Bhagavad Gita Course: Chapter 18 (contd.)
Class Notes |April 24, 2018
Notes by Madhu Soni, Chinmaya Mission Badri, Chicago
Madhu’s reflection on this week’s discourse:
Let go of the future to engage in the present.
Let go of the lower to achieve and hold onto the higher.
Strive for Kritanta, the end of doing and becoming, and Just Be.
Evolve through karma by knowing it’s components:
· Drishti — Vision
· Karma — Purpose
· Karta — Attitude
· Buddhi — Understanding
· Dhriti — Commitment
Aim for sattva and oneness.
Be an ambassador of God.
Through right thinking and right actions, we can be free and experience sukha, effortless well-being.
Class Notes:
What is the difference between Ravana and Vibhishana? They were brothers, but we can understand their differences by understanding what their names mean. Ravana means someone who is always roaring, symbolizing someone who is filled with fear. Vibhishana means fearless, the one who is ever quiet. Going deeper beyond the names, the reason that Ravana is fear-filled is because he believes Bhagwan Rama is just Rama, a mortal being. Ravana thinks he is greater. Vibhishana knows Bhagwan Rama is God. He says that we keep doing so we can keep enjoying, but enjoyment goes away. One then gets stuck in this cycle of doing to enjoy. This is samsara.
One who has invoked God’s grace or their Guru’s grace through their own effort, they start to think and in thinking, they start to explore and begin engaging in tyaga, or letting go. They let go of their past story to create a present and future story. They let go of the lower to hold onto the higher.
Tyaga begins by understanding phala or results. When one understands that phala is in the future and out of control, then there is understanding that whatever I receive and whatever came into my life, will also leave my life. When one understands fruits, he/she starts to shift focus and invest in action, in karma and specifically engaging in yagya, dhana and tapa because these facilitate shanti at a distance, close by and most importantly, within.
Phala does not facilitate shanti, karma does. This is tyaga, letting go of the future so I can engage in the present. With this understanding, we come to a new name or different way to understand Vedanta. Vedanta is also known as kritanta. Vedanta means the end of knowledge. Kritanta means the end of doing, i.e. the end of becoming. If you are not doing or becoming, you are being. One is happy once and for all to live happily ever after.
Bhagwan continues with chapter 18 to help us understand karma even more.
18.8–18.12
The more we understand karma or action, we develop this insight to engage in tyaga or to let go of aham kara. Aham means I, kara means do. The cycle of I do, I enjoy as discussed above. That is ego.
The more I understand karma, aham slowly gets erased.
The evolution of karma is now what Bhagwan Krishna takes up. It is not just evolution of karma, it is evolution through karma. We all want to evolve through karma.
Bhagwan shares: all of our karmas should start with drishti, or vision. The one who has a sattvic drishti, their vision is holistic and this is how they are beginning their karma; there is no separate professional and personal goal; all they do is uniform. There is a oneness.
All the people in our lives, particularly our parents, sibling, spouses, children, etc., are all ambassadors of God. Ambassadors of God are called gurus. A guru, in turn, is someone who removes darkness. He/she makes us vulnerable so we can see our vices and hopefully turn them into virtues. You can have many gurus, but only one Satguru, one who guides you to the Truth. Someone who has a sattvic drishti learns from all of the people around them.
One with a rajasic vision, does not have a holistic, but a broken vision. With the lack of oneness, their vision towards karma is always comparing; comparing the past to the present, the present to the future, and comparing themselves to others so there are regrets, anxieties, and they are not having a uniform aspiration in life.
Tamasic vision or drishti, is one in which the vision is missing. It’s not broken like the rajasic vision; it’s just not there at all. Such people live life in ignorance. Ignorance is when you ignore life; u don’t think at all and there is no vision.
If karma evolves, we will evolve. Karma begins with drishti or vision and this then expresses the next component, or purpose. What is the purpose of action, my family, etc.:
One with a sattvic purpose, the reason to act is deep. He/she is thinking and executing in a deep way; whatever is done is for the long term, not the short term.
