November 17, 2022 Class Notes by Siddharth Kashinath
Introduction
An instructor on the scenic bike trail on the Peloton shared that they bike to the scenic areas not for the comfort, but for the epic views. We are constantly exposed to the message of more and more comfort, but the above is a very different message which is especially important leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas. In relation to our course, this is relevant as it emphasizes that perfection is not external, but is internal. We need this counter-exposure that we do not need comfort all the time. It is also counter-exposure to the feeling of being ordinary.
Review – Verse 2 / Practice 11 santyadih pariciyatam:
Shanti means peace. Adhi means etcetera or that which makes one peaceful. Pariciyatam means to cultivate. To cultivate that which makes one peaceful.
In the Bhagavad Gita, in the first chapter when Prince Arjuna is introduced, he is confident. However, this is a worldly confidence based on how much pleasure, position and possession he has. And then when he faces significant challenges, he starts to crack. The summary message from Chapter 1 is Fear. We can also identify with Prince Arjuna as many of us are afraid owing to stress, anxiety, etc.
In Chapter 2, Bhagavan Krishna explains to Prince Arjuna the genesis of his fear. He identifies it as selfishness. Prince Arjuna goes into the challenge with dharma, but he starts to crack, he is identified with Pandava (his family) and he starts to crack more and he is only identified with himself. Fear is because of selfishness.
Hence why in Chapters 3, 4, 5, there is an intensification on becoming selfless / virtuous. Essentially, Practice 11 above is to cultivate virtues. And one knows that they are becoming more virtuous if they are becoming more fearless. Selfless, virtuous, fearless are all synonyms.
Contemplation comes in Chapter 6. Implication of this is that if one does not have a critical amount of virtues, i.e. if one’s personality is not like that, then one cannot contemplate. One has to have critical virtues to be able to contemplate. Otherwise, one is simply engaged in a higher form of relaxation. If one wants to go past identifying with the body, then the virtues have to precede contemplation.
The specific practice was Allow Speak. Allowing others to speak is a great exercise in nurturing empathy. One is being an active listener and comes to understand others more.
Discourse
Verse 2, Practice 12: dṛḍhataraṃ karmāśu santyajyatām
Translation: dṛḍhataraṃ karmāśu means actions that are being held onto by desire. Our relationship with such actions should be santyajyatām, which means they must be let go of fully. In other words, it means renouncing desires.
From an absolute level: The framework for karma from the left to the right is:
Nisiddha karma: Prohibited actions; which evolves to…
Kamya karma: Selfish actions; which evolves to…
Naimittika karma: Special responsibilities; which evolves to…
Nitya karma: Regular responsibilities.
What Acharya Shankara is sharing here is that we have to renounce that which is most wrong so that we can hold on to that which is most right. If one focuses on the word santyajyatām, sant means saint. The characteristic of someone that is saintly is that they are ready to let go. The readiness to let go shows how evolved one is. The holding on shows how one is not evolved.
Relative level: Our identification facilitates our actions. If one only identifies with the individuality (oneself), then one is going to engage in prohibited actions. It is because one feels incomplete. The forbidden fruit makes one feel the sense of completeness. If one identifies with their family, then one goes from prohibited actions to selfish actions. For most of us, this is our range. However, our family is nothing in reference to humanity. If one identifies with their community, then they start to engage in special responsibilities (for example teaching or administration work with Balavihar). And if one identifies with society, then one shifts to the most right karma, which is nitya karma, which is one’s regular responsibility. We are here to serve society.
How does one know what one is identified with? Whomever’s struggle one thinks about most is what one is identified with most. Few think of community struggle. What a community needs is more EQ, more conflict resolution, that which is internal.
Desires are an expression of the intellect. The intellect that is not trained to contemplate is always instructing. Once trained to contemplate, the intellect does not instruct, but instead it inquires. What is my purpose? Am I happy? The inquiry helps one be intentional and helps one identify with more.
Practice: Sleep early.
The intellect is most desirous as the day goes on. The intellect is most inquisitive in the morning. Sleeping early will be a catalyst to waking early. Then the intellect is more ready to inquire and less instructive.
At what time should one sleep? 9pm ideally, 10.30pm at the latest.
Verse 2, Practice 13: sadvidvānupasṛpyatāṃ
Translation: Vidvan who is knowledgeable in sat, which is nobility or inclusivity. Upasṛpyatāṃ means surrender to or find security in. In other words, surrender to the wise or follow the wise.
