ViBha Class Notes – February 26, 2023

We will have completed 144 hours of Bhagavata Purana this morning. Do we remember what Bhagavata means? 

• Ta means boat or means; Va stands for best; Ga means to move or go and Bha is Bhagavan or light. Bhagavata is the best means to go within, towards the light. There are other ways to understand this beautiful word. 
• Bhagavata also means Bhagavan ki. In Hindi, it means in reference to Bhagavan. This is Bhagavan’s form. This is Bhagavan’s name. These are Bhagavan’s teachings. 
• Here is another meaning – Bhagavan Ke, where ke in Hindi means possessed by. So Bhagavata means those who have become Bhagavan’s. 

From a recent meeting with Swami Tejomayananda, Guruji shared that Vedanta needs to be interpreted in different ways. So, as seekers, we need to keep reflecting on these words, and the point to teachers is to make this message more relatable. As we are moving towards completing Bhagavata, do we feel Bhagavan’s Ke? Do we feel that we have become Bhagavan’s? 

Bhagavata is then followed by Purana – Pura api nava, that this is ancient, yet is applicable, is new. We should all be feeling the practicality of which Bhagavan Krshna is teaching. Prince Arjuna was 85 years old, and he learned so much about the world, but he was still feeling stress, anxiety, and dejection. Only then did Bhagavan teach him that, which is more applicable, and Prince Arjuna became courageous and fearless. 

Rshi Uddhava asks Bhagavan Krshna how Dharma will continue to be facilitated when Bhagavan will not be present before our eyes. Bhagavan Krshna then teaches him Bhagavata and that is why Bhagavata is also known as Vangmayi Murthi – it is Bhagavan Krshna in the form of words or Vak. So where is Bhagavan? These teachings are Bhagavan. The more faith we have in this, the more we will feel this. So Bhagavan is sharing that Dharma will be facilitated through these teachings. That is why it is called Sanatana Dharma. 

Rshi Uddhava specifies – With Bhagavan Krshna not being present to his eyes, how can he not be stuck in samsara? How many of us felt stuck in some way last year? Making this applicable, if we are stuck, then that is samsara. We tend to get stuck in our professional engagements, personal relationships, which means we do not know our purpose anymore. So Bhagavan Krshna shares how not to be stuck, and that is to engage in Sanga, which means to commune. Commune with what? 

• Sanga with Sadhus – A Sadhu is one who is working for the welfare of people. A Sadhu does not work for themselves, but for others. 

• Sanga with Sattva – Sattva is that which makes us quieter. We went over ten different directions on how we can be quieter. 
• Sanga with Dharma – Dharma is our purpose or what we were born for, so to follow our Dharma. 

It is this Sanga that helps us nurture Bhakti, and Bhakti helps us nurture Jnana, and Jnana helps us nurture Moksha. These thoughts are not new. Just changing some words for us to reflect on more – 

A synonym for Bhakti is Sampatthi – inner wealth or virtues. How do we know that we are practicing Bhakti? It is when we are becoming more accepting and less controlling, more of a visionary, more supportive. Sampatthi then encourages Mumukshutva, that we cannot stand being stuck – just as we can’t wait to get out of the seat after a long flight. Vivekji shared that he was once stuck in quicksand and could not get himself out and needed to use his friend to get out of it. So being stuck requires us to hold on to another entity, and here Bhagavan is sharing – Sadhus, Sattva and Dharma. 

In Chapter 13, there is a most relevant question that is – How do we free the mind from objects? Trying to personalize this – Let us say we are lusty towards someone, or someone who we are attracted to. While we are doing whatever we are doing, where are we? We are in that quicksand, right? So, Bhagavan Hamsa shares that the way to separate the mind from objects, to not give in to kama, krodha, lobha, is to try to feel that whatever we are lusty towards, whether it is a person or position, to feel that it is Bhagavan Krshna, just with a different name, form and quality. If Ravana felt that Devi Sita was just Bhagavan Rama with a different name, form and quality, would he have been lusty towards her? No, he wouldn’t have. 

