ViBha Class Notes – March 5, 2023

If we do not have time to breathe, then we do not have time to think. Not thinking about Bhagavan is called Vis-smarana, which is forgetfulness. One forgets how to be happy or that they are Happiness. So what we aspire to do, for at least one hour a week on Sunday mornings, is to engage in Smarana, to remember that thinking, breathing is all because of Bhagavan.

Smarana or remembering the Divine is extremely powerful. We cannot describe the impact it has on us. We have all heard of Shri Kabir, who used to chant Bhagavan Rama’s name – Shri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram. And he did this in such a steady, sincere, strong way that he got to see Bhagavan Rama with his own eyes. Then Bhagavan Rama started to chant Shri Kabir’s name – Kabir, Kabir, Kabir…If we remember Bhagavan, then He will chant our name as well!

Skanda 10 is about Bhagavan Krshna’s life, and Skanda 11 is about his teachings. We ended Chapter 9 with Rshi Dattatreya teaching us the importance of being virtuous. We explored 24 virtues and our practices related to them. In Chapters 10 and 11, we learned that if we have virtues, then we can start to feel Jnana. These are potent chapters on Shri Krshna’s teachings about Himself. In Chapter 12, Shri Krshna senses that Rshi Uddhava is having difficulty to make this Jnana real, so Chapter 12 is all about Sadhu Sanga. If we associate with those who experience nobility and truth, it will be easier for us. In Chapter 13, we studied the famous and foremost Hamsa Gita which teaches us how to separate the mind from articles, beings and circumstances. How to do this? We have to rise above them.

Chapter 14 is on Dhyana of Bhagavan Krshna, in a micro way. This is contemplating on Bhagavan Krshna with our eyes closed. Details are given about His hair, His fingers, and the idea is that if we think more about Bhagavan Krshna and less about articles, beings and circumstances, that’s how we rise about these.

In Chapter 15, as we are practicing concentration, contemplation, we may develop Siddhis, new powers, like understanding people better, seeing the future, and so on. When we analyze Siddhis or powers, we only want these for Happiness. What is the purpose of having a power that does not contribute towards our Happiness? Everything we want finally relates to Happiness. So Bhagavan Krshna shares in Chapter 15 that we can live for Siddhis, but why not live for being Siddha? Why not live directly for Happiness rather than go through pleasure, possession and position to get to Happiness?

Vivekji has shared about lucid dreaming that he had experienced while in the Ashram, like he would fly so far and swim without needing to breathe underwater. He can only do that in the dream state and not at any other time, which shows that Siddhis only relate to Swapna. They are dreams that come and go, with no substance.

Chapter 16, is about how to contemplate on Shri Krshna with our eyes open. This is about Shri Krshna in a macro perspective or Vibhooti Yoga. First, we have to feel Shri Krshna in a controlled environment, then we have to feel Him in an uncontrolled environment. This is practical because if we can feel Bhagavan Krshna in the eminent, then it will become easier to see and feel Him in the imminence, in smaller matters, that which is more minute.

Chapter 17 is about Varnas and Ashramas. Varna is color, and Ashrama is vocation, or what we are doing with our life at a certain age. Varna is our inner world’s color, and Ashrama is what we are doing based on our position in life. Shri Krshna gives the Dharma for all Varnas, irrespective of what our inner world is like. This is in Chapter 17, Verse 21 – Ahimsa satya masteyam, akaama krodha lobhata, bhuta priya hite hacha, dharmoyam sarva varnikah – It is the common Dharma of persons belonging to all Varnas, to be free from cruelty, dishonesty, thieving, lust, anger and greed, as also to do what is good and pleasing to all creatures. Whenever we think about Varna, the color of our inner world, we must remember some of these teachings as there is so much misunderstanding about Varna. 

Further in Chapter 17, Shri Krshna focuses on Ashrama Dharma, what our responsibility is based on our vocation. For Brahmacharis, Vivekji shared that their efforts should be going towards being less concerned with their appearance. This will save resources, time and effort. For a Grhasta, one of the responsibilities is to be less concerned with mamata or possessiveness, that is to be less concerned with articles. There is a time, place and energy where articles are needed, but as we mature, one should not need as many articles. If we engage in sexuality at the right time, place and energy, then that discipline is like being a Brahmachari. Now let us think of our relationship with articles. If we have the right relationship with articles, then we are still independent, but the wrong relationship leads to materialism and being materialistic.

