brahman remains… deeper past any sort of expression Tvam and Tat are same as Asi.

Chapter 14 is the most pragmatic systematic chapter to study!

Yoga of Nature — Chapter 14 is most practical chapter from entire SBG

· Subject:परं उत्तमम् ज्ञानं Mind Management to change ones vasanas

· Student: मननशीलश्रवणीमुनयःSerious&Contemplative having reflected (not just a good listener)

· Result:पराम् सिद्धिं SUPREME PERFECTION!

· Relationship:यज्ज्ञात्वाHaving Known THAT a mastered mind understands others mind & goes beyond IT all…

गुणातीत — not just a dry leaf गुणा गुणेषु वर्तन्ते tossed around but faces LIFE and builds it as it COMES

Chapter (14), Section (14.1–14.5) / Verse (#18)

· Awareness of materials of mind, their characteristics & how it affects us right now and tomorrow must lead us to adapting… thus this Chapter begins our beginning onto Self Development:

· Between Brrahman and Body is the MIND. This mind stops body from feeling IT is Brahman. Mind is just materials(महत्ब्रह्म) with different characteristics. The more we are aware the more we can adapt and try to unite the body with the Brahman. We tend to sukha-vrittis (thoughts of satsang, shastra vasana) more over sukha-svarupa (to actually own our blissful nature). Identifying with these mental moody thought is attachment sans enlightenment. These are golden chains that get us stuck. Bhagavan Krishna specifically points not to mistake quiet mind as Brahman.

· Color/Characteristics of Materials of Mind(Varna System)composition: same Divinity(sat-chit-anand) expressing in —

1. White/Sattva (Deep Ocean like Calmness) Humans — mindful of joy

2. Red/Rajas (Bull like Aggressive) Animals — sense-ous to chit

3. Black/Tamas (Dark Laziness) Stone, Plant — exist/sat sans expression to joy

and within Human Body is Tamasic Senses are Rajasic & Mind is Sattva(Divine). There are degrees to minds — dominated by tamas it suffers from avarna/dark(cannot describe), dominated by rajas it projects vikshepa(i dunno so i think this up) and dominated by sattva it analyzes viveka (understands what actually is)… such a satvik/satvik mind is engaged/focused in a action, tamasic mind is disengaged(bored) and rajasic mind is distracted. Knowing more about our mind we can adapt better and do more better with our mind. When it comes to beings a tamasic mind ignores people, a rajasic mind is prejudging/prejudiced, sattvik mind is Sthane(accepting all is as all is).. People are People… A C C E P T.

1. Tamasic mind — Low Living Low Thinking (dirty/lazy : complacent)

2. Rajasic mind — High Living Low Thinking (ambitious : restless)

3. Sattvic mind — high Living HIGH Thinking (beautiful way : thinking beauty)

ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्वस्था: मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसा: |
जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था: अधो गच्छन्ति तामसा: || SBG 14.18||

Our way of thinking affects today, tomorrow and our next lifetimes too. सत्वस्था:High thinker evolves, middle thinking is lateral मध्ये तिष्ठन्तिstand/stay and जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था:low thinker devolves to lower embodiment-s as animals. So beware of our thoughts we must!

Chapter (14), Section (14.6–14.10) / Verse (#23)

· Awareness was 1st step, now next step to solution is to change oneself… how to change the (SRT) characteristics of the material of the mind.

1. Be Alert: like a chess player strategy to move them around

2. Analyze:weed environmental impacts

3. Input:LIFO/FIFO last in or first in what goes in comes out

4. Observing:i too can change like the role modeler who goes with flow & is free

5. Substitution: lazyness aggresively & blending rajas into sattva (malinasattva) to shuddhasattva to vishuddha sattva to 100% momentum within characteristics of materials to enlightenment

6. Disciplines: sadhanas (wake up early, eat less choicefully)

· But this is BrahmaVidya, it is not enough to just purify the mind and then stay with the MIND. The 3rd part to this chapter is transcending IT. Mind is stopping me to be Brahman naturally how do i stop that to be Brahman to transcend to the light that illuminates all these thoughts(inner vrittis) and articles(class/hand), beings(windows), circumstances(weather,time). Thus outer world too is made up of materials just like vrittis are. The outer materials and inner vrittis tend to come together and get attached. In beginning only chapter pointed out to be careful of sukhavritti-s to not get stuck, not just enough to change the mind but go deeper than the mind… transcend to where there is no inner and outer world to find peace through; peace is not in the outer world, peace is not in the inner world. Peace is not a world, Peace is Ur SVARUPA. Study of Chapter 13 Knower and ‘the known’… transcending the mind is possible only with full awareness that the mind, materials, characteristics are all ‘the known’ and Knower is different than the known. One who is fully aware of this difference gets the label of guNAtIta(one who is free of all properties by transcending these characteristics/ropes).

