May 9, 2024 Class Notes by Isha Darbari

Introduction

• When we describe someone as being mukta (free), what does that mean?
  • Another way to reflect on someone who is free is naishkarmya siddhi
    • Siddhi = achievement or power
    • Naishkarmya = doing while being
      • One is being
      • And in being, much doing is manifesting
    • ie; someone who has achieved being; and in being, so much doing is happening 
  • Worldly example: electricity
    • There’s so much expression via lights, fans, internet, etc
    • But what is electricity doing? Nothing, it is just being; and a lot of doing is happening because electricity is being
  • Our dialogue in dharma course is training in being
    • By being, we become the most dynamic: more efficient, effective 
• How is this training playing out?
  • The quality before being is the one who is reflective
  • The quality before being reflective is the one who is focused
  • The quality before one who is focused is one who is balanced
    • If you are truly balanced in your responsibilities, you will be balanced
    • When things are well, not well, etc – you will be balanced; won’t even use such thoughts and words (ie well vs not well) to describe things because you know its anti-responsibility 
• Reflect: have you become more balanced, which trains you to become more focused, which trains you to be more reflective, which trains you to become more being 

Discourse

Review

• 113. Who is condemned to everlasting hell? The one who is mean
  • The one who is mean condemns themselves to hell
    • And when they condemn themselves, they’re the ones who pull others down into that same abyss 
  • If you fall into hell because someone is pulling you, you’ve allowed yourself to do that: it is self-inflicted, self-allowed
  • Anecdote
    • Once someone went to Gurudev and said, “Gurudev, save me from going to hell.” Gurudev said, “Don’t worry, you’re already there”
    • For the one who has a loud mind, they’re already in hell. They have to save themselves!
• 114. A brahmana is one who lives in a way that is more and more inclusive, more and more big
  • Brahmana = one who identifies with Brahman or Infinity; they live this
  • Insight from Swami Tejomayanda
    • One who is a brahmana, whose responsibility is to orient society:  imagine a group of people walking in the wrong direction, then a thinker goes in front and tells them “you’re going the wrong direction!” That group would stampede him.
    • So really if a brahmana wants to orient society, they should slowly make a U-turn to the right direction. 
    • But they are leading from the front , and can’t lead from behind. If anyone is going to be attacked or harmed, they’re the first to embrace that.
      • That’s what makes a thinker: they apply, ie walking the walk, not just talking the talk
• 115. A person who speaks affectionately is loved by all
  • Everyone is going through a hard time – financial, applying for jobs, child misbehaving, etc
  • Using hard words doesn’t help; by using soft words, we can make hard times less hard
• 116. One who thinks and acts prudently is highly successful
  • How to be a meaningful leader? Making allowances for human error is necessary
  • When people around you make mistakes, when you make a mistake, how do you feel?
    • Devotional saying:
      • When someone does that which is right, Bhagawan doesn’t have the opportunity to forgive them, so he’s looking forward to people making mistakes because he wants to forgive them!
      • Don’t go out of your way to make mistakes. But that’s how gracious Bhagawan is, and we can follow suit. ☺  

New

• 117.  The one who has many friends, what do they gain?
  Answer: Sukham vasate – they live happily, cheerfully
  • Absolute
    • One who becomes a real friend to another, is one who is training in Oneness
      • The foundation of this course is Advaita Vedanta (the science of Oneness)
      • If I’m becoming a real friend to many, it’s because I’m training in Oneness; that means I’m following through with Advaita Vedanta 
  • Relative
    • From the Ramayana, what is one of the primary characteristics of a good friend? They challenge you to help you be better
      • If I have lots of friends: the implication is I have lots of outlets, resources, soundboards, feedback helping me to be a better person -> so of course I will be happier
        • Friends telling me: you should be more patient, you should exercise more, you should sleep earlier, etc 
        • With all of these friends around me who are challenging me, I’m going to be the best version of myself; I am going to be happier! 
  • Tactile: seeker to engage in reflection and personalization

