For Seekers by Seekers

Atma Bodha Ch 4 - Upadhis ---------------------------- Great human beings can communicate to us in the dreams. Examples used:  akasha is one but is divided water is tasteless & takes on taste of anything it is in. Manisha Panchakam story of Sankaracharya - Are the sun, space different in the street where Chandala or Brahmin lives? - Five slokas - each sloka is a mahavakya and the fifth on...

Svayam Prakash - self illuminating knower - known - process of knowing: 3 aspects Consciousness is all three. "like Sun"  Examples: soapnut powder & dirt; world &dream; mother of pearl & silver; Bubbles in water; gold & ornaments kirti-kanchana-kamini - three desires which bind us. Example of kataka-nut: use a thorn to remove the thorn - throw them both away. Tiger in the drea...

Examples in Atmabodha were apt. Cooking, sun/cloud, light/darkness. Everything else we do in preparation for cooking is equally important. All the yogas have a role to play in terms of creating chitta-shuddhi. Sloka 1 is summary of Sadhana Chatushtaya. Tapas: Chaturmasa - food control. Thinking within - anything to do to restrain in the material world - japa, pranayama, value reflection Tapas is t...

Vivek ------ Sloka 61 - Having restrained them all.... What the stanza says - no one with excessive force control of sense indriyas can bloom into a flower. The story of Princess of Kashi.... Once we have the knowledge, things will fall into place...no need to force.

Vidya ----- Sloka no 7 - word, prapannam - totally surrender. sloka no. 20 - na jayate mriyate va.... Soul never takes birth, never dies, all pervading, eternal. Story of Ganesha visarjan - He comes back year after year! But for a three year old, Visarjan means - gone! When you think you are 'dying from this body' then you will reach Brahman.

Syamala -------- Gita has everything! Powerhouse packed with everything! Ch 2 is summary of the Gita 2.47 -most heard and relate to it so much more now. How Krishna chides Arjuna is the same way we behave (like Arjuna). Confusion comes when we associate with 'small I' but when we associate with 'Big I' then the confusion drops. Swadharma - swabhava - swaroopa. Body gives signals. How Gita differen...

Shantha -------- 2.47 - Karmanyevaadhikarasthe. As a coach, I observe kids practice KY. It is a tough message to say 'don't expect results' but use the opportunity when they share something to tell them that 'learning is important' Criticism from others does not impact when we put 100% effort in it. Story of pregnant deer stuck in four corners with threats and it delivers the baby

Ranjani ------- 2.62 &2.63 - Eight steps to a spiritual fall. Thinks of sense objects -attachment - desire -anger - delusion - loss of memory - destruction of discrimination - falls in life Attachment not so much to objects but to people has been a personal struggle. The world determines the emotional state of mind. We lose control. Reminds me to practice sense control. Theory is easy and prac...

Rajesh ——————————————— Arjuna’s mindset - Pity, despondency, agitated, dejection, eyes full of tears, lost all hope, no sense of purpose, depression, visible signs of depression - seed anti mama gaatrani, mukham cha parishushyati, vepathushcha sharire me, romaharshascha jayate - limbs fail, mouth parched, sweating, quivering, hairs standing on end… LESSON 1 : EMOTIONAL MIND VERY STRONGLY covering...

Mukundan ---------- Destination - current location - route - signboards of progress - affirmation of you have reached destination How the Ch 2 is structured as a 'seekers journey' - the way it is laid out. Destination is shared. Shows us where we are in the current location. Small I -> Big I route Karma Yoga. Signboards - Gurubhakti /stithapragya  Sloka 1-10: If you can smile at the end of...

Manu ---- 2.47 -  When we read only the first part, we miss the whole point. We need to understand that inaction is NOT a choice. We tend to live either in future or in the past - emotions are tied to future; we imagine things going wrong; causes lots of angst in present. Or we think of past good times and not enjoy the present.  We are in a strange jacket. Understanding the whole sloka...

Krishna ---------- When in doubt begin at the beginning. 2.11 - asochyan anvashochastvam - you are worrying about something not to worry about but, pragyavaadamsha bhaashashe - but speaking like wise panditah nanushochanti - but wise dont worry about. gatasun agatasun - dead or living - wise don't worry asu - prana also, it means sense objects. asusu ramyate iti asurah. Gita saaram - remove ignora...

Kishore ------- Concept of samatvam or equanimity. Equanimity is a state where mind is not agitated. Centered,calm composed. Ask - what takes it away from the center? For example: Desires, expectations etc take it away and lead to 2KLM3. Another area is work - stress anxieties Decisions we need to take Loss we deal with If Samatvam were an anchor /higher level goals from where we launch into a new...

Ashish ------ 2.45 sums up everything in Chapter 2. Traigunya vishaya vedaah...nistraigunyo bhavorjuna. In the real sense, we cannot go beyond.....we are kind of warriors like Arjuna We have to understand the situation and play our roles beautifully & to the best of our abilities. Nirdwandva - the world is full of pairs of opposites - they will come and go. Just understand we have to be equani...

Alpana ---------- Stithapragya - manogathan - all the desires of the mind are renounced. Self does not have any desires. No desires - no ambition? Not doing anything is an action! Instinctive actions show that even without desires we act Fear & attachment are also out of desires. When people suffer with a pattern - we may want to help; not to get any particular outcome. When this goes away, th...

Ajay Gupta -------------- Shishyasteham shaadi mam tvam prapannam - Power of Guru Ashcharyavat....:We are all that Witness consciousness; but we struggle to internalize it. NSAA:Nityam, Nirvikara, Satyam,Sarvagata, Aprameya, Abokta Nirdwandva, Nityasatva, niryogakshema Stitapragya is like an ocean - purnatvam & samatvam - joyfully delightfully restless Veetaraga bhaya krodha - shama, dama, dwe...

In this GD we discuss the final few slokas and specifically talk of how to apply the learnings of karma yoga, jna-na yoga into our daily life.

Gita Study Group Aug 29, 2021: Slokas 2.62-2.67 (continuing) State of calmness - Move from 'what' to 'so what?' All ads appeal to emotions + senses, not intellect. Raga - attachment for future Bhaya - for future krodha - for present. VSN - Bhutha Bhavya Bhavat Prabhuh! Desire is an outcome of attachment. Dwelling & attachment - we need to work somewhere in between them to manage the 'ladder of...

Modern psychology vs. Gita psychology. Repression is bad - Freud. Desire is the root of any ambition as well. Not bad to have ambition - but whose benefit it is for. Difficult in current times to live a minimalistic life? More choices means more conflicts. Is having more choices, desires good or bad? If we lose sight of the science of enlightenment - we will get involved in the movie! Modern psych...

Repress, suppress or replace desires?  Pratipaksha bhavana as a tool.  Higher goal replaces lower goal. Takes time.  Desires can’t be willed away but time and pratipakshabhavana will help. This change behaviors - roast the seeds so the sprouting does not happen. This approach works sometime and does not work at times.  Conquest of senses - forcibly or naturally?  Two ends...

Slokas 2.59-61 Gita, 08082021 ------------------------------ How can an established person remain 24x7 as Stithapragya? What differs between Swami Vivekananda (and likes) and our experience when we talk of Stithapragya experience? Are we progressing at the right pace? Can we do something else to accelerate the pace?  - Meditation has been hinted at in these slokas. Do we also distance ourselv...

These three words have special meaning. In Gita Ch 17, Krishna explains.

Listen to three slokas and their meaning from Ch 17 of Gita

Give up only what we own - that part that we have appropriated for oneself. When will I be fully established - when all the desires are gone. krt krityata, jnatavyata, pratavyata - desireless. Krishna considers man as an actor; he is considering as an experiencer 55 to 58: read them in reverse as a four step process udveg - not achieving it from raag; attachment; act out of rajoguna; don't get it;...

The scheme of verses from Sloka 31 till 55 in terms of how Krishna explains the set up: explain sankhya yoga, go through practical way of living - karma yoga and benefits of equanimity mind. Arjuna wants to hear more about KY than rituals.  An aha moment that Sanskrit is a flexible language. Look for Anvaya Gita to learn Sanskrit as well through Gita.  The meaning of the word - samadhao:...