· Signs of guNAtIta(one whose wisdom is firm):

उदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते |
गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येव योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते || SBG 14.23||

Sitting above (not subject to any guNA) limitation not imbalanced/shakenन विचाल्यते by these ropes constantly moving around, centered योऽवतिष्ठति remaining undisturbed by the fear of changeनेङ्गते. One who is transcended does not like to change any article, any being or any circumstance. Knowing all this is deeper than the mind they become fully accepting of other persons too remaining free not dependent on them all. This is a great chapter to study on beginning of Self Development (by making us realize what is stopping us from self development).

· Sugreeva(an ordinary seeker/monkey) symbolic of the Intellect in KishikindhaKand confesses (to MayaPati) how Bhagavan’s Maya (pleasures & possessions) trapped him to irresponsibility… that only when my efforts are blessed by Ur grace that one can be free of Maya. so,

My EFFORTS + Ur GRACE = guNAtIta free of Maya

So Bhagavan ends this chapter saying you can try all this putting your best efforts and you must try being it being in love with ME. Being in love you can also experience that you cannot experience only with your own efforts. Ramayana(Bhakti depending upon) and Shrimad Bhagavatam (Surrender-ship) is a must to enliven what we study with SBG… So Bhagavan tells JUST LOVE ME!

Discussion Topic : Practices to Experience Thoughts as only materials

· Experiment with changing the thoughts (try having angry thoughts, think of a failure, a hurtful situation, of service & generosity) while sitting where you are sitting (outer environment being the same).. realize that just changing the direction of thoughts the characteristic of that material changes too, then how can that be you… when you can manipulate your materials so easily, how can that be you. Know you are the Knower… practicing that consistently will bring chapter 14 to life.

· Put down on paper, journal abstract thoughts and time in physical planner:

1. think deeply of implications of mind is material

2. manipulate materials by taking mind in different direction

3. get in sadhana of putting the mind on paper for 10–15 minutes daily

Reflection Adventure of Week : Write 7 freedom signs / life experiencing indicators that you are free

Question : Explain Leela. Answer is IT is inexplicable. That is the explanation. Hard for us since our egos never allow us to not understand. Our egos will never allow us to be in position to not know. We will never admit to not knowing. Maya/Leela literally is indescribable. It takes a long time to come to terms with that and be free of that, then you are no longer concerned about understanding maya actually, you become more interested in Knowledge. Until we know we cannot understand maya we keep trying to try understand maya. It is actually egotistical and inefficient. There is no creation… there is only Existence-Awareness-Joy. But, you and me are here and are experiencing it. How this this happen — Maya. Why did this happen — Leela Just for fun! Purpose is a human characteristic… i am a human so i have a purpose to complete myself. Bhagavan is not incomplete. Brahman is completion. All of this is happening and we cannot assign human traits and conditions to the Divine. So why did Bhagavan create all this. #1 answer Bhagavan did not, #2 answer Just for Fun! So Think more to make IT more black and white not grey!!

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Rachana Sureka, Chinmaya Mission Alpharetta, Johns Creek, GA, USA

A seeker has to be ready, perpetually ready, like how Shabariji lived her whole life ready for Bhagvan Rama, in every moment and in every action, for freedom to be more than just words or ideas. For freedom to be an experience, we have to be ready to receive it.

Freedom must be the single purpose without another, Ananya. Freedom or Moksha is the ultimate goal or purpose in life. Every Chinmaya Mission activity, Satsang, our Gita class, these are all there to help us live a Divine life, to know Bhagvan and to be with Bhagvan, to take us towards our purpose of Freedom. This underlying purpose must be at the forefront of our mind so we know what our goal is, so we can love Brahmin, Be with God, Live a Divine life. Whatever actions we take on in our life, if our underlying goal or purpose is clear then we will apply that purpose to all our actions. If we forget why we are doing something then we will lose that focus and never reach our goal. Our purpose must be at the forefront of our thoughts.

