Subodha Vedanta Class Notes – March 10, 2024
May we be safe, may we enjoy, may we exert, may we shine, may we understand. Today, we will focus on the power of understanding. We pray for this to manifest and when it is present, then Shanti Shanti Shantih. We have a tradition of chanting Shanti three times, from loud to quiet. The first two Shantis are connected and the second two Shantis are connected, but the last one is a standalone. The reason for this is that the first locus of peace that is felt and needed is within oneself (inside our inner world). Then, we can be a catalyst for Shanti nearby, like family and community. The third Shanti, which is the quietest, is for those who are far away, like society and humanity. So, if the individuality is peaceful, then they become a catalyst for family and community, and then it is peaceful families and communities that become a catalyst to radiate that peace to society, to humanity, to animals, to plants and to stones. We have now completed our insights into this universal prayer. We should continue with this clarity and to use this prayer, use it as our life plan, in our work spaces, and if we don’t use it, we will lose it. If we use it everyday, we would then be living this prayer.
We are in a yuga, in an age where what we need the most is Satya. Satya has lots of meanings, and the simple meaning is ideals. This is why our Creator is facilitating our need by reducing the barriers for Satsanga (we become clearest about ideals in Satsanga). An expression of this is that we are now able to attend Satanga virtually as before it had to be in-person. Another great expression is Subodha Vedanta, a simple map to affirm what we have learned in the Ramayana and Bhagavata.
The 6th chapter is on Faith or Shraddha. When we explored the Ramayana, only after Bhagavati Parvati, who is the icon for Shraddha (Faith), and Bhagavan Shiva, who is the icon of Vishwasa (Trust), only when Faith and Trust come together, did Bhagavan Rama or Joy come. Bhagavan Rama was not born until the 135th page of the really large book that Vivekji was teaching Ramayana from. That is how much of an investment in Faith and Trust is needed for Joy to arrive. Vivekji recently explored the Rama Gita to facilitate a Devi Retreat with the theme “Finding our Roots”. We are exploring Rama Gita in Subodha Vedanta as well. Finding our Roots is really being strong in Faith.
In The Rama Gita, Shri Lakshmana asks Bhagavan Rama 5 questions:
1. What is Jnana?
2. What is Viraga?
3. What is Maya?
4. What is Bhakti?
5. What is Ishwara?
Bhagavan Rama answers these questions, but in the order that he knows Shri Lakshmana needs –
1. What is Maya? – Separation
2. What is Jnana? – Unification – If what we are learning is not leading to unification, then it is not jnana or knowledge.
3. What is Viraga? Independence
4. What is Ishwara? Independent – The jiva or ego should practice independence so that we become Ishwara or the Spirit, which is independent.
This whole Rama Gita is building up to the 5th answer.
5. What is Bhakti? Dependence – For the one who feels separate, to depend on the One who is independent
Connecting this to Subodha Vedanta, where is this samvada or discussion happening? The samvada between Shri Lakshmana and Bhagavan Rama is happening in Panchavati. Pancha is five and vati means trees – five strong trees. Before Bhagavan Rama answers, He almost offers this non-verbal language to Shri Lakshmana, implying that if he wants to be receptive to His answers, he needs to have firm Faith, like these strong trees. So these are the five types of Faith we have to nurture in order to feel these answers, and not theorize them –
1. Faith in Sadhana – discipline – If we do not have faith in discipline, we will never follow discipline.
2. Faith in Sadhaka – disciple – If we do not follow discipline, we cannot become a disciple then.
3. Faith in one’s Sadguru – Guide. One’s because it is personal. The disciple needs to have that personal relationship for that Guide to become one’s Sadguru. The less faith we have in ourselves, the less faith we will have in our Sadguru.
4. Faith in Shruti – map or scripture – A map describes a purpose. A Guru is a person. What is extremely difficult for us to theorize, leave alone apply, is that more important than a person is a purpose.
Some reflections – If we look at the Bhagavad Gita, Prince Arjuna starts the Mahabharata war identified with the Purpose of Dharma. In Chapter 1, that collapses as he shifts from purpose to persons – it becomes about the Pandavas. That falls more and hits the ground when it moves to person, when it becomes just about him – Arjuna.
Our whole lives we have been educated and trained that we are important; our name should be on the forefront. But we are now infused with this sacred orientation that we are not important, that purpose is more important. Our name is not important, but the person who is providing this opportunity is important, and it is very difficult for us to release this cancer. The only way to do surgery on this cancer of doership, is to have a personal relationship with one who is great.
5. Faith in Sadhya – Ends or God. This is the highest Faith. Though we feel we have Faith in God, we still have fear which means we do not have enough Faith in God. We cannot have fear if we have Faith in God.
Faith is not a casual matter. If it is casual, it is belief, possibly blind belief. We cannot jump into becoming faithful. It requires incremental change to develop this powerful value or virtue.
