Class notes by Sharmila

There is a syndrome that many of us have called ‘frog in the well’, where the frog in the well thinks that that’s all the world is. Some of us are like that in terms of the culture we are exposed to. When we are youtube surfers in reference to Vedanta then we feel that’s all Vedanta is! Bhagavan Krishna shares with Rishi Uddhava and many others – ‘As you associate, so you think. As you think, so you develop’. That is why it is important to be exposed to the culture of the Upanishad – the discipline and subliminal thoughts – this exposure is association so that eventually we start to think like that and develop into this. One can’t escape this Upanishad culture, and the more clear this is to us, the more we will prepare for the Upanishad culture. This works!

Review of last class (Lesson 19): A quality student and teacher (Adhikari) and  insights (Vishaya) come together, then what is experienced is freedom (Prayojana). What comes after Prayojana is Sambandha. 

Mantra 1.2.18 from KathaUpanshad: 

na jAyate mriyate vA vipashcinnAyam kutashcinna babhUva kashcit 

ajo nityaH shAshvato’yam purANo na hanyate hanyamAne sharIre 

The Sadhya (ends) pulls the Sadhana (means). If one is clear about the destination of their life they will also be clear of their path. If we are non-commital to our Sadhana then that is indicative that we are non-understanding of the Sadhya. If we are committed to the Sadhana, it is because the Sadhya is pulling us. This Sadhya (destination) is not Prapya (gained or created), but it is bodhya (to be regained/rediscovered). Sadhana is a way of training us to shift from the idea that we can ‘create’ joy to ‘being’ joy. We need to test to see if we feel this! If we nurture the clarity that we cannot create joy, we will start to be more joyous! 

Sambandha can be defined as means. Pujya Swami Tejomayananda shares that to experience different parts of this world we need different means – for example to see someone, we can only do with our eyes (means for seeing), similarly for tasting we need the mouth. In a scripture called Vedanta Sara, a powerful line is ‘Vedanto nAma Upanishad pramANa’ – where we can imagine Vedanta to be at the top, the rung below Vedanta is Upanishad, so for anyone who wants to practice Vedanta, the means is the Upanishad. In Acharya Shankara’s Tattvabodha, definition of shraddha (faith) is given as ‘Guru Vedanta Vakyeshu VishwasaH’ (having confidence in the Guru’s teachings). Means to Vedanta is Upanishad, and the means to Upanishad is Guru. One’s guide is the entry point, which pushes us forward to the map and the map lifts us upward to divinity (Trust Triangle). The Trust traingle is the only way we can feel divinity.

If we are passionate about where we want to go, we don’t make excuses. 

This class (Lesson 19 continued): Kaivalya Upanishad Mantra 4: 

VedantavijnAna sunishchitArthaaH sannyaasayogAthyathayaH shuddhasattvAH

Te brahmalokeshu parAntakAle parAmrutAt parimuchyantisarve

In Bhagavad Gita chapter 7, Bhagavan Krishna shifts the teaching from jnana to vijnana, which means that this is internalized more. The theme of chapter 7 is internalization. Vedanta is knowing what is inside and vijnana means we are starting to be clear about this. 

We should be so clear that there is no doubt about the meaning (sunishchita arthaH), the prefix ‘su’ means completely no doubt about what Vedanta is teaching. 

Vedanta is not a subject or science that is utility oriented. All of our vasanas are tied to utility. 

If we can’t give resources, then how can we give up our ego?! 

Bhaja starts with singing, but the evolution of that is seek, support, serve, surrender. Support is to give up resources, and serve means to give up time and surrender is to give up ego. This is to be practiced serially. We should make our ‘giving up’ muscle stronger.

Vedanta is our nature, our nature is joy – no utility but just ‘to be our nature’. 

What helps one have this clarity about the ends and specifically the means?  

It is by practicing sannyasayoga – giving up what you are not ! Giving up the idea that we are this body so judgment starts to dismantle. Pujya Swami Tejomayananda has written that the lakshana of sannyasa is jnana (characteristic of a renunciate is knowing what they are and so giving up what they are not). 

Maya is Maya – finitude is fiction. So there is no need to feel it is a problem. The problem is that we depend on Maya , we identify with maya. What Vedanta teaches is – there is no identifier so how can there be identification ?! Ego is the identifier, and ego is fiction. This is all a game.

Avarana triggers Vikshepa. Varana means to describe, Avarana means that which we cannot describe and makes matters unclear, specifically who we are. Guruji describes avarana as the primal ignorance. Primal means it is so basic and intrinsic to how we live. This primal ignorance causes us to misidentify. All of our identities are a shadow. 

The three significant struggles that different age groups experience are: 

Those who are younger ( 0-25 yrs) – lack of identity 

Those who are middle-aged (25-50yrs) – lack of purpose 

Those who are older (50 and above) – lack of engagement 

The lack of identity is Avarana which leads to lack of purpose which is Vikshepa which in turn leads to becoming extrovert. If we know who we are, then we give up who we are not! 

How do we give up who we are not? This is by associating with sattva (shuddhasattvAH). Another word for shuddhasattvAh is becoming virtuous. One of Acharya Shankara’s disciple was Giri. He became Acharya Thotaka. Giri was known to be the dumbest of Acharya Shankara’s discplices, but he loved Acharya Shankara and did all for him. One day, the other disciples were making sarcastic remarks about Giri, and said that the wall would understand more than Giri, while he was away preparing for Acharya Shankara.  When he finally came to the class that was about to start, he started speaking in such a brilliant way because he was viruous. If we dedicate our life to become virtuous, we don’t have to do anything else, all will come to us!

Those who live like this will start to live in Brahma or infinity or joy! (te brahmalokeshu). They are free. Rishi Yajnavalkya’s wife was being given all his prosperity, and she shares ‘what shall i do with that which will not make me immortal’. What is the purpose of prosperity if it does not make us peaceful! Living in Brahma means being free without conditions. 

When this body dies, one will live in Brahma (parAntakAle parAmrutAt parimuchyantisarve). This is for our own orientation because once we know our nature we know that this body is fiction.Whether it is alive or it dies is irrelevant. In summary ‘be happy’ and that is when we won’t worry.