Bhagavad Gita Course: Chapter 15 (contd.) & Chapter 16
Class Notes |March 27, 2018
Madhu Soni
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Notes by Satish Muluk
AV speaking from Niagara Falls.
Topics today: End of ch 15; All of Ch 16
Vancouver mobile Jnana Yagna
- Making sense of stress
- Transform Mundane to meaningful
- 3 practices for peace
- Understand esteem and ego
Above is journey of the seeker. Let’s see how:
-Making sense of stress — needs time/space, thought; realize that some stuff we do is mundane
-Move from mundane to meaningful; meaning can be found by adding peace to the mundane
-Practice being peaceful
-Practice can lead to the trap of developing ego around the fact that I am developing spiritually
BG course is opportunity to THINK. Only means of transcending thoughts.
Consider upside down bell curve: Brahman TO bondage TO Brahman again
This is the Path of Chapter 15
Message of 15 is to Remember our true nature
Remember — same as vivekah
Vivekah naturally leads to vairagya
Hanuman meeting with Vibheeshna:
- H says he has seen Father (Rama) but not Mother (Sita)
- V says the opposite
- But H warns him that though V has seen Sita, he is not helping her
- V is failing to follow through; he atones in part by leading H to Sita
- We must both remember and follow
Sri Rama Thirtha — he cares not for the criticism of others, because he considers the earth and other elements as his friend
GITA Outline
Ch1- Introduction
Ch2 — table of contents
Ch 3–14 contents
Ch 15 — summary (Brahman-Bondage-Brahman again)
Ch 16–17 appendices (elaborates upon selected subjects)
Ch 18 — final summary
Path upon which the Lord takes Arjuna and the reader
Sakama dhristi to Nishkama Dhristi
Nishkama karma leads to Shuddhi (of mind, memory)
Shuddhi leads to Jnana Pramana
Jnana Pramana leads to Thyaga
Ch 16 — focus on Daivi Sampatti (inner divine wealth); Asuric Sampatti
We must use the daivi sampatti to become pure. Recall that this was the final message of Ch 15 (anagha). This is our task, then completeness will naturally follow.
Verses 1–3 Daivi Sampatti listing
fearlessness — abhaya
purity of heart — sattva-sanshuddih
steadfastness in spiritual knowledge
charity — dana (don’t be makhi-chus, the one who tries to demand juice or milk from a fly that has landed in his glass)
control of the senses — dama
dedication — yajnah
study of the sacred books or oneself (sva) — svadhyaya
austerity — tapah (literally, to burn)
straightforwardness — arjavam (simple)
non-violence
truthfulness
absence of anger
renunciation
peacefulness
restraint from fault-finding
compassion toward all living beings
absence of covetousness
gentleness
modesty
lack of fickleness
vigor
forgiveness
fortitude
cleanliness
bearing enmity toward none
absence of vanity — na ati manita (humble)
Every virtue helps to develop the others. Humility helps us to develop all the others more quickly.
Asuric sampatti (even these are described as wealth)
From Bible: a “rich” man cannot enter Heaven — interpret as saying that a person rich with Vasanas cannot enter
Asuras use resources- use time-effort for own gain
Rakshasas — use the same to put others down
Asura — like capitalism
Rakshasas — like terrorism
Daiva sampattih — leads us to Swarga
Asuric sampattih — lead us to hell
Karma and Karmaphala are limited; actions and their results can never be permanent
This includes trips to heaven and hell. Both of these are forms of rehabilitation, teaching us to seek nitya
Verse 21: Gates to hell
Kamah — desire
Krodhah — anger
Lobhah — greed
Above must be given up, because they will destroy peace
To avoid (or get out of) hell:
From Jnana level: Dama (sense control), Daya (empathy), Dana (generous)
Bhakti level: Prayer. See God as the barrier to hell
Karma level: Follow dharma (responsibility), avoid desire
Dhyana level: be a Sakshi (as opposed to possessor) of one’s thoughts
One’s buddhi (intellect) will sync to one’s actions, if the actions are base in nature. We rationalize our bad acts. We must instead use intellect (ideals) to elevate our actions.
The equipment given to us is designed for us evolve the anthakaranah in the direction of the daiva sampatti
RAW: go through Asuric sampatti; identify which 3 are most prominent in your own personality
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Saraswathy Padamati, CM Pittsburgh, North, Pittsburgh, USA
General Class Notes
- Being in the BG course gives us opportunity and time to think, so we can transcend thoughts.
- Chapter 15 teaches us to remember and follow. By remembering, we excercise viveka — by prioritizing what is important, which leads to vairagya — dropping or letting go of what is not important.