Review of Chapter 13:

Bhagvan Krishna is telling Prince Arjuna that you have to live this knowledge of Oneness (Asi). The best students lives this knowledge thru determination if they are ready to do so. But if you can not live thru determination, there are other ways, maybe not all better or worse than each other but different ways including determination listed below:

● Determination — they hear the knowledge and feel it immediately because they are ready, shravanam

● Meditation — they internalize the knowledge and then feel it, mananam and nidhidyasanam

● Discrimination — they need more understanding of how it is real and personal so they can meditate on this knowledge and then feel it, shravanam, mananam, nidhidyasanam

● Faith — their Guru teaches the knowledge, they meditate on it and then they feel it, Shraddha

● Dedication — they follow their dharma which prepares them for the knowledge so they can feel it

● Devotion — a student is prepared so they can feel this knowledge

You have to see deeper than the body mind and intellect, deeper than creation. Both Tvam (Prince Arjuna) and Tat (Bhagvan Krishna) have limitations in the sense of form and name. But if you remove the form and name, what is left is Brahmin with no limitations, Asi.

Chapter 14:

The more aware you are of anything, the more you can adapt to it. Chapter 14 helps us be more aware of the mind, offering “mind management”.

What stops the body from feeling that it is Brahmin is the mind. The mind is just materials in a very physical sense, these materials have different characteristics.

Type of thoughts that we tend to have are known as Sukhavrithi — thoughts of peace and of rest (like Satsang, enjoying the thought of what comes with satsang.)

Sukhaswaroopa is the knowledge that i am not enjoying the thought of happiness, I am enjoyment, I am happiness. It is understanding that I am more than the thoughts, I am peace, I am Brahmin.

What is important is that we don’t get attached to the thoughts; to have that awareness of the difference between the thoughts/mind and Brahmin. We have to first know the mind so we can then tune the mind and finally we can then transcend the mind.

Bhagvan Krishna share the color system, varna system, as the color of the mind, the materials which make up the mind:

● Sattva is calmness, peace, goodness, associated with the color white

● Rajas is aggressiveness, activity, ambition, stress, associated with the color red

● Tamas is laziness, inertia, forgetfulness, associated with the color black

All three gunas are made of the same divinity, just at varying levels of manifestation. For example, in a grander scheme,stones, plants, animals and humans are all divine. Tamas will come in the form of a stone. Plants will be tamasic but more rajas then stones, and animals will be more rajas as they can express more chit and ananda than a plant but less than humans. And humans in comparison have the potential to express more than animals so if they follow their potential then humans are sattvic.

Like this, looking at an individual human, you can divide up what has the potential to manifest more of each guna. The body is more tamasic as it’s can’t express awareness and joy, the senses more rajasic and the mind more sattvic because the mind can express awareness and joy — chit and ananda.

In case the mind suffers from Avarna and is disengaged, dark, bored, more tamasic, you can’t make it go from tamasic to sattvic directly. You would need it to go to rajasic first. If a mind suffers from vikshepa and is more rajasic it is a distracted mind. It will project happiness on objects rather than looking for the true source of happiness. If a mind is Sattvic, it is able to understand, analyze, and filter, it has viveka, then it follows sthane and understands and accepts that all is exactly as all should be.

A tamasic mind tends to follow low living, low thinking. People that have a tamasic mind tend to be complacent, not trying to grow, they ignore, they just don’t care. They will likely devolve to a lower manifestation in their next life.

A rajasic mind tends to follow high living, low thinking. People tend to be ambitious, competitive, restless. They tend to be prejudiced, judging another. One will not move up or down, they will not evolve or devolve, in their next life they will return in a similar environment as this life.

One with a sattvic mind tends to be high thinking, regardless of whether outwardly they appear to have high living or low living. Because they are high thinking, they know they are high living because they are living in a beautiful way; the outward appearance of how they are living is irrelevant. They follow sthane. They are accepting. If one is high thinking, they will continue to move up getting closer to or achieving moksha.

Shloka 18 of Chapter 14 is an important shloka for us to remember; Bhagvan Krishna is telling Prince Arjuna and telling us the way we think is not just going to determine how we are today but also tomorrow and the next lifetime and the lifetime after that. One with high thinking will naturally evolve, one with low thinking will naturally devolve and one with middle thinking will not evolve or devolve, they will stay the same in the next life time; the manifestation or embodiment of our next lifetime is determined by how we think today. Be very aware of the materials that make up the mind, know these characteristics and how they will affect us today and tomorrow.

If awareness is the first step, then Shlokas 14.6 to 14.10 teach us that the next step is to change. Bhagvan gives us many practical tips on how we can fine tune these characteristics.

