March 23, 2023 Class Notes by Siddharth Kashinath

Introduction

To slow down means to know what you are doing with who you are. We have a trikarana, which means 3 instruments of doing – thinking, speaking and acting – sadhana is a way of slowing down so that we know what we are doing with ourselves. Our course with practice after practice is encouraging and teaching us to be more quiet and more intentional. If one lives in a fast and busy way, it is not sadhana, it is shrama. One is just labouring.

Recap

Verse 4, Practice 28: vidhivasatpraptena santusyatam

In Practice 28, Acharya Shankara shares – be happy with whatever has come into your life. At a higher level, one of the most beautiful names for Bhagavan in our culture, which relates to Bhagavan Shiva, is Ashutosha, which means the one who is easily pleased. Another way to reflect on this is to ponder over the question – who is Daridra – who is the one that is impoverished? Answer that is given is – one who is discontent. One that is focusing on what is absent in their lives as opposed to what is present in their lives.

Our tactile practice was – dissect negativity. We will come to find that the source of negativity is not outside, but inside. Suppose one has to express negativity – there is a right time, place and energy to express negativity. Taking seeds as an analogy, even a casual gardener would not plant a seed at the wrong place at the wrong time in the wrong soil/fertilizer. But we often do this with our negativity.

Verse 4, Practice 29: sitosnadi visahyatam

• In Practice 29, sheeta means coolness or coldness. And ushna means heat. They are essentially different combinations of pain and pleasure, etc. Visahyatam means one should endure or embrace these. From an absolute perspective, the most important virtue is titiksha – endurance. But why must one employ this endurance? For vichara – to be deeper. For example, if one is going to Mt Kailash, they must first get used to the oxygen level at the higher altitudes. But if one doesn’t get used to it, then how can one go higher? Titiksha leads us to sthane which means effortless acceptance. One only effortlessly accepts oneself. So, this endurance leads us to oneness. From a relative perspective, we must understand that the nature of living swings both ways – highs and lows – and if one understands this, then they do not depend on the swings so much. If one does not take the compliments / “likes” so seriously, then they do not take the criticisms / “dislikes” so seriously either. Viraga is where one is not living to be liked. If one is living to be liked, then it is like being in a circus act. There is no strength. From a tactile perspective, remember that all is always changing. Then we endure more and accept more.

What 4 word phrase – all have 4 letters – when said to a happy person makes them sad and when said to a sad person makes them happy? ‘Even this will pass’.  

Discourse

Verse 4, Practice 30: na tu vrtha vakyam samuccaryatam

Tu means ‘indeed’ emphatically. Na means ‘no / don’t’. Vakyam means ‘to speak’. Vrtha means ‘in a purposeless / meaningless / wasteful way’. Samuccaryatam means ‘do not entertain this’.  In other words, avoid wasteful talks.

At an absolute level – the beginning of creation was a period called satya yuga. In satya yuga, to earn punya (positivity), one had to think it and act on it to earn this positivity. Whereas negativity, papa, is earned even if one just thinks about it. In the period of creation we are in now, kali yuga (where there is most disintegration both outside and inside), to earn punya, one only has to think it. As for papa, one has to both think it and act it. The implication of this is that the standard has been lowered so much that it is easier to earn punya than papa. Another way to view this is that if we are thinking it, then we will naturally speak it also. And if we are speaking in a negative way, then we may also act it. One’s thoughts are the intermediary between thinking and acting. So what we speak about touches both. If we are speaking negatively, then it is likely we are thinking it and will also act it. So, we must be careful what we are speaking and listening to.

From a relative perspective, Shri Ramakrishna has said that the majority, if not all, that we speak falls into 3 ‘K’s. Kamini (pleasure), Kanchana (possession) and Keerthi (position). This is typically what we talk about. But none of these lead to peace. These 3 K’s should lead to a 4th K, which is Kutastha – the fundamentals.

 Practice:  Say ‘No’. So that you don’t allow your thoughts to become words and then actions. You will know you are saying ‘No’ when you speak less. 

Discussion

Question: How do you practically change your purpose?

Vivekji’s observation: If one is feeling a purposelessness, then one should use that purposelessness to make oneself available. Use purposelessness as an opportunity to analyze how it is harmful to oneself and how it is harmful to others. And utilize it to become more available for a purpose.

Dialogue

Q: How does one remind themselves that even when context changes, titiksha and sthane and other practices are important to follow.

A: 2 observations – 1) those who travel, use travel as an excuse not to follow their sadhana; 2) parents who have a young child or children, share that they do not have time. They say that childcare is their sadhana, but they still feel stressed about it. These are two examples of context change causing one to let go of their sadhana. 2 practices to follow – 1) when context changes, one must simplify their sadhana, but one must still do it; 2) Sleep early. Whenever context changes, it does not mean one deserves to stay up late and not follow one’s sadhana. Instead, waking early and doing some reading, writing and reflecting is much more beneficial.

Last week’s RAW: Dissect negativity.

Vivekji’s observation: When one dissects negativity, they appreciate that being negative doesn’t work and so they throw it away (just as one would a device or thing that doesn’t work anymore), i.e. they stop being negative.

This week’s RAW: 1) Remember change; 2) Say ‘No’.