One with a rajasic purpose is distracted. These individuals both know and don’t know what they’re doing and in this distraction, they become inefficient in their karma. They’re engaged in or are about to engage in an action and they are comparing. They may forget why or be confused about what they are doing.
Swami Chinmayananda shared that it is like having the foot on the accelerator and the brake at the same time. Indecisive, unsure, confused. They want to go forward but they can’t as there are too many self-cancelling thoughts.
An individual with a tamasic purpose is impulsive. These individuals just do whatever they feel like doing, and what their “gut” tells them.
Your gut or this intuition has to be trained, but the tamasic person has no training so to just do what you feel like doing will always be harmful to you and others. Those with a tamasic purpose are ever engaged in the short term. These are the type of people who are most destructive to the environment. They think that the Earth is just for their use.
Drishti is the deepest part of karma. It expresses as purpose and then the 3rd dissection of karma is karta or attitude. What is the attitude with which you are trying to execute this purpose.
One with a sattvic attitude is responsible and doesn’t make excuses. The Sanskrit word for responsible is dharmic.
One with a rajasic attitude acts in expectation for something in return. He/she acts with the intent of an exchange for something/with someone. Another way to look at this is projection, attachment. They are disappointed when things don’t happen the way they expect them to turn out. They are angry and become anxious, defensive.
One with a tamasic attitude is just destructive, a catalyst to harm. In harming themselves, they harm others. For example, if a person smokes cigarettes or litters, everyone ends up having to pay for that either through socialized medicine, tax payer dollars, and environmental costs, not to mention the harm from second hand smoke.
The 4th part is buddhi or understanding. What is our understanding of karma, what we are about to do? How should we bridge the gap between knowing what we should be doing and actually doing it, such as waking up early in the morning?
Each karma has a component of vision, purpose, attitude and understanding.
Without the understanding, the rest may be difficult to process.
Sattvic understanding is one who prioritizes, practicing viveka. Those who prioritize know what is important. One who prioritizes well is clearly decisive and has clarity about the cause and effect; an admirable quality.
One who has a rajasic buddhi or understanding does not prioritize and is filled with doubt. When someone is a doubting person and lacks decisiveness, he/she is easily swayed.
Tamasic buddhi, is a dark understanding; all that these individuals know about the work they are going to begin is false. They treat the means as the ends and vice versa. They know what is right but they change that into being wrong and vv. They carry falsity in their understanding.
The 5th and final part of karma is dhriti or commitment. Commitment is an expression of understanding.
One who has a sattvic dhriti is steady, like Hanumanji.
Someone who has a sattvic commitment is always adapting. As articles, beings and circumstances change, they adapt to it; whatever it takes to fulfill that karma.
One with a rajasic dhriti has only circumstantial commitment. It is preferential with a lot of likes and dislikes. There is a temporariness to someone who has this rajasic commitment.
Tamasic dhriti is seen in those who are stubborn. One who is stubborn is one who never learns as he/she is not willing to change. If one has a false understanding, even if there is realization of being wrong, this stubbornness does not allow the person to learn.
Bhagwan is sharing this detail about the components of action or karma with us as our key out of this cycle, an evolution to be free.
Bhagwan Krishna expounds on our understanding of karma by explaining that there are five components to an action:
· karta (the doer)
· karana (mind)
· cheshta (breath or energy)
· adishthana (body)
· deva (field)
In 18.13, we have to go to vigjnana, wisdom, reading between the lines of what Bhagwan Krishna is teaching. He is trying to help us understand that we are not the doer.
Bhagwan is so loving and explains karma in detail for our benefit. He goes into karma even more because He knows that through right thinking and right acting, we can be free.
Bhagwan Krishna says our actions should have:
Drishti or vision. This will express as karma or purpose. In turn, this will express as karta or attitude. This should express as buddhi or understanding and finally, as we are acting, this should express as dhriti, or commitment.