Moving on, in Chapter 18, Bhagavan Krshna shares the responsibilities of a Vanaprastha and a Sanyasi. There are different gauges of the age range for a Vanaprastha – more traditionally, it is ages 50 through 75. The reason why Vivekji has changed it to 48 and up is because rarely do people live to be a 100. The average life expectancy for us would be 72 years. One of the Dharmas of a Vanaprastha is to be less concerned with comfort. This comfort relates to being less comfortable internally. Two characteristics of one who is a Vanaprastha is non-indulgence and non-interference.

Non-indulgence is to care less for comfort, like to need a less elaborate home, need less elaborate vacations, and non-interference means that we let the next generations live. We let them deal with their relationships. We no longer should be living for our family. That is our internal comfort zone and we are so strong in justifying that, but here Bhagavan Krshna is sharing as He is leaving, to burn down those comfort zones. He says to live in an austere way, which for us means to burn down our inner comfort zones, and start living for more. 

For those whose vocation is to be a Sanyasi – She should take paces only carefully, lest she should trample over any living creatures. For the same reason, she should drink water only after filtering it with a cloth. She should speak only what has got the sacred stamp of truth. This implies that we should live completely carefully. Even how we walk should be contributing to the welfare of the grass, how we drink should be contributing to the welfare of beings. A responsibility for us is to be less concerned with identifications. We are often known for our accomplishments and that cause us to care for our ego. But for a Sanyasi, they care for all, so they do not have individual identifications. 

In Chapter 17, we saw the common responsibilities for all colors, how our inner world is, and that essentially means to be virtuous. Now we have seen individual responsibilities based on our vocation – less appearances, less articles, less comfort and less identification. In Chapter 19, Rshi Uddhava asks questions that relate to us, that we are thinking about. 

Skanda 11:19:27 – What Rshi Uddhava begins asking in this Chapter – What is Jnana? What is Vijnana? What is Vairagya? What is Bhakti? We have seen these same questions being asked by Shri Lakshmana of Bhagavan Rama in the Shri Rama Gita. Bhagavan Krshna answers here in detail, but not in the same order of the questions asked by Rshi Uddhava. Bhagavan Krshna first answers what Jnana is, then Vijnana, then Vairagya, then Bhakti. When we have Jnana, the way to convert that into Vijnana is through Vairagya. This is what we are not, so we have to give it up to know who we are. 

Now Bhagavan Krshna summarizes His answers. He answers what Bhakti is first which shows what is most important – 

• What is Bhakti? – Dharmo Mad Bhakti Krt – Bhakti is our Dharma, our responsibilities, that help us to feel closer to Him. If we are engaged in responsibilities, but do not remember Him more, it is called shrama eva, which is being engaged in labor alone. We are doing, but are not coming closer to Being. Our responsibilities with remembrance is Bhakti. 
• What is Jnana? – Jnana Cha Ekatma Ekatmani Darshanam – Jnana is feeling that Awareness in All. Our education is about what we interact with, but not about the Spirit of what we interact with. 
• What is Vairagya? – It is when we let go of being affected by the Gunas. Put simply, it means to be less moody. The Gunas are often described as the temperaments of our mind or our moods. So those who are very opinionated or judgmental, are naturally moody, as they are stuck in their own minds. They are unable to absorb anything, and have to always talk about everything. But when we slowly give up all that, that is Vairagya. What a lovely answer because when we think of Vairagya, we only think of this externally, and now we are learning that it is such an internal practice. 

Bhagavan answers that Bhakti is our responsibilities towards Him, Jnana is feeling Awareness in all, and Vairagya is giving up the Gunas or moods.

• What is Vijnana? – Vijnana is feeling just Awareness! There is no all. That is Chapters 10 and 11 of the Bhagavad Gita. In Chapter 10, Bhagavan says – I am in All, and in Chapter 11, He says there is just I! There is no all and I, just I!

