Subodha Vedanta Class Notes – February 25, 2024

Being human is a special opportunity. It is a precious bhagya because we have an instrument that is the intellect which is subtle enough to inquire. Stones, plants, animals also have an equipment that is an intellect, but that is not subtle. So a stone, a plant, an animal will not ask “Who am I?” or “Am I happy?”. Now this equipment which is the intellect, it can take us higher. It can be a catalyst to our evolution. If we never ask who we are, we will always take ourselves to be the person in the mirror. If we ask ourselves who we are, we will know we are more than the body, the mind and so on. But when the intellect is not used in the right way, it takes us lower then. It makes us devolve. Some people will say that in their next birth, they want to be born as a dog or a tree because they are not using the intellect in the right way. An evidence of this is where we have this habit, this vasana to intellectualize all that happens to us, especially when it comes to a sacred science. Almost all of us know of God, but we don’t know God. Shared differently, we know of happiness, but we don’t know Happiness. Intellectualization is using the intellect in the wrong way and that’s why we pray. We pray –

May we be safe! May we enjoy! May we exert! And the fourth part of this prayer is –

Tejasvinama Dheetamastu – May we shine! The implication is that we may apply what we know. The shining happens through application. Application helps us to prevent intellectualization. Then we will know God and we will know Happiness. 

Vivekji then asked us – What comes first – a school or a subject? It is a subject that comes before a school, especially in a sacred science. A school is formed around a subject. If there is no subject, then it is not really a school then, but just a building. This subject that we are exploring and experiencing in this building and space is Advaita Vedanta. Anta means inside, like in inquiring inside with our intellect, getting to know who we are. Veda means knowledge, to know – to know what’s inside of us, what’s inside of life. And anyone who applies themselves with Vedanta will come to find and feel Advaita inside of themselves, inside of life. Advaita means Oneness, Oneness which is synonymous with Joyousness. What’s inside of me is the inside of you, inside of all animals, plants, and stones. If we find we have a lot of enemies in life, it is not because of them, it is because of us. There is too much separation inside of us, so we feel everyone outside is separate, and is an enemy. Conversely, the one who feels Oneness inside of themselves, they don’t have any inner enemies, so they don’t have any outer enemies. If we want to really celebrate the International Day of Non-Violence which relates to Mahatma Gandhi’s Jayanti, the way to do it is to immerse ourselves in this subject, Advaita Vedanta. When we don’t have enemies inside, we won’t have enemies outside, leave alone violence. 

In this semester, we are learning about Subodha Vedanta. Subodha means easy, an easy way to know what’s inside of us is Oneness. Subodha Vedanta is a means for us to know what is inside is Oneness. 

Now we will go through an immersive review. 

Chapter 1 – 

Vaktum subodhavedaantam pravrtto hyabudho ‘pyaham

Krpayaa yasya tam vande shreeganesham punah punah 

Vande sarasvateem deveem sadgurum me mahaa-matim

seetaa-sameta-shreeraamam yacchantu shubhadaam matim

Chapter 1 has the theme of Invocation. Here, the teaching for us is to feel the presence of Divinity. When we feel the presence of Divinity, then whatever we are about to do, becomes easier. 

Chapter 2 –

Poorvaarjitena punyena sarveshaanugrahena cha

jaayate tattva-jijnaasaa preetiryasya paraatmani

Krpaa-paatrah sa evaayam gurum seveta bhaktitah

bhavet-tenaiva yogyashcha saadhanaabhyaasa-tatparah

vivekaadi-gunairyuktasteevrayaa cha mumukshaya

ayam-evottamah shishyo muktah syaaditi nishchitam

In Chapter 2, the theme is the student. Invocation – It is us feeling this Presence, so that our further journey becomes easier. Chapter 2 – This journey begins with the student, someone who is journeying towards Joy. And we explored nine qualities that make the shishya. These qualities are (in pairs) – 

• Vairagya and Viveka 
• Dama and Shama
• Uparama and Samadhana 
• Titiksha and Shradha
• Mumukshutva

These nine qualities, that make a student, are generally described as Sadhana Chatushtaya. For those who are beginners, these nine qualities are their sadhana. This is what their path is to have these nine qualities, but for an advanced seeker, they have these nine qualities, and because of these qualities, they are engaged in sadhana, disciplines. So we have to reflect on – Are these nine qualities our sadhana or are these for our sadhana? 

Chapter 3 –

Shrotriyo brahma-nishthashcha naiva kaama-hatashcha sah

Dayaalurdeshiko dakshah shishya-prashna-nivaarakah

If there is a student, shishya, then naturally there has to be a Teacher, Sadguru. Once a High School student had shared with reference to this subject, that a teacher is like a distinguished student, someone who is evolved, higher. To be a student, one requires nine qualities. To be a Teacher, one needs nine + seven = sixteen qualities. The responsibility is much more intense. What are these seven qualities? –

1. They are educated – When we are with an educated Teacher, then the respect for that education is inspiring. When we are with a teacher who knows a lot about a lot, we begin to respect them more.
2. They are experienced – If being educated triggers respect, then being experienced triggers love. When we are with a teacher who is experienced, who lives by this, then this inspires love. Love is further on than respect. 
3. They are elevated – They are higher than desires. That is important as only secure people can help us become secure. 
4. They are empathetic – They are empathetic because they were once a student. Vivekji’s observation is that a teacher empathizes with a student who works hard. A student who puts in more effort, that teacher tends to empathize with them more as the teacher was the one who put in more effort themselves.  
5. They are engaging – The engagement starts with preaching. Deeper than preaching is, one who is teaching. Deeper than teaching is, one who is guiding, but the deepest is one who is living. They are living what they have preached about, taught about and guided in.
6. They are effective – They understand the student and therefore they can relate to them in that way. So they are effective as a Guide. 
7. They are encouraging – They encourage one to be a learner. They facilitate that learning process. 