- Remembering is not enough; we have to follow i.e put it into practice.
- Vivekji gave examples of great people who remember and follow such as Hanuman reminding Vibheeshana to help mother Sita or Swami Teertha remembering that the elements are his true friends for ever, when some close relatives spoke ill of him.
- Vivekji described the content of the Gita chapters as follows:
- Chap1 — introduction to the Gita
- Chap2 — Table of contents of the Gita
- Chap3 — Chap14 — Content of the Gita
- Chap15 — Summary of the Gita
- Chap16–17 — Appendices to the Gita
- Chap18 — Greater summary of the Gita
Chapter (16), Section (16.1–16.4)
- Daivi Sampathi:
- BG is teaching us Nishkama drishti -which leads to Chitthah Shuddhi.
- Chitthah Shuddshi leads to Jnana pramana — which is dropping of all the weight associated with vasanas , bondage and leads to liberation.
- Our responsibility is to make ourselves pure. Shastras and Guru come and make us complete.
- Virtue development is stressed for purity of mind.
- Shloka #1 was highlighted which lists some divine virtues
- Abhayam — meaning no fear or fearlessness
- How to develop abhayam is by :
- Having a pure heart
- Being steady/sincere with knowledge/practice
- Sharing/being generous
- Having collected senses
- Being dedicated to that which is higher
- Being Engaged in Self study
- Practicing tapah — burning down comfort zones
- Being simple and straight forward
- Na Atimanyata — meaning Being very humble
- If you are committed to one virtue, others come. Vivekji stressed how humility is the most important virtue.
- Asuric Sampathi:
- The demonic qualities are called sampathi(wealth) because they have a lot of weight and hold you down with the weight of vices and vasanas.
- Asuras are those who use their time, effort and resources for their own gain.
- Rakshasas are those who use their time, effort and resources to harm others.
- Vivekji made the comparison of Asuric qualities with Capitalism and Rakshasa qualities with terrorism.
- As one’s vision so is one’s creation — Today makes tomorrow.
- Vivekji left the study and analysis of these qualities as an exercise for the students. In particular to identify some or the most prominent ones in our own personality.
Chapter (16), Section (16.4–16.9)
- Heaven/Hell:
- Actions are limited and results of actions are also limited
- The limited results take you to Hell or heaven, where you undergo rehabilitation and then have to come back here.
- This should make you want what is Nitya or permanent.
- Shloka 21 highlighted:
- Desire, anger, greed are described as the gates to hell. They are destructive of peace.
- They should be let go ofin the following ways:
- Jnana marga — By dama (collected senses), daya (empathy) and daana(generosity)
- Bhakti maarga — By prayer — to help you see these gates and turn back
- Karma maarga — Following your dharma
- Dhyana maarga — Be sakshi of your vrittis. Be observant, and know that desire, anger, greed are just thoughts.Intellect justifies these. Knowledge purifies, and breaks the Ego.
Discussion Topic / Discussion Question/ Reflection Question
- There was no discussion question or other questions this week
- RAW: go through the asuric sampathi in Chap 16 and identify 3 prominent asuric qualities in your personality.
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Notes by Sapna Aggarwal
First Vivekji highlighted some thoughts as:-
-We should practice what we study. Through thinking we can transcend thoughts.
-Plain is reality we begin here and become extrovert. Whenever we remember we return and become introvert. Remember here is ‘Viveka’. When there is ‘Viveka’, there is vairagya. To remember is not enough, we need to follow, we need to practice.
Chapter 16:-
Chapter 16 fits in our study of Bhagavad Gita as follows:-
Chapter 1 — Introduction
Chapter 2 — Table of Contents
Chapter 3–14 — Contents
Chapter 15 — Summary (journey from Brahman to bondage and back to Brahman)
Chapter 16–17 — Appendices
Chapter 18 Greatest summary.
We are engaged in Sakama Drishti. Bhagwan says — Think! And takes us from sakama drishti to nishkama drishti. When one has nishkama drishti — it takes him to purify himself.
Jnana pramana — When Sadguru says
Tyaga — no bondage
Yoga — self development — virtues
Devotion — Citta — shuddhi.
