ViBha Class Notes – September 24, 2023

In the Ramayana, there is a teaching on Mitr Dharma in one of the skandas, which expounds the responsibilities of a friend. One of these responsibilities is – A friend challenges one to be their best version. Now let us reflect on what is our need at an absolute level. Happiness! Next, what is our need in a relationship? Understanding! Let us now reflect on our most tactile need. Balance! So HUB is what we need –

At an absolute level – Happiness

At a relative level – Understanding

At a tactile level – Balance

Vedanta in Bhagavata is a course, a system for us, so that following through with these needs becomes systemic. Often the word systemic is used negatively – systemic racism, systemic inequality, but systemic means that a system is being implemented. So, in this course, we focus on and try to invest in Happiness, Understanding, and Balance. We are a CommUnity that is coming to Unity. The subject matter of Bhagavata is Oneness, or another word for this is Unity. Our CommUnity is not composed of those who are like minded, but right minded. 

A recap – Shrimad Bhagavata has the subject matter of Bhakti. Bhakti means dedication. It is an educational map, and the visionary behind this scripture is Rshi Vyasa. In Sanatana Dharma, there is no founder, unlike most other religions. If there is a founder, then things that are associated with that will be limited. Then things that are created in time will be uncreated. Rshi Vyasa is not the founder of Sanatana Dharma, but he is certainly part of the foundation. The Vedanta Sutra, the Mahabharata, Bhagavata, all of these are his vision. 

The 12th Skanda of Shrimad Bhagavata is described as Apaashraya, the final support, or Aashraya, which means refuge, or Nirodha, which means Dissolution. According to the Yoga Sutra, the whole purpose of Yoga is Chitta Vrtti Nirodha. Nirodha means to transcend, to go beyond. Vrtti means thoughts. Yoga is not about the body and the breath, but it is about the mind. It is making the mind quieter. The source of these vrttis is our inner world. Apaashraya, Aashraya, Nirodha – these are the themes associated with Skanda 12. 

 In Chapter 1, Rshi Shuka shares with Raja Parikshita, the different leaders that came after Bhagavan Krshna, these differences turned into divisions. Differences are always there, like between boys and girls, but there doesn’t have to be divisions though. That is what is unique and is facilitated in this first chapter. The first chapter ends with when Bhagavan Krshna’s form and name, Nirodha, were dissolved. Then Kali began. Now the second chapter. 

Recapping what was shared in Verse 2 of the second chapter – In the period of Kali, what is respected is money and power. Don’t we see that today? What is respectable is having money and power, not qualities, not effort. When money and power are one’s locus for respect, then people start to disrespect Prthvi, they stop caring for the Earth. How clearly climate change is shared in Shrimad Bhagavata!  

This chapter finishes with Rshi Shuka sharing – When Rajas and Tamas grow, they grow in a cancerous way. They are out of balance. Then Bhagavan incarnates as Sattva, and He does this to restore Dharma. In the age we are living in, there is an imbalance of aggressiveness and laziness, and so Bhagavan WILL incarnate as Sattva, quietness. Then there will be Dharma. Now let us study the verse where Bhagavan is born. This is one of Bhagavan’s final Avataras. 

Skanda 12:2:17-18 – Bhagavan Vishnu is the Guru of Chara and Acahara. He is the guide for that which moves, like us, and for that which doesn’t move, animals, plants, stones. He is Master of the outer world and is our Spirit. To restore Dharma – responsibility, integrity, for Sadhus (Sadnoti parakaryam, iti saduh – one who works for others, one who lets others feel accomplished). It is the prayers and efforts of those who are noble, for which Bhagavan incarnates so that they are not born again.

Prayers work! Those who are inclusive and serving people, that is their prayer, and Bhagavan does listen to these prayers.

In the next verse, “Kalkihi praadur bhavishyati”– This is how Bhagavan incarnates as Sattva and He will be known as Kalki. Boliye Bhagavan Kalki Ki Jai! This is the Bhagavan Kalki that completes the Dasha Avatara.

Some description on what Bhagavan Kalki will do – What is shared is that Bhagavan Kalki will move faster than Kali (fastness). He will be on a horse named Devadutta. What will Bhagavan Kalki be doing on this very fast horse? He will be correcting leaders. The problem that people are facing is because of leaders who are actually rajasik and tamasik. They are aggressive and lazy.

Some years ago, Vivekji spoke at an International Women’s Day Conference and the discourse was about “Leading with Courage”. What Vivekji shared was to not lead others, but to lead oneself. That is leadership that is sattvik and not rajasik or tamasik. One more insight – when Bhagavan Kalki incarnates, Kaliyuga will end and Satya or Krta Yuga will start. Both words are correct. Krta means to do – what we are thinking, we say, and what we say, we do, so there is Integrity. When Bhagavan Kalki is born, Kaliyuga will end, Krta yuga will start, and the prominent Guna will be Sattva. There will be more quietness.

The next chapter is very fascinating, and there are some beautiful and powerful frameworks that are shared in this chapter. Vivekji will take us to the end and then bring us back.

Skanda 12:3:51 – This is a very empowering verse.

