 |
|
|
 | ||
|
Community
Writings by our community of readers. To submit your own, please email it to us and include your full name and location.
Recent Entries Bhagavad Gita - Synopsis 18 Chapters:CHAPTER SIX October 17, 2011
The Bhagavad Gita : Chapter SIX. [compiled by Kamini Khanna. Mombasa, Kenya. Africa] The sixth chapter reveals the secret of meditation. Slowly, having removed itself from the distractions of the world, the mind learns to establish itself in its own svarupa or nature. Here Sri Krishna prepares us for meditation and shows us how to meditate. The state of meditation is different from the waking, dream or dream-sleep states, and far subtler than them all. It is the turiya or the fourth state, of which we know very little. This fourth state is one’s own nature but one is not aware of it. He asks us to shift our attention from the world outside and sit in within ourself. By becoming established in this state, one becomes free of all sorrow. Even mountain like sorrows, fail to shake the equilibrium of such an individual. The Lord advises us to remain in the Self. Established in this, the whole world is experienced as oneself. One is immersed in sukh (bliss and contentment) and is automatically free of all worries and anxieties. Arjun asks Bhagavan, “My mind is restless. How can I make it quiet?” In reply, Sri Krishna deals exhaustively with the preparation for meditation, the method to follow and the benefits that accrue. He transports us from restlessness and confusion to the state of meditation. Sri Bhagavan said: He, who does his duty without expecting the fruit of actions, is both, a sannyasi (sankhyayogi) and a yogi (karma yogi). He, who has not given up thoughts of the world, cannot become a yogi. When a man ceases to have any attachment either for the objects of senses, or for actions, and has renounced all thoughts of the world, he is said to have attained yoga.
Bhagavan said: Arjuna, one should lift oneself up by one’s own efforts and should not degrade oneself, for one’s own self is one’s friend and one’s own self is also one’s own enemy. One’s own self is the friend of the soul by whom the lower self (viz., the mind, the senses and the body) has been conquered. On the other hand, he who has not conquered his lower self, i.e. one’s mind, senses and one’s body, behaves inimically, like one’s own enemy.
The supreme spirit is firmly established in the knowledge of the self–controlled man whose mind is perfectly calm in the midst of cold-heat; joy-sorrow; and honor and dishonor. The yogi, whose mind is unchangeable under any circumstance, whose senses are thoroughly subdued, and to whom, a clod, a stone and a piece of gold make no difference, is spoken of as a God – Realized soul. Bhagavan says:he who regards well-wishers, friends, foes, mediators, the objects of hatred, relatives, the virtuous and the sinful alike – stands supreme. The yogi who has subdued his mind and body, and who is free from desires and bereft of possessions – living in seclusion all by himself alone, should constantly engage in meditation.
Krishna offers instructions on meditation:
Arjuna says: Krishna, this yoga which you have taught, to keep the restless mind calm and steady, is very difficult to practice, for the mind is very unsteady, turbulent, tenacious and powerful. Therefore, it’s difficult to control as the wind.
Bhagavan: The mind is, without doubt, unsteady and difficult to curb Arjuna. But it can be controlled through constant practice of meditation.
Chapter 6 is the Lord’s generative organs. It helps us to get established in our own nature. This technique reveals to us not only our identity, but the world as well.
Bhagavad Gita - Synopsis 18 Chapters:CHAPTER FIVE October 17, 2011
The Bhagavad Gita : Chapter FIVE.[compiled by Kamini Khanna. Mombasa, Kenya. Africa]
The fifth chapter prepares the seeker for meditation. We learn the technique of action by relinquishing the sense of doer ship. In other words, we discover the ability of performing action and also the ability of withdrawing from action. We find out how to be tranquil and peaceful even in an unhappy situation. This is the core of Karma Yoga – the technique of acting without acting!
The world is a manifestation of the Divine. God is the sole doer. Everything happens by His will alone. The wise man knows ‘I am not the doer’. The more we are able to imbibe this attitude and act according to it, the nearer we are to dhyana.or meditation. A sure test that mental purification is complete, is when all sense of personal doer ship dissolves and we perceive action to be just happening by Divine Grace. Even Brahma the creator, does not take credit for the creation of the world. With a sense of doer ship, meditation is not possible.
The fifth chapter reveals the link between our initial sadhana or practice that comprises - karma, upasana and jnana (action, worship and meditation). The mind then is sufficiently purified and has relinquished the sense of doer ship. This quiet mind is a prerequisite to meditation. We pass the test when we are aware the action is happening and we are merely instruments.