Karma is going to lead us to anahankara (without ego), if we address all 10 components to action. At this final destination, there will be no sense of individuality. When one is realized, individuality dies and one becomes the player, the instrument of God as a coach, as a musician. Literally, these individuals become ambassadors of God. A genuine ambassador represents the leader.
As we become more and more egoless, we will start to experience more and more sukha. Bhagwan says that with dristhi, karma, karta, buddhi, dhriti, there is an experience that comes with it called sukha.
One who has checked off sattvic for all five components is sukha and will experience effortless well-being.
Chapter 18, Sloka 37 interpretation:
That which in the beginning is hard, but in the end is like nectar or is easy. E.g. waking up in the morning, going to the gym; being patient, understanding, generous, etc
Bhagwan says, Tat sukha: That is happiness, sattvic happiness. Where does it come from? This is born from one self. Independently joyous. This joy comes from within. Try your best and leave the rest.
Rajasic sukha is dependent on various factors; for e.g., dependent on the people around, time of the season. If everything is not perfectly aligned, they feel disappointed and angry.
Tamasic sukha follows the mentality of ignorance is bliss. Wherever there is ignorance, there is harm and destruction.
Vigjnana: If you carefully analyze each of the five components, for each one of these, there is a sattvic, rajasic and tamasic part. Maya is also present.
One and only way to get out of maya is to be at the feet of Mayapati, God.
Bhagwan is sharing that karma is not our way out. One has to be doing to get to this understanding that I can’t do this by myself.
Chapter 2 of Srimad Bhagavad Gita is a mirror of chapter 18. In chapter 2, the first thought that is shared is jnana yoga, then karma yoga, and then bhakti yoga.
Chapter 18 has 4 waves: jnana, karma, bhakti and then anubhuti.
Trust me, there is only God.
Q&A
Q: How do you reduce conflict with a spouse or family member?
A: Marriage is a training in understanding. Once you see the full picture, you see the picture of life and connect the dots. May we not fight or quarrel with each other. May we not have selfishness behind the issue. The way I can understand others is to understand myself and know when to speak up and when to stay quiet.
Mismanagement of expectations can be changed to management of expectations through communication; one on one without distraction.
RAW from last week: Be vigilant to all factors that go into what you are doing, as that vigilance helps us understand karma.
RAW for this week: Make a chart on karma.
Hari Om!
*******************************************************************
Note by Sreelatha Varapravan
The difference between Ravana and Vibhishana is that Ravana is filled with fear and Vibhishana is fearless. Ravana means someone who is always roaring and he is fearful because he believes he is better than Lord Rama. Vibhishana means someone who is ever quiet and he is fearless as he knows that Bhgavan Rama is god. So, for us too, we are experiencing Bhagavan Krishna through the teachings in this course if we are becoming courageous and fearless.
In chapter 18, Bhagavan shares that doing leads to enjoying which is short lived leading to more doing for more enjoyment and so on. When one is blessed with the grace of Bhagavan and the Guru, one can let go of the lower and hold on to the higher and engage in tyaga. This gives us a new understanding of Vedanta which can also be described as Kritanta/ end of doing and becoming. This leads to just being.
Shloka 18.8–18.12: Bhagavan shares the 5 components to an action:
- Drishti or vision
- Karma or purpose
- Karta or attitude
- Budhi or understanding
- Dhriti or commitment
All of these components are based on gunas and therefore Maya. The only way to get over maya is by surrendering oneself at the feet of the Lord(maya-pati).
- Dhrishti or Vision
Saatvic — holistic vision. There is a oneness in the goals be it professional or personal.
Rajasic vision is broken and filled with comparisons. No uniform aspiration.
Tamasic vision is absent. They have no vision and live life ignorantly.
- Karma or purpose:
Saatvic purpose is deep. They act for the long term and will adapt as needed.
Rajasic purpose is distracted. They are inefficient and confused about the purpose.
Tamasic purpose is impulsive. They act for short term and is destructive to self, others and environment.
- Karta or attitude
Saatvic attitude is responsible/dharmic. They act without making excuses.
