Bhagavad Gita | The Essence of Vedanta

The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on December 11, 2020.
-6th chapter: verses 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44
-In the 37th, 38th and 39th verse, Arjuna asks: “Suppose a person is endowed with shraddha and is making an earnest effort to control his mind. Yet, he fails to attain perfection. What happens to such a person? Has he totally failed and fallen from both worlds – having neither attained anything in the secular world nor in the spiritual realm? I have this doubt, which you should dispel.”
-Shankaracharya says that a seeker with shraddha, who has not yet attained the ultimate goal, may have a deviation from his spiritual ideal – this is called Yoga-bhrashta.
-When we come in contact with sensory objects that can take us away from our spiritual path, we should withdraw our senses from these objects. We should do so by thinking about the dangers of succumbing to such temptation (dosha-drishti) – we should do so again and again.
-The faculty to detect such temptation and withdraw from – it grows when we feed our mind with higher spiritual ideas and associate with holy people. Then, we develop an inner self-correcting mechanism.
-Lord Krishna answers in the 40th verse: “Even if you had a deviation, do not worry. You will not lose anything. Your spiritual samskaras are like a fixed deposit that no one can take away from you – it is yours forever. Even if you want a material life, you will be forced to continue your spiritual journey – you will be helpless because of the power of your accumulated spiritual samskaras.”
-What happens to a Yoga-bhrashta? Lord Krishna answers this question from two different perspectives in the 41st and 42nd verse. 41st verse discusses a seeker who has not achieved Shama (self-restraint), and 42nd verse discusses a more advanced spiritual seeker.
-41st verse: “If a devotee has practiced spiritual disciplines in this life but has not achieved shama - and he has a deviation towards the end - he will be able to continue his spiritual journey by being born in a pure and prosperous family, where his parents are spiritually oriented, and where his unfulfilled desires can be fulfilled.”
-42nd verse: “Those who are more advanced are born in families that have a tradition of producing great spiritual aspirants. Such a birth is rare indeed.”
-In both 41st and 42nd verse, Lord Krishna’s main message is: “Nothing is lost, and you are never late. You can begin your journey right now.” We can start by praying or by doing noble deeds that give us inner tranquility and enrichment.
-Pedigree is not a criterion for rebirth. One of the greatest devotees, Prahlada, was born to a demon, Hiranyakashipu.
-43rd verse: “That mind and impressions inherited from previous spiritual life – you connect with those tendencies. You continue your spiritual journey. You strive for your spiritual life more vigorously. Because of the latent memory of striving hard in previous life, you desire not to fail in this life.”
-The 43rd verse explains the mystery of how our samskaras transmigrate. At death, even though our senses of perception and action are gone, the tendencies that they created are stored in the Antahkarana (mind, intellect, memory and ego). These stored tendencies in the Antahkarana are never lost and are born again.
-Per Shankaracharya, at re-birth, if good tendencies are dominant, they begin to manifest without delay. If bad tendencies are dominant, then the good tendencies lie dormant for some time and assert themselves after the negative tendencies are extinguished.
-44th verse: “The spiritual disciplines and samskaras from previous life – they constitute the momentum that moves the seeker forward. Those who even have a wish to lead a spiritual life, they will reach their destination.”
-When we transcend rituals for material prosperity and start praying for higher things, we start our journey towards the highest spiritual destination.
-Some scriptures say: “what we think of at the last moment, that we become in the next birth”. When we breathe our last, we will have a collection of conflicting thoughts. These thoughts are determined by our collective life as a whole. We can have a good thought at the last moment by building a storehouse of positive samskaras that will assert themselves at the last moment.

The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on December 4, 2020.
-6th chapter: 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41
-Spiritual life is our ideal. We have to restrain the thought currents in the mind by feeding it with positive ideas. However, the mind is called Vikshipta-manah, always wavering like a pendulum.
-Vyasa classifies the human mind into five categories: (1) Kshipta (scattered) (2) Mudha (dull) (3) Vikshipta (partially focused) (4) Ekagