Class Notes by Bhargavi

Swami Tejomayananda ji’s book, Subodha Vedanta, talks about being a disciple in the second chapter. Swamiji shares the nine qualities of a disciple. The third chapter talks about the guide (of the disciple). The guide has 9+7 more qualities. The fourth chapter then goes into talking about Self, the nature of who you are. The fifth chapter is logically then about faith or shraddha! Faith is the one that connects the guide, disciple and Self. In this chapter it is shared that a seeker must have five directions of faith which need to be practiced sequentially: The beginning starts with faith in Sadhana (discipline). The next faith is faith in Sadhaka (faith in themselves, discipline that makes one a disciple). The third one is faith in one’s Sadguru (guide). The fourth is faith in Sruti (map) and the fifth faith is faith in Sadhya (ends, Brahman, Bhagawan, etc).

Our course is a course on faith. We are taking this faith which is historical and making it practical/personal.

Recap:

Sutra 54: Rishi Narada is stating that bhakti is indescribable yet is experiential. He is using negation (indescribable part) to come to affirmation (it is what you are experiencing). This technique is called Anvaya vyatireka. Anvaya= presence and vyatireka= absence. By extracting unreal from the real, you experience moksha.

Sutra 55: Rishi Narada shares that bhakti is a-relational. Our love is relational and therefore conditional. We don’t have a relationship with ourselves (a-relational).

Sutra 56: Rishi Narada starts to share why one has a relationship with divinity. There are multiple levels of bhakti, the best one is that which is a-relational. The lower reason to remember Bhagavan is for a purpose and the higher reason is to love Bhagavan for pure love!

This class:

Sutra 57: uttarasmād-uttarasmāt purva-purvā sreyāya bhavati

Then each succeeding one, each preceding one becomes the nobler (the greater).

This sutra is in reference to the previous one. The lowest type of bhakta is the ārtha, relating to adversity. Above that is arthi, relating to prosperity, above that is jignasu, relating to knowing and above that is Jnani who is Bhagavan. Rishi Narada is reorienting us. He is sharing that the ārtha is the highest, then the artharthi and then the jignasu. It is important for us to understand the intention and not the order per se. The main point is that there is a lower bhakti and a higher bhakti. The message for us is to keep moving forward. A way to do this is to love with independence. Just like, Bhagavan Krishna. Bhagavan Krishna loved the most but also was not attached as we can clearly see in the relationship with his own family.

Love and independence demand us allowing the people around us to learn from life. You cannot control all the variables around your children, siblings, etc. You just have to let them falter and learn.

Sutra 58: anyasmāt saulabhyam bhaktau

Bhakti is the easiest compared to other paths like Karma, jnana and raja yoga.

Bhakti is the best because Bhagavan is always in front. This becomes a direct path. Bhakti is like a lighthouse. Wherever there is a lighthouse, there is safety. Another reflection on why Bhakti is the best: We already have love. Our love generally goes in different, lower directions. That is the difference between Sneha (loving the lower) and Prema (loving the higher). We simply have to direct this love (Bhakti).

Sutra 59: pramānantarasyānapeksatvāt svayam pramānatvāt (ca)

Love or Bhakti is the best because it doesn’t depend on another proof. It itself is self-evident. Rishi Narada is selling us more on why bhakti is the best. Just as the sun doesn’t need light to be seen (it is self-evident), Bhakti is self-evident. Sanskrit word for proof is Pramana. There are three types of Pramana when we study Advaita Vedanta: Sabda Pramana- proof by words, Anumana Pramana- proof by inference and Pratyaksha Pramana- proof by experience. Bhakti is the third kind of proof, because we see and experience it. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was a Bhakta of the highest order. He would go into a trance (Samadhi) just by watching people fold clothes.

Sutra 60: santi-rupāt Paramānanda-rupācca

This experience is of the nature of Santhi and Ananada. In Ramayana, Devi Sita is referred to as Santhi and Sri Rama is Ananada.

When see any wonders of the world, it is easy to describe the context (objects we are seeing) but very hard to describe the content (how we feel while seeing the objects). Many times, when we do describe the content, we say we experienced peace (Santhi) and joy (Ananda).

Swami Chinmayananda says, “Devotion from the heart of the devotee, flowing towards the feet of the Lord, by its very nature, is full. Bhakti and agitations can never coexist. When one is thinking of or when one is with his beloved, one’s mind becomes quieter and calmer because bliss is the very nature of love. A lover knows nothing other than bliss, when continuously contemplating upon his beloved Lord. To remain in such a condition is in itself its own reward”.