ViBha Class Notes – April 2, 2023
When we don’t feel well, we feel like we are held back. We can’t exercise as well, we can’t digest as well, we can’t think as well. Everyone of us is born with technical diseases or granthis. We have been oriented towards these granthis, these knots in different ways. One of the granthis or knots in our personality that holds us back is a Karma granthi. It is this impetus to always work, to always do, to always become.
In the Devi Mahatmya, which is a lovely map directed towards our Universal Mother, this is explained by the Rakshasas, Madhu and Kaitaba. Madhu means sweetness, and in our personalities it is our likes, for example, “I like when the sun shines, I like eating at this restaurant”. Kaitaba symbolizes bitterness, that which is not tasty or our dislikes. Madhu and Kaitaba are destroyed by a beautiful prayer from Devi Kaalika. For us, that beautiful prayer is Shravana – listening. The more we listen to our Shastra, about self development, our likes and dislikes become dismantled and are defeated. The technical word for what likes and dislikes do to us is Abhaavana – it is beyond me to be without likes and dislikes. It is impossible for me to be independent.
Only when this knot, the Karma Granthi is cut, can we move onto the second granthi or knot which is the Kaama granthi. Why is it that we are always working is because we are always desiring – “I have this sankalpa, I have that plan.” In Devi Mahatmya, this is symbolized by Mahishasura, this Asura that keeps on taking different forms. Our desires are the same way. We have a Sunday desire, a Monday desire, a Tuesday desire, an AM desire, a PM desire. And how is Mahishasura destroyed? By Bhagavati Lakshmi, a form of Bhagavati Lakshmi. Bhagavati Lakshmi is the symbol for Sampatti, inner wealth. The more inner wealth we have, like patience, contentment and so on, then doesn’t that destroy our desires? The technical disease that this Kaama Granthi presents to us is Asambhaavana. Abhaavana – we don’t even know what self development is. Asambahavana – we know what self development is, but we don’t think we can do this, or that this applies to us.
This can manifest in our lives through Manana. When we start to reflect on who we were at the beginning of Vedanta in Bhagavata four and a half years ago, and who we are now, we have changed as a person. The more we reflect on that, the more this becomes a possibility. This is just a taste of this. Today is our 149th class and we have been engaged in Shravana of Bhagavata, and this has been zoomed into by Manana, through the lens of Vedanta. We have been engaged in this fight against Madhu and Kaitaba, against Mahishasura now for 149 hours. Vivekji hopes we are all feeling more free. Just like a physical sickness holds us back, this metaphysical sickness is much more severe.
In Skanda 11, Bhagavan is passionately sharing with Rshi Uddhava about His Dhaama, about His Nature. This Skanda began with Rshi Uddhava asking Bhagavan Krshna if he could come with Him. And Bhagavan said that he could not come in an ordinary way, that for him to come with Bhagavan, Rshi Uddhava had to know His Nature. That is why the eleventh Skanda is filled with teachings.
A really lovely facet of what we have explored in this Skanda is – As you associate, so you think, so you develop. Our association impacts us in a trickle down effect and Bhagavan specifically shares to associate with Sadhus. If we cannot do that, then associate with Sattva, and if we do, we will be remarkable. Rshi Uddhava is intellectually appreciating this, and Bhagavan wants to give him more. So Bhagavan demonstrates what happens with such associations, and that’s shared in Chapter 23 – the Bikshu Gita, where this personality was treated in the most poor and rough way, but he never reacted. Titeeksha and Sthane – he endured and he accepted.
Revisiting this Brahmana who became a Bikshu – His ladder of fall started with Lobha or greed. This is called Lobha anartha, how greed causes this fall – Chapter 23, Verse 18. In this shloka, we saw 13 vices which come from greed. For example, avishvaasah – greedy people are always suspicious and always afraid that someone is going to take what they have. The shloka says there are two more vices, making it a total of 15 vices. The last two vices are – The last word in the shloka is Vyasa which means addiction – addiction to articles, addiction to beings and addiction to circumstances. Poetically, Vyaasa is the opposite, and it is not someone who is addicted, but the one who is free.
This chapter is completed with – It is Grace that causes us to practice. We all know so much, but to practice that, it is Grace which helps us practice. This Brahmana had everything outside, and wasted it. And all a sudden, he started to practice this because of Grace.
We move on to Chapter 24, which focuses on Maya. It feels like Bhagavan Krshna is reviewing Bhagavata here.
Skanda 11:24:3 – Bhagavan Krshna is sharing with Rshi Uddhava – The Infinite then, as if, expresses as Maya, even though Infinity does not change. This Truth is beyond speaking, the mind, the senses, but this Infinitude is expressed as Dvividha.