Bhagavan explains to Arjuna, that he, whose mind remains unattached to external enjoyments, derives, the unadulterated joy through meditation. This joy is our inherent nature. That yogi then, having completely identified himself through meditation with Brahman or the Absolute Self, enjoys eternal bliss. Bhagavan continues with his explanation, saying, that he who is able to withstand here on earth, before casting off this body, the urges of lust and anger, he is a Yogi – a harmonized soul; he is a happy man. He, who is happy within himself, enjoys within himself the delight of the soul, and even so, is illumined by the inner light, - such a Yogi (Sankhyayogi) identified with the Brahman, attains Brahman, who is all peace.
The noble ones, whose sins have been washed away, whose doubts have been dispelled by knowledge, whose minds are firmly established in God, and who are actively engaged in promoting the welfare of all beings, attain Brahman or Immortal Bliss. To those wise men, who are free from lust and anger, who have quieted their mind and have realized God, the abode of eternal peace envelopes them. Shutting out the thoughts of external sense – enjoyments, with the eyes fixed on the space between the eye-brows, having equalized the Prana and Apana breaths, (outward and inward breaths) thus bringing their senses, mind and reason under control – such contemplative souls, intent on liberation and free from desire, fear and anger, areever liberated.
Chapter 5 is the Lord’s hips. We are now ready to sit down in meditation and come to understand our true nature. This chapter prepares us for meditation. We sit down for meditation supported by our hips.
Bhagavad Gita - Synopsis 18 Chapters:CHAPTER FOUR October 17, 2011
The Bhagavad Gita : Chapter FOUR.[compiled by Kamini Khanna. Mombasa, Kenya. Africa] The fourth chapter speaks of upasana (the process of fine – tuning our minds to God) and jnana (quest forknowledge), It reveals Bhagavan’s svarupa or nature anddescribes his avatars(incarnation in human form ). Krishna, as the Universal Divine Spirit, declares unequivocallythat He is attained by those who have cleansed themselves through upasana and jnana. Manyhave reached the final beatitude, cleansing themselves of all negativity.Karma Yoga or the path of action by itself is not enough for completepurification. All our attachments, arrogance, fears andgreed are not easily eliminated. Just as stained clothessometimes need a more powerful detergent to cleanse them; we need upasana to purify our minds further. This is achieved by puja or prayer, japa, (chanting mantra) tapas or penance, yoga, vrata (fasting) and other specialized techniques of purification. All these are the means of bringing force to our sadhana or spiritual practice. We need to acknowledge God’s existence first and then come to know Him. Upasana is to see the Lord in everything – in every idol or symbol, in every object, action, in nature and all beings. It is to superimpose the idea of divinity in everything and act accordingly.
Any impurity or restlessness of the mind that remains is then removed through jnana or knowledge. Through jnana,the Lord says, even the wicked can be completely cleansed. Knowledge removes likes and dislikes at the level of the senses, confusion and delusions at the level of the emotions, and justifications at the level of the intellect. Mere study of scriptures is not enough. We need to establish knowledge, without any trace of doubt – knowledge with full conviction. We have to experience things intuitively, as they are not as an accumulation of academic knowledge. Knowledge removes impurities, just as the revelation of the rope removes the fear of the snake which was falsely seen in it. We should aspire to remove all the impurities and with a pure mind and heart, come to know the Self. Bhagavan explains to Arjuna that in this world, there is no purifier like knowledge: he, who attained purity of heart through practice of karma yoga, automatically realizes it in the Self in due course of time. He, who has fully controlled his senses, is completed devoted to the spiritual practice and is full of faith, attains knowledge: having gained knowledge, he immediately attains supreme peace. (In the form of God – realization)He who lacks discrimination, is devoid of faith, and is possessed by doubt. He gets lost on the spiritual path.
For the doubting soul, there is neither this world nor the world beyond, nor even contentment and happiness. Sri Krishna further counsels Arjuna, saying, he who had dedicated all his actions to God, according to the spirit of karma yoga, whose doubts have been dispelled by wisdom, actions do not bind him.
Bhagavan propels Arjuna to destroy the doubts in his heart, born of ignorance, with the sword of knowledge, thus establishing himself in karma yoga, and to stand up and fight.
Chapter 4 is the Lord’s knees – they enable us to run faster in our sadhana! With only the ankles, we move slowly. With the help of the knees, we progress faster. We must employ the techniques of upasana and jnana in our spiritual journey.
