May 5, 2022 – Class Notes by Rahul Kuppachhi

Introduction

How does one know if one is living in matter or if one is living in the Spirit? Matter is that which is ever-changing, and if one leans in and lives in that which is forever changing then the experience one will have is one of busy-ness. One’s experience will be one of insecurity. The experience will be one of saṁsāra or that which is always slipping away. Some symptoms of this are the feeling of being constantly tired. Most of us live in matter which is why this experience is shared by most of us. This is also why we are in this course. This course is for us to shift from leaning on matter to Spirit. This patha towards mokṣa makes one a better student. When one has more demand in one’s life, that is when more sādhana should be engaged.  

Review

Step 86 – vicāra (inquiry)

– This inquiry is a practice in filtering what is not important so there is clarity in what is important. There is a completion to this vicāra where there is no more filter. That is when one experiences God’s world. As long as there are likes and dislikes there is no God’s world; only the ego’s world. However, through filtering one can come to God’s world. 

Step 87 – advaita (oneness)

– How can one live Oneness? The more one disciplines their body, mind, and intellect, then the less differences will be experienced and vice-versa. The equipments create wildness through differences, however, If the equipments are disciplined then even if there are differences one will not be lost in those differences.

Step 88 – dhyāna (meditating)

– There are three “p’s” to account for that leads us to the fourth “P”.

•  p1 is purification (lifestyle)
•  p2 is preparation (immediate context)
•  p3 is personalization (what dhyāna is), and the fulfillment of this is…
•  p4 which is Perfection (Perfect Joy). 

Another way to analyze this, specifically on p2, is through the five s’s.  If one wants to contemplate there are five s’s to practice.

• Space – to establish a space that is clean, safe, and inspiring.
• Seat – one’s seat should be firm, yet comfortable and should be aligned with one’s altar. The feet of one’s personal God and Guide should be aligned with one’s eye level. 
• Senses – one’s body is firm, yet comfortable, and one’s breath is natural, so essentially one’s senses are disengaged.
• Sentiment – relating to the mind and intellect where one is letting go of the past and the future and in the present, one feels that they are a nobody with no nationality, gender, or any label for that matter.
• Surrender – what dhyāna is; surrendering the ego. 

Step 89 – samādhi (realization) 

– Realizing what one’s nature is. In contemplation one should feel that Bhagavan is the Highest, and when this completion is finished that is when one should identify with Bhagavan or the Highest. One should become united with Infinity.  

Step 90 – saṁnyāsa (renunciation)

– The final desire should be the desire for mokṣa, or to be stronger and more clear than ever before. Renunciation is when one comes to the maturity that all one needs is one’s Self. 

Discourse

Step 91 – abhaya (fearlessness)

To be able to guide one into being fearless is the greatest guidance one can give another. To symbolize this, in our culture when we have icons of Bhagavan, the hands of that icon are usually presented in the abhaya mudra. Another name for Bhagavan Shiva is Abhayankara and this particular word is made up of two compounds. “Abhaya” means fearless and “kara” means to do. Only one who is fearless can cause fearlessness. For those who are tamasic which means there is a lot of laziness in one’s personality, they are fearful. For the rajasic, their personalities are aggressive and their relationship with fear is daring. They feel that being fearless is a matter of adrenaline and masculinity. The evolution of this is those who are sattvic, or personalities filled with quietness, they are courageous. Courage is the feeling that Monday and Friday are the same. Courage is when one embraces their responsibilities and when one is not shaken by likes and dislikes. And the evolution of this is that those who go beyond quietness to silence are fearless.

The source of our fear is rāga or attachment. The source of attachment is vikṣepa or projection. Projections lead to expectations which lead to fear. If one feels they can gain, one will also feel they can lose which means they will undoubtedly feel fear. However, if there is nothing to gain there will be nothing to lose and there will be no fear. To do this, one should live selflessly. Then one’s gain does not become external, rather one’s gain becomes internal. One will become in control over what they want in life.    

Step 92 – sākṣī  (observer)

The opposite of an observer would be a controller. The majority of us are controllers and we do not like to be identified that way. What happens with a controller is they feel that the functional is fundamental so they try to control it and perfect it. But one who practices sākṣī bhava knows that the functional is functional so they simply let it be. How does one practice being an observer? One should start by being more organized with the outer world. If one develops this, what will happen is one will become more observant of their inner world. This is a very precious practice in yoga, and the purpose of yoga is to transcend the thoughts of the mind. Observing one’s own thoughts is an integral step in transcending them. One gauge to see if one is practicing being observant is that they feel less burnout. Those who are controlling tend to physically burn-out. The second gauge is that one feels no boredom. A person who is bored easily usually has heavy thoughts of wanting and desiring fun, but for an observer the content of their thoughts are less important so they are simply observing those thoughts eventually leading to no burnout.   

Step 93 – śaraṇāgati (surrender)

Surrender is an expression of dependence or bhakti. Bhakti should be filled through śaraṇāgati. How does one practice surrender? The way to evolve from bhakti to śaraṇāgati is similar to evolving from knowing to establishing. We all know Joy but we are not established in that Joy. How does one become established? By entering the trust triangle – the sadhguru, the śāstra, and Bhagavan. When one knows more about the trust triangle, one is ready to surrender to it. This trust triangle is not context-based. One must know enough and establish one’s self. How does someone know if they are practicing śaraṇāgati? One becomes more cheerful.         

Summary

Step 91 – abhaya (fearlessness)

Practice: Live selflessly by not succumbing to the idea of external gain and loss

Step 92 – sākṣī (observer)

Practice: Became more organized with the outer world

Step 93 – śaraṇāgati (surrender)

Practice: Establish yourself in  the trust triangle – the sadhguru, the śāstra, and Bhagavan

Last week’s discussion

How can you help society objectify bodies less?

Vivekji’s observations: If one cares enough, one will have the courage to lead by having the right relationship with one’s own body. 

Discussion subject

What have you found contradictory in this class and in Vedanta in general? 

Vivekji’s observations: The taught are not practicing the teachings. 

Questions:

Q: I find myself going back and forth between surrendering and asking. How do I navigate this? 

A: The highest prayer is silence. In silence there is an acknowledgment that “thy will, will be done.” However, we fall from that by projecting our will.  

Q: We come across the word perfection so much, what does that actually mean? 

A: Only the Infinite can be perfect and all that is finite is designed not to be perfect. The implication is that perfection is when one de-identifies from the finite and identifies with the Infinite. Once one does this, there will be no expectations of others and one will not act for fulfillment, rather will act out of fulfillment. 

Q: Does accepting and surrendering also mean we avoid actively trying to change things if things are not going well ? 

A: One should accept what they have while working for what they do not have. The acceptance should be the presence of Bhagavan, and the progress should be Bhagavan’s sevika and to facilitate Bhagavan’s work by changing the world for the better. 

RAW for this week

Each morning, look in the mirror continuously for 5 minutes and reflect on the purpose of the reflection you see.

Record 3 ‘small talk’ conversations.