Rajasic attitude is filled with expectations/projections/attachments. They are shaky, angry, disappointed, anxious and defensive.
Tamasic attitude is destructive. This is a catalyst to harm self and others.
- Budhi or understanding
Saatvic understanding prioritises/viveka. Clear about the means and ends/cause and effect
Rajasic understanding is filled with doubts and is easily swayed.
Tamasic understanding is false. They treat means as ends and vice versa.
- Dhriti or commitment
Saatvic commitment is steady like Hanuman ji
Rajasic commitment is circumstantial/preferential and based on likes/dislikes
Tamasic understanding is stubborn with an unwillingness to change for the better.
Shloka 37: That which is hard in the beginning like poison becomes amrat(nectar) in the end. This joy is born from oneself. These 5 components will lead to experience of joy(sukha)
Saatvic joy is independent joy.
Rajasic joy is dependent on everything being aligned perfectly
Tamasic joy is born out of ignorance and this causes destruction.
Chapter 18 begins with Jnana Yoga and then leads to Karma Yoga. This leads to Bhakthi yoga and ends with Anubhuthi(experience of Prince Arjuna). There is only God.
Questions:
- How to conceptualize Drishti to Driti and how do we live it?
Ans: To conceptualize this as a flower that is blooming and not as separate columns. Bhagavan is sharing that we should be uniformly saatvic in all the components. Knowledge leads to vision that leads to Attitude. This is seen as thoughts, words and actions. (KVA-TWA)
- Explain kritanta
Ans: We all suffer from Bhava-roga(disease of becoming).Knowledge that I am complete leads to exhaustion of vasanas to become… This leads to end of forced doing and they become infinitely dynamic. When there is nothing to gain, there is nothing to lose. When there is nothing to lose, there is nothing to fear. When there is nothing to fear, there is only love.
- How do you reduce conflict with spouse or family member?
Ans: Attend retreats that focus on these. Marriage is a training in understanding. Once you see the full picture of the marriage, you see the full picture of life. All the people in our lives are ambassadors of God. They are our Gurus who show us our vices for us to change into virtues. We chant ‘ma vidh vishava haihi’ praying that may we not misunderstand each other. The more we understand ourselves, the more we understand others. Conflicts in family relationships are due to the mismanagement of expectation which can be addressed by communication.
RAW: Make a chart on Karma — your understanding and how it can be a reminder for yourself. Post it.
Next class — Shloka 18.14 to 18.23 will focus on Bhakthi Yoga.
*******************************************************************
Sriharsha Mandava
Class Notes 18.8–18.13
Chapter 18 is about Evolution through Karma.
Dhristi — Vision
- Satvik Dhristi: holistic vision
- All done is holistic — learns from all
- Rajasik Dhristi: broken vision
- Always comparing
- Tamasik Dhristi: missing vision
- Live life ignorantly
*When Karma evolves — we evolve: Karma (Action) begins with Dhristi (Vision)
Karma — Purpose
- Satvik Karma: deep purpose
- Reason to act is deep — longterm thinking
- Rajasik Karma: distracted purpose
- Inefficient in Karma — thinking is confused (easily swayed)
- Tamasik Karma: impulsive purpose
- Reason to act is their feeling — shortterm thinking
Kartha — Attitide
- Satvik Kartha: responsible attitude
- No excuses
- Rajasik Kartha: expectant attitude
- There is an exchange between the world and themselves
- Tamasik Kartha: destructive attitude
- A harm to themselves and others
Budhi — Understanding
- Satvik Budhi: prioritized understanding
- Know what is important
- Rajasik Budhi: doubted understanding
- Always doubting and therefore easily swayed
- Tamasik Budhi: false understanding
- Treat means as ends and ends as means
Dhristi — Commitment
- Satvik Dhristi: always adapting
- As Articles, Beings, & Circumstances change they Adapt
- Rajasik Dhristi: only circumstancial
- Commitment is based on their likes and dislikes
- Tamasik Dhristi: stubborn
- A person who never learns
5 Components to Karma (Action)
- Kartha: Doer
- Karana: Mind
- Chasta: Breath
- Adistana: Body
- Deva: field
*We are not the doer!
