Newsletter March 11, 2009

Past Events

Synopsis of Last Week's Classes

Friday - Bhagwad Gita - March 06
Ch. 3- Verses 37-38: In Verse 37, Krishna explains that desire/anger is our enemy on the spiritual path, the "unseen force" pulling us away from what we know in our hearts is right. Desire and anger are not two separate things; rather, they are two sides of the same coin. Desire is our attraction to things we like, and anger is the emotion we feel when we cannot get these things (which we never can, since, as Krishna tells, all desires are insatiable). If we cannot control our desires, we will be unable to control our anger. Sin occurs because of desire, since individuals will go to any means and forget their moral values in order to fulfill a desire. There is only one "desire" in life that can actually be fulfilled and will really bring lasting happiness and joy--the desire to give up all desires and to realize God.
In Verse 38, Krishna explains that desire is a covering which conceals our real nature.

Sunday - How to Work (Karma Yoga #7) - Swami Tyagananda - March 08
Every thought/action keeps the mind in a certain state of vibration and hence affects or gets affected by other minds which are in the similar state. By doing any action -good or evil, we not only open ourselves to that particular influence but also strengthen that influence in the atmosphere. So when a person becomes genuinely good, s/he becomes an instrument in encouraging other people to become good.
No activity in this world is completely good or bad; but what prevents us from being affected from these results of good and evil is the attitude of non-attachment. Work done for others purifies us and brings more joy. Such actions do not bear any good or bad results on the doer. Sanskrit poet Bhartrihari describes four categories of people that belong to every society. 1) Good people who help others by sacrificing their own good. 2) Generality of people who help others as long as it is not hurtful to them. 3) Human demons that inflict sufferings on others for their own good. 4) Those unnamable who hurt others even when they don't gain anything thereby. The sanity of this world is intact due to the first category of people.
Attitude of non-attachment or being a witness can be practiced by following Sri Ramakrishna's teaching: 'Live in the world like a maid-servant'. Such a person believes that everything, including families and friends belong to God and takes good care of them; but at the same time knows that s/he is dispensable in every situation. We educate ourselves by helping others. Know that you are just an instrument and do not expect anything. Giving up expectations brings greatest joy. Selfishness brings pain and misery. Go beyond selfishness and as the Bible describes - 'The Peace that passeth understanding' - that deeper joy will come.

Tuesday - Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna - March 10

Sri Ramakrishna asks Tarapada to sing some songs. One song is about Gauranga Chaitanya, the great 15th-16th century saint, who showed the way to God through pure love. The song mentions a Sea of Love and how a storm of devotion is raised by Chaitanya in it, due to which, a boat can't be kept steady. This is the analogy to illustrate that a life of worldly pursuits gets shocked when an Incarnation of God like Chaitanya, shows the truth that God alone is real. The life then is sucked in by the storm of devotion. Another verse has the Gopis hearing Lord Krishna's flute. They drop everything and rushed to the sound. All that matters is the God. Lord Krishna considered himself to be a slave to the Gopis due to their tremendous devotion. Lord Krishna says that his love is of a very different type: it brings sufferings to the devotees. Although that sounds cruel, He does it, so that people will develop dispassion for the world and realize that all things here are transitory. We can all make a fresh start every day if we but try.
There were some very interesting Q/A.