Concluding Class: THE MESSAGE OF GITA & Introduction to Upanishad Classes

Ashirvachanas By HH Sri Sri Shankara Bharathi and Swami Chidananda

Click Here for Lecture Videos

Contributed By Dr Thimappa Hegde

THE MESSAGE OF GITA

Contributed By Dr Sunder

THE NEUTRAL GEAR

As seekers, we must avoid a life of World dependence or a life based on Raga Dveshas. As it happened with Arjuna in Chapter 1 of Bhagavad Gita, these lead one to Shoka and Moha. Such delusion makes one's life wasteful. Raga Dveshas lead us to samsara. This approach will cause spiritual stagnation so must be avoided.

THE FIRST GEAR

A life of God Dependence of an attitude, of Ishwara Arpana Bhava & Ishwara Prasada Buddhi, of Karma Yoga, lift us away from Samsara and provide us with the benefit of Samatvam. This approach allows us to reverentially appreciate the whole creation as a manifestation God. This approach transforms us to refined cultured self a welcome step on the spiritual journey

THE SECOND OR TOP GEAR

Mental purity and an ability to concentrate and focus are an inner wealth which one earns by living a life of Karma Upasana Yoga. These permit one to live a life of Jnana Yoga or Sravana Manana Nidhidhyasana through the grace of Guru Sastra sampradaya. This is also a life of self-dependence of constant abiding in one true self which is of the nature of complete contentment happiness - poornatvam. Thereafter all ones emotional responses are in keeping with such emotional fulfilment. The world and people remain the same but one's responses are OUT OF happiness and not FOR happiness. Such a person is Jivan Mukta. Jnanam burns all karmas to ashes so there is no rebirth for him.

Lord Krishna is asking us… Can we avoid the Neutral Gear and dwell in the First and Top Gears as we lead our lives?

Introduction to Swami Chidanandaji

By Dr Komal Prasad

Refer To Video Link Above for His Message

Introduction to Swami Shankara Bharathiji

By Dr Ravishankar

Introduction to 10 week Upanishad course

By Dr Thimappa Hegde

sarvavedāntasiddhāntagocaraṃ tamagocaram | govindaṃ paramānandaṃ sadguruṃ praṇato'smyaham || 1 ||

Vivekachudamani

The PrasthānaTrayī

1.The Bhagavad Gita (smriti prasthana)

2.The Upanishads (sruti prasthana)

3. The Brahma Sutra (nyaya prasthana)

PrakaranaGranthas

•Vivekachudamani

•Atma-Bodha

•Vakya-Vritti

•Tattva bodhaa

•Panchadashi

•Drik Drishya Viveka

Introduction to Upanishads10 Weeks.

Fundamentals of Vedanta- 3 weeks

Mundaka Upanishad
Katha Upanishad
Kena Upanishad
Taittiriya Upanishad
Isavasya Upanishad
Mandukya Upanishad
Kaivalya Upanishad

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Introduction to Upanishads

The World of the Upanishads

•Most enchanting and mysterious worlds

•The highest in spiritual quest

•Never before and never after has human consciousness achieved such Himalayan heights

•The days of the Upanishads were really golden

Upanishads or Vedanta

•Vedanta is the last portion of the Vedas.

•Jnanakanda - removal of ignorance

•Atma-vidya one’s own true nature

•Brahma Vidya is another name Vedanta

•Upanishads

Samskrutha, Devavani, Devanagari

•The Upanishads are written in Sanskrit;

•Sanskrit is the oldest language on the earth.

•Sanskrit means transformed, refined .

•The language itself was transformed because so many enlightened people were using the language, something of their joy penetrated into it

•Even the language became transformed,

Vedas or Shruthis

•Vedas are broadly classified into Veda Purva and Vedanta

•Veda Purva is religious activities to fulfil human desires

•Dharma, Artha and Kama

•Vedanta is the philosophical part to attain Moksha.

Guru Upasadanam Mundaka 2.12

•parīkṣya lokān karmacitān brāhmaṇo

•Nirvedam āyān nāstyakṛtaḥ kṛtena |

•tadvijñānārthaṃ sa gurumevābhigacchet

•samitpāṇiḥ śrotriyaṃ brahmaniṣṭham || 12 ||

Upa- ni- shad

•Upa means going to a guru.

• Ni means sitting down.

• Shad means destruction of jivatvam ,bondage, limitation, samsara, ignorance

Upani shad

•Upa may also mean atma.

•Ni may also mean Nishchaya Jnanam doubtless knowledge

•Shad means a taker, that one who takes you to the knowledge

Major and Minor Upanishads (enumerated in Muktika Upanishad )

There were 1180 Upanishads in total.

108 are now available.

10 are commented by Adi Shankara.

These 10 give a full teaching of Vedanta.

The Upanishads उपनिषद्, Vedanta

•Dara Shikoh, son of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, translated fifty Upanishads into Persian.

• Max Müller (1879) was aware of 170

The10 Major Upanishads:

1. Rig Veda Aitareya,

2. Yajur Veda

Shukla Brihadaranyaka and Ishavasya

Krishna Tattiriya and Katha

3 Sama Veda Kena and Chandogya

4 Atharva Veda Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Kaivalya. ( Minor )

Very Rare Knowledge

Upanishad knowledge not available to all

1. Student

2. Teacher

3. Subject

Teacher- Shrotriya Brahma Nishta

The teacher must be well versed in the Scriptures and able to communicate it to the student

Student- Sadhana Chatusthaya.

Students should be qualified to receive the knowledge. They should have a deep desire

Brahman

1. What is Brahman ?

2. Where is Brahman located ?

3. What is my relationship with Brahman ?

4. What is the nature of this knowledge/Brahma Vidya ?

5. What is the method of knowing that ?

6. What is the benefit of knowing Brahman ?

What is Brahman?

