April 18, 2024 | Class Notes by Usha Chazhiyat

IntroductionWhat

Giving is a one-time event, whereas the culture of giving is a movement that one starts and continues. There are three techniques to develop a culture of giving: (1) invest in happiness; return is helpfulness; (2) large heartedness collects large hands; (3) systemize encouragement. Happy people become helpful people. We think of fundraising in such a passive and aggressive way; using these techniques will help us reframe fundraising as natural.  

Review

A91: Anger is the invincible enemy.

• POISON
• Anger is poison that we first take and then spew towards others

A92: Greed is the incurable disease of men.

• CANCER
• Greed is like a cancer that starts slowly and keeps growing. 

A93: A noble person is one who brings welfare to all beings.

• ABSORBING
• A noble person is able to absorb others’ comments, negative energy, etc. 

A94: The ignoble are those devoid of compassion. 

• INACTIVE
• Ignoble people are inactive and tend to think of themselves only.

A95: Not knowing dharma is real delusion.

• INEFFECTIVE
• If you don’t know who you are, you will be less effective at whatever you do. 

A96: Pride is thinking highly of oneself.

• HALLUCINATING
• A dream is a hallucination and means nothing; whatever happens in the relative is still relative. 

A97: Not discharging one’s duty is laziness.

• OTHERING
• Othering is what we tend to do with -isms (i.e. sexism, ageism, etc). Othering means  that I’m not tending to my responsibilities, so someone else has to tend to them, making others’ lives harder. 

A98: Ignorance verily is grief.

• FORGETTING
• When we forget our nature, we forget how to be happy. 
• Avidya (separation) → vasana (smallness) → eshana (sadness) → vritti (stress) → karmas(stuckness)

A99: Steadfastness in following one’s dharma is steadiness. 

• REMEMBERING
• Our responsibility is the means or strategy to remember how to be happy. 

A100: Real courage is control of the senses. 

• MANAGING
• If the senses are managing you, that is being fearful. But if you are managing the senses, that is being courageous. 

Discourse

Q101 : What constitutes a real bath?

A101: A real bath is removing the impurities of the mind.

Absolute: The impurity that is often shared by our teachers is raga. Where there is raga, naturally there will be dvesha. Likes, when they ferment, become attachment, which then further ferments into identification. 

Relative: Routine helps us to not have likes and dislikes because routines do not allow our minds to drift here and there. Try to infuse your routines with satsanga. 

Q102 : What is said to be charity in this world?

A102 : Charity is the act of protecting all beings.

Absolute: Daanam/generosity is allowing a being to be the way they are/natural. Reflection exercise – Think of all the people you interacted with today and reflect on those who let you be who you are. If you’re around a person who lets you be who you are, their generosity is that they accept you as who you are and do not change you into who they want you to be.

Relative: In our culture, bharathya samskriti daanam is associated with prasada. Prasada is to first be shared and what remains is for yourself. In this case, we are not living for ourselves.

Q103: Who is to be considered learned?

A103: The knower of dharma is considered learned. 

Absolute: Our original relationship is with our Original Parent, or Divinity. The one who knows that is wise.

Relative: Rishi Vidura in Mahabharata defines those who are wise – One quality of a wise person is oohavan, or one who interprets in the right way. For example, if someone is being moody and you can interpret why they are moody, you are oohavan. One other quality of a wise person is chithra katha, in that they are illustrating katha in their own words. One more quality is prthabhaavan – a wise person inspires.

Q104: Who is an atheist?

A104: An atheist is a fool.

Absolute : Pujya Gurudev Tejomayananda shared that those who believe in God and still keep on worrying and worrying and worrying are actually atheists. 

Relative : Many great teachers have shared that an atheist is one who doesn’t believe in themselves. They don’t believe that they can change. If you suffer from a lack of belief in yourself, read the autobiographies of inspiring people to get to know them personally. 

Q105: Who is a fool?

A105: A fool is an atheist.

Absolute: An atheist is one who has made the relative absolute. Many of us have studied this through Moha Mudgara. “Nahi nahi rakshati dukrnkarne.”

Relative: A fool is one who doesn’t inquire. They live their life on autopilot. We all have difficulties in our life, let’s learn from it. Foolish people don’t learn from their difficulties.

Q106: What is desire?

A106: Desire is the cause for samsara

Absolute: Kama (desire) triggers more krodha (anger) which triggers more lobha (greed). If kama is not there, krodha will not be there and lobha will not be there.

Relative: Samsara is the feeling of oneness. If you want what you need, then life becomes simple.

Q107: What is envy?

A107: Envy is the affliction of the heart.

Absolute: In Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna says that if one is engaged in paradharma instead of svadharma, one is filled with bhaya. When we feel like our life is a mistake, but another person’s life is right, then we feel envy or jealousy.

Relative: Jealousy starts when one is ungrateful for what they have and ungrateful for who they are. So what can one do? Appreciate the one that you’re jealous of. Bhagavan is the doer, not any of us. I’m supposed to do my part, my part is designed for me. That person is supposed to do their part, their part is designed for them.

Q108: What is ego?

A108: Ego is mighty tolerance.

Absolute: Dissolve the ego with the knowledge of the true Self by surrendering this individuality. Spirituality’s goal is only to dissolve/surrender the individuality 

Relative: It’s the sense of controlling.

Discussion Subject

What are the systems in society that encourage jealousy?

Vivekji’s reflection: Society fuels individuality rather than collectivity.

Dialogue

1. How do we create a sense of gratitude in children to not take everything for granted?

As children become more mature in their inner world, they naturally become more grateful. It’s easy for parents to throw money at problems and provide comfort to their children. Parents should control the amount of comfort their children have access to.

2. Is karma equal to being stuck. What exactly is karma?

Karma means action without intention. The underlying reason for that karma is that I’m trying to find fulfillment and I’m not going to find it so I’m going to get stuck. Karma yoga is how we come back from that stuckness, with less sadness and less smallness.

 3. Is there anything in the world that really helps to alleviate jealousy?

If one is around friends who appreciate each other then the chances of being jealous are less. Reducing the feeling of individuality is the only way.

 RAWMay 2^nd, 9^th, 16^th – prepare to be called on and speak to answers 63-112 (50 questions) for 3 minutes.