Continuing with this chapter, Rshi Uddhava asks so many questions. The questions come out in Verses 28-32. This is going to be part of our RAW for this week. Then Bhagavan Krshna’s answers are in Verses 33-44. Summarizing some of these questions and answers – 

• Who is Krpana or a miser? – See our discussion question.
• What is Rta? It is truthfulness. Rta is following our ideals. Someone can only validate if we are speaking the truth, but we can validate if we are following our own ideals, our own value system.
• What is Dana? Bhagavan Krshna says Param Dana Danda Jnasah – Dana is when we stop harming others. It is when we allow someone to be comfortable with us. 
• What is the greatest Labha or gain? It is Bhakti or devotion or being dedicated.
• What is Charity? Making people comfortable, inner comfort. 
• What is Hri? It is bashfulness, a sense of shame. Bhagavan Krshna shares it is when we are ashamed of our wrong thinking and our wrong actions. 
• What is Shri or beauty? It is desirelessness. We become more beautiful when we have less desires, and then our glow comes from the inside. 
• What is Utpattha or the wrong path? It is extroversion or being an extrovert.
• What is Svarga or Heaven? It is Sattva. The Guna of Sattva makes us quieter and then we feel more uplifted, like we are living in heaven then.
• What is Naraka? It is tamas, that which makes us more extrovert, lethargic, that which pulls us down and makes us feel like we are living in hell then. 
• Who is Bandhu? Who is our relative? The true relative is the Guru, not siblings and children. And that Guru is ourselves, the Guru who is really Bhagavan.

Finally, a complex and robust teaching, a question that Rshi Uddhava doesn’t even ask. He is asking what is good and bad, what is punya and papa. And Bhagavan Krshna ends this section by sharing –

• What is Virtue? Not comparing punya and papa, not comparing good and bad. We are so stuck on these comparisons, and Bhagavan is saying that if we keep going by these comparisons, then that’s all we will think about, likes and dislikes. So virtue, guna is to rise above even the sense of relativity. 

Skanda 11:20:17 – This verse describes how precious our body is. In this chapter, Rshi Uddhava asks – Who should follow Jnana Yoga? Who should follow Karma Yoga? Who should follow Bhakti Yoga? Before looking at the verse, some thoughts in English on – the spiritual value of the human body – 

Just as those consigned to the purgatory, desire to get a human body, so do the denizens of heaven too aspire for such a body, for it is only with a human body that Knowledge and Bhakti can be developed, and not with bodies pertaining to those other spheres. Therefore, a human of intelligence and insight should not desire for the heavenly regions, even as he does not for the purgatory. She should not however, entertain any desire for a human body too, for the passionate attachment for the body will balk her on her spiritual goal. So understanding that this human body, though capable of taking her to the highest, is in itself mortal, a human of discrimination should strive with great alertness for the attainment of the spiritual goal even before death overtakes her. When Yama-like destroyers of forests cut down trees heartlessly, the birds having their nests on them, fly away easily to places of safety, if they are without  much attachment for their habitats. So also a person should tremble on realizing that the tree of their lifespan is being cut down with the passing of every night and day. This will help her be free from all attachments in life, become desireless and be established in tranquility by contemplating on the Supreme Being.

Verse 17 – Suppose one has obtained a human body, which is the first of all requirements for the higher life, though very rare, the ship of a human body very well built, has now become available to one by his good fortune and it is captained by a competent Guru and favored by the wind of My Grace. If, with all these favorable conditions, a human fails to utilize them to cross the ocean of samsara, they should be called a suicide, a killer of their own spiritual self. 

The fact that we just heard these verses, 12-17 of Chapter 20 of the 11th Section, shows that these verses describe us. We have this precious opportunity. This boat is being captained by our Trust triangle – our Guide, our Map, our Divinity, and if one doesn’t remember Bhagavan Krshna permanently in this lifetime, not just on Sunday mornings or when things are good or bad, then we have murdered our own opportunity. Bhagavan has called one Atmahaam, an extremely strong word. 

Discussion: Bhagavan Krshna gives very relatable answers to Rshi Uddhava’s questions. Let us now try and answer these two questions like we are Bhagavan Krshna  

• Who is Daridra or impoverished? 
• Who is Krpana or a miser? 

Bhagavan Krshna’s answers – The one who is discontent is Daridra or impoverished, the one who focuses on what they don’t have, rather than on what they do have. 

The one who is indisciplined is Krpana. Krpana is the one who deserves krpa, grace, compassion. So the one who needs the most compassion or help in their lives is someone who is indisciplined. 

RAW: Research the questions and answers in Verses 28-44 of Chapter 19, Skanda 11.