• Brahman means infinite, “The Big”

• Sat means ‘that which Is’

•Chit

•Ananda

•Brahman is the cause of this entire world

What is Brahman?

There from where all beings are born

that by which all of them are sustained and

that unto which they go

Where is Brahman located?

Brahman is all pervading.

Brahman is there in the cave of your own heart as your own Self

What is my relationship with Brahman?

•Brahman is the cause

•Tat Tvam Asi. That Thou Art

•We should know that we are one with the infinite Brahman

What is the nature of this knowledge / Brahma Vidya?

Knowledge gained without directly seeing the object is

called paroksha jnanam or indirect knowledge.

The object is directly perceived through the senses –pratyaksha jnanam.

What is the nature of this knowledge/Brahma Vidya?

•The nature of Brahman which is my own self –the nature of such a knowledge is called aparoksha jnanam.

•Brahman is not an object.

What is the method of knowing that?

Under the guidance of a teacher

reflect on the knowledge and meditate.

Shravanam, Mananam and Nidhidhyasanam.

What is the benefit of knowing Brahman ?

•Complete fulfilment

•No rebirth

•Total liberation or moksha

Mundaka Upanishad

•What is that knowing which everything becomes known ?

•Sat

Kenopanishad

•What is that which enlivens the body & mind and makes it Conscious ?

•Chit

Chandogya Upanishad

•Narada asks Sanath Kumara that despite my vast knowledge there is a sense of incompleteness and sadness within me. Why ?

•Ananda

Sarvaopanishado gaavo

dogdhaa Gopala Nandana

Partho vatsah sudheer bhoktaa

dugdham Geetamritam mahat.

Shanti pata

•All Upanishads have a shanti pata which is the same for all Upanishads from one Veda.

•This is chanted by the teacher and student to invoke grace.

•It is called a Shanti (removal of obstacles) Pata (repetition) since it is a repetition done to prevent the obstacles in the learning.

Om BhadramKarnnebhihShrnnuyaamaDevaah |

BhadramPashyema-Akssabhir-Yajatraah |

Sthirair-Anggais-Tussttuvaamsas-Tanuubhih |

VyashemaDevahitam Yad-Aayuh |

Svasti Na Indro Vrddha-Shravaah |

Svasti Nah PuussaaVishva-Vedaah |

SvastiNas-TaarkssyoArisstta-Nemih |

Svasti No Vrhaspatir-Dadhaatu ||

Om ShaantihShaantihShaantih ||

Om Sham No Mitrah Sham Varunnah |

Sham No Bhavatv[u]-Aryamaa |

Sham No Indro Brhaspatih |

Sham No Vissnnur-Urukramah |

Om Saha Naav[au]-Avatu |

Saha Nau Bhunaktu |

Saha Viiryam Karavaavahai |

Tejasvi Naav[au]-Adhiitam-Astu Maa Vidvissaavahai

Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||

Om Puurnnam-Adah Puurnnam-Idam

Puurnnaat-Purnnam-Udacyate

Puurnnasya Puurnnam-Aadaaya

Puurnnam-Eva-Avashissyate ||

Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||

Who are you ?

GURU MANTRA

Chanting By Sri Madhusudhan

•gururbrahmā gururviśhṇuḥ gururdevo maheśvaraḥ | gurureva parambrahma tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ‖ 3 ‖ sthāvaraṃ jaṅgamaṃ vyāptaṃ yatkiñcitsacarācaram | tatpadaṃ darśitaṃ yena tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ‖ 4 ‖

•akhaṇḍamaṇḍalākāraṃ vyāptaṃ yena carācaram | tatpadaṃ darśitaṃ yena tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ‖ 1 ‖ aGYānatimirāndhasya GYānāñjanaśalākayā | cakśhurunmīlitaṃ yena tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ‖ 2 ‖

•cinmayaṃ vyāpiyatsarvaṃ trailokyaṃ sacarācaram | tatpadaṃ darśitaṃ yena tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ‖ 5 ‖ tsarvaśrutiśiroratnavirājita padāmbujaḥ | vedāntāmbujasūryoyaḥ tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ‖ 6 ‖

•caitanyaḥ śāśvataḥśānto vyomātīto nirañjanaḥ | bindunāda kalātītaḥ tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ‖ 7 ‖ GYānaśaktisamārūḍhaḥ tattvamālāvibhūśhitaḥ | bhuktimuktipradātā ca tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ‖ 8 ‖

•anekajanmasamprāpta karmabandhavidāhine | ātmaGYānapradānena tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ‖ 9 ‖ śośhaṇaṃ bhavasindhośca GYāpaṇaṃ sārasampadaḥ | guroḥ pādodakaṃ samyak tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ‖ 10 ‖

••na guroradhikaṃ tattvaṃ na guroradhikaṃ tapaḥ | tattvaGYānātparaṃ nāsti tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ‖ 11 ‖ mannāthaḥ śrījagannāthaḥ madguruḥ śrījagadguruḥ | madātmā sarvabhūtātmā tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ‖ 12 ‖

•gururādiranādiśca guruḥ paramadaivatam | guroḥ parataraṃ nāsti tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ‖ 13 ‖ tvameva mātā ca pitā tvameva tvameva bandhuśca sakhā tvameva | tvameva vidyā draviṇaṃ tvameva tvameva sarvaṃ mama deva deva ‖ 14 ‖

Om Puurnnam-Adah Puurnnam-Idam

Puurnnaat-Purnnam-Udacyate

Puurnnasya Puurnnam-Aadaaya

Puurnnam-Eva-Avashissyate ||

Om ShaantihShaantihShaantih ||