Shared in a simple way – Infinity + Maya = Separation. When Infinity is shared through this prism of Maya, then separation starts to manifest, just like white light goes through a prism and expresses as the colors of the rainbow. This chapter focuses on Sankhya and Sankhya is trying to understand Maya. Earlier in Bhagavata, Sankhya Yoga was already taught by Rshi Kapila to his mother, Devi Devahuti. This shows that Bhagavan loves us so much that He wants us to come to his Dhaama. So He is re-teaching this, in case we have forgotten it.
The main message in this verse is that there is Just Consciousness. There is just that white light. When we add this factor of Maya, then there is separation, but in terms of Infinity, there is no other. So the verb that comes with this understanding is Being. What is Consciousness doing? It is not doing anything. It is just Being. In Niagara Falls, it is cool, but it is sunny. Does the Sun know Niagara Falls? No, it is just shining, and is not engaged in the action of shining on Niagara Falls. So for us, the Best verb is to BE. That is the closest verb to Consciousness, and what it requires is Humility. We all think we are special, but that specialness does not come from the outside. It comes from the inside.
Another insight – Maya means collective forgetfulness. Avidya is individual forgetfulness. Vid means to know, so Avid means to not know. Vid also means Existence. So Avid also means does not exist, which implies…Maya does not exist. Do we feel that? It is important for us to note these details because if Maya doesn’t exist, we do not have to deal with the symptoms then. In a rough example, if we feel really sick, and we think we have cancer, but then we find out that we don’t, then those symptoms feel so light. We don’t have to deal with them any more then.
When Infinity passes through Maya, it becomes Separation or Prakrti. When Purusha expresses, it becomes Prakrti – that which is processed. If something is processed, then that means there is a more real substance to it. What is Sattvic food? That which is not processed, that which is ready to eat from the ground, and not from a box. Rajasic food is processed food.
Another cool insight for the expression of Maya being Gunas – When we engage in the lower Gunas, then we are born into lower dimensions. When we engage in the middle Gunas, we are born in the middle dimension. So that shows that we are very Rajasic. If we engage in the higher Guna, then we are born into the higher dimensions. Then Bhagavan goes on to share that if we add Yoga, Tapa and Sanyasa in our life, then we are born in the highest region. Then Bhagavan finalizes this by sharing that if we go beyond the Gunas, that’s when we come to live in Vaikunta with Him, and that going beyond the Gunas is only possible through Bhakti. Superior to Yoga, Tapa and Sanyasa is Bhakti. That is when we stop traveling.
Vivekji shared a cartoon from the New Yorker. There is a meeting going on in a workplace, and a lady walks in saying “Sorry I’m late, I was busy being Happy at Home”. Isn’t the purpose of life to be happy, and not financially sound? Imagine never having to move between dimensions ever again! If we find a permanent home in Vaikunta, that would be lovely! How do we do it? With Bhakti!
Skanda 11:24:24 – What is the way that we can pierce through Maya? That is shared in this verse. Bhagavan tells Rshi Uddhava –”That which is the cause, and that which is there in the beginning and the end, it is also there in the middle, and any change that changes functional is for society, that which is made from gold and Earth”.
When gold comes from this ore and becomes this pure substance, it is gold in the beginning, and if all the jewelry we have is brought back to the goldsmith, that is if all the names and forms are taken away, what remains is gold. So there was gold in the middle too. Similarly, all the things that are made from Earth, including ourselves, in the beginning there was Earth, in the middle there was Earth, and finally in the end there is Earth too. So that is why Prithvi Sevasanga makes sense. It is looking after oneself.
A few insights – All depends on Existence, Awareness, Joy, but specifically Existence. That is what Bhagavan Krshna is trying to share with Rshi Uddhava that there is only Existence. What happens when we forget that we are Existence? What vice develops in our personality? Fear – fear of aging, fear of dying. All depends on Existence and will die. This body will become food, food comes from seeds, and seeds come from Earth, and will become Earth. Imagine this week we treat this body like Earth! Would that make us more reasonable or unreasonable? We would all become more objective then. It is all Earth!
Bhagavan shares that the more Vichara (reflection) that we engage in, the less Vikshepa (projection) we experience or expect. A disease that has become quite prominent due to us all being isolated is over thinking. Over-thinking is an expression of vikshepa (projection), and to overcome it, we should reflect. We should never be afraid of public speaking as no one is listening to us. Everyone is in their own head. So what is there to be afraid of? Bhagavan Krshana shares that a sign of the one who reflects is that they become more content. The greatest are those who are content, and they become more content through reflection.
