ViBha Class Notes – March 19, 2023
The first prayer that we chant at the start of our class shares that it is only Bhagavan Krshna who can finally help us — neither our parents, nor the government can help us with all of our problems in life. Any experienced thinking person will acknowledge this. The second prayer shares that the purpose of our life is to learn how to contemplate. It is not IQ or family, but it is Satyam Param Dhimahi — to learn how to contemplate on Consciousness because then we change into Consciousness. The third prayer shares that the way to prepare ourselves for Consciousness is through Dharma — to treat our responsibilities as an opportunity to evolve.
It is our fortune that we have decades of opportunities to practice how to evolve, especially the younger we are. In the movie Moulin Rouge, there is a quote which says, “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return”. This is a lyric from David Bowie. When we reflect on this quote, when we know how much someone loves us, it becomes natural for us to return that love. We take for granted in a very familial way, and we most definitely take it for granted in a metaphysical way. Bhagavan loves us the most. And Shrimad Bhagavata provides us the details on how Bhagavan loves us the most, and that way we return that love, that way we feel that we belong to Bhagavan.
Our hearts are closed, but when we learn about the details of a Leela — Leenam Bhaavam Laati Prakatayati, which means the potential in ones’ heart is released — when we learn the details about how much Bhagavan Krshna loves us, what is holding us back starts to melt away, and we just become one who is more loving.
Skanda 10 is called Ashraya. This is the theme of this section. The theme of the 11th Skanda or Section is Mukti. Ashraya means support, and Mukti means freedom. Section 10 is the heart of Shrimad Bhagavata, and Section 11 is the Head. Sharing in another way, Section 10 is about Saguna Brahma — Infinity that expresses with a certain form and name, while Section 11 is about Nirguna Brahma — Infinity without a form and name. The implication is that Bhagavan Krshna’s body is going to die. Bhagavan Krshna’s body will return to its source. So the 10th Section is very sporty, while the 11th Section is very dramatic. Shared more simply, Section 10 is about Bhagavan Krshna’s life, and Section 11 is about His teachings. Most of us are only exposed to Skanda 10 — Bhagavan Krshna’s life in His kingdom and who He is married to, and so on. However, if that is the finality, why would there be a Section 11?
We have been exposed to many Gitas in Shrimad Bhagavata, like Pranava Gita where the Gopis come together and beg for Bhagavan. We have listened to Rshi Dattatreya’s Gita where Rshi Dattatreya shares that we can learn from everything, like we can learn from a spider, from our own body. The beauty of a Gita or song is that they are a lovely way for us to follow this song to Bhagavan.
Vivekji shared with kids in a recent Camp on Hinduism equals environmentalism — There are five directions that are dedicated to us, and we in turn need to be dedicated towards these directions. Those directions are Nature’s forces, Nature’s Beings, Society, Family and our Guides. Vivekji had shared with these kids five verbs to practice –
- For Nature’s Forces — Thank
- For Nature’s beings — Help
- For Society — Support
- For Family — Share
- For Guides — Follow — Our Guides offer this song and we are to follow. All of these Gitas, we are to follow them, and this is a buildup for the special Gita that we are going to experience today.
In Chapter 20, Bhagavan Krshna teaches different paths — Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. The least number of people typically say they practice Bhakti yoga as we intellectualize our lives. We also study Vedanta in an intellectual way, with big heads and small hearts. Bhagavan Krshna says that Bhakti is the best Yoga because in Bhakti the means and the ends are the same. Why postpone Happiness when we can be happy now? So, this is what Bhagavan shares about a practical way for us to follow Bhakti — On the boat of your life, the loving Guru should be the captain. The Guru is a Bhakta, and if we follow a Bhakta, we will be following Bhakti.
Chapter 21 is a most practical chapter on Relativity. Shankarji was teaching about relative moralism, and that morality is relative. For someone who is less evolved, being kind is the purpose of their life. For someone more evolved, dedicating their life is morality. Bhagavan Krshna shares the same sentiment in this chapter, that living in the relative is exhausting. If we go about life saying, “I like this, I dislike this”, it is like living on eggshells. Bhagavan Krshna is sharing that we should be bigger than the relative, to tune into the Absolute as living in the relative is exhausting. Bhagavan says that when we are distracted by the relative, we become desirous and desire leads to Kali. Kali means selfishness, fast, conflict. When one goes about living in the relative, inevitably there will be conflict.
Chapter 22 is about classifications of creation — What has made creation? How to classify creation? Some of the main thoughts that Bhagavan shares is that if we go about classifying all the time, our mind gets agitated, and if we are able to quieten our mind, we are able to see the big picture, rather than get lost in numbers. Do we feel Shrimad Bhagavata is a scholarly text or a devotional text? If we study vedanta in a scholarly way, then we are approaching vedanta with an agitated mind. Vedanta is to be internalized. If we are not reflecting, then we are deflecting. If we feel Bhagavata is a historical text, then we are deflecting. That is why Bhagavan emphasizes on quieting one’s mind, and Bhagavan ends this chapter with — As we think, so we develop. If we keep thinking about this classification, then when we die, we will be born again into this same classification. And if we rise above this, then when we die, we will be closer to Bhagavan. There will only be Oneness. Bhagavan shares that when one rises above, even when one is tormented, they are not affected. Rshi Uddhava then asks how the mind can be so quiet even when someone is bothering us so much. And this leads us to Chapter 23.
