May 2, 2024: Class Notes by Ameya Madduri 

Introduction

In Advaita Vedanta (science of Oneness), there are 3 disciplines that directly lead to joy (anta karana sadhana– disciplines of one’s inner world). 

1. Shravana (active listening)
2. Mananam (active reflecting)
3. Nidhidhyasana (active practicing)

Nitharam dheyhi → etymology, the one who is comprehensively feeling (practicing)

In our course, we engage in mananam (ideation in a controlled environment). If you do this well, the ideation naturally evolves to implementation. 

For those who have clarity in a controlled environment, they don’t  use words or have the feeling of an uncontrolled environment as much. 

Ideation → Implementation

Review

A101: A real bath is removing the impurities of the mind

• Reminder: Quieten 
• How do you know if the mind is pure? It will be quiet! 
• Think of anything that is pure… you will want to be with it more. Example: If your hands are clean, you are comfortable. If your hands are dirty, you don’t feel comfortable and instead you want to do something about it. 
• People who have quiet minds like themselves more. They are ok with being with themselves more. 

A102: Charity is the act of protecting all beings. 

• Reminder: Protect
• A form of charity or generosity is to protect all other beings
• The greatest way to protect a being is to make them independent 
• If you reflect on who has helped you be most independent, understand that person to be your protector. 

A103: The knower of dharma is considered learned.

• Reminder: Intuitive
• One who is intuitive knows what they should do today and with their life. 
• Since they know themselves, they can also have an intuition about others and their challenges (what they need to hear, etc). 

A104: An atheist is a fool

• An atheist is one who is entitled. They have forgotten Divinity and hence they think they did all of this. Divinity is the one that is truly facilitating doing and deserving. 
• Do we all know someone who is strongly entitled? It is tiring listening and watching them!

A105: An atheist is a fool

• Reminder: Extrovert
• A foolish person lives by the path of least resistance. The past of least resistance is akin to an extrovert. 

A106: Desire is that which causes transmigration (samsara)

• Reminder: Cycle
• Forgetting → (cycles into) Desiring → (cycles into) Acting → (cycles into) Desiring) → forgetting 
• What is stuck in cycling? 

A107: Envy is the affliction of the heart

• Reminder: Parts
• We are all parts of the whole 

A108: Ego is the mighty ignorance

• Reminder: Individuality 
• The ego’s primary expression is separation
• The ego’s secondary expression is identification
• As soon as we separate, we become finite. When we become finite, the individuality becomes stronger and stronger. 

A109: Ostentation is showing off one’s virtues

• Reminder: Insecure
• An insecure person engages in rightness not because it is right but because they want to be known for doing it. 
• They are doing what is right but the attitude is that they seek security from others 
• When you are doing that which is right, there is no other reason for doing it. It is right, period. 

A110: Destiny (good fortune) is the fruit of charity 

• Reminder: Helped
• One who has helped another will also be helped
• Think of the law of karma

A111: Speaking ill of others is wickedness

• Speaking negatively of others is a waste of time. The negativity produced is temporary. 

A112: When a  partner follows dharma, then dharma, artha, kama will co-exist. 

• When you have the right teammate, you come to appreciate that living is a game. Nobody takes matters as seriously when life is a game.When you have the wrong teammate, the leela (game) is made to feel serious or absolute. 

Discourse

Q113: What will cause one to go to hell forever? 

Answer: 

1. He who himself invites a brahmana who is poor and seeking help, and then says he has nothing to give, goes to everlasting hell.

→ Example: In the movie Zootopia, the herbivores invite the fox for a gift but trick him and put the fox in a muzzle instead. 

→ They invited him only to trick him in a very mean way. Same sentiment is shared in the answer. 

2. He who discredits the Vedas, the scriptures of dharma, the brahmanas, gods and ritual offerings made to ancestors, goes to everlasting hell. 

→ All of these entities are trying to help us. Anyone who discredits a helping entity is showing mean behavior. 

3. Even when there is wealth, the one who never gives nor enjoys it himself, but says he has nothing, goes to everlasting hell. 