Chapter 16 fouses on — Daivi -Sampatti –
-Qualities that are divine
-Inner Divine wealth
Vivekji mentioned Shaloka 1 of Chapter 16 — which is about Daivi -sampatti- which makes one deva — the light. Some of the daivi sampatti were discussed:-
- Abhgyam (fearless — no fear)
- To have a pure heart
- Steadfastness in the yoga of knowledge
- Dana (charity)
- Dama (control of senses)
- Yajna (dedication)
- Gentleness
- Svadhyaya (study oneself -study of scriptures)
- Tapa (burn down from one’s comfort zone)
- Arjavam (straight forwardness)
Bhagwan complete Devi Sampatti with Natimanita I.e. very humble.
If one is committed with any one virtue — rest follow.
Aasuric (Demonic) Sampatti:-
-Difference beween asuras and rakshashas was mentioned.
-Asuras are the one who use their resources, time and efforts for their own gain.
-Rakshasha are the one who use their resources, time and efforts for others loss.
-Today makes tomorrow. When one is davic (divine) they go to heaven. When one is asuric they go to hell.
Shloka — 16.5 to 16.9 were discussed as:-
All karma and Karamphala are nitya (limited action has limited fruits). If you go to heaven/hell, after exhaustting your karamphala you will come back. Heaven and hell are the form of rehabilitation. From heaven when one omes back and wants to go back there. And when one comes back from hell (after suffering) he don’t want to go back again.
Three gates of hell:-
The three gates of hell are destructive of atman -peace. They are:-
-desire
-anger and
-greed
When desire is not fulfilled anger takes place and if fulfilled greed takes place.
Therefore these should be let go:-
How to rehabilitate ourselves?
-Through Jnana: we should engage in dama, daya and dana. They help us.
-Through devotion:- Pray to Bhagwan — to come out of these three gates.
-Through Karma:- follow your dharma. When you are engaged in your duties etc, you don’t fall in. One has to be sakshi of one’s vriti.
-one should live upto their ideals. If his actions are base, then ideal is base. We instead of rising to our ideals pull our ideals down.
RAW:
Go through asuric sampatti.
Study some of these-
Which three are more prominent -in your personality.
My Answer is:-
- Anger
- Ignorance
- Covetousness (some-times , up to some extent)
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Notes by Sarala R. Kareti
16th chapter, by Acharya Vivekji
OM! prayers
Sahanavavatu, Sahanau Bhunaktu, Shaveeryam karavaavahai, Tejasvinamastu, Maavidvishavahaii…. OM Shantih, Shantih, Shantih…
Acharyaji was recently in Vancouver having a mobile Jnana Yajna, Topics 1st evening- make sense of stress, 2nd evening — how to transform mundane to meaningful, 3rd day — 3 practices for peace, & 4th day (last day), how to understand esteem and ego. Couldn’t find any theme in these 3, but is a journey of the seeker.
This whole info is what we heard from Acharya Vivekji:
The stress is indicative of lack of space to think through, actually lack of time, so can’t think. Once we start thinking we realize (come to know) that some things we do are mundane, not meaningful. So what we can do, is keep practicing, bringing peace into what is mundane to make that meaningful.
Finally how to understand esteem and ego. For Acharyaji it a journey from start to finish having sastra vasanas, study, study but didn’t follow thorough. Now, our BG course is giving this opportunity to think. we have lot of buts and busyess’s in our life, but this is the opportunity to think. It is only through thinking we can transcend our thoughts. cannot transcend thoughts without thinking.
Ch 15 , to understand, we have to visualize a reverse bell curve. The plain is the Reality, we begin here, is independent joy. But we forget and become extrovert, then suddenly we remember the fall and come back to independent joy, which is the top of the curve. Here chapter 15 is sharing to remember and follow. According to scriptural reference, remembering is viveka, whenever the viveka is strong, then vairagya comes into picture, then we start letting go of the unimportant and holding on to important things. When Hanumanji met Vibhishana, Hanumanji said He saw His father but not His mother. Vibhishanji said he met his mother but not the mother. Hanumanji asked Vibhishanji, what did you do, you didn’t help your mother who is suffering in Lanka, you are seeing her but kept quiet. That shook Vibhishanji’s complacency. So remembering is not enough, we have to follow thorough also.
Pujya Guruji, Swami Tejomayanandaji Said about Swami Ramathirthaji that he remembers his friends as ego, water, earth, fire space and air. So when someone criticizes us, we should not fall down, just remember what Swami Ramathirthaji said.
Now when we look at where this chapter 16 fits in the scheme of Bhagavad Gita, chapter 1 is introduction, Ch 2 is table of contents, ch 3 to ch 14 are contents, ch 15 is summary giving journey from Brahman to bondage and back. Then ch 16 and ch 17 are known as appendices, taken some subjects we studied earlier and are elaborated here. Lastly ch 18 is the climax, the greatest summary that takes everything from introduction to table of contents, contents, summary appendices into account.