Another beautiful message from this chapter – If someone is enjoying a cigarette, the pleasure they get is actually just a reflection of their own Spirit. What has happened? The nicotine quietens their mind fractionally, and what we feel we are is the Spirit, which is of the nature of Ananda. As we go about living our life with pleasurable experiences, we should feel that it is a reflection of us. How much more disciplined we will be with pleasure then! If we contemplate on the mind, the mind will go away, and all that will remain will be Consciousness. If there is a pool, and we add this flock to get rid of the algae in that pool, what happens then is that both the algae and the flock go away. What remains is the water, that pure water! Just like Consciousness! In our Silence Retreats, Vivekji keeps trying to guide us to “articleless” Awareness. Can we just be aware, and not aware of an article? 

At the end of Chapter 13, after Bhagavan Krshna teaches all of this in this one chapter, Bhagavan Krshna, as Bhagavan Hamsa, moves on, and the chapter is completed. 

In the beginning of Chapter 14, Bhagavan Krshna shares with Rshi Uddhava what it feels like to follow Chapter 13 – When one’s mind is filled with Me, then in all directions they only feel Joy, and they go about moving in directions, purifying the world. 

When we are angry, and someone tells us a funny joke, our anger goes away temporarily. Imagine someone who radiates Joy, not through jokes, but just through their Presence, then would they not purify others of their anger and fear and so on? 

Bhagavan Krshna, after having taught through Hamsa Gita, shares that He is not affected by Maya, and we are all a part of Bhagavan Krshna, which means we too are not affected by Maya. Whatever vices we have, for example worrying, if we begin to reflect on this – Bhagavan Krshna does not worry, and we are a part of Bhagavan Krshna, therefore, we should not worry either. Whatever worry there is, belongs to the mind and it is not our Nature. Another example is, if our car has a service engine light on, that indicates the condition of the car, and not our condition. 

Skanda 11:14:27 – As long as we try to find Joy externally, we are going to feel heavier-  heavy footed – always needing stuff, heavy hearted – everyone is going to offend us, heavy headed – when it comes to self-development, that is when we are 60, when we are 70, in the next lifetime. Recently Vivekji was with his Upacharya, Shri Sharadanandaji, and he shared that on our 84th birthday, we are to sit, and the people around us are to perform Abhisheka to us. They are supposed to chant Purusha Sukta to us because by 84, we should be enlightened. How? As long as we think of articles, beings and circumstances, we will feel heavy. As long as we think of Bhagavan Krshna, we will become light footed, light hearted, light headed – self development will become real for us. We must change what we think about and as we do, we will become disinterested in articles, beings and circumstances. 

When Vivekji was visiting Guruji, Swami Tejomayananada, there was a family with two daughters, around 8 and12 years old, and they were telling him which grade they were in, what all they did, and so on. Then Guruji leaned forward and shared with the mother that none of that mattered. All that matters is Happiness! Shri Ramakrishna barely knew how to write his name. He could come down from enlightenment only when they put a sweet in his mouth! Just to show us what is important and what is not important!

This Chapter 14, concludes with many details on Dhyana or contemplating on Bhagavan, His names, His many forms. Bhagavan is sharing to shift our attention from the external to the internal. We already know this, but are we practicing this? We have invested two and half years in Ramayana and almost 5 years in Bhagavata in the most accessible way, so are we feeling and practicing this? What are we thinking about? 

Chapter 15 is about Siddhis which means powers. Recently in the Happiness Series, Vivekji shared about eight personality powers. One is Prapti – whatever we work for, we are able to manifest that. In order to acquire what we work hard for or to have good relationships, what is the general virtue that is needed to be powerful? It is concentration. Concentration precedes all of these Siddhis. Not concentrating may be more fun, but if we choose the path of concentration, a lot more will come to us. Studying without music, cooking without the TV on may not be fun, but this concentration is a long time investment. One of the powers that Bhagavan Krshna gives Rshi Uddhava is the power to read others’ minds. How did this happen? When we are able to read our mind, we can read other people’s minds. 

Skanda 11:16:6 – Bhagavan Krshna shares with Rshi Uddhava that he is a great questioner. He likes Rshi Uddhava’s questions as they are never about anything superficial. Rshi Uddhava asks Bhagavan Krshna – What did Prince Arjuna ask You when he was ready to fight the Mahabharata war, and what did You respond with? This is in Chapter 10 of the Bhagavad Gita, and Chapter 16 of Bhagavata is a great summary of the same. Bhagavan goes on to share what His Vibhootis are. He says – Rshi Uddhava, You are great. In this multi-verse, there is greatness. But remember that all the great and greatness comes from God. You want to see Me when I no longer look like this, here is how you can see Me.  