We continue with Chapter 3 and study the next two verses about the qualities of a Guru-

Aayaantu bahavah shishya viraktaashchamumukshavah

Evamicchanprateeksheta guruh shreshtah sa sarvada

“May many disciples, who are dispassionate and are seekers of Liberation, come to me!” Desiring this, the great Guru always waits for such a disciple. 

What is the difference between a Guru and a Sadguru? – The word is Sat, but joined with Guru, it becomes Sadguru. Sat means the one who is awakened, that there is more to life than meets the eye, that there is more to them than what they are feeling. And only an awakened person can awaken someone else. That is the difference between a Guru and a Sadguru. A Sadguru is one who is awakened to their Nature, and so they go about awakening those who want to be awakened. One has to want this, which is why words like iccha, mumukshu are used. Awakening feels like when our importance shifts from the outside – pleasure, possession and position, to the inside – Peace. Only one who is peaceful can help us to make Peace important. 

Now the final verse in Chapter 3 –

Ekameva guroh karyam shishyaanaam syatkrtarthata

Guruh svatmani sthitvaaste sarvabhuta-hite-ratah

The Guru only has one duty – ensuring the fulfillment of his disciples. Established in his own Self, he remains engaged in the welfare of all beings. 

If we were to analyze why we do what we do, the majority of why we do what we do is because we are acting for fulfillment. But what differentiates a shishya from a Sadguru is that the Sadguru acts out of fulfillment, not for fulfillment. The Sun’s rays need the Sun, but the Sun does not need the rays. Then why does the Sun have these rays? It’s just a natural expression of acting out of fulfillment. Similarly, happy people become helpful people, but if one is always needing happiness, then one cannot be very helpful then. So that is the distinction between a shishya and a Sadguru. However, the key point here is to know how natural this is for a Sadguru. It is such beings who tend to the Sadguru-Shishya parampara. This parampara or tradition continues because a shishya who has become a Sadguru, they act for the next round of shishyas. This is how this parampara is cared for or tended to. If someone is not acting out of fulfillment, then that tradition is going to be corrupted as there is another reason why they are doing it. 

Now, we move on to Chapter 4. Last week, we were introduced to Chapter 4 – the Nature of the Self – what is the nature of what we are. 

Gacchasi kutra tvam mitra? Gurumevaabhigacchaami

Kim pathishyasi tatra tvam? Vedante yat prakaashitam

So we have a friend and then we have us. But this friend is more of a searcher. They want Happiness, but they don’t know where to go for Happiness. We are seekers. We also want Happiness, and we know where to go for Happiness. So the searcher asks –

Searcher – Where are you going my friend?

Seeker – I’m going to my Guru. 

Searcher – What will you learn there?

Seeker – That which is revealed in Vedanta. 

What makes a seeker a seeker is they have the confidence that God is guiding them. Prince Arjuna went from a searcher to a seeker in Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita. He lost all of his worldly confidence and what started to grow is his metaphysical confidence. That’s why he shared with Shri Krshna – I am Your disciple. Guide me. Because of their confidence in God that God is guiding them, a seeker is open to being guided to a Guide, they are open to being guided to a Map, and they are open to the Map and their Guide guiding them back to God. Earlier they had confidence in God, now they feel God. This dialog continues – 

Kimuktam vada vedante? Naaham duhkhamayo jivah

Kathaya tarhi ko si tvam? Aatma nitya-cidaanandah

Searcher – Tell me what is said in vedanta. 

Us/Seeker – I am not this sorrow ridden individual. 

Searcher – Then, who are you? 

Us/Seeker – I am the Self that is Infinite Bliss, and eternal Consciousness.

We tend to associate with those who have normalized stress, anxiety and dejection. How many of us feel the majority of people we interact with have experienced some sort of stress? All of us, and when we associate with those who normalize stress, we tend to normalize it too. Stress is not normal. If it were, then it would be good for our physical and mental health. We are the best when we are in satsanga as we are associating with those who are letting go of stress. Last verse from Chapter 4 – 

Kathitam tatra kimanyat? Atma mamaiva sarvaatma

Ko laabhastava jnaanena? Muktah preenaamyatha sarvaan

Searcher – What else is said in Vedanta? 

Seeker – The Self in me alone, is the Self of all. 

Searcher – What is the benefit of this knowledge to you?

Seeker – I become free and I delight in All beings. 

In our Upanishad, there is a powerful teaching – 

Na alpe sukham asti 

Na – not, alpe – smallness, sukham – Joy, asti – is 

There is No Joy in smallness. 

The last time we interacted with a selfish person – in their smallness, we don’t feel better about ourselves, and we don’t feel good about that whole interaction. 

So, the final reflection here is – The hardest part of living is living with people. The easiest part of living is living with ourselves. What if we can feel ourselves in all? How easy living would become? 

Discussion: What is the hardest part about being a seeker and why?

Vivekji’s thoughts – The hardest part of being a seeker is searchers not understanding us. Searchers tend to comment a lot – about us, about what we are doing. And when we receive a lot of comments, it becomes more difficult to ignore them then. 

RAW from 2 weeks ago: To memorize the seven qualities of a teacher.

If we memorize these qualities, it will be in our mind more, and when we see any of these qualities in a person, we will become more open to learning from them and as a result, become a better student. 

RAW from last week: To actively listen to others’ perspectives. 

When we actively listen to another’s perspective, then we come to feel that there is more to life than the small s – self. Someone who never listens to anyone, always feels that they are right, but when we actively listen to another, we realize there is another way to think about this, another way to do this. 

RAW: Identify three parts of our week in which we waste time and this makes us feel weaker.