Final thought is from Swami Tapasyananda’s book. It is from the Prologue for the 24th Chapter – Brahman persists unchanged from the beginning to the end of the series of changes involved in creation and dissolution. That He must have therefore existed in the middle too, and that He is therefore the One Reality of which the effect, conditions are all only temporary phases.
What is being shared is – What is in the beginning and in the end, is in the middle also. Our practice is to label less. Pujya Swami Tejomayananda has always shared that when people label, they are often burned by those labels. For example, we may say that this is my best friend today, but tomorrow things might change, and we may have to retract that label, right? Living is not so definitive, so there is no need to assign such labels.
Chapter 25 relates to the Gunas. Bhagavan Krshna wants Rshi Uddhava to come with Him. In Chapter 23, Bhagavan gave this demonstration by sharing an example of someone who is practicing Sthane. They are accepting. In Chapter 24, Bhagavan shares what Maya is, that it takes us away from HIM. Now in Chapter 25, Bhagavan shares that if we are unable to deal with Maya, then we should first deal with what is on top of Maya, which is the Gunas.
Skanda 11:25:19 – When the Sattva Guna increases, then we become more like a Deva who is lighter. The more Rajasic we are, then we become like an Asura – selfish and short term. And if we are Tamasic, then we become like a Raakshasa, one who is vicious. So the Gunas will decide if we are like devas, asuras or raakshasas. If we don’t get Bhagavan, we feel Maya, and if we don’t get Maya, we feel the Gunas.
In the beginning of this chapter, Bhagavan elaborates on the characteristics of these Gunas. We should rate ourselves. A prominent characteristic of sattva is self-sacrifice. One sign of rajas is demonstrativeness or showing off, someone who is always talking about what they are doing. One sign of tamas is vain expectations. Making it more personal – We are Sattvic when we feel we can Be Happy. A characteristic of Rajas is when we feel we can create happiness. A characteristic of Tamas is when we feel we cannot be happy.
Some other insights that Bhagavan shares – Gunas only affect us if we are attached to them. If we are not attached to the Guna, then we are not affected by it. Bhagavan shares to not be attached in general, and not to be attached to any Guna as this is how He is, and so if we start to live like this, He would manifest in our lives. Vivekji has shared that Bhagavan Rama is Nirguna Sukha – Unconditional Joy. This Joy is not even dependent on sadhana. So we also have to go beyond, deeper than Sattva Guna.
Skanda 11:25:24 – This verse is about how we know which Guna we are in relation with our body – Sattvic Jnana is when we feel that this body is an equipment. Rajasic Jnana is when we feel that this body is changing, and Tamasic Jnana is when we feel that there is nothing, but the body. So Sattva – I have a body; Rajas – I have a body, and I am the body; Tamas – I am the body only. Bhagavan finally shares that the Jnana that is unconditional, that is beyond this, is that I am Not this body.
Our relationship with our body is a fine way to understand what our evolution is. If we are asked, “Who are you?”, if we feel that we are only the body, or that we are the body and have a body, or that we have a body, that is a gauge of our evolution.
Then Bhagavan shares about food. Sattvic food is that which is easily obtainable, food that is natural. Rajasic food is delightful at the time of eating, but it is not delightful when digesting, and so on. A good example of that is hot sauce. Tamasic food is unhealthy, not just for us, but for all, specifically the Earth.
Finally, Bhagavan gives us a framework relating to pleasure to know which Guna we are. Someone who has the quality of quietness finds their pleasure through Contemplation. The person who is Rajasic, or aggressive inside, finds pleasure through contacts. They always need to talk to someone, their sense organs always have to do something. The Tamasic personality or the one filled with darkness finds pleasure through consumption – always about what do I get, having more, consuming more.
Bhagavan will only be alive for a few more chapters, and we have to really know His Dhaama. The next chapter is a special chapter and is called Aila Gita, which we will study next week.
Discussion: How do we know what our purpose is? The keyword is know. What evidence or proof is there? Just like Bhagavan has given us many ways to know our Gunas, that is what we are discussing about purpose.
Vivekji’s thoughts: What we are becoming is our purpose. For example, if our purpose is to be an athlete, but we are becoming unhealthier, then our purpose is not to be an athlete. If our purpose is to be independently joyous, and we are becoming more virtuous, and more excited about the Trust triangle, then that is our purpose. So whatever we are becoming, is our purpose. We shouldn’t just say it, but feel this.
RAW: Try to eat only Sattvic food (Purusha and less Prakrti) or more of it, food that is easily obtainable or is natural.