Nov 16, 2023 Class Notes by Ameya Madduri

Introduction

• Documentation shows that young users don’t feel good about themselves when their posts are not liked. Meta offered a beta version which opted users out of seeing anyone else’s likes (less comparing) but only 1% of people opted for this. Another version automatically opted users out of seeing likes and it is a voluntary opt-in to see other people’s likes– of this cohort, only 35% of users opted to not see others likes (means people don’t think for themselves… only do what they are told to do. This is avichara– to be engaged in incomplete thinking. Following this is krithaha bandaha– incomplete thinking makes one feel incomplete. 
• Our course focuses on vicharena nivartate– by focusing on complete thinking, one becomes complete. 

Review

• Question 23 : What is the best among four legged creatures?
• A: The cow is the best among the four-legged creatures
  • Prathishtam means to be established
  • The cow is an icon for sattva 
  • Sattva is long-term thinking. Anyone who wants to be established in happiness should be focused on being more long-term. 

• Question 24: What is most valuable to those who give birth? 
• A: An offspring is most valuable to those who give birth
  • Janma (birth) plays out as your attitude. When you are in a bad mood, your creation is altered– you blame and complain. When you are born into a quiet state of mind, your context changes accordingly. 
  • A child is supposed to complete  a parent’s work. 
  • → The Original Parent feels incomplete without us with them. Try to visualize that you are a divine child that must complete oneself so that you come back to the embrace of the Original Parent (be a child of divinity). 

• Question 25: Who is that person who, though enjoying all sense objects, being intelligent, honored by people and well regarded by everyone, is only breathing but not alive?
• A: One who does not take care of these five– gods, guests, dependents, ancestors, and himself– although breathing does not live.
  • You feel limited when you only life for yourself
  • You lose limits when you live for others
  • → Engaging in service or seva is magic– once you follow through with this, you will be amazed in who you are and the capacity of what you can truly do. 
• Question 26: What is weightier than the earth?
• A: A mother is weightier than the earth
  • Mother in this context is someone who knows how to contemplate. 
  • Gurunah– heavy
  • When one learns to contemplate from a guru/guide, they become deeper than any heaviness there is. 
  • Whatever challenge you are going through, become deeper! Then, you will see how this challenge doesn’t actually bother you. 
  • Whenever we have the opportunity to be uncomfortable– choose it! Choose discomfort and choose it as the opportunity to transform the discomfort into comfort. (start physical but transition to social… be with those you don’t relate to and try to be comfortable around them.) 

Discourse

Question 27: What is higher than space?

Answer: Pitah– a father is higher than space

• Absolute Perspective
  • In chap 9, verse 17 of Bhagavad Gita– Lord Krishna shared “pitah aham” meaning he is the Original Parent. 
  • Implication: The Creator is superior to creation
  • → This helps humble us. We can be “great” but our Creator is greater. This thought helps nurture humility. 
• Relative Perspective
  • Kham (space, internal or external)
  • Su-kham = sukham (good space)
  • Du-kham = dukham (bad space)
  • When the mind is loud, it becomes a bad space (dukham). When the mind is quiet, that is a good space (sukham). All other spaces revolve around these two. 
  • Mood determines what your creation is
  • Willpower is stronger than world power 
• Tactile Narrative: Seeker to engage in reflection and personalization. 

Question 28: What moves faster than the wind?

Answer: The mind moves faster than the wind

• Absolute Perspective
  • In the Ishavasya Upanishad, the fourth verse states that before the wind arrives, the mind arrives. 
  • Awareness moves at infinite speed and is faster than the mind
  • → Thoughts depend on awareness but awareness does not depend on thoughts. 

• Relative Perspective
  • Be careful what we think about– what we think about is what we become. If we engage in self-doubt or feeling worthless, we will become that. 
  • Thoughts are more powerful than the wind
• Tactile Narrative: Seeker to engage in reflection and personalization. 

Question 29: What is more numerous than blades of grass?

Answer: Ciinta– worries. Worries are more numerous than grass. 

• Absolute Perspective
  • We experience worry when we forget that divinity is the nigraha (controller)
  • He who worries is a micro-manager and has forgotten the true macro-controller
  • So many bad things could have happened to us in life… but they have not occurred! When we remember this, we worry less. 
• Relative Perspective
  • We have the most anxiety about the future! The way to minimize future anxieties is to plan! 
  • When overthinking, come out of it by doing something physical and productive. This will help us minimize our daily worries. 
• Tactile Narrative: Seeker to engage in reflection and personalization. 

Question 30: What sleeps without closing its eyes?

Answer: Matsya– a fish can sleep with its eyes open

• Absolute Perspective
  • Awareness never shuts down, even in deep sleep. 
  • In Vishnu Sahasranama, one of the Lord’s names is “Animisha ” which means “the one who is unwaking”.
  • The purpose of chanting AUM is the silence that is internally felt post chanting (called ajapa japa)
• Relative Perspective
  • A fish continues to swim– similar to us when we continue doing actions but never feel rested 
  • When does the race end? When we stop feeling like we are the creators of joy. 
  • If you are mentally frustrated, intellectually confused, physically tired– this is a sign to turn inwards 
  • Only way to rest is to come towards realization 
• Tactile Narrative: Seeker to engage in reflection and personalization. 

Discussion Subject

• What are the three best practices to live by “don’t worry, be happy!” 

Discussion debrief:

• Vivekji’s Observation: Be around those who are responsible, they will take care of you. 

Dialogue:

Question: Ego is not an object of creation… Can Vivekji expand? 

Answer: Can darkness come from light? No! Similarly, sorrow cannot come from joy. Hence, the Creator cannot create separation (creator+creation is one). The ego is a unique force (nirvachana) that cannot be explained as you cannot explain that which is not real. The more we know that the ego did not come from the Creator, the less we identify with the ego and less reality it is given. Full knowledge of this is practiced in surrender of  “atma nivedhana” – which means you are surrendering the ego (something not created by the Creator) to the Creator. Put more simply– we created our own egos and the Creator is simply asking for the ego back. 

Question: What should our lifestyle balance be for seva/study vs downtime and “fun”?  

Answer: When we have a clear intention that the purpose of our life is peace, we don’t balance anything. Balance implies separation as we try to embrace oneness with Infinity. At a more relative level, our “downtime” should be neutral– no devolvement or evolvement. This means you can do actions but don’t overdo it (no overindulgence, etc). The idea is to create downtime in a constructive way. 

If you really need strict boundaries– take an hour of downtime during the day and one hour of downtown in the evening. 

Question: Can Vivekji explain distinctions between “selfless acts for community betterment” and “doing selfless actions that are intellectually dedicated to a higher power”? Which one is better?

Answer: The most superior headspace is when your intention on doing service is clear. Intention (bhava) causes evolution. To get to that point, you must do overt seva so that you taste limitlessness. 

RAW

Last week’s RAW: Learn from the elements

• If you learn from the elements, you are right. 
• If you have an insight that helps you be better, how can you be wrong? 
• Keep practicing this… 

This week’s RAW: Be actively intentional in living for nature’s forces, nature’s beings, society, family, your guide (pancha maha yajna)