1. Alert — The more alert i am, the more I know the characteristics which I’m showing at any time; not to judge them, but just to be aware of them so i can move them around as i need to.

2. Analysis — Analyze how characteristics move and change based on an environment, when which thoughts or feelings or gunas are stronger based on the circumstance that i’m in. If i analyze and realize that something irritates me then i have the opportunity to change that characteristic.

3. Input — If i want to change, keep in mind what is being inputted will be outputted. Whatever is going in is going to come out so eat sattvic food, read good things, be in Satsang, don’t watch tamasic movies or be in tamasic company. If i can’t avoid the company, control what my mind takes in from the environment (alcohol, gossip, etc)

4. Observe — the more i observe people who change, the more i find ways that i can change. Have a role model who is free of attachments, who goes with the flow, observe their lifestyle as a motivation to better my own life style.

5. Substitute — if I’m feeling tamasic or lazy, i should bring in rajas, or activity, not to sleep more.If I’m feeling rajasic, then I can substitute a selfish activity with a selfless activity so i can blend into sattva. Substitute a lower behavior with a higher one.

6. Discipline — sadhana. Have disciplines that lead me to a more sattvic life, wake up early, have less likes and dislikes with food, be focused, be mindful, do puja, do japa, don’t multitask.

But finally it’s not enough to know the mind and purify the mind. We don’t want to stay in the mind, once we have tuned the mind, if moksha or freedom is our goal then we have to transcend the mind to Brahmin.

The mind is stopping me from knowing Brahmin so i have to transcend the mind to be Brahmin. Articles, beings, circumstances, that outer world is made of materials like how our thoughts are. Outer material and inner material are always trying to come together and to be attached. The goal is not to get lost in the thoughts, don’t get attached to the thoughts. This will make us stuck. We have to go deeper where there is no outer world or inner world. Peace is not in the outer world or in the inner world. Peace is not in the world, Peace is my Swaroopa. Be fully aware that all known materials are different than the Knower. The one who understands these differences is Gunatita.

Gunatita (one of Gurudev’s 108 names) means to transcend the gunas, one who is aware, one who has gone deeper than the mind and transcended the mind to their true nature. Peace is our true nature, our swaroopa.

Gunatita Lakshana — the indicators or signs of someone who is Gunatita

Shloka 23 Chapter 14: One who is sitting above, where they are not subject to any guna or limitation, they are not shaken or imbalanced by the gunas. Whether it is tamas or sattva, it is not good enough to just be that, we must go beyond the gunas. One who is centered or balanced is not moved by change or by the fear of change. One who has transcended these characteristics does not try to change any article, being or circumstance. They become fully accepting. They may try to help another but they are not dependent on that change.

In our day to day living, my personal understanding of this Shloka is that we must understand sthane, everything is exactly as everything is to be. Whether it would be an act of violence or an act of kindness, that act was to happen exactly as it happened and acceptance is key in every circumstance. We are not looking to change. Know that all is Brahmin, no one is their body, mind, intellect. But as we live in this world of maya, we must use our intellect and more importantly, have Bhakti. If we think we are trying to help others, we must have that understanding that we are not looking to change anyone around us. Knowing that all are Bhagvan, we can serve the society as a way to love Bhagvan, without any expectation of any outcome or change or result, but purely as a way to express our love to Bhagvan.

An example of this is seen in the Ramayana.

Sugreeva goes to meet Bhagvan Rama; Bhagvan asks him why had to be reminded to meet, why didn’t he come on his own. Sugreeva says it’s Bhagvan’s fault b/c of Bhagvan’s Maya that he was trapped. How is he to be free of maya if he is an ordinary seeker and Bhagvan is the Mayapati? Sugreeva is symbolic of the intellect. It is only by Bhagvan’s grace and the intellect’s efforts that one can be free of maya. The other way to be free of maya is to be in love with Bhagvan.

Our efforts are not enough, we need Bhakti, Surrender, to be depending on Bhagvan for this to be possible. We need Bhagvan’s Kripa.

Discussion topic:

What are practices which will help us experience that thoughts are just materials?

Vivekji shared that the mind is just materials like clothes. We may have different clothes for different weather but we are not our clothes. We should have that same relationship with our mind. We can adjust to different circumstances but don’t let our mind limit us as we are not our mind.