Bhagavad Gita - Synopsis 18 Chapters:CHAPTER THREE July 31, 2011
The Bhagavad Gita : Chapter THREE.[compiled by Kamini Khanna. Mombasa, Kenya. Africa]
The third chapter deals with Karma Yoga or the Yoga of Action. It points out the path to the Goal. To reach this we have to make some effort. This is the commencement of our sadhana. (spiritual discipline) To quiet the mind we need to purify it first. This can be done through selfless action or Karma Yoga. Arjuna asks Bhagavan, “ Man does not attain freedom from action (culmination from the path of action) without entering upon action; nor does he reach perfection (culmination of the path of knowledge) merely by renunciation of action. Surely none can remain inactive even for a moment; everyone is driven to action by nature born qualities. Therefore perform your allotted duty, for action is superior to inaction. Desisting from action, you cannot even maintain your body. He, who does not follow the wheel of creation, i.e. does not perform his duties, lives in vain. He however, who takes delight in the Self alone and is gratified and contented with the self, has no duty. Therefore always efficiently do your duty without attachment. Doing work without attachment is when man attains supreme bliss. Sri Krishna explains the meaning of kartavya, (Duty) its importance and the dynamics of right action. When we perform our obligatory duties, the mind and heart is slowly purified. Purification of the mind is a pre requisite to the silence we are seeking. The path of Karma Yoga purifies the mind, apart from giving us the worldly results. This chapter deals exhaustively with ACTION. What is action, the different types of actions, the performance of actions according to our abilities and impressions, shaped by our family background, our nature. Action should be performed as worship of the Lord, with an attitude of dedication, detachment, service and surrender, and the results of action received with devotion, as Prasada (sacrament). This is Karma Yoga. In this way the mind and heart gains equanimity, stillness and purification, and our personal likes and dislikes are destroyed. This is the best way to reach the Lord. Karma Yoga is not some special action. Even the lowest action performed with devotion, takes us closer to the Lord. Chapter 3 is the ankles of the Lord. Movement of the feet begins with the ankles. Wearing anklets, He dances and jumps and beautifully bends His ankles. They symbolize movement. It is the beginning of sadhana. We commence walking the path towards our Goal.
Reflection on Study Group July 8, 2011
One Student’s Reflection upon Vedanta Santa Fe Study Group - Todd Kelly ( Raman), A Beautiful Experience
The sounds of shoes being removed, happy Hari Oms! and greetings, hearty laughter and hugs, gathering books and seats, tea and snacks being made; all herald the arrival of study group time. Someone lights the lamp and incense and offers to Swami Chinmayanandaji and Adi Sankaracharyaji on the altar. Small talk subsides as the Sevika reaches for the book being studied. It all begins with three Oms heartily chanted with the Santi Pathah, ‘Om Saha na vavatu...’, following. After a brief introduction, the participants each read aloud a paragraph from the text around the circle till the selection is finished. Respectful dialogue and debate follow with timely cues and directions from the Sevika. When everyone has spoken and closing remarks made the Santi Pathah, ‘Om Purnamadah...’ is chanted. I love this repeating scene in my Spiritual Life! It is a harmonic chord playing again, echoing our precious time with Shubhraji when she teaches here in Santa Fe. I learn so much from each and every one. Like the many facets of a diamond contribute to its ultimate brilliance revealing the clarity, so are the study group participants to me. I’ve noticed over the years that the gunas (moods) come and go. Sometimes the weight of the world or the joys and excitements of a holiday season will be there with the group. Yet at the end of every gathering I continually notice the same transformation. During the course of study and dialogue we become more unified, clear and energized. Agitations that we come with are lessened and we leave with more peace in our hearts, eager to return again. Sometimes confusion arises or a samskara9emotional imprint) prompts an individual to ask for more guidance. Invariably, someone always remembers a quote from Shubhraji or one of her stories of Swamiji. Because of our duties and obligations in life, not everyone can come to every meeting. It always ends up being so perfect, the right energy for that specific gathering. We are able to help each other through our remembrance of the teachings, our understanding of the text being studied and our courage to express our experiences openly. There are times when we all throw our hands up in the air in wonder to a question. Then one or a few in unison say with glee “that will be a good question for satsang with Shubhraji!”
Study group began soon after I first met Shubhraji in July of 2003. The first gathering was at Shubhraji’s senior student Sivani’s (Wendelin) home. With her stellar guidance as Sevika, we began to study Self Unfoldment by Swami Chinmayananda in the style set forth by Him so many years ago. Each paragraph was read aloud by all around the circle till finished. Then discussion followed with comments being restricted to five sentences that related to the text, being encouraged to include quotes from what was just read. In this way we learned to express with focused clarity. In those days, we gathered in a different home every study group until the book was completed. We studied Self Unfoldment twice and Tattva Bodha once. We are currently studying Self Unfoldment and in the second year of The Art of Man Making, a transcript of a series of broadcasts of Swamiji and his talks on The Bhagavad Geeta.
After a couple of years, Ariana who we loving call Annamma, became Sevika and has been leading study group ever since. Her clear understanding of Shubhraji’s teachings has helped many during reading and discussion. In recent years, we’ve been meeting at our home, which is centrally located. I have been blessed to be able to attend almost every gathering, only missing a few here and there. We are now in our seventh year of meeting together in study group. Satsangatve: A Lifeboat on the Ocean of Samsara Often, when the yagna has finished and Shubhraji has left Santa Fe, the next months are filled with waves of inspiration, heated internal debate, and intricate thoughts as this heart-mind makes successive attempts to integrate the teachings. Personal reflection and contemplation have been good companions for me. It is really only through the regular attendance of study group, I have found, that the internal churnings and graspings of the mind begin to settle and come to peaceful resolution within my heart. My most memorable and cherished experiences in study group have been the reflections back to me of ‘The Blessed Divine Self.’ All perspectives upon the reading at hand and the recent teachings are relayed so beautifully by the expressions, both spoken from and visually on, the faces of Shubhraji’s students. Then, I remember from the teachings, when I see and accept the ‘Truth in all’ I experience the ‘Saksi’, this Divine witness. This helps me to see we all have something to offer each other and there is really no separation. I believe this has helped me to stay firm on this path called Advaita Vedanta. One of my favorite verses that Shubhraji has taught us comes from Adi Sankaracharya’s Bhaja Govindam in which a core essence of my experience with study group is described: Satsangatve Nissangatvam Nihsangatve Nirmohatvam Nirmohatve Niscalatattvam Niscalatattve Jivanmuktih (Bhaja Govindam Bhaja Govindam….) 9. Through the company of the good, there arises non-attachment; through non-attachment there arises freedom from delusion; when there is freedom from delusion, there is the Immutable Reality; on experiencing Immutable Reality, there comes the state of ‘liberated-in-life’. Study group has become for me like a sturdy lifeboat plying the churning waters of this ocean of ‘the world of change’. The students keep the boat afloat by their sincere intentions no matter the weather and the waves. The teachings of Shubhraji, Swamiji, and Mother Shruti (scriptures) guide the boat directly to the goal ahead, ablaze with the light of Truth. Our most fearless captains are the Sevikas showing us strength and conviction so that we may choose not to abandon ship before the goal is reached. I am very grateful for Sivani and Annamma who have given so much of their time in dedicated effort. With their heartfelt, single-pointed and unwavering attention, we are continuing the Journey much stronger, closer together, and are moving swiftly ahead. Thank you Shubhraji for coming to Santa Fe and bringing us this gift of sacred knowledge, the value of which I feel I am beginning to understand. I give my pranams to you. Bhagavad Gita - Synopsis 18 Chapters:CHAPTER TWO June 26, 2011
The Bhagavad Gita : Chapter TWO.[compiled by Kamini Khanna. Mombasa, Kenya. Africa]
After this mental shake up, the Lord begins the teachings of the Gita. He councils Arjuna by telling him, that the wise man does not lament over the dead or the living. Just as boyhood, youth and old age are attributed to the soul through this body; even so it attains another body. Thus the wise man does not get deluded about this. The soul is never born nor dies. It is unborn, eternal, everlasting and primeval; even though the body is slain, the soul is not. As a man discarding worn out clothes takes other new ones, likewise the embodied soul, casting off worn out souls enters into others, which are new. Weapons cannot cut it nor burn it; water cannot drench it nor wind make it dry. Bhagavan propels Arjuna to perform his duties, while staying indifferent to success or failure; not thinking of the fruit of action - once in the field of activity and relinquishing attachment. He who gives up all desires and moves free from attachment, egoism and thirst for enjoyment, attains peace. Such is the state of a God – Realized soul; having reached this state, he overcomes delusion. And established in this state, even at the last moment, he attains Brahmic Bliss. This chapter is a direct introduction to the Atman (Soul) and eloquently describes the state of a Sthitaprajna. (An Enlightened Person) We must attain this state not after death, but here and now, in this very life. This state can be achieved by freeing our minds from desires and becoming absorbed in the Atma. To realize this, we have only to recognize ourselves as we are. We don’t have to go anywhere. We don’t have to get or accumulate anything. We don’t have to ‘become’ Brahman. We ‘are’ Brahman. We are Jivan Mukta. We must drop what we are not, to become established in what we are. We have to understand this alone and know that the goal of life is to get established in Brahman. Chapter 2 is like Bhagavan’s Pada, the Lord’s feet on which He stands. It represents our Goal. It is the culmination of all spiritual practice. Bhagavan’s feet are the path and the goal in a beautiful confluence.
| ||
| Site Map
|
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