The age of Kali is filled with dosha – false/vices/deficiencies. Nothing works. One tries to do something to be happy, but one is never happy. That is the nature of Kali, but the greatest aspect of Kaliyuga or being in the context of selfishness is that Bhagavan’s expectations of us are very low. More specifically, all we have to do is Kirtana of Bhagavan Krshna. We do not have to go Medical School; we don’t have to get married; we do not have to be rich.  All we need to do is engage in Kirtana – think about Bhagavan, speak about Bhagavan, dance for Bhagavan, like Rshika Andaal and Rshika Mira. And we will get freedom from all of our attachments. What comes with attachment is being afraid and being angry. We can walk away and be free. We don’t have to be in Bhagavata. All we need to do is Krshna, Krshna, Krshna…That is it.

Rshi Shuka is the speaker and Raja Parikshita is the listener. This chapter begins with Bhu Hasati (the Earth laughs). The Earth, as she is seeing all of these leaders filled with aggressiveness and laziness, she laughs at them because they don’t realize that they are deaths toys. This is a powerful thought. Another strong statement our Universal mother (Bhu) makes is laughing at people who feel this body is going to last. She describes our bodies like foam. For example, when we brush our teeth, and we have enough toothpaste, there initially is a lot of foam, but as we keep brushing the foam goes away. Raja Parikshita, thinking in a proactive way, asks Rshi Shuka how he can safeguard himself from Kali. Kali means most outwardly – darkness, more close – fastness, and most close – selfishness. So Rshi Shuka shares multiple frameworks. Vivekji explains some of them now, and then more will be shared next week.

In Krta Yuga, when creation was closest to the Creator, then creation stood on four values. These values are – Satya (integrity), Daya (grace or compassion), Tapa (openness or burning one’s comfort zones) and Dana (generosity).

In Treta yuga, when creation became farther from the Creator, these four values start to be attacked by four vices –

Satya is attacked by Anrta (disintegration). Daya is attacked by Himsa (harming). Tapa is attacked by Asantosha (discontentment – one who is never happy and is always bored). Disintegration, harming and discontentment, and Dana is attacked by Vigraha – conflict or competition. In Krta yuga, these values were in full effect, and in Treta yuga, they were reduced to ¾ of their strength. In Dwapara yuga, it would be half – ½ values and ½ vices. In Kaliyuga, it is ¾ vices and ¼ values. But at the end of Kaliyuga, there are no values, only vices. Period by period, a quarter of the strength of these values is taken away.

Shared in a different way, in Krta yuga, people had four purposes in life – Dharma (position), Artha (possession), Kama (pleasure) and mostly Moksha (Peace). As atrophy kicked in, in Treta yuga, people no longer pursued Moksha – only Dharma, Artha, Kama. Then in Dwapara yuga, when Bhagavan Krshna was present, what went away was Dharma. People only lived for two purposes – Artha and Kama. Now in Kaliyuga, some people share that we only live for Artha – money, or we only live for Kama or pleasure. Both are correct. And what happens when we are filled with vices? Even that goes away and then there is no purpose. And when we have no purpose, we lose our values.

What happens when we lose ourselves? In Krta yuga, when everyone was strong inside and outside, the way for Moksha or to be Mukta was Dhyana. The sadhana or practice to be free was Dhyana. We need a lot of support to learn how to contemplate. And as people became weaker inside and outside, in Treta yuga, they were no longer able to contemplate, and people engaged in Yajna – macro ritual with lots of people and lots of materials. Then in Dwapara yuga, people were weaker inside and outside and they engaged in Puja – micro ritual with less people and less materials.

In Kaliyuga, when we are most weak inside and outside, what is Bhagavan’s expectation of us on how we can be free? It is Japa. We can forget everything that has been shared and JUST DO JAPA!

Swami Tejomayananda shared two words for the age we are living in and the state of mind we are in – Take Nama, Give Dana. Vivekji feels these two are related. The more Nama we take, the happier we become, and so the less we need pleasure, position and possession. So we become more helpful then.

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Discussion: Do we have faith in Japa? Why or why not?

Vivekji’s reflection – Vivekji has faith in Japa. Why? Because any Map or Guide that we access in the Trust triangle, uniformly shares the utility of Japa. If we observe Swami Chinmayananda, he always has a Japa mala in his hand, and his batchmate, Pujya Swami Chidananda, had a Japa mala with 1008 beads. So, the Masters or Guides are uniform, and if we look at the Maps, Bhagavan Krshna shares that amongst all yajnas, the greatest yajna is the Japa yajna. Here the same is being shared. So, if we trust the Trust triangle, and if the Guides and Maps are sharing the same, this is why Vivekji also has faith in Japa.

Next week, Vivekji would like us to bring a Japa mala to class.

Last week’s RAW: Relating to the RAW from last week, Vivekji shared that our icons in Sanatana Dharma, if we go past the name and form, they represent a Guna or an ideal. Vinayaka is a name, the form is an elephant, but what is most important is the Guna, which is a humble leader. Once we are clear about that, by writing about it, we become clearer.