September 29, 2022 Class Notes by Theos Stamoulis

Introduction

Everyone has heard that practice makes perfect. Everyone has heard that nobody is perfect. So, if you are a logical thinker, if practice makes perfect, and nobody is perfect, then why practice? This only applies externally. There is no such reality as perfection externally. If you have a perfect score on an exam, that exam will change year after year as science changes, as history changes. So that perfect score is on a sliding scale. If you pitch a perfect game, then you can still lose – someone on your team might commit an error, for example. 

Perfection is a reality internally. It is not in reference to your skin type or to what you are thinking about, but rather perfection is in reference to Joy. A Joy that is not subject to change, a Joy that is your nature. In Sanskrit, this is called sadhya– the goal, the destination, the purpose, the end when that is clear.  When you cannot help but want to reach the sadhya, what reveals itself is a sadhana. In English, this means the path or the road. For example, whenever you use a GPS, what do you enter first? Where you want to go. Then, that GPS identifies where you are and creates a path. But if you do not know where you want to go, that GPS is fairly futile.

The practice (sadhana) leads to perfection (sadhya). If you follow this every week, you will follow your sadhana. Then you are described as a sadhaka – a seeker. A seeker who is seeking is what we are doing together in our Practices to Perfection course.  The ends for all of us is highly unknown. It is like traveling in the dark. What makes traveling in the dark easier is when you are with a group of people with faith and hope. When we revolve around inspiring people, this helps us follow our sadhana. 

In the first verse, the second practice we discussed was how one must be diligent in following their responsibilities. At our ashram in Mumbai, there is a Jagadeeshwara mandir. When you come in at the altar, Bhagavan Shiva is there with Shri Nandi right in front of him. In traditional mandirs, you can never cross between Shri Nandi and Bhagavan Shiva. There is always a railing there or even better, a path of water. It is a reminder that if you want to meet Bhagwan Shiva, who is Brahma, as in the Infinite, then you first have to ride and ask Shri Nandi, which symbolizes dharma – your responsibilities. That is an awesome visual that Dharma leads to Brahma. And this is very much connected to the first practice, which is to read and reflect on the Veda. This is the map on how we can be successful and peaceful. 

Verse 1 / Practice 3

tenesasya vidhiyatam 

What this means in English is, as you are diligent with your responsibilities, be dedicated. Dedicate your responsibilities and results follow. Dedicate those responsibilities to your relationship with the Divine. From a high perspective, every one of us has emerged from the Divine, every one of us is existing in the Divine, and every one of us will end in the Divine. 

In the Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavan Krishna is known as the karma adhyaksha, which means the one who governs or facilitates karma (actions and responsibilities). If you think about this deeply, He is the one who is providing your responsibilities. They are custom-designed for you. They can not be deflected. Since He gave them to you, it makes sense to be dedicated to these responsibilities. Relatedly, He is known as the phala data– the facilitator of results. So being dedicated makes sense. 

We are all emerging from the earth. We are all existing on the earth. We will all end in the earth. Whether you are burned or buried, we are going to end on the earth. Acharya Shankara  is teaching us to not just be diligent, but to also be dedicated. Dedicated to the earth. 

We are often taught that we should do what we do for Bhagavan; the word Bhagavan means the one who is bhagya– the one who is fortunate, the one who is most virtuous. If you have the virtue to respect those around you and someone in your group is irritating, who is the most peaceful person in the room?  As we are trying to be dedicated to our responsibilities, that dedication looks like practicing values. When you practice values, they become your virtues. So if someone is irritating you, that is an opportunity to practice endurance and respect. 

If someone is jealous of you, what value can you practice? Practice being open to them. A jealous person tends to be closed off to the person they are jealous of. So if I can be more open, then that will help them not to be jealous. See what an opportunity. That’s the dedication. 

Practice 3: Chant Samarpayami (“I Offer All”) Before you drive, chant samarpayami. When you park, chant samarpayami. For those who have a personal God- suppose it is Bhagavan Shiva as I described, then chant Om Shiva Samarpayami. Om Ramaya Samarpayami…you choose. For those who are not in tune with Sanskrit, that’s fine. You can chant “I Offer All.”  

“I Offer All” to the Earth. “I Offer All” to the Divine. “I Offer All” to whatever word you want to use. You do not have to say it. The point is to feel it. But certainly saying it helps the feeling.

The more you engage in arpana (offer), the more you feel all is prasada (delight). You are just cheerful. When results come, you are cheerful.

