March 7, 2024: Class Notes by Ameya Madduri 

Introduction

A character in the movie Dune 1 shares “we plan in centuries”. Typically we plan a week of meals, fundraising for 6 months but planning in centuries is a good practice in empathy. The more you plan in the future, you have to be empathetic to how people are, what they are becoming, and what their needs will be. To have that level of empathy, the starting point is to be self-reflective. One must know themselves– strengths, weaknesses, etc. If you train in getting to know yourself better, you are capable of knowing others and plan for centuries. Dialogue with Dharma is a facilitation of self-reflection. 

Review

A73: Due to attachment, one does not go to heaven. 

• Attachment is Sanskrit is raga. Raga is preceded by viksepa (projection). What you project onto, you will get attached to. Raga is preceded by bhaya (fear). Projection (triggers)→ attachment (triggers) → fear. These vices drag us to be reborn again with the same attachments. 
• The way to address attachment is to attach ourselves onto the higher. This attachment causes an upward movement. 
• It is easy to justify attachment to families as it is how you show care for family. 
• Giving to the community on a monthly and annual basis allows for community maintenance and expansion respectively while also helping seekers grow out of family- centric attachment. 

A74: A miser is considered death. 

• Use it or lose it! 
• This applies to the human body, mind, and intellect. If the intellect is not used to inquire, we become an instructive personality (controlling). 
• Prince Arjuna used to challenge different rulers and they could either fight or surrender. When they surrendered, they also surrendered their accumulated/hoarded wealth. Prince Arjuna would distribute this wealth so that it was in circulation in the society. Everyone benefited from this as the “miser was dead”. 
• Dhananjaya is the opposite of miser.

Q59: A nation is dead in the absence of a king (leader)

• 3 ways to develop resilience
• Resilience is a way to not give up. For example, a resilient runner will not give up even if it is hard.
• Develop resilience through examples 
• → When you have the right role models or examples who exemplify resilience, you feel like you can do it too. 
• → A ruler or leader is one who has the most responsibilities but they follow through on all commitments. The right example makes a difference in inspiring us to be committed to our value system. 

Q76: The shraadha ceremony performed in the absence of a priest is considered dead

• Shraadha comes from the word Shraddha (faith)
• What are the directions of your faith? Is it a cause, person? Did your faith grow when you got to know the cause, person better? 
• Knowledge facilitates devotion. If knowledge is absent, it is harder to have faith. 

Discourse

Q77: What causes a sacrifice to be dead? 

Answer: It is to be ungrateful. Being ungrateful causes a sacrifice to be dead. 

• Yagna practically means dedication
• Dedication comes first then it is followed by sacrifice
• Absolute: Dedication without sacrifice is not dedication. It is simply theoretical.  Theory cannot cause one’s evolution. You cannot say you are dedicated to someone/something if you don’t do anything for them. If you don’t let go for them…
• Relative: By expressing gratitude, we create impressions on our personalities Expression creates impressions or vasanas. This is the need to offer dakshina. When you feel like a person, purpose, presence has been dedicated to you.  When you come across the feeling of dedication, bow down at the altar and think: We love you bhagavan ji, thank you for everything, please help us to be responsible. The more you bow and dedicate yourself at the altar, the more this impression stays with you. 
• Tactile reflection: Seeker encouraged to self-reflect. 

Q78: What is the way? 

Answer: Santaha. Saints are the way 

• Santaha is a rishi or a sadhu. 
• Absolute: What makes one a sadhu? Contentment. Because they are content, they live by vairagya (dispassion, independence). One who is content can help us feel the same. A sadhu is someone who helps us feel accomplished. Acharya Shankara shares that a sadhu is like vasantha (spring). They bring out the best in us. 
• Relative: If you think about what you finally want/need in life, it is happiness. You may flirt with degrees and possessions but finally you just want to be happy. A sadhu shows how to feel that happiness. You feel happiness through virtues. The virtuous are joyous. A sadhu lives these virtues and therefore shows others how to be happy. 

Q79: What is said to be water?

Answer: Water is said to be space. 

• Absolute: Where there is no water, there can be no growth (life). Space is the field that allows any growth. If you want to grow vegetables, you need space. Water and space are treated as being synonymous. 
• Relative: To be with people, sometimes we must be without people. We just need our own time and space sometimes in order to grow. 
• Tactile reflection: Seeker encouraged to self-reflect.

Q80: What is food? 

Answer: Cow is food.

•  Absolute: Gauhu (cow): that which goes. That which goes is our senses (our hands, eyes, etc are inputting sense objects). Food is sense objects for the sense organs.
• Relative: Cows are critical to produce food. Stones (soil) and plants depend on cows for regulation, fertilization, etc. Animal species are required for humans to eat. Thing about the environmental benefits of bats, bees, worms, etc  Cows are highlighted here as they help to produce food 
• Tactile reflection: Seeker encouraged to self-reflect. 

It is through self reflection that people become more empathetic. Our course is a catalyst in empathy. 

Discussion Subject

How do you practice feeling the relative (body) and the Absolute (Spirit)? 

• Vivekji’s Reflection: A strong reminder of the relative is when there is unnecessary conflict in a relationship. In every relationship there is conflict as it is the nature of dvaita. But why is there unnecessary conflict? That is a reminder that this person and conflict can never complete you. The person or conflict are relative. 

Dialogue

• Can Vivekji further explain why water is said to be space and guide the framework for tactile reflection?
  • Absolute: We always think of water and growth. Think of the desert and how everything is dead there. When we think of the ocean, everything is alive there. Extrapolating further, one needs a field to grow. No matter if it is a plant, a womb, etc. In this case, the field is space. Just like water is needed for growth, space is also needed for growth. 
  • Relative: Space is needed in relationships. If you are always around someone else, you will inevitably be annoyed with them unnecessarily. Space is needed for a relationship to grow. Even in Shrimad Bhagavatam, only when Shri Krishna disappeared from the view of the Gopis is when they stopped taking Him for granted. 
• Can Vivekji explain the concept of heaven and hell? How does it relate to the cycle of birth and death?
  • Svarga (heaven) and Naraka (hell) are both temporary. 
  • In Hinduism, there is no connection between eternality and either heaven or hell. 
  • Heaven is a temporary comfortable experience and once the experience has been exhausted, you come back to earth. 
  • Hell is a temporary uncomfortable experience and once the experience teaches you what you need to learn, you come back to earth.
  • Hell is a better place to learn than heaven is. 
  • In heaven, everyone’s astral bodies are super sensitive. Hence, everyone’s senses are hyper aware of the sensuousness and they do not inquire. 
  • In hell, there is constant inquiry of “why am I experiencing this” and “Why did I do this” or “how do i come out of this”. There is strong repentance in hell. 
  • Heaven and Hell are personal experiences. When your mind is quiet, you are in heaven. When your mind is agitated, you are in hell. 
  • In Sanatana Dharma, there is both an internal and external heaven and hell. The more you focus on the internal heaven and hell, the less chance of going to the external heaven and hell. 

RAW

• Last week: Practice a week of fasting 
• Vivekji’s reflection: We must practice dedication of some sort

• This week’s RAM: The phone promise! From March 8-June 15th, you can redefine your relationship with your phone. This means more intentionality and service with less scrolling and browsing.