Chapter 16, how it fits into our study is, what is happening to prince Arjuna, introduced to sakama karma, through Arjuna we are engaged in Sakama karma, that is sakama drishti, pefroming actions with selfishness. Even Vibhishananji also performed with selfihness, only knew swartha, the artha which is good for him. Now Bhagawan comes to the scence and says, “ think of nishkama karma, He takes us from sakama to nishkama, not just thinking about oneself but others too with more loftier drushti. When one engages in nishkama karma sufficiently, that kicks into chittashuddhi, purity of mind, memory, intellect and ego. This is what is getting out of the reverse bell curve, letting go of that weight. This comes from jnana pramana or thyaga. When Sadguru says “na bandhah’, disciple says “na muktih.”, no bondage and no freedom or liberation. So ne freedom means thyaga.
Bhagavad Gita is teaching us Yoga — self-development, virtue development, and chittashuddhi.
Ch 16 focusses on Daivi sampatthi (sampatthi word from Vivekachudamani), 6 inner wealths, shatsampatthi (sama, dama, uparathi etc..). Like cool mind, collectives senses.
Why whole ch 16 on divine qualities?
Last sloka of Ch 15 mentioned that our responsibility is to become Anagha, sinless, Sastra and Sadguru help us to become sinless, and make us ‘Bharata.’ And our responsibility is not to become complete but just PURE.
Lord Sri Krishna is a master teacher, first talks about Daivi sampatthi, the divine wealth, and then Asuric sampatthi. Acharyaji says we know the Asuric sampatthi already jokingly.
Sloka 1 begins with daivi sampatthi, divine inner wealth, which makes one Deva, inner light.
sl 1. Abhayam sattva samshuddhi jnanayoga vyavasthithah I
danam damascha yajnascha swadhyayas tapa arjavam II
Abhayam = no fear, best word to start great chapter. Abhaya is to be fearless, but how? To become fearless, there is whole plan. 1. sattva samshuddhih, have a pure heart, which is one that is gentle. Living is rough already, no need tomake more rough. Jnanayoga vyavasthithih, means, one who has studied the vision of knowledge. When we study with that vision, our study and knowledge won’t be conditioned by space, time and matter. Vyavasthithih, means, practicing this perpetually, doing all day to day activities properly. Bhagwan comes with more specifics, engage in dana (generous, generosity), not being ‘Mukki choose”, not aqueezing to the last drop (sattvic way of insulting someone).
Then Dama, collected senses, have them when one’s purpose is clear. Yajna; dedicated to Dharma, dedicated in higher way by sacrificing the lower. Swadhyaya, lovely word, Adhyaya is chapter, to study; swa = by oneself. Even people who write autobiography have to think a lot about their life. Vivekji asks students in his retreats to write about their eulogy, which needs lot of thinking., swadhyaya. Tapah, to burn, burn down one’s comfort zone. When there is no tapah, there is patha, fall, into complacency.
Finally, who is Sri Kirshna teaching? Arjuna, his beloved student. He says ‘arjava’, How beautifully the Lord is including Arjuna, “ Arjuna, you are virtuous by name, and I know you are virtuous by form too, so I am not wasting time on you.”Arjava = simple, straight forward, doens’t use technology.
Bhagawan completes this daivisampatthi by saying “na ati manitha’, Abhaya first and na ati manitha at the end. The word manitha means Ego, atimanitha means very egotistical; na = very humble. According to Pujya Guruji, He speaks a whole lot but emphasizes most is, Humility, which is most important for any human being. The beauty of virtues is, if we follow one committedly,or start with one, the rest follow faster. These are the Divine inner wealth.
Now Bhagawan explains Asuric sampatthi. He calls that also as wealth. We should not think vices are for others but not for us, a wrong notion.
Vivekji in a discourse in Seattle Veteran’s Hospital indicated that the wrod “Hindu” is not even in vedas, but the right understanding is “Sanatana Dharam.” In this, by being virtuous, one becomes independently joyous.
It was in a chapel, he shared from the bible, “before a rich man can enter the kingdom of God, a camel can pass through the eye of a needle.” Literally both are impossible. Here, the rich man cannot be interpreted as outer richness, but the one who is rich in vices, in vedanta we call as vasanas, when rich in vasanas, they can’t reach swarga, there is too much weight. That is why this Asuric vices are also called as Asuric Sampatthi. Even the vicest people are wealthy in vices, like Ravana.