Chapter 23 is known as Bikshu Gita — the song of the Mendicant. The implication of this song is that to rise above likes and dislikes, we need to nurture titeeksha or endurance. How many of us feel we have an enduring personality? How do we know we are not an enduring person? When we are easily annoyed. The evolution of endurance is Sthane or acceptance. This titeeksha should lead to Sthane, and that is what this Gita is about.
Endurance is not built into our muscles, but into our mind. Here is a practice for our Mind — ECO. Our minds should only be engaged in three verbs — E — Engage, C — Chant, O — Observe. So ECO, if we want to be less irritable, less opinionated. Another visualization — engage is when we are on the road, chant is when we are in our garage, and observe is when we are in our home, in bed with the covers on. So we must try and visualize this with our mind as we go about our daily life.
Skanda 11:23:23 — When a human having achieved this human life, which is the very entrance to heaven (svarga) and apavarga which means enlightenment, would willingly become attached to wealth, to worthlessness? Why would a human depend on wealth when as a human, you can go to heaven, you can be free?
Elaborating on this — Bhagavan Krshna shares with Rshi Uddhava that there is hardly any human who is not reactive. To be tormented, and still just endure, just accept, this seems very impossible, but Bhagavan acknowledges this and goes on to share an incident about a person who was attached to wealth and then detached from wealth, which made him more enduring and more accepting. This person does not have a name, just Brahmana or seeker. We can relate to this and what is shared is that this person never engaged in the Pancha Mahayajna — nature’s forces, nature’s beings, society, family, guides are always giving to us. But someone who is attached to wealth, does not give back. So this person never gave back, but just hoarded this wealth and he is described as going from being a Brahmana to being a bhuta — a ghost or goblin. This person became a zombie, and eventually all that he was hoarding was taken from him in different ways. Eventually, he started thinking about his life and this thinking led to him understanding that wealth was not going to make him happy. This revelation came from Krpa. So then he started to live for Yajna and dedicated himself to Bhagavan.
Additional detail about his titeeksha and his Sthane is shared. This Brahmana lived with people, but he was mean to people — disrespected them and never shared with them. When everything was lost, he went back to them asking for respect, asking for resources. These people when he came to them with his bag or bowl would take it from him and trick him. When he would go to the river to wash himself, they would urinate in his drinking vessel and eating vessel. They accused him of being a thief, and gave him their durvaata (foul air). They would tie him up like an animal, his hands and feet…and the entire time he did not react. He endured, accepting with the one insight that this was his Prarabdha — this is how I lived, so this is what I deserve. He never escaped, instead he endured and accepted.
This is the build up to the actual Bikshu Gita, Verses 43–58 in Chapter 23. These sixteen verses are incredible.
Skanda 11:23:44 — The powerful mind generates the modes and movements of the senses (so the mind is our senses’ boss). Out of the senses, are perceived actions which are sattvic, rajasic and tamasic (so the senses do things which help us to evolve or devolve). And your actions then go on to determine your fate — to become an animal, to become a deva, to become a human.
Here is another insight that Vivekji shared on how we can endure more and accept more. This Bikshu shares — You and I have the same Presence inside of us. So if I harm you, and you harm me, and we both have the same Presence, then really no one is harming anyone, for example our tongue and teeth. When our teeth, as if harm our tongue, what do we do? We don’t react. We endure. So if we feel the Presence in you and me is the same, who is harming who then?
Another insight — Each of our limbs has a specific devata that looks after it. For our eyes, the devata is the Sun. Now suppose my eyes look at you in the wrong way. But it is the same devata, the sun for your eyes and mine, so who is harming who? So there is no harm. With this knowledge, enduring and accepting becomes more relatable, more possible.
Next week, Bikshu Gita ends with — this is the problem, this is the solution.
Whoever hears with faith and devotion this song of the mendicant, dealing with the subject of establishment in Consciousness, or makes others hear it, and themselves constantly think over it, will not be overcome by the contradictions of life.
This whole section is about relativity, and that if we can endure and accept, it is the same as rising above relativity.
Discussion: Come up with 3 more insights or practices on how to practice titeeksha, how to get to Sthane.
Vivekji’s response: Not enduring or not accepting does not work, so we may as well accept and endure.
Additional response: Slow down, then we can step back (or zoom out), and then we can see more, and our narrative changes.
The functional reason for titeeksha is that if we do not endure, we cannot inquire. If we complain, criticize, cry, then we do not go any deeper. So titeeksha leads to vichara. Any successful person in life has to endure a lot.
Other insights: The purpose of life is to be happy. Pressure does not contribute towards that. Listen more, and talk less — one way to not give in to peer pressure.
No one is born a Hindu in our culture. We have to know Hinduism to be able to follow Hinduism, then we are a Hindu. But we cannot follow what we do not know. So what is imperative to being a Hindu is Svadhyaya — getting to know who we are, which means we have to have time to do that. Engaging in Svadhyaya is engaging in Self-love. So anti-Hinduism is leading a busy life as the first thing a busy person drops is Svadhyaya or Self-love.