RAW:

Write 7 signs that indicate someone is free, Gunatita

Logistics:

No class next week. Chapter 15 will be covered on March 20, Chapter 16 on March 27th. Chapter 17 will be on April 3rd and 10th followed by 5 weeks for Chapter 18 and 3 weeks for review.

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Priyanka Sharma

Introduction:

When an important package is sent by mail, it is sent securely with a signature required at delivery. Some one has to be present to receive it.

Similarly when Supreme knowledge is given, the shishya has to be perpetually ready (e.g Shabriji).

This Gita course should prepare us for ananya — single purpose/freedom

The only purpose for the shishya is moksha.

Revision from Chapter 13:

At the end of the chapter Shri Krishna shares with Prince Arjun that there are several paths to Self-Knowledge. None of these are ranked but they are different depending on the readiness of the shishya.

The higher aspirants follow these paths

• Determination (shravanam). They feel and live this knowledge
• Meditation (mananam). They have to internalize the knowledge more before they feel it.
• Discrimination. They need more rationale and insight to know that the knowledge is real and personal. Then they meditate on the knowledge, then feel the knowledge

The lower aspirants follow these paths.

• Shraddha or faith
• Dedication (dharma). This prepares them for the knowledge
• Devotion. They pray and worship

Within the perishing, is the unperishing. Within the relative is the Absolute.

See deeper than creation

Connection to previous 2 pars of Bhagavad Gita:

Tat and tvam both have upaadhis. They both have limitations of form and names. If you remove name and form (roopa), what is left is Brahman.

Chapter 14

Between the Brahman and the body is the mind. The mind is made of materials and this material has different characteristics. If you are aware of this, then you can adapt.

You should try and move from Sukha Vriti (enjoying the thought) to Sukha Swaroopa (be the happiness).

The material characteristics of the mind can be described as:

• Sattva: calmness. Represented by the color white
• Rajas: aggressiveness. Represented by the color red
• Tamas: laziness. Represented by the color black

All these have the same divinity but each has different levels of manifestation

In relative terms; plants are more tamsik, animals are more rajsik and humans are more satvik.

The body is considered more tamsik, senses are more rajsik and the mind is more satvik.

The mind will have the following based on what dominates it:

• Avarna (cannot describe)- dominated by tamas
• Vikshepa (to project)- dominated by rajas
• Viveka (to analyze)- dominated by sattva

With work:

• a tamsik mind is disengaged
• a rajsik mind is distracted
• a sattvik mind is focussed

In interacting with people:

• a tamsik mind ignores people
• a rajsik mind is prejudiced by people
• a sattvik mind understands people as they are. They follow sthana.

Comprehensive analysis:

• Tamas — low living, low thinking
• Rajas — high living, low thinking
• Sattva — low/high living, high thinking

Shloka 18

ūrdhvaṁ gachchhanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣhṭhanti rājasāḥ

jaghanya-guṇa-vṛitti-sthā adho gachchhanti tāmasāḥ

The way we think will also determine the outcome in the next life.

A high thinking person will evolve to to a more evolved human being in the next life.

An aggressive thinking person will be a similar person in his there next life

A lower thinking person will become a lower human or a lower species in the next life.

14.1–14.5:

Shri Krishna is teaching us to be very aware of the materials of the mind and how they affect us

14.6–14.10:

How do you change once you are aware of the characteristics of the mind?

• Be aware/alert: if you know, you can adapt
• Analysis: notice how these characteristics change with the environment
• Input: whatever comes in to the mind will also come out (output)
• Observing: observe the people who have changed (role modeling)
• Substitution: you cannot go from tamas to sattva directly. You have to go to rajas first.
• Disciplines (sadhanas):

Progression of sattva:

Malina sattva — rajas blending into sattva. Impure sattva. 1/2 rajas and 1/2 sattva.

Shuddha sattva — 1/3 Rajas and 2/3 sattva.

Vishudda sattva — 100% sattva. There is momentum that will take you to enlightenment.

Last part of the Chapter: How to transcend the mind.

The articles, beings and circumstances (outer world) is made of materials just like the vrittis of the mind (inner mind). Both these come together to attach. The mind tries to find its place in the outer world and then gets stuck.

You have to transcend the mind where there is no further outer or inner world that you are trying to find peace through. Peace is your Swaroopa.

The mind is the Known. The knower is different than the known.

The one who is aware of this is Gunatita — one you has transcended these guna.

Shloka 23/Gunatita lakshana:

udāsīna-vad āsīno guṇair yo na vichālyate

guṇā vartanta ity evaṁ yo ’vatiṣhṭhati neṅgate

The one who is sitting above in a way that they are not subject to any guna (limitation).