At an absolute level, we should understand that Bhagavan Krishna is the karma adhyaksha. At a relative level, we learn that through practicing dedication we convert values into virtues. At the practice or tactile level, chant samarpayami. Since evolution is a highly intimate experience, everyone is different when it comes to evolution. And we have such a diverse class of people; some who are newer;  some who are older. Wherever you are, you start there and keep climbing as you are.

Verse 1 / Practice 4 

apacitih kamye matistyajyatam

Purify selfishness by renouncing all actions you do for yourself. Renounce selfishness and by doing so, one will become pure.

Prince Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita is the alpha personality. There is nothing that he is not good at. He is the best. Yet when you see Prince Arjuna he is pretty weakened in many of these images. What happened? Just to speak to Bhagavan Krishna, he picks up his bow. He is confident, but he has a worldly confidence. Bhagavan Krishna pierces right through that. This confidence turns into confusion. In Sanskrit, it is called moha. When confusion is not checked, it turns into fear (bhaya); when bhaya is not checked, it results in shoka (sorrow). 

Although he was always perfect, Prince Arjuna struggled with shoka. Bhagavn Krishna tells him, “You know why you feel sad? Because you are selfish. What you are doing right now is about you. You are escaping from your responsibilities and if you do this, it is not just going to affect your family, community, society, but also affect humanity.” 

For us,if we feel confused or afraid, part (if not all) of the reason for that, is because we are being selfish and living in a small way. Bhagavan Krishna advises in Chapter 3 of Bhagavad Gita, and the same is being shared here in the fourth practice: change that sakama (selfishness) to niskama (selflessness). 

Live in a way that you are not the primary beneficiary and what will happen is shudha – you will start to feel pure. What shudha finally feels like is sukha – one is more cheerful and content. 

In a relative sense, instead of desiring that which is material, desire that which is immaterial. Where do you think immaterial results are going to come from? You. Material results come from outside. You win, you lose. You get $1, you don’t get $1. Immaterial results come from within you. This is how we grow out of selfishness. This is how we change our desires and the greatest source of immaterial results that come from us is facilitated by service. Those who serve feel these immaterial results and the more they serve, the more beautiful those results become. Serve and you will be amazed at how life is beautiful. 

Practice 4: Guide gratitude. – Guide your gratitude.  Record it. Write it down. Tonight, start a gratitude guide. Those who are grateful, do not take anything for granted. When you are tempted to pursue material results, return to your guide. 

Discussion: How do you know your thoughts are real? How do you change your thoughts? 

Vivekji’s observation: I don’t know that my thoughts are real. The more that I observe my thoughts, maybe your thoughts, the more I come to the conclusion that they’re not real. 

What proof do you have that what you’re thinking about right now are your thoughts? Then you should act on those thoughts. You can’t share any proof about that. And maybe that’s abstract, but I consciously wanted you to reflect on this to train us to think bigger. 

Many of us get really caught up in our own thoughts..through overthinking…through stress. Why is this person this way? How are they feeling about me? But if you observe your thoughts, then all of those games that we play with ourselves and we lose, we stopped playing back then. 

And that relates to the next point. How do you change your thoughts? My experience with this is to focus. For the one who’s distracted, there’s no power to their thoughts.

Dialogue

Question 1: How does guilt play into responsibilities? 

The higher perspective is the more sensitive a seeker you are,  the more that guilt will guide you from the wrong to the right. Guilt is a productive emotion if it helps to renounce wrong actions, words, and thoughts. Press reset everyday. What happened yesterday, happened yesterday. Tomorrow is a new day.

Question 2: When you practice selflessness, while living in the world, how do you avoid being hurt by others? 

From a higher perspective, the only presence in your life that will not disappoint or hurt you is your Creator, your original parent. Even your guide will disappoint you, not because he or she did it, but because you will interpret that they did it. When you are clear that only the Divine will not disappoint you, you become so much more dedicated to the Divine.

At a relative level, anyone who hurts you is probably hurting also. Suppose I bully you. I make you feel small because I feel small inside. So if you pause and try to reflect on compassion, if someone is hurting you, if you go to the genesis of their hurt, they are actually hurting so there is no need for you to take it personally. Conversely, try to help them. 

Reflection Adventure of the Week (RAW): 

Follow your sadhana 

• Chant Samarpayami (“I Offer All”)
• Guide gratitude