• 118. The one who rides the dharma-ratta (follows the path of responsibility), what do they gain?
  Answer: they reach the goal; they make it to the ends
  • Background: from Vibhishana Gita/ Ramayana
    •  Ravana has a yuddha–ratta: everything around him relates to yuddha (fighting) 
    • In terms of Bhagawan Rama: everything relating to him is about dharma (the means and the ends) 
  • Absolute
    • What is the purpose of life? To not have purpose; as long as there’s a purpose, that means I’m missing something
      • The lowest reason to live is: people
      • The middle reason to live is: purpose
      • The highest reason to live is: Presence- it’s beyond purpose
    • The one who follows responsibility/ follows the means, naturally will reach the ends, aka independent joy
    • The one who follows their responsibilities or dharma, they no longer have goals because they’ve reached the goal
      • They no longer seek gain because they’ve reached the highest gain
      • They no longer seek God, because they’ve reached God. 
      • Anisha = no God; only God doesn’t have God
  • Relative
    • To be devoted to the ends, what precedes this is for one’s default to be one who practices/ applies
      • Ex: if you have the habit of waking up by the alarm clock at 5:30, even if the alarm clock doesn’t go off, you still naturally wake up around that same time. Getting up early becomes your default
      • When this becomes your default -> naturally you become devoted then 
    • So what precedes being devoted? When this becomes your default: that I will follow my responsibilities without compromise
      • As soon as you start to compromise, that stops becoming your default  
      • Compromise is dangerous
  • Tactile: seeker to engage in reflection and personalization

• 119. Who is the one who is cheerful?
  Answer:
  The one who:
  – cooks vegetables in the 5^th or 6^th period of the day (5am/6am)
  – has no debts
  • – does not feel unnatural/is not living in a place that is not their own
    
    Also, the one who has manifested as a crane (Raja Yuddhistra is coming to feel that this yaksha/ crane is more than a crane/supernatural being)
    
  • Absolute
    • Anrinni: the one who owes nothing (rinni = debt) 
    • Apravasi: one who has their needs met; not their wants, but their needs
    • The one who cooks vegetables in the 5^th or 6^th period of the day
      • The 5^th or 6^th segments of the day = morning
      • Vegetables = simple food 
    • What do they do cooking vegetables in the early morning? They enjoy
      • They owe nothing and their needs are met, so whatever comes into their lives they are happy
      • Ex: When you have a super demanding day, then a slow day (ie where you can just wake up and cook vegetables) feels awesome!
  • Relative
    • The emphasis here is: intention
      • The one with the right intention, it’s easy to be happy
      • The one with the wrong intention, nothing will make them happy
  • Tactile: seeker to engage in reflection and personalization

• 120. What is stupendous, astounding?
  Answer: Even though day after day we see beings go to the abode of Yama or death, still one tries to be immortal. What could be more stupendous that someone feels this doesn’t apply to them?
  • TLDR: All around us we see death, yet we still feel like it doesn’t apply to us 
  • Absolute
    • In the month of May, how many of you have heard of or known someone who has died? This year? 
    • Excerpts from text commentary
      • “Knowing fully well that no one lives forever, human beings are enamored by this elusive quest of immortality”
      • “Instead of coming to terms with this reality and spending as little time and energy as possible in fulfilling worldly desires, human beings accumulate wealth as if they’re going to live forever to enjoy it”
      • Ascarya – we try to find security outside ourselves
  • Relative
    • Every day, I try to visualize that the important facets of my life are not going to be around by the day, week, month (ie: my guide, my opportunity to be enlightened, my children, etc)
      • This is a powerful sadhana in having the right relationship with all of the entities we feel are going away
  • Tactile: seeker to engage in reflection and personalization

Discussion Subject

No discussion today due to 3-minute individualized pariksha

Dialogue

No dialogue today due to 3-minute individualized pariksha

Pariksha: On May 2, 9, 16 (final 3 classes): seekers will be randomly chosen to speak on a Q/A set for 3 minutes across Q/A 63-112. Reflect and be ready! 

Anecdote from Vivekji: “When I first started business school, the professor said it would be a 4 hour exam, so I asked the best way to prepare. The professor said, go see a movie. If you didn’t prepare thus far, you might as well enjoy it. Here too, to just spontaneously speak would be difficult – might as well pay attention and listen!” 

• 73. Why does one not go to heaven?  Attachments
• 95. What is moha? Confusion on dharma
• 96. What can be clearly seen as pride? Having an exaggerated sense of self worth 
• 120. What is stupendous? All around us we see death, yet we feel it doesn’t apply to us
• 71. What makes a thing not shine? Darkness

RAW

• RAW last week: analyze what is the best format for our hour together
• RAW this week: what is your practice so that the answer to 120 (feeling death does not apply to us) will not apply to you?