We began this course with Chapter 1, the Invocation and we studied 2 verses in 2 classes. Next, Chapter 2 is on Student and we studied 3 verses in 2 classes. Chapter 3 is about Teacher and we invested 2 classes in studying 3 verses. Then Chapter 4 is about the Self. It is about the journey to find the Self with a dialogue between a searcher and a seeker. Vivekji then jumped to Chapter 6 – 3 verses in 1 class. Why skip Chapter 5? Because we have more faith in ourselves than in our God. We have more faith in our reality than God’s reality. Chapter 6 is about Faith and Chapter 5 is about God. Vivekji wants us to be clearer about building up the same Faith that we have in ourselves to the Faith we have in God.
Now Chapter 5, Verse 1 or the 12th verse thus far.
Verse 1:
Sarveshvarosti nasti vaa shankaam maa kuru he somya
Asti nishchitam shraddhatsva tato jnaatum vichaaraya
Sarveshwara – the Master of all, synonym for God
Asti nasti vaa – Does God Exist? Does God not exist?
Shankam maa kuru – This doubt or confusion, please do not have
He somya – My child, the one I love and am trying to protect – Please do not have a doubt about whether God exists or doesn’t exist.
Asti nishchitam shraddhatsva – God Exists – be decisive about this and this comes through Shraddha.
Tatah jnaatum vichaaraya – We will know this if we engage in vichara or reflect.
If our default is not reflecting, then our default will be deflecting. That personality type will then be indecisive and be filled with doubts. If we are an overthinker, that is a sign that our default is deflecting, instead of reflecting. Vivekji shared that in his life, when it comes to Satsanga, Seva and Sadhana, he describes himself to be decisive. But when it comes to worldly matters, he is more indecisive or just doesn’t care.
Reflections on this verse:
- Sarveshwara or God, in terms of philosophy, is described as the Supreme Truth. Another word for Supreme is First and the implication of that – On account of the Supreme Truth, can there be other truths? If the first is not present, we cannot get to the second. There is an implication here that this is the start or foundation.
- Sarveshwara or God is known to be independent, or in a practical sense, not conditional. Pujya Swami Tejomayananda’s commentary shares – Whether we believe in God or not, doesn’t affect God. Whether we like God or not, doesn’t affect God. If we all do not believe in a certain restaurant, eventually that restaurant will go bankrupt. If we like a certain phone, if there is demand, there will be a supply – it is conditional; God is Not like that.
- God is self proving. Do we need a light to see the Sun? The nature of the Sun is light. Similarly, the Nature of God is Truth, is Independence. It itself is proof. Everything else needs proof, not God. Even wanting proof of God is highly illogical. It is too egotistical to accept that. Another example given in our scriptures is of fire. Touching fire is proof for us that fire is hot, but fire doesn’t have to do anything to prove that it is hot as its nature is heat.
This chapter, Proof of God, requires the most reflection.
Verse 2: A very conclusive verse
Asti roopena chedbhaati jagat-sarvam tathaiva tvam
Asato naiva kalpyeta utpattirjagatah sthitih
Asti roopena cha bhaati – Our life has been filled by experiencing that which exists. Have we ever experienced the horns of a rabbit or a hare? We never experienced it or never even thought about it until now. There is no logic or beauty in that.
Jagat-sarvam tatha iva tvam – This includes this whole multiverse and us. We only experience that which exists, including the macro and the micro.
Asato na eva kalpyeta – It cannot be hypothesized that the cause or the foundation for our experiences can be non-existence.
Utpattih jagatah sthitih – specifically in the utpatti (creation) and sthiti (conservation) of this multiverse.
A few more reflections –
- We have never experienced non-existence, especially our non-existence. We have to exist to experience our own non-existence.
- Everything we are experiencing cannot come from non-existence because non-existence does not exist. What is the source of this creation? We cannot say it is non-existence. Have we extracted light from a dark room? We cannot do that. Also, that which exists cannot go to non-existence. For example, a tree can be destroyed into logs, which can be further destroyed into ash. But we can see that the tree exists, the wood exists and the ash exists. So what is being destroyed is only the names and forms. Science says the same thing that energy is neither created nor destroyed – it just changes names and forms. Hydro power changes into electric power – it is still energy. Nothing goes to non-existence. If we really feel what is being shared, we cannot die. We weren’t born, so we cannot die. So we should stop being afraid.
- We cannot see existence. This pen and pencil exist. Exists and existence are different. Exists is an expression and we can see that. Existence is causal and we cannot see that. It requires insight. Our personality, in the way we engage the world, we have to drop this gross relationship, that living is about eating and drinking, money and power, and become more causal. We should train ourselves in that.
Discussion: How do we know we have Faith in God?
- Vivekji shared – He knows he has Faith in God because all that we have studied in this chapter makes complete sense. There is so much that happens in our life that doesn’t make sense, like why are people moody? That doesn’t make any sense, but this chapter does.
RAW: Read the 11 pages of Chapter 5 daily.