Kumbhakrna was lazy, also Ravana. Here Bhagawan seperates Asuras from Rakshasa, important delineation. An asura uses resources like time and effort for their own gain. But a rakshasa uses resorces like time and effort for others loss. Asura says, “I am lifting up myself, I don’t care about you.” Where as for rakshasa, it doesn’t matter whether he gets better or not, but he wants to destroy the other person, and that person should loose. He doesn’t even care if he uplifts himself or not but he wants to put the other one down. To loosely apply to worldly activities, an asura is like a capitalists, become richer and reicher,, a god student can become better and better, a, Rakshasa is like a terrorist who doesn’t care about himself, but he wants other people to be harmed. Bhagwan completes this part of asuric sampatthi, later He gives more elaborately in this chapter, which is our aasignment/exercise for the rest of the week.
Bhagwan says the way one thinks today, they will be there tomorrow, yatha drushti tatha srishti. If I am divine today, then I will rise to swarga. Then we can say, rising to Swarga is to deepen to Sat. But for someone who is asuric, there is no light, more extrovert.Tomorrow they go to hell, means moving away from their nature. Today makes tomorrow. All karma and karmaphala is anithya. When actions are limited, any combinations of actions are also limited and gives fruits that are limited. If the cause is limited, how can their effects be limitless? Bhagawan is sharing, if we go to swarga or naraka, we will come back to being a mixture of (divine) virtuous and vicious, heaven and hell are a form of rehabilitation. If a person goes to heaven tomorrow, he enjoys the pleasure, possession and position there and after going through that, then he realizes, now what? They will come back to his embodiment & hopefully they will think to transcend all. A person who goes to hell, has been experiencing pain mentally, physically and intellectually, they too will say when will this end. Then they will come back to our plane & then think that he doesn’t want to go back there, he will want which is nithya, the best investment, which will last forever. This is the highlight.
Now the most famous and best sloka, referenced by several & many times.
Trividham naraksyedam dwaram nasanam atmanah I
Kamah krodhas tatha lobhas tasmad etat trayam tyajet II
Bhagawan says, trividham narakasya idam, these are the 3 gates to hell, nasanam atmanah, these are destructive of peace, peace here means ‘Atman.’
What are those gates? Kamah = desire, when there is desire, krodha (anger) always follows. Tatha, then greed follows. So these three should be let go off, tyajet. we have to dispel them. How to rehabilitate ourselves if we are going to hell? Our Guruji says from Jnana perspective, Through knowledge orientation, one should engage in dama, daya and dana; dama is keeping the senses collectively, daya, being empathetic and Dana, being generous. Theses 3 help us comeout of these 3 gates or not go into them. From Bhakti orientation, the Prarthana, pray to Bhagawan that you see these gates and turn back so that Bhagawan stays in front of these gates and makes sure that you won’t go through them. From Karma orientation, we have to follow Dharma. The ones who is following these disciplines don’t let their minds drift into those desires. A responsible person doesn’t get into anger becaues they become irresponsible. If they are not greedy, they don’t look around and they just focus on themselves. they don’t need anything extra. From Dhyana level, being more subtle, it is to be a sakshi of one’s vrittis, he himself is his own sakshi. Dewsire, anger and greed are just thoughts. While sleeping we don’t have desires, anger or needs. We have to be more observant so that we won’t be possessive of thoughts, “Buddhih karma anusarini”, beautiful term, saying, one’s buddhi or ideal follows, anusarini, karma, one’s actions, meaning, “I can philosophize a lot, but if my actions are in daze, that means my phlosophies are also empty. Our Guruji uses the word ‘ideal’, instead of lifting our actions to our ideals, we pull our ideals to our actions, that’s what we do. One who is in hell or going to hell, is the one who devised his anger, desire and greed according to that ideal.
Chapter 16 brings to our attention that our BMI eqiupment, the fields, articles, beings, circumstances etc. around us, it is time for us to evolve from the intersection of these. The evolution of the body is complete, now we have to take care of the evolution of our antahkarana (kind, memory, intellect and ego). We have to focus on the full evolution of that, the chitta shuddhih, where the mind is no longer the mind, knowledge comes in and breaks the EGO. OM NARAYANA!!!
RAD for next week: Go through Asuric sampatthi from Gurudev’s Holy Geeta, study some of those vices, identify 3 vices most prominent in your personality. Just to judge your personality (not others). If you can not make yourself vulnerable, then use Prarthana to make vulnerable. If you can’t go deep into your prarthana, then you can find out what 3 vices I possess, most people in the society have, and what is destroying the society most.
This is the completion of chapter 16.
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Hari Om!
