Newsletter June 16, 2010

Synopsis of last week's classes

Friday, June 11 - Bhagavad Gita (Ch. 6, Verses 33-39)

Sri Krishna understands that bringing the mind under control is a daunting task, but there is no "quick fix" -- it's strenuous work, though not impossible. The aspirant has to cut away anything that interferes with his practice. Spiritual practice and the development of dispassion together form sadhana (spiritual discipline). The aspirant has to do spiritual practices consistently and with commitment. There must be determination and earnestness; if we earnestly desire God Realization, we will make no end of efforts to reach our Goal. The aspirant must also cut asunder his attachments to "I and mine." What we call "love" of our near and dear ones is actually bondage. It takes courage to break these attachments, but the lesser the attachment, the more we will be the love. Sri Krishna assures us that following this two-fold method will bring the mind under control. Arjuna then asks the question that if one starts on this path of Yoga but dies before reaching the goal; then what becomes of him/her. Having left this shore and not reached the other, is the person then utterly lost? The Lord replies emphatically -'no - the progress made in this life stays with the aspirant, who then can begin from where s/he left in the last birth.'

Sunday, June 13 - Do Not Yield to Unmanliness - Swami Yogatmananda
Although living on the plane limited by sense perceptions, the inner soul craves for the freedom, the life that transcends sense perceptions. When a person decides to pursue this sublime goal, a fear comes - fear of losing security of this life and fear of failure to achieve the goal. This fear tries to kill the possibility of achievement, and here it becomes imperative to make a strong resolve to go ahead and not to succumb to the fear. This is manliness - to stand firm in the face of adversities with right courage and right resolve. Buddha showed this manliness by renouncing the world, with the firm conviction that, unless this worldly life - which is nothing but suffering - is given up, there is no hope of attaining lasting happiness and peace. We try to hold onto the things which are impermanent and foolishly think that they will provide us security. Hold onto the Truth which is the only permanent thing.
In Bhagavad Gita, we read - on the battlefield, Arjuna is overtaken by tremendous fear - of losing the war and losing the kith and kin - borne out of cowardice and attachment. He tells Krishna that he will not fight the war. Instead of encouraging him, Krishna admonishes him - 'Yield not to unmanliness…'. In the 'Thoughts on Gita', Swami Vivekananda says that, "...it was not that the disinclination of Arjuna to fight arose out of the overwhelming predominance of pure Sattva Guna; it was all Tamas that brought on this unwillingness. ...The Tamoguna loves very much to array itself in the garb of the Sattva. Here, in Arjuna, the mighty warrior, it has come under the guise of Dayâ (pity)... To remove this delusion, Bhagavan says - 'You are Atman imperishable, beyond all evil. Having forgotten your real nature, you have, by thinking yourself a sinner, as one afflicted with bodily evils and mental grief, you have made yourself so - this does not befit you.." Swami Vivekananda says that this message of Lord Krishna is the essence of Gita, and has the immense power to transform the world; disease, grief, sin, and sorrow will vanish. We need to practice this with great courage. Human birth wherein the sense of right and wrong overrides the sense of likes and dislikes, is a great opportunity to go towards the ultimate Truth. Make full use of it fearlessly. Vedanta says that fear is death. Give up the faint-heartedness and strive hard to achieve the goal.

Tuesday, June 15 - The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

The true seeker wishes to realize his own divine nature. The main obstacle in the way is the ego and the desires arising from it. So the ego and desires as well, have to go. Sri Ramakrishna teaches that the one true road to ultimate reality is through renunciation. It's by using a different mind-set and not identifying with "I", "me", or "mine". We think in terms of 'my house, my money, my husband, wife' etc. It's very difficult to practice true renunciation because the ignorance is so ingrained. All we have to remember is that I am not really just this body. I am so much more; I am divine. Once we open up our minds to this thinking, our infinite nature will be able to shine through. Even Narendra was frightened when Sri Ramakrishna touched him and as he went into a divine state, he exclaimed, "what have you done to me. I have a father and mother at home." This attachment, according to the Master, stems from ignorance and fear.
Ramakrishna went on to illustrate a lesson about the danger inherent in holding to "I" and "mine". He told the story which showed what looks like love of relatives & friends is not really love.

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