Such a person is not shaken (imbalanced) by these gunas.

These gunas that are constantly moving around. One who is centered is not moved by this change or fear of it.

One who has transcended these gunas do not try to change an object, being or circumstance. Instead, they fully accept them as they are.

Relation to Ramayana (end of kishkinda kanda)

Katha — After the rainy season, Bhagwan Ram asks Sugriva why he forgot all about him. Sugriva replies that it is Bhagwan’s fault that he was irresponsible. He said that he forgot due to Bhagwan’s leela.

Symbolism — Sugriva symbolizes intellect. Sugriva replies that only when his efforts are blessed by Bhagwan’s grace can one be free of maya.

Just jyana cannot get you free. Bhakti has to be a part of it.

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Ragini Ramesh

A seeker has to be ready, a perpetual readiness. Every moment when all we think about moksha and act for it, only then it will be delivered. WE will be delivered.

13th Chapter review:

Srimad Bhagavad Gita is trying to teach us Ananya. The more we know more about Bhagwan, our original parents, we will love Bhagwan. We will start loving Brahman.

Sri Krishna makes Arjuna see the bigger picture and live the knowledge given. Sri Krishna shares :

• The best students live with Determination
• Not so best students do it with Meditation
• The next set of students do it with Discrimination
• The next set of students do it through Faith
• Another set through Dedication, follow dharma,
• they prepare for this knowledge and then feel this knowledge.
• Other set of students through Devotion.

They prepare for this knowledge and then feel this knowledge!

Within the perishing is the imperishing, within the relative is the absolute. We have to go deeper than mind, body and intellect. We have to go DEEPER than Creation.

Chapter 14th: Most systematic/pragmatic chapter

Mind comes in between body and Brahman. The more we are aware of the mind’s characteristics we will be able to unite body to Brahman. An important thing we should understand is that we cannot get attached to happy thoughts. Instead we should understand that WE ARE HAPPINESS — OUR Swaroopa. Otherwise, we will think that we are enlightened, while we aren’t. A quiet mind is NOT Brahman. We have to be aware of the difference body, mind and mind, Brahman.

Mind is material. Following are the characteristics of materials of mind:

1. Sattva — Calmness, Color — White
2. Rajas — Agressiveness, Color — Red
3. Tamas — Laziness, Color — Black

Gunas have the same divinity but vary in expression/manifestation.

When applied to a human,

Body is tamasic as it can’t express chit-ananda

Senses are rajasic

Mind is Saatvik

When mind is dominated by tamas, it suffers from Avarana. It is Dark. People with this kind of mind follow low thinking, low living, don’t grow and tend to devolve.

When mind is dominated by rajas, it suffers from Vikshepa. It is Distracted. People with this kind of mind, follow low thinking, high living. They tend to neither evolve or devolve.

When mind is dominated by Sattva, it understands with Viveka. Accepts. People with this kind of mind, have high thinking, could have low or high living.

Shloka highlighted: 18 of Chapter 14

Sri Krishna urges Arjuna to evolve with High Thinking. Our next lifetime depends on how we “think” NOW. Be aware of the materials mind is made of and understand its characteristics.

When awareness is established, the next process would be change. Sri Krishna gives practical techniques for us

• Vigilance — This helps us understand how our mind works currently, without being judgmental.
• Analyse — Checking how the characteristics of our mind changes in different circumstances
• Input — Be careful as to what is input into us, as whatever goes in has to come out.From what is eaten, who we are with, everything needs to be filtered.
• Observe — The mind can be carefully manipulated to be more saatvik, by observing a guru or a role model
• Substitute — Jumping to sattva from tamas is not possible. From tamas to rajas and to sattva, the mind has to be guided. When you follow the above, you alter your lifestyle and the way of thinking to Sattva.
• Discipline — Following Sadhana, that are tied to sattva will bring us closer to living the knowledge.

Gunatita — Who has transcended mind to our true nature. One who is balanced, not shaken by any circumstances. They are accepting.

As human beings, we can do our best to transcend mind. However it is up to the lord to bring us the grace of Moksha. Sugreeva is brought in here to explain this. Sugreeva is symbolic of intellect. Being in love with Bhagavan, Bhakti, depending and loving only him.

Discussion : Practices which will help us experience thoughts just as materials.

Vivek ji’s point — Thoughts to be considered as clothes.

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Hari Om!