*Vision à Purpose àAttitude à Understanding à Commitment: Sukha will follow! (should be satvik in all of these ways) ***Effortless Well-being***
· Sloaka 37
o That which is hard in the beginning (like poison) & Easy in the end will create lasting happiness
§ Is created from One’s SELF
· Independently Joyous
Nothing to Gain à Nothing to Lose à Nothing to Fear
July 6th — 9th — Niagara Falls
July 13th — 15th — Washington DC
July 16th — 20th — Washington DC
July 23rd — 27th — London (**Ontario — not UK**)
***************************************************************
Smita Jog
- Meaning of Ravana’s and Bibhishana name’s
- Ravan = one who roars and makes others roars
- Bibhishana = quiet and having no fear
- Bibhishana thinks that Rama is God, but Ravan views Ram as an ordinary person
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
- BG course provides connection to God, but only those who take the course seriously will experience this
- CH18 tells us to keep doing your duty to continue feel this experience with God
- One who evokes God’s grace allows him or her to explore their tyaga
- Tyaga is the ability to let go of the past in order to focus on the present and future, which allows us to focus on completing our duty (“karma”)
- As a result, one can engage in yajna, jnana, and tapa, resulting in short and long term shanti
- Only karma, the action towards fulfilling our duty, provides Shanti, not fala, the result of our actions
- Focusing on action in the present enables Tyaga
- Allows us to understand the concepts of Vedant/Kritant
- Vedant is the end of knowledge, Kritant is the end of doing/being
- Our actions everyday are the exact opposite of Kritant
- Ahamkara, or “Aham” (I, our ego) “Kara” (do, or Karma), is a person’s ego
- Erasing Ahamkara is possible through fulfilling one’s duty
— — — — — — — — — — -
- Satvik Drishti is having an holistic vision; allows work to be selfless
- Vision: Considers action for long-term effect
- Purpose: long-term “big picture” thinking
- Attitude: responsible, dharmik, gives no excuses
- This is only possible through a Sadguru, who guides one to truth
- Actions: Wakes up early, aware of positive effects
- Commitment: Always commits effort in ANY circumstance (regardless of difficulty)
- Sukha: Unconditionally happy
- Rajasik (“broken vision”)is acting without uniformity
- Vision: Somewhat aware of what should be done, but act differently anyways
- Purpose: compares past, present and future (instead of just focusing on present and future)
- Attitude: Easily distracted, expect reward from actions, often anxious or angry
- Actions: No priorities, always self-doubts, and gives excuses
- Commitment: Depends on circumstance
- Sukha: Conditionally happy (depends on various factors)
- Tamasik (“no vision”) is living life ignorantly; engages in short-term happiness
- Vision: No attention paid to the “right” ideals
- Purpose: Find short-term happiness
- Attitude: Also easily distracted, “harmful” actions towards others
- Actions: Prioritizes “wrong ideals” while avoiding the “right” actions, and vice versa
- Commitment: stubbornly refuses to commit effort “right” actions
- Sukha: Happiness from commiting the “wrong” action
— — — — — — — — — -
- Five components of action:
- Kartha (person who is doing)
- Karna (mind)
- Cheshta (Energy)
- Adishtana (Body)
- Deva (Field)
- Acting as God’s instrument
— — — — — — — — —
- Satvik, Rajasik and Tamasik come from Gunas (personal qualities)
- Maya also comes from Gunas
- ONLY way to remove maya is to place himself or herself at God’s feet
- Karma is NOT the way out
- Doing leads to the realization that One must recognize that s/he cannot do it himself (requires assistance of God)
- Chapter 2 (mirrors 18) describes Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga and eventually Bhakti Yoga
- Chapter where Prince Arjun and Bhagwan Krishna acts as credits scene; leads to the conclusion that there is only God
*******************************************************************
