November 18, 2021 – Class Notes by Juie Deo

Introduction

“True self care is not salt baths, and chocolate cake. It is making the choice to build a life you don’t need to regularly escape from and that often takes doing the things you least want to do.” — Brianna Weiss. In our society, the term self care is bounced around a lot with recommended activities like coloring, drinking tea, calling a friend, etc. Inherently, there’s nothing wrong with this. After all, the intention of investing in oneself is noble, and necessary. When we have the right relationship with ourselves, we can care for others and our Earth in an equally loving way. However, with more honesty, one might observe that the term self care is often misunderstood and used as a disguise for validating indulgences, or escapism. If we want to care for ourselves in a nourishing, lasting, uplifting way, we must shift our vision of self care from short term pleasures to long term practices. True self care is made up of small achievable habits that bring calmness to the body, quietness to the mind and stillness to the intellect. This month, introspect on your self care practices. And with viveka assess their feeding the senses or the Self. Recommit to one practice that you know is good for you that you have been holding yourself back from like writing or just dedicate yourself to this daily and reflect on how you feel come December. What we are exposed to typically makes us weaker. This course is making us stronger. 

Review

Step 28 – kṣamā (forgiveness). The one who gives forgiveness is the one who benefits.

Step 29 –  svādhyāya (introspection). The less we introspect, the more we complain and blame an entity. When we practice introspection, we know any anxiety or stress in our life is caused by us. 

Step 30 –  abhyāsa (practice). We are studying a subjective science and we have to feel/practice it, unlike an objective science. 

Step 31 – yajña (dedication). Another apt word is samikṣa, which means vision. Pratiksha means wait/procrastinate. Some pursue Joy with a vision, while some wait/procrastinate with a strategy that joy will randomly wander into their lives. Without dedication/vision, mental and physical maturity does not occur.

Discourse

Step 32 – dāna (generosity). Dakshina (gratitude) leads to dana (generosity). When we are ungrateful, we feel that we never have enough because we feel we are not enough. Generosity triggers grace. Living is like a mirror. If we are angry, the world is angry. If we are cheerful, the world is cheerful. Similarly, for those who are generous, there is more grace in their life and living becomes easier. In terms of generosity, three facets we can give are time, resources, and effort. They are in order from easiest to hardest. It is much easier to give resources than time and effort. It is easier to give resources to a child than time or effort, which is the sense of becoming more patient and cheerful with them. The same applies for our guru-shishya parampara. They are beyond resources. We can give  time and finally, our sadguru wants our effort to become Joyous. We should intensify what we are being generous with, from resources to time to effort. Dana has to be practiced daily. Those who give daily train themselves to give unconditionally, without a sense of reciprocity. 

Step 33 – tapah (toughness). Comfort and discomfort are highly personal and based on our thoughts. When we accept that we have a perspective on comfort and discomfort, then we can adapt to make all more comfortable. But, if I do not accept that a person or circumstance makes me uncomfortable, I will never change my mind to make myself comfortable. If I accept that a person makes me uncomfortable, then I can change myself. That is the toughness. Tapah literally means burn. Burn your comfort zone or push the envelope.First, we have to accept that we have a comfort zone. The fulfillment of tapah is not having a comfort zone and there is no sense of ‘zone’. We are most comfortable with ourselves. When we have a sense of oneness with all, we do not have comfort zones. By practicing tapah, we stop escaping from pain and it is naturally a catalyst for embracing peace. 

Step 34 – dharma (responsibility). When we engage in our responsibilities, we integrate the mind and the intellect. When we are irresponsible, there is misalignment between our mind and intellect. When we follow dharma, we have less dislikes and  less likes which brings less of a sense of individuality. We know we are integrating ourselves when we feel less like an individual. When we feel we are an individual, there is more complexity in our life. The more we feel part of the total, the simpler our life is. Individuality equals complexity. Our lives are not complex because of the circumstances, rather it is because of the sense of individuality which holds us back from our responsibilities. Those who have dealt with their dislikes and their likes become more courageous. Being a responsible person is an expression of being courageous. Heli skiing and skydiving are daring and adrenaline-oriented. But every day, going to school, washing the dishes, asking for forgiveness, or offering forgiveness, cheerfully every day — is courage. And courage is the stepping stone to be fearless. 

Raja Prthu noted that every citizen on the globe should follow dharma for themselves, facilitate dharma for others, and felicitate those who follow dharma. In families, we appreciate excellence over responsibilities. Instead, appreciate when they work hard, when they put their dishes away, and so on. Not because they can sing a song, perform or write better. Felicitate those who are being responsible or integrating themselves. 

Step 35 – prārabdha (effect). Ishvara is the Creator and Controller (nigraha). We are more afraid of the Controller, however, the Controller is also the Blesser (anugraha). Our Creator is perpetually blessing every one of us with a super custom designed life (from our hair, oral immunity, city, family members and all) to evolve. Evolution means smiling and laughing more and if we are intentional, we make use of this custom designed life. We will change and the world will change. If you live so beautifully today then tomorrow will be beautiful and the next day. Every day affects the next day that in turn affects the next time, like dominoes. 

Summary: 

Step 32 –  dāna (generosity).     Practice:Intensify what we are being generous with, from resources to time, to effort and practice it daily.

Step 33 –  tapah (toughness).     Practice: accept comfort zone and work toward having no sense of a comfort zone

Step 34 –  dharma (responsibility). Practice: follow, facilitate and felicitate

Step 35 – prarabdha (effect). Practice: Each moment live your custom designed life with intention

Discussion Subject

Previous Week — What stops you from practicing and why?

Vivekji’s observation  – Whatever we prioritize, we will practice and interestingly, whatever we practice, we will start to prioritize also. We are holding ourselves back. For example, if we are prioritizing ego, then we are not going to practice forgiveness. But if we are prioritizing Joy, then we will practice forgiveness. 

This week  — What is the most profound teaching that you have experienced over the past 10 classes? What is the most regular practice that you have engaged in since this course started?

Vivekji’s reflection – Word Grace/Krupa –  Bhagavan Rama says that the expression of grace is the opportunity for satsanga. Reflection from a seeker: “I know there is more to this Body-Mind-Intellect, because there are no actions that I could have done with these limited equipments, that would be responsible for these teachings and opportunities for seva being so readily available, other than the grace of the higher. The fact that I am able to even share this with Vivekji is amazing.”  For this class Vivekji, reflected/prepared for fifty hours — that is grace to have access to satsang. 

Questions

Question 1: 

We are not the doer, but on a functional level we are accountable for people who depend on us. How do we navigate non-doership and functional accountability?

When we intimately feel Brahman/God/Creator/Fundamentals, then the functional stays functional and never bleeds into the Fundamentals. Our responsibility is to serve the divine. We simply play the role. 

Question 2: 

Whom to forgive, what to forgive, and what is there to forgive? And if the person wants to get forgiveness, shouldn’t they ask for it?

If you have a sense of oneness, that forgiveness is obsolete. The more separation or ego there is, the more there is asking and giving forgiveness. But in oneness, forgiveness is redundant. Some people are too egotistical or uncommunicative to ask for forgiveness. But if someone is sensitive (ahimsa), then even if no words are communicated, that sense of forgiveness is still there. We should be reckless with offering forgiveness because the benefactor is the beneficiary. 

Last week’s RAW 

Sit down and practice keeping your body still for five minutes. 

Vivekji’s observation –  five minutes of calmness of the body can help us learn so much about ourselves. If we can just control the noise outside, briefly, then we can know who we are so much more. 

RAW –

Avoid touching your body needlessly. Reconcile the 35 spaces that we have traveled through so far.