Absolute perspective: In Chapter 1, Prince Arjuna is directing Bhagavan Krishna. When people are afraid, they become more individualistic. They are unable to follow. From Chapter 2 onwards, Bhagavan Krishna directs Prince Arjuna. One can see that he becomes less afraid, less individualistic and starts to follow.
In the Upanishad, we learn that at age 6, a child is lead through the forest, collects dried wood (samitpanihi), which is offered at the feet of the sadhguru or sadvidvan with the sentiment that this burden on me is my vasana. The more vasanas one has, the more individualistic one feels (the more small they feel).
How do you know that one is a sadhguru? Two characteristics highlighted in the Upanishads:
- They are experienced (they experience quietude of mind, stillness of intellect and a silenced ego) – nishta
- They can explain their experience – srotriya
To grow out of individuality, we must follow the one that does not feel that they are an individual.
Relative perspective: Whatever one aspires for in their life, they will attract. For example, if one aspires to become a strong executive in a corporation, they will attract such contexts and beings to become that. If we all aspire to be more inclusive, noble, Infinite, then we will attract a personality that also feels this and can guide us to get there.
When one is contemplating, it should evoke the following feelings:
My relationship with one’s guide – I must feel I am nothing
My relationship with one’s parent (Original Parent) – I must feel I am Yours
My relationship with Infinity – I am All
How does one get to ‘I am All’? From ‘I am Yours’. How does one get to ‘I am Yours’? One must start from ‘I am nothing’. It is only with that bhava can a sadvidhvan build me to ‘I am Yours’ and then, ‘I am All’.
Practice: Study happiness.
When one studies happiness, one will find that the majority are not happy. And one will be attracted to the minority that are happy. One will follow them.
It is important to be with a sadhguru that is egoless because they know how to pick apart the student’s ego. However, that will only come when the student is virtuous and has the courage to know that this is the best for himself / herself.
Discussion: Come up with three qualities that make up a Vinayaka, which means a humble leader?
Vivekji’s reflection: From the Upanishad we have: nishta (experienced) and srotriya (eloquent).
Vivekji’s three would be:
Compassionate: They are compassionate, they accept us as we are.
Challenging: They challenge us to be our best. To not be complacent.
Creative: They do the work of the Creator. Their work is legacy work (big space and big time, not just feeding one’s body and mind. But one that is in tune with the EQ and SQ).
Dialogue:
Question 1: How do our responsibilities match up with identifying with community, society and so on?
For one who believes they are an individual, their regular responsibility is towards themselves. But if one doesn’t feel that feeling of being an individual, then their regular responsibility is whatever they identify with. When one inquires more, then they become more intentional and that intention is to identify more from family to community to society to humanity to divinity. Then that becomes one’s regular responsibility.
Extrovert intellect instructs, the trained intellect inquires. If one inquires, then one will start to pick away at the notion that one is an individual.
Question 2: How do we accept others as they are? (Particularly searchers)
Being good is not good enough. When someone feels that one is a good person and that is sufficient, or if they feel that they are serving enough and are satisfied, then they still have a feeling that they are an individual (maybe not completely, but for some part).
If we are told that good is good enough, then we will become complacent. Our potential is to be the greatest. The people that are satisfied with being good enough are the people that are comfortable and do not want to see the epic view.
Vivekji has the same struggle – to teach people to be happy with who they are or teach people to be Happiness?
As one is practicing to work hard and smart towards Enlightenment, one must also practice accepting the fact that everyone’s evolution is governed by their Original Parent. One can encourage through love, through fear, but one is only going to evolve through their Original Parent’s governance and their effect on their vasanas. With that insight, one accepts more and one lets go more.
Pujya Swami Tejomayananda has shared that in sadhana, part of it is doing and part of it is letting it happen.
Question 3: What does it mean when Vivekji says that a humble leader must be creative?
Humble leaders are experienced and eloquent. They are compassionate and challenging. Their individual quality is creativity, which means that they identify with the Creator and try to do the work of the Creator and for that, one needs to be creative to be able to identify with various types of people. They are engaged in work that is not about them but about people. They create systems where people can benefit long after they themselves are gone.
Reflection Adventure of the Week (RAW):
Last week: Allow speak
Vivekji’s reflection: How does one become more cheerful? By helping others. A simple way to help others is to be an active listener or to allow others to speak. If one finds that they are less cheerful, then one must practice active listening. This week: Practices: Sleep early and Study happiness