Class Notes by Sharmila
What we learn from a python (ajagaraH) is that the way the world brings us pain , even when we don’t work for it, the same way the world will bring us pleasure , so why work for it! Even if we don’t understand that ‘the world will bring us pleasure even if we don’t work for it’, how we work for worldly pleasure is available in hell also. So these insights help us intensify how we live. Without being intense towards self-development, all that will happen is that we will have a little bit more peace in our lives and feel that is moksha. Moksha and little are not synonymous and cannot be in the same sentence! Another example is, we can learn from the ocean to be content. The ocean is content whether it rains or not. The more intense understanding of the ocean is that it keeps on inputting by evaporating water and never keeps any of it, it is always sharing! So a message for us is to be non-possessive and non-materialistic, and to be more independent. The more dependent we are, the more partial we become. Partiality is an expression of Dvaita (duality). By not being dependent, one becomes more impartial and objective. This aligns with oneness. The most intense part of the word ‘Upanishad’ is ‘sad’ which means to destroy. We cannot think and live in the way we are right now and be enlightened. Every day, every year and every course, one has to be more intense so that we destroy any traces of worldliness. Unlearning is difficult yet required!
Recap: In lesson 16, one of the main teachings is on the chariot and how a chariot is symbolic for us. The external visual is that there is the road, the horses, the chariot, the reins, the charioteer and the owner. Internally we have the articles, organs, body, mind, intellect and ego. If we reflect on this scene externally and internally, what we are trying to do is go from articles (the road) to awareness (owner is ego, but one has to go past this to awareness). Most of us use a GPS in the car, and what we enter first is the destination. In the language of self-development, that would be ‘purpose’. If the purpose is locked in, then the path will appear and that too will be locked in, just like a route is given when we enter the destination in the GPS. If that purpose is not locked in, we will wander and get lost, we will be born again and again!
This Class: In Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavan Krishna explains to Rishi Uddhava that Maya is the mind , and the mind is extrovert (externally facing). So Bhagavan teaches about values through Rishi Dattatreya. When one learns these values, then one corrects being externally facing to being inward looking. Relatedly, the first section of Bhagavad Gita is on Karma, the second on Bhakti and third is on Jnana. The section on Jnana begins in chapter 13, and this is a difficult chapter to personalize. Bhagavan knows this and tells prince Arjuna if you have these values (which are your virtues) , that is the same as Jnana. In terms of our Upanishad, when we have the Chatushtaya (four qualities needed to be a disciple), then we can engage in Sadhana and then we are ready for the Vishaya (subject). So there is a need for self-development. Though the Upanishad is teaching about Atma, if one’s relative self is not developed enough the Atma will always be out of reach. This was clearly stated in Katha Upanishad.
Katha Upanishad (1st Adhyaya, 3rd valli, 12th Mantra) 1.3.12: “Esha Sarveshu bhuteshu
Gudotma na prakashate drushyate tvagryaya buddhya sukshmaya sukshmadarshibhiH”
Esha – means ‘this’ as in the Atma/awareness
sarveshu bhuteshu – is in all beings , which is equivalent to ‘is’ all beings. This means there is no being, there is only Atma.
gudaH atma na prakashate (gudaH) – this Atma is hidden, it is a secret so it does not shine (na prakashate) because of the lack of self-development. We are still too identified with our lifestyle, body and definitely mind.
Drushyate – some do see this , they see and feel the light
Tvagryaya buddhya – those (who see the light) are the ones whose intellect is focused.
Sukshmaya – those whose intellect is reflective
Sukshma darshibhiH – it is such seekers , described as seers or Rishis, are the ones who feel/see the Light
In Pujya Swami Tejomayananda’s notes, which are coming from Acharya Shankara’s notes, the mind’s nature is given as ‘Sankalpa Vikalpa’ Atmaka – to decide and doubt. We should delete the ‘but’ or Vikalpa. The Rishi here shares (agryaya) that, though the mind’s nature is to decide and doubt, the mind that is developed follows through. Pujya Swami Tejomayananda uses the word ‘purity’ for the right mind, which means that the mind is focused. We should have a focused mind to be able to feel the light of Atma. If we do not have a focused mind, we will not feel the light of Atma (na prakashate) and it will stay gudaH. One becomes focused through Sadhana. Any practice that makes our mind focused is a Sadhana. Sadhana means path, and if we are following this path it leads us to the Sadhya which means the total mind. Can we always look at Bhagavan Krishna and look after Bhagavan Krishna!?
The nature of the intellect is ‘Nischaya’, where there is no doubt. The word that the Rishi uses is ‘Sukshma’, which means higher. The higher we are, the better the perspective we have and we can see more. The word used by Swami Tejomayananda is vigilant. Another word for this is clarity. Mind should have purity and the intellect should have clarity. This combination is a must because if one of these is missing, one can be great but this greatness can cause destruction. As an example, Ravana had a focused mind but he did not have a pure mind, his purpose was shady. Although he had a lot of inner power, it was not directed.
The greatest quality for a seeker is to be reflective, and the greatest quality to look for in another is to be adaptive.
When we have a focused and reflective mind, then we can really start to understand these mantras. A focused and reflective mind is being directed towards Vishnu (which means that which is pervasive, like the word Vikrama). Those who are reflecting on pervasiveness, it is equivalent to identifying more with more. Then we don’t just identify with our family and community, but identify with society and humanity. And with this identification, we start to care more. Through self-development, the mind is to be made more pure and the intellect more clear. We should learn to be more focused and more reflective. Only then, words like Vishnu and Vikrama and pervasiveness will be real to us. We will know it is more real , because we will care more about more, and this is because we will identify with more. This identification will be because we will feel that presence pervading. But if we are not caring more, then we should go back to more self-development! In this mantra, it is stated that the organs are grosser and the objects are subtler, and the insight here is it is the objects that give the organs their worth. This shows how much our Rishis have reflected and makes us have more faith !
Our vasanas are causal, which means we cannot manipulate the vasanas, we cannot measure or compare them. The implication is to have faith that we all have vasanas and these vasanas are creating our lives to help us to grow. And we should be accepting of other people and not think of manipulating their vasanas. When we come to understand and appreciate vasanas and keep going deeper , one reaches Purusha (purnatva), one goes past limits to completion. We know we are complete when we no longer seek gain. The highest gain is when we don’t live our lives for gain. Another meaning of the word Purusha is puri-shayanaat (one who is resting/sleeping in you). Bhagavan Rama is in all hearts but He only rests in quiet hearts! When we tune into the Purusha , even as we are seeing outside we don’t see a difference between outside and inside, there is only awareness.