Feb 9, 2022 Class Notes by Bhamin Chhatrapati

Introduction

“Brahat” means bigness/infinity. Vrindavana is where Infinity (Shri Krishna) lived. If someone comes up to you and asks you if you know about Turkey’s current condition and or fed rates or any current matters then what do you do? Nobody wants to feel ignorant. We give our opinion even though we don’t know. What that really shows is we are not open to accept that we are imperfect. If one is not open and honest then they cannot better themselves. Why would they follow perfection? The right response is I don’t know. The way to know more is through sadhana, which is designed for our course. We must be honest about being imperfect and use sadhanas to be perfect. Perfection is when all virtues are practiced in all ways.

Our last practice brahmasmiti vibhavyatam – Intensely & constantly feel you are Infinite..
Adi Shankaracharya is sharing that you are infinite to the students. If you don’t feel infinite then what is the point of reading and writing? The way we feel this is our body always, is the same way we have to know and feel we are Brahman. If you are steady, you will become sincere. By being sincere, technically one will be changing vasanas from anatma to atma. Right now our blueprint is I am this body. But the blueprint can change (i.e. i am more than this body) through the sadhana of labeling less. One can also reduce mirrors in their surroundings, which generally reminds one that they are beautiful or not. 

Discourse:

Verse 3, Practice 22: aharahargarvah parityajyatam
Ahar is again

Aharahar is again and again 

Garva is pride/arrogance

Tyasja is give up

Parityajyatam is give completely
In summary, again and again let go of arrogance and give up pride. 

Absolute perspective

When you hear or read the word tyag, what does that remind you of? Tyag means to renounce or sacrifice or yagna. We also think of people who are renouncing their profession and wearing certain clothing. Where is arrogance? Is it in the fabric of clothing? Arrogance is internal. So giving up has to be internal. The quality of renunciation is gyan rakshana, i.e. they know what they are and what they are not. It is super important to be exposed to absolute knowledge. If Vivekji tells you to renounce your relationship then can you live? The answer is yes you can with the Knowledge. 

Relative perspective
The opposite of pride is devotion or dedication. One who has pride does not have love or dedication  in their personality. What is the highest and final form of bhakti atmanevat? The answer is surrendering your ego. How does one get to it? One can get to it by living in a dedicated way. Be dedicated to more than yourself. 

Tactile perspective: Return dedication

Bhaja means to sing, seek, support, serve, and surrender.

Singing is with words and seeking is with thoughts. Not only living with words and thoughts but also in action (support, serve and surrender). It is easy for me to think I am not arrogant but to see it in my actions is tough. Supporting means giving up my attachment to the resources. Service means giving my attachment to  time and surrendering is giving up my attachment to efforts. 

We are born with 5 debts (pancha rnas) that have dedicated to us:

1. Nature’s forces (e.g. sun)
2. Nature’s beings (e.g. cows)
3. Society
4. Family 
5. Trust triangle (guide, map, God) 

Nature’s forces, nature’s beings, society, and family cannot guide you to Joy but a guide shows you happiness. So be dedicated back to all including your guides. How? When you eat, take 5 small portions and remember your pancha rnas. Think, how is this meal even possible without them?! This will help you have a humble meal and it will taste better.  

Verse 3, Practice 23: dehe hammatirujhyatam

Dehe is body
Aham is  i am this body
Rujatam is to give up 

Give up, ‘I am body’

Absolute & Relative Level

There are 3 places where we live. 

The third is a communal home (Ashram).  Second is the familial home. And number one is the individual home, which is this body. Who gave you this individual home? Your real parent, i.e. GOD. Who gave you this familial home? Your biological parent. If you understand that then you will help facilitate a communal home.

For those who feel they are the body they will feel like they live in Lanka. 
From Ramayana we know that people in Lanka invested in pleasure, position, and possession. When Hanuman arrived in Lanka he saw people who were naked & drunk. No one knew Hanuman was in Lanka as all were indulging. Hanumanji saw one person awake, Viibhasana. Hanumanji knew that he had an ally in Lanka, seeing him ‘awake.’ Those who feel the body is home and indulge in pleasure//possession get burnt (as did Lanka). 

Hence, tune into your communal home. There is an amazing teaching by Krishnamcharya, “Sariramadyam khalu dharma sadhanam.” Sareeram is body. Adhyam is now. Khalu is only. Dharma is responsibility. Sadhana is methodology or means. When you put all this together, the body is an ideal  instrument to complete responsibility. With this understanding, the body stops being home and  becomes an instrument. There is another lovely share about the body. Body feels complete when it is used for parukara. Parukara is when one engages in helping others.

Tactile level: Help bodies
Help someone physically.. In Canada, the blood donation slogan is ‘it’s  in you to give.” Don’t just intellectualize sadhana. Return dedication by helping bodies. 

RAW from last week was label less.
Vivekji’s observation, Who are we to label? How someone is eating etc. Someone who labels a lot is the one who over-thinks a lot. Remember you are not the authority & label less. By labeling less, your mind will become more quiet
Discussion Topic
Are you evolving ?
Why do you think you are evolving or why not?