Week 4 , Class 33, Oct 4 2022
Class Notes by Sharmila
A Satguru (a sincere guide) will guide a sincere student to love learning. Not learning in an IQ or EQ way, but rather in a SQ way, loving to learn about the spirit. When a Satguru has done a sufficient job, then that disciple will feel that every experience of theirs is a Guru. This is clearly shared in Srimad Bhagavatam where Rishi Dattatreya shares how he has been guided to learn from all. He shares that same sentiment with someone who wants to learn like him. One of His first teachings is to learn from the mountains.The mountains are most accepting. He goes on to share – ‘become a disciple of the trees’. The existence of a tree is only for others. Our Upanishad course is like being with our Satguru, is like being whom our Satguru learned from.
The Upanishad course is being with Bhagavan Narayana. He guided our Rishis, our rishis have guided our parampara, specifically Pujya Swami Chinmayananda , Pujya Swami Tejomayananda. When we feel that we are being with Bhagavan, with the Rishis and with the parampara , we will love to learn more! We will love to learn about the spirit and every experience we have, we will constantly be reflecting on this and how we can destroy what is holding us back from feeling we are divine. Those who don’t feel that they are being with Bhagavan, with the Rishis, with the Parampara , then the full impact of the Upanishad will not be felt.
Lesson 15 Recap: Dhyana Abhyasa Recap: The word Dhyana comes from the word Nidhidhyasana, which means to keep in mind. But to deepen this is to “keep the mind in”. When we keep in mind, what this feels like is that we are somewhat keeping in mind that which is fundamental but we are keeping in mind the perceivable much more. So we feel all that we are perceiving is real and the fundamental is somewhat real. But in our evolution, it is to “keep the mind in” – we keep the mind in the fundamental and somewhat in the perceivable. This is what Pujya Swami Tejomayananda taught in reference to withdrawing – shifting from the perceivable to the fundamental. This happens internally. This is clearly shown is Kathopanishad 1.3.13 – “Yacchedvaangmanasi praajnaH tadyacchet jnaana aatmani, jnaanam aatmani mahati niyacchet tadyacchecchaanta atmani” – Here the Rishi teaches a sequence of withdrawal. Start with the Vak (speech) – Pujya Swami Tejomayananda generalizes the speech to all that we input (specifically using the eyes), withdraw this and absorb this in the manaH (mind). Next is from the mind to the buddhi. Then withdraw buddhi to the mahat (total mind). In the commentary on Kathopanishad, the word used is Hiranyagarbha also known as the first born. In our Puranas, Bhagavan Brahma is the first born. Bhagavan Narayana taught Bhagavan Brahma that as he goes about creation , to remember Bhagavan Narayana, so that way the sense of doership/deservership does not arise. So the sequence is – Speech which is grosser to the mind which is subtler, from the mind to the intellect (which is subtler than the mind), and withdraw the pure intellect into the total mind ( to start to think like Bhagavan Brahma). Bhagavan Brahma knows that more authentic and deep than him is Bhagavan Narayana – no sense of doership and always functioning with humility. Then next is to withdraw from the mahat (total mind) to the atma, going past notions such as equipment that is the mind, size (individual or total) to Atma which is infinite.
As we withdraw from the grosser to the subtler to the more causal – one will become more virtuous!
This Class: All that is not the Atma is Kriti (elements). When these elements go into combinations, that becomes Prakriti. Our body is a combination of elements (earth, water, fire, air, space), the same with the mind (subtle matter) and ego (causal matter). We are what we eat! The grossest part of what we eat goes through the body and is relieved, the rajasic part becomes the body, the subtlest part (saathvik part) becomes the mind. Matter sustains matter! If there is matter then there has to be spirit. Knowing the technicalities of what ‘matter’ is helps us to be more clear about what is ‘me’ and what is ‘not me’. In a relative way, when we think of an unhealthy relationship, and think of what is unhealthy about it , it turns out to be that in such a relationship one is being ‘controlled’. The source of this sense of control is ‘doership’.But when we reflect on the fact that our body, mind and ego are all ‘elements’ , then we come to understand that we are only a ‘part’ doer and not the ‘sole’ doer. When we shift from the ‘sole’ doer to the ‘part’ doer then we start to live with more ease.
Zooming into how our mind is simply a combination of these elements, Pujya Swami Tejomayananda has shared that every thought we have – none of these is an original thought! When Srishti (creation) came, what came with it was the Shastra (manual on how to be in creation), which we refer to as the Veda. The Veda came from those Rishis who were able to quieten their mind to such an extent that they could hear or listen to Bhagavan. The Veda is a revealed knowledge, which means the knowledge was there and the Rishis tuned into that knowledge. (The worldly example is – gravity was always there and it was Newton who tuned into gravity.) If this applies to the Veda, then it applies to everything , meaning thoughts exist and when we quieten our mind we tune into that thought (be it a cooking recipe or a scientist who won a Nobel prize).
A great text for us to continue our studies is Shiva Sankalpa Sukta. The essential teaching is ‘may my mind (sankalpa) be that of Bhagavan Shiva’s’ , may Bhagavan Shiva use me as His instrument. In the lesson Pujya Swami Tejomayananda references Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9, verse 29, where the main teaching is ‘Sarva Sama’ – that Bhagavan’s relationship with everything is ‘sama’ (the same). If Bhagavan treats all as the same, then we should also treat all as the same. As soon as we are dependent on a person, we stop treating them the same way. Functionally we cannot treat everyone the same, but fundamentally we should treat everyone the same. A term that is used in Bhagavad Gita is ‘Udvijate’ meaning annoyed. When we think of people we are annoyed by, it’s mostly their “vak” which is the most superficial part. So we should withdraw from that and be deeper. If we start to identify that they are part of the total mind and so are we, then we become more virtuous. Worst is to be annoyed by another, better is to endure them. ‘Titiksha’ is a virtue. Better than that is to respect them but the best is to love them! Whatever we love about ourself, we should find the same in another. The total mind can be tuned into as our individual mind becomes more pure. The more we invest in our own mind, it will become more balanced, more focused, more reflective and in that reflectiveness we will know that which is beyond our mind, which is the total mind. What is beyond the total mind is ‘Chit’ (awareness). In Kathopanishad, the word ‘Atma’ is used. The essence of Rasaleela is – when one’s mind is pure and they observe the Rasaleela, the see Gopi-Krishna-Gopi. As their mind becomes more pure, they see Krishna-Gopi-Krishna. As their mind becomes the most pure (tuned in with the total mind and beyond) , they see Krishna-Krishna-Krishna. The Gopis are thoughts, Krishna is awareness.
A powerful teaching in the lesson is – the Sakshi is the Drk (seer), to withdraw in a seamless way, we should practice being the Sakshi. ‘Drk eva na tu Drishyate’If we can regularly practice – when one starts to observe in a disciplined way, all that one sees will not touch one, one will become immune to all that one experiences. So this mantra is shared as a form of Panchakosha Viveka – to keep withdrawing from the outer coverings to reach the inner. The only practice in Dhyana is to observe the ego. Relaxing the body and chanting with the mind is only preparation for observation. If we can regularly be observant and practice being the observer , then we can be super contemplators, the Panchakosha Viveka will be rapid and effective.