Here are some of the highlights. Bhagavan shares – 

1. Among all those who are unconquerable, who is the greatest? Bhagavan says it is the mind. That is why in Chapter 13 of Bhagavata, Bhagavan shares that we have to rise above the mind. We cannot fight the mind with the mind. 
2. Among all the purifiers, Bhagavan shares that He is Air, He is Fire, He is Water. This is what we are investing in Prithvi Sevasanga. And He also shares Atma. Anyone who feels they have lived a vicious or selfish life, the technique to leave the past is Vedanta. We must get to know who we are. This is the way to become more pure. 

In Chapter 17, Rshi Uddhava asks – What are the characteristics of the different Ashramas? We have two societal systems – Varna Ashrama, the color of our personality, and the Ashrama or stage of our life. Here are some highlights from this chapter – 

What is more important? Varna or Ashrama? The answer is Varna. Varna is Guna and Ashrama is Karma. As an example, Vivekji shared that until he came to Sandeepany, he felt that his Guna was rajas, and his Karma became rajas as well, like Business School, Real Estate, and so on. When he moved to the Ashram is when Vivekji realized that his Guna was actually sattva, and then he aligned his Karma to be sattvic also. So whenever we think about Varna and Ashrama, we need to think of both. Varna is our inner world, and Karma is our outer world. Our inner world is who we really are, but if we know our inner world and align our outer world to be like that, our evolution will be much faster then. 

Some of the teachings on Varna or the colors of our personality: 

Those of a Brahmana nature are characterized by control of mind, control of the senses, purity, internal and external, contemplativeness, contentment, forbearance, integrity, devotion to Me, kindliness, and truthfulness.

Impressiveness, strength, self-control, courage, endurance, generosity, enterprise, firmness, reverence for holy people, commanding power, these are the inborn characteristics of a Kshatrya. 

Faith in God and the Veda, charity, absence of arrogance, service to holy people, insatiable acquiring, these are natural traits of a Vaishya.

The spirit of sincere service to all, the devas, holy people and other varnas, the cows, satisfaction with what one receives for their service, these are the inborn traits of a Shudra. 

Wrapping up Chapter 17, Verse 21 – First we saw how we can continue to be a Bhakta. Then Bhagavan specifies, if we are a Brahmana, Kshatrya, Vaishya or Shudra, this is how we should live, as this is our Varna. Here He shares, this is what is common to all the Ashramas, and it does not matter what stage of life we are in – 

Ahimsa – sensitivity, Satyam – nobility, Asteya – non-arrogance, Akama – non-desire, Akrodha – non-anger, Alobha – non-greed 

Bhuta priya hiteh – one whose purpose is to help all beings

Dharma ayam sarva varna – it does not matter what stage of life we are in, this is common to all stages 

It is the common Dharma of persons belonging to all varnas, to be free from cruelty, dishonesty, thieving, lust, anger and greed, as also to do what is good and pleasing to all creatures. 

Vivekji read to us what some general responsibilities of Brahmanas, Kshatryas, Vaishyas and Shudras are, and what their common Dharma is. 

This chapter also highlights the responsibilities of a Brahmachari and a Grhasta. Here is one responsibility from each –

• One of the responsibilities of a Brahmachari, one who is trying to know Brahman, is to be unconcerned with their appearance.
• One responsibility of a Grhasta is to purge mam – mine, and eventually aham – i. 

We are all narcissists in a general way, and so we have to work towards being unconcerned about this. 

Bhagavata is very detailed. Often Brahmachari is described as one who is celibate, one who restrains from intercourse. And here in Bhagavata, it says – For a spouse to be dedicated, committed in thought, word and action with their spouse (including having intercourse), that’s the same as practicing Brahmacharya. 

Chapter 18 is about the responsibilities of Vanaprastas and Sanyasis. A Vanaprasta starts at the age of 50 – outwardly we can be a Grhasta, but inwardly we should be a Vanaprasta, from whatever perspective we look at. 

Discussion: How well are you living, particularly in terms of varnas and the responsibilities of a Grhasta?

The most important virtue is to be humane. It is to be self-reflective so you can adapt to your vices and others. We should live within the trust triangle with reverence to the Guide, Map and Bhagavan. The world wants us to be successful, but the highest purpose is to be peaceful. 

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