→ Miser → he who does not enjoy and does not let others enjoy either. 

The one who is mean is forever condemned to hell. A mean person does not have any inner quietude so whatever is in their inner world comes to their outer world also. 

The study of scriptures and performance of yajnas by brahmanas benefits society. Society is indebted to brahmanas and it is the duty of grhasthas (householders) to support the brahmanas. Specifically, the offering of bhiksha and dana/dakshina is a show of gratitude by society. 

• Absolute: A mean person is dedicated to themselves. The way to not be a mean person is to be dedicated to not oneself only. It is easier to be dedicated to those who are also dedicated. 
• Relative: If you ever feel like you are  a mean person (exhibiting miserliness, judgment, trickery), the way to come out of this is to expose yourself to kindness. Expose yourself to kindness in books, movies, words, etc. Eventually the meanness won’t make sense anymore. 

→ In Vivekachoodamani, there is a visualization pertaining to: imagine a well with algae. If you want to drink the water, you need to move the algae. Your instinct would be to move the algae with your hands. As soon as you do that, the algae will fill in when you stop moving your hands again. Acharya Shankara shares that the resolution is to take a hose and fill the well continuously. As you fill continuously, the algae flows out. 

• Tactile reflection: Seeker encouraged to self reflect. 

Q114: Is it by ancestry, conduct, study, or knowledge that a person becomes a brahmana? What makes one a brahmana? 

Answer: 

1. It is neither ancestry, nor study, nor knowledge, that is the cause. Without doubt, it is only one’s conduct.
2. One’s conduct should always be well-guarded with great effort. The one whose character remains intact suffers no loss, and one whose character is destroyed is as good as dead. 

→ A brahmana is one who lives what they are living and teaching. A brahmana is one whose character is most important. They are uncompromising. 

3. The teachers, students and others who study the scriptures and yet are wicked in their habits are fools. He who follows it in conduct is truly wise. 

→ To study and not follow is hypocrisy. 

4. Even if a person is well versed in the four Vedas, he is to be regarded as wicked if his conduct is not right. He who performs the agnihotra and has his senses under control is called a brahmana. 

→ A fire is to be kept perpetually where one lives. There are logical reasons for this like heat and cooking food. But also fire is the first element that we can see. We can’t see space, or air. Agni represents the witness or ambassador of God. A brahmana feels that God is always watching. 

• Absolute: Birth, study, teaching does not make one a brahmana. It is only by living that one becomes a brahmana. 

→ One’s behavior clearly takes precedence over one’s academic qualifications and achievements. What good is the knowledge learned if it does not lead to the refinement of the person’s character along with their capabilities. It is as good as not having learned anything! 

• Relative: A brahmana is one who is centering themselves. They engage in disciplines and sadhanas to center themselves. Because they are centered, they can center others also. 
• Tactile moment: Seeker encouraged to self reflect. 

Q115: What do those who speak affectionately gain? 

Answer: They become dear (close) to others

• Absolute: There are 3 filters for how we speak–

1. Satya (truth)
2. Hitha (useful)
3. Priya (beautiful)

→ Acronym to remember: TUB! 

• Relative: A way that we can live this better is to not talk about oneself. The purpose of our lives is to let go of the “I” feeling and that we are individuals. The more we talk about it, the more we affirm that we are an individual. The less we talk about it, the more we disassociate from it.
  • You grow from seeker to shishya when you care about your guide more than you care about yourself. This is a new phase in your journey to joy. Why? Because you have kicked in practices to forget about “you”. 
• Tactile reflection: Seeker encouraged to self-reflect. 

Discussion Subject

No discussion today due to 3 minute individualized pareeksha 🙂

Dialogue

No dialogue today due to 3 minute individualized pareeksha

RAW

• This week’s RAW: On May 2, 9, 16 (final 3 classes in course), seekers will be randomly chosen to speak on a question+answer set for 3 minutes across question+answer 63-112. Reflect and be ready! 
• Additionally, reflect on the best format for a course and class in the future.