Hari om everyone,
Here's the update from this weekend's class. We did meditation, geetaa dhyaanam, ch. 1 and learnt till verse 36. Below is the recording for practice.
We started the class by reviewing last week's discussion. We were very happy to see that the students gave a very good rundown of the points that we had addressed. It was heartening to see that students absent last class were also aware of the topics! They said, "we read the email, aunty!"
We continued the topics at hand. We emphasised the fact that the substratum of everything in the world is Bhagavaan alone! But then, the question is, if He alone is existing in each of us, how come we are all so different from each other?! We don't look the same..., we don't talk the same..., we don't think the same..., even twins are not exactly alike in all aspects! The answer to this, we understood with an example.
Us: How many electronic things are there in this room?
Them: Lights; A/C; TV; phones; heater; maybe a fan...
Us: How do they all run? As in, what makes them work?
Them: Electricity...
Us: If the electricity running in the wires is the same, how come one object gives light; one gives air; one makes it warmer; one gives info; you can make phone calls on another!! Can we receive a phone call on the fan? No! Why? They are made differently... Each has been made for certain functionality. They work accordingly. Similarly why we are the way we are, is based on our predisposition. The Lord is that electricity which enlivens the devices. Our body functions because of the presence of bhagavaan, just like electricity!
Them: What do you mean by predisposition? Our praarabdha?
Us: Exactly! Based on our karma-phala-s that are ready to fructify, we come into this world and when that stash is used up..., we leave this world!
(This sentence brought out a swarm of questions!! Here are some excerpts of that conversation.)
Them: So, sometimes a baby dies..., does that mean it did not have anymore praarabdha?
Us: Absolutely!
Them: But why should the baby die if it didn't do any bad things?
Us: But it got only few seeds of karma-phala, remember?
Them: How about the babies that get aborted? What did they do?
Us: Wonderful question. Let's see if we can find an answer. Remember the story of Ganga from mahaabhaarata? What did she do to the first 7 babies that were born?
Them: She drowned them in the water.
Us: Do you remember why she did that?
Them: Because the vasu-s had received a curse and the requested her to expedite their path to get rid of their curse.
Us: Wonderful! In this episode, you know the back story for their death. In the other case (of an aborted baby or young baby), we don't know the back story, that's it! But the reason is the same... They had exhausted their praarabdha!
We continue: We all have to exhaust our praarabdha when we are here. Our aagaami karma-phala goes with us when we die and appends to our sanchita-karma stash.
(These kids are so smart! They wouldn't stop at that...)
Them: So, because the baby didn't do any bad deeds, it did it not have any aagaami?
Us: Remember, if there is absolutely no aagaami, then a jeeva gets mokSha! But that can happen ONLY if we get brahmajnaanam. Do we know if the baby had it at that time? If not, it will have to go back to it's stash of sanchita that is waiting to fructify and come back in another birth. Btw, aagaami is not just bad deeds. It is the phalam of every thought (good or bad).
(They continue with another scenario...)
Them: So, what if someone murders someone? Is it his praarabdha to die by getting murdered?
Us: Yes!
Them: What?! Then why should the murderer be blamed if the person who died had the praarabdha of getting murdered anyway?
Us: Very valid question! Do you remember that Lord Krishna told Duryodhana NOT to wage the war? He even went as a messenger to tell him to call off the war even before it started!
Them: Yes
Us: Next day, when Arjuna wanted to run away from the battlefield, why in the world did he give him the entire bhagavadgeeta and advise him to fight?! He should have said, 'Oh, great at least you want to stop the war..., Duryodhana wouldn't listen!' But he didn't say that.
(Now, we continue...)
Us: Any event/action cannot be seen from a single viewpoint! The event is same, be it a war or murder. The viewpoint of the different parties involved are different. It's all in the intent! The same action with the right intent will not be penalized. Arjuna won't get the paapam of killing people in the war; Ganga won't get the paapam for drowning the babies; even legally, man-slaughter without an intent to kill is given lesser punishment! Whereas Duryodhana will get the paapam for being an adharmi and fighting the war still. As long as one is on the side of dharma and has no malice at heart, he has nothing to be worried! The event will be the same, the outcome will be different!
Be an upstander for dharma and not a bystander. You would be doing your share for the society.
Be an upstander for dharma and not a bystander. You would be doing your share for the society.
Them: So, how can we contribute to the other person's actions?
Us: There is something called 'collective karma' of society. You may have heard that the crimes are increasing in the world; discrimination for different reasons are increasing; etc. These are the results of the collective karma of a society. Our contribution is, wherever we can each of us should follow dharma. Together, the world will become a better place and a happier place!!
During the discussions, we were referring to the play some of us had performed as 9th graders. Below is a link to watch it and refresh the definitions of 'karma siddhaanta'. Enjoy!
It was a wonderful class with very interesting discussions. We practised couple geeta verses with Swamiji's video and went to the auditorium for aarati.
Until next week, happy contemplating.
Regards,
Rashmi and Kishore.
Rashmi and Kishore.
