May 13, 2020
Notes by Ambika Mishra
Review
Last weeks story was about the stonecutter. The stone cutter started up as a stone cutter and ended up as a stonecutter. The values that we explored last week were to be careful, and to be engaged. When you are careful and engaged you enjoy your life, and your own company. You are not trying to live someone else life either, or being friends with everyone.
Story
This week Shankarji and Sumanji shared their stories about how they became extraordinary from ordinary.
Shankarji’s story
Shankarji shared how he had transformed from Vivekji’s guidance. When Shankarji was little he lived in North America in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Shankarji said the at that point he felt like his number 1 goal in life was academic, and now looking back Shankarji realized that he kept putting his happiness in the future, instead of saying that this is it, and I am happy . In Shankarji’s last year of university, he met Vivekji. He got to go on a trip with Vivekji, and with a lot of other young adults. When he was there he got a really good message that was — the happiness that we are looking for is inside ourselves, and that you can be happy here and now. Shankarji found it very liberating, and said that it really changed the way he was looking at things, and he realized he did not have to go in this direction or think in this way. After the trip with Vivekji he decided that he wanted to continue on this topic of happiness. He actually got an opportunity to study at a school were they only taught how to be happy through means of the hindu scriptures, so he got to study happiness and it really allowed him to develop a different view in life. Shankaji put his goal in life to develop true happiness.
Sumanji’s story
Sumanji also shared his story of transformation. He said that as he was growing up, he did not know that much about hindu religion other than the Indian food he ate and his mom doing puja in the morning. He did not really know much and never really knew what he wanted for himself when growing up. He knew he wanted to be happy but did not know was what it meant to be happy. When he was younger he really thought happiness really meant being with my friends, and socializing. But it seemed every year he just found a new rock bottom in this pursuit. Around his 28 birthday he hit a tipping point. He was really unhappy, and enough was enough. Nothing had gotten him to this happiness. It is said in our culture, when someone is sincere about change, a sort of signal goes out in the world and that signal brings a guru into one’s life. Sumanji met Vivekji in Pittsburgh and one of the first questions he remembers asking Vivekji was: “how do I sleep better at night?” and Vivekji looked directly at him and said, “the softest pillow is a clean conscience.” What Vivekji was doing was forcing Sumanji to look at himself, and see if he really had a clean conscience. When Sumanji was finally able to reach to a state of himself he liked, his mother was diagnosed with cancer and passed away almost 8 months later. Sumanji said that this was probably the most difficult time in his life. Sumanji joined the vedanta course and felt that decision to go to the course was the best decision of his life.
Shila — being great
“As you think, so you become.” If you think athletically, you become athletic. If you think smartly you become smart.How do you start to think in such a way? As you associate, so you become. whoever you associate with, you start thinking like. However you think, so you develop. Satsangatve nisangatvam, which means by association. Changing our association and thinking will make us greater.
List of All The Virtues We’ve Learned
1) jita — be virtuous
2) anagha — be pure
3) akama — be content
4) achala — be steady
5) akinchala — be simple
6) shuchi — be organized
7) sukha — be cheerful
8) amita — be wise
9) aniha — be independent
10) mita — be light
11) satya — be truthful
12) kavi — be reflective
13) kovid — be clear
14) yogi — be better
15) savadhana — be vigilant
16) manada — be appreciative
17) madahina — be focused
18) dhira — be deep
19) dharma — be responsible
20) rahita — be tough
21) vigata — be confident
22) priya — be loving
23) guna — be encouraging
24) sama — be balanced
25) shitala — be pleasant
26) niti — be righteous
27) sarla — be natural
28) priti — be accepting
29) japa — be honest
30) tapa — be strong
31) vrata — be determined
32) dama — be controlled
33) samyama — be open
34) niyama — be devoted
35) prema — be kind
36) shraddha — be faithful
37) kshama — be forgiving
38) maitri — be friendly
39) daya — be understanding
40) mudita — be fun
41) amaya — be straight
42) virati — be free
43) viveka — be rational
44) vinaya — be humble
45) vijana — be courageous
46) bodha — be relevant
47) ambha — be modest
48) amana — be quiet
49) amada — be mindful
50) sumarga — be careful
51) lila — be engaged
52) shila — be great