Week 6:
Hari Om,
Wishing you all a very Happy Diwali!! Hope everyone had a wonderful celebration. Below is the update from our last class
Shlokas/ Gita Chanting:
1. Sahanavavatu followed by "Om Shree Ganeshaya namaha, Om Shree Saraswatai namaha, Om shree Sadgurubhyo namaha"
2. Gita Dhyana Shloka – revision of 1 to 5, new verse 6
3. Gita chanting Verses – revision of 1 and 2, new verses- 3 and 4
This year we will be learning to chant Chapter 1 of Gita. Gita chanting yagna is on March 28th 2020. Below is the link to instruction video on chanting by our Swamiji.
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Lesson:
Chapter 1: Arjuna's Sorrow
On the battlefield Arjuna's state is similar to everyone of us when we are faced with a challenge. Arjuna's ignorance of his true nature causes sorrow which leads him to delusion about himself and his duties.
1. Arjuna justifies his unwillingness to fight - similar to how we come up with excuses to avoid uncomfortable situations, and struggle not to gravitate to the path of pleasant or immediate gratification in favor of the right thing to do.
Example: After a lot of thought and discussion students decide their courses for the following year. Come mid-September once the first test is announced, the vast material covered already seems daunting and students contemplate dropping a challenging class. Thoughts of "I don't really need this, I will be better off in an easier class, besides that is not my passion etc." This is prompted by fear of failure, anxiety about the results and general lack of confidence
2. Arjuna's confusion just as anybody's is due to impurities of the mind, which are of 2 kinds – 1. Agitation 2. Mind afflicted by six vices, desire, anger, greed, attachment, pride, jealousy.
3. Arjuna's grief was a means to seek higher knowledge and he sincerely surrenders to Lord to guide him. He is ready to listen to the advice. Not just wanting to hear that his decision is the right one. The sign of a fit student.
Chapter 2: Yoga of Knowledge
After listening to Arjuna vent and only after his true surrender, Krishna explains in various philosophical and ego shaking terms why Arjuna should not grieve loss but focus on his duty as a soldier. Finally the Lord comes down to giving this knowledge in logical terms that can be practically applied in our day to day life.
1. Our right is only to action. Act in this world, without motivation from fruits of action, keeping mind in a state of equanimity. But act we must.
Example: During preparation for the SAT, when our thoughts go to what score will I get, which college will accept me, and how will people perceive me, then our mind is agitated and not available to us in it's full potential to prepare for the SAT. We need to bring our thoughts back to preparation only, understanding that we only have control over that.
2. Act in the right way without creating bondage through action. Attitude behind action determines accumulation of further impressions (vasanas)
Example: Selfless attitude of a doctor vs. ambitious doctor motivated by name, fame, wealth. They appear the same from the outside but one is experiencing exhaustion of vasanas and purification of the mind.
3. Sthithapragna: A person who acts in such a way (described in 1) with the right attitude (described in 2) unaffected by the sense pleasures in this world is a Sthithapragna, one who will be liberated from the cycle of birth and rebirth. A Sthithapragna lives a disciplined life. Discipline is often perceived by students to be a loss of control. In actuality it is more freeing or liberating.
Example: We can drive here because there is discipline on the roads. We lose the freedom to drive in India due to lack of discipline.
Therefore we should set our goals. Plan out the effort needed to achieve them and then lay out our consistent day to day plan. We should own our plan - very important. Then one day at a time if we practice it, this physical discipline will prepare us for stronger mental discipline. It's ok to stumble, but we must get back to the plan and try again and again.
4. Bring awareness to our thoughts. When our thoughts go off track, and we do not catch it quickly, and substitute it with a positive or more creative thought, Krishna explains the consequence - the ladder of fall.
1. Thought arises 2. If we dwell on the thought, obsess over it, it becomes an attachment 3. Attachment leads to a desire to possess. 4. Unfulfillment results in anger 5. Anger leads to delusion 6. Leads to loss of memory 7. Leads to loss of discrimination 8. Man perishes (meaning: time to face the consequences)
Example: Consequences of acting on a negative or unproductively agitating thought can be minor in the short term, like that of overindulgence in our sweet tooth or major like the recent incident at a neighboring district football game. We should catch ourselves in the ladder step 2 of attachment, if we don't: we will stumble quickly down to consequence.
Exercise for this week: Even mindedness during action
Watch if our mind is calm and focused during our work. If it is not, we should analyze our agitation and gently substitute with positive reinforcement.
Announcements:
1. November 1st is a picture day. These pictures will be in our annual Surabhi magazine. We request all the students to come in their best Indian attire.
2. Please mark your calendars for the Annual fundraiser event on November 15th. Flyers are displayed in the lobby. This is a fun musical entertainment with food and dance. You can reach out to us for the tickets.
Pranams,
Aruna and Sirisha
