Meditation in Life: Chapter 7 contd.
Class Notes | January 22, 2019
Notes by Primary Writer, Megha Davalath
When a Hindu hears the word “dying”, they would think about Kashi. Kashi is where Bhagvan Shiva gives the Tarakamantra and one is freed. The word “Varanasi” is broken down into Vandana (to ward or deflect) and Nasi (to destroy) so the absolute meaning of Varanasi is to ward and destroy. Bhagvan Shiva goes by “Rudra” in Varanasi and can be broken down into Rudg (misery) and Drais (to melt). Rudra means melting one’s misery. All of the limitations melt away and you become Avimuktha. In the Vishnu Sahasranama, the name Anish breaks down to Isha (Lord, God) and An (no Lord, no God). The only one that doesn’t have a God is God himself.
In chapter 7 of Meditation & Life, Pujya Gurudev is encouraging us to be honest all the way to the end. If you have anger in your personality, it comes from fear. We are far more ready to admit fear than anger. We need to have alignment in our thoughts and actions. The one who doesn’t have that alignment is Ayuktha. Prince Arjuna is Ayuktha. Bhagwan Krishna taught him how to be Yuktha.
The more honest, the more integrity will develop which will lead to experiencing joy. You feel much lighter about how that honesty came out. That is Bhagwan joining us to our spirit. When you feel joy, etch that memory into remembrance.
The meaning of Yoga is Intention or the reason why you are engaged in the practice. It is the intention and not the implementation. When we engage in introspection, we are able to isolate what our intention is. When we are too busy and engaged in rajasic activities, we lose that introspection, so Gurudev advises us to isolate that intention and introspection at the end of the day after dinner. The intention should be impure and base but the ego will always refuse to be humiliated.
Feeling ashamed is necessary because it is a moving force. We move and we change.
Many times it is when we are brought to our knees we look up and ask for help. That is the sense of being ashamed.
Our text so far is focused on introspection.
Introspection will trigger detection.
Detection will trigger Negation.
Negation will trigger substitution.
In the chapter, we avoid the mind in 2 ways: being busy and being selfish. The subjective reason is I know that I’m selfish. When we don’t know the mind, we come to invoke the habit of experiencing and enjoying stress and sadness. For us, we are habituated to stress. Sadness brings more reality to our day.
The more we align ourselves with the subject the more we align ourselves with who we are, the more clear the understanding or appreciation will be that the object is ever changing and the subject is never changing. If I know I am existence, awareness and joy, knowledge will make more sense and all there is joy.
Notes by Prashanti Gogineni
When you hear the word dying what do you think of? Change, leaving the body, a long sleep. When is someone who is not exposed to Vedanta or to the knowledge of infinity, when they hear this word, or when a Hindu hears this word they think of rebirth, mukthi.
Some people think that its good to die in Kashi. When you die in Kashi, you hear that Bhagwan Shiva gives you a Taraka Mantra and one is freed. If you’re dying, would you leave the hospital or home that you are in to go to Kashi?
When you bring meaning to rituals, mythology becomes theology. Lets look at the word Varanasi. The word VaraNa means to to curtail, deflect or ward and Nasi means to destroy or exhaust. The Taraka mantra is the mahavakyas and in Varanasi Bhagwan Shiva is known as Rudra (Ruj or misery) Drys(Dravayati) to mount. Where ones misery is mounted is Avimukta kshetra or Kashi.
A typical ritualistic will want to die in Kashi. In Kashi they say Bhagwan Shiva whispers Jai Ram, Shri Ram Jai Jai Ram in your ear or Ram Nama Satya Hai and one is freed.
But no one is willing to operate on it. The Mahavakyas help us to cross over our limitations. But when you think about this more, Varanasi is to ward and destroy impurity or papa. Then the Mahavakyas become more real as misery melts away and I become Avimukta. The one who has no freedom, that being knows that they were never bound.
In chapter 7 of Meditation and Life, Pujya Gurudev is telling us to be honest. And hypocrisy is the opposite of honesty. We are encouraged to be honest about our weaknesses. How many of us have anger, fear in our personality?
Where does Krodha(anger) come from? From fear. We are more ready to admit we are angry than admit we are afraid. We have to be ready to be completely honest. Ayuktha is one who does not have an alignment in thoughts words and action. Prince Arjuna is Ayuktha in Bhagvadgita and Bhagwan Krishna taught him to be Yuktha.
The more honesty there is, the more integrity will develop. And in Sanskrit its called Dharma (that which integrates) and you will experience joy. When you complete all your responsibilities there is a different dimension of joy. When you experience joy in sadhana please remember that it is Bhagwan guiding us to our own spirit. When you tell someone in an open discussion without judgement or debate whats on your mind, don’t you feel so much lighter?
Meaningful meaning of the word yoga is intention. What is the difference between karma and karma yoga. When we engage in introspection we are able to isolate our intention. And we find that our intentions are not pure, its base.
The reason to feel ashamed is important as its a moving force, we change. In our text,introspection will trigger detection (detect weaknesses), which should trigger negation. Enough of being angry, impatient, jealousy, fear, which in turn will trigger substitution.
Q: How come its so hard to live with Prasada budhi?
Ans: Since our Arpana or dedication is not complete so our acceptance is not complete
Sometimes we feel our substitution is not working, that is because we have not fully negated. In our chapter, we avoid the mind by being busy. We know we are selfish, by avoiding introspection. We are habituated to being stressed, lazy or sad. We are like a bird thats in a cage for many years, that even when the cage door is open the bird doesn’t fly away.
We do the same with ourselves. The more we align with what we are or to the subject, then we are more alert to the objects that are always changing. And what we want is that which is never changing. I know I am existence, awareness, joy or Rudra avatara is one whose misery is melted away. In the Japala Upanishad its shared that the only determinent trigger for sanyasa is vairagya and that articles, beings and circumstances are not going to ever lead us to the never changing.
I need to let go of Selfishness and being busy. Need to be engaged! There has to be extraordinary effort to feeling Sanyasa. Ashrama doesn’t lead to it.
RAW: Expectation equals dependency. What in the world does it mean?
Notes by Kavitha Dheenadayalu
What is death. ?
Some would want to die in Varanasi . WHy is that. ?
Varanasi — ( Vara/Nasi )- Means ( ward off/destroy) impurity
Lord SHive in Varanasi is called Rudhra — RuJ/Dhara — misery/ Mount
Melt away — Avimuktha.
He is the only who has no GOd — Anesha. (to mean he is god)
We are encouraged to be honest all the way to the end
“Anger” comes from “ fear “
PRince Arjuna was Ayuktha.
The one word for Yoga is — — -Intention
When we engage in introspection — — our intentions are truly not what we project it to be .
If I shame I will be a very mean person — the ego will fight it fully
IF we introspect — we are ashamed and we change.
When we are brought to our knees is when we ask for help .
Negation is feeling ashamed .
Introspection will lead to detection will lead to negation will lead to substitution .
Realization — Chittashudhi.
question and answer
1)
V — -, Raaga, Bhaya, Krotha
Impatience is a form of anger.
Fear comes from Raaga
Afraid comes from what I am attached to .
Attachment is a result of projection ( vikshepa)
Ignorance (avidya) is cause for attachment
2)
Name Hinduism is based on geographic area SIndhu river /Indus valley.
the word is Sanaathana dharma ( is unchanging nature )
Sanathanadharma — is every beings responsibility to know this. ( the unchanging nature)
Raw of the week
expectation = dependency.
Notes by Prakash Balagurunathan
Bhagavan Siva gives taraka mantra in Kasi. When this mantra is given to someone, he becomes free
Varanasi — to ward and destroy impurity
Taraka mantra is a maha vakya
In Varanasi, Siva is known as Rudra — Rudra melts one’s misery.
A typical ritualist when he wants to die, he wants to die in Kasi. Varanasi is the place where Lord Siva
whishpers the Mahavakya “taraka mantra” which frees him. When we think deeply the word Varanasi
means to ward and destroy impurity or papa. When this happens the Mahavakya makes sense. In
essence makavakya helps me cross over limitations. All miseries melt away.
Aneesha — One who is the highest — God
When we bring meaning to rituals or sayings, mythology becomes theology
Chapter 7 of M&L- Gurudev encourages us to be honest. The more hypocritical I am, the less honest I
am.
When there is anger in one’s personality, it comes from fear. Krodha comes from bhaya or fear.
Honestly must be full so there is alignment between thoughts, words and actions. Ayutka is a person
who does not have this alignment. Prince Arjuna was Ayuta and Bhagavan Krishna taught him to be
Yukta.
Yoga — Intention
Difference Karma and Karma Yoga — intention and not the implementation that turns Karma into Karma
Yoga
Gurudev says Introspect at the end of the day. Isolate intention from action. When we introspect, we
realize that our intension is quite low.
Feeling ashamed is a moving force as it forces us to change. In technical terms it is negation.
Introspection triggers detection
Detection triggers Negation
Negation triggers substitution
If negation is not done fully, substitution is not done fully.
2 ways we avoid our mind — one way is by staying busy and the other way
The more I know who I am, the more I want the one that never changes. When this becomes clear, it
becomes clear that objects, beings, circumstances cannot provide joy. This grows chitta suddhi.
Jabala Upanishad — Rishi Yagnavakya shares that Vairagya alone and not ashrama that leads one to
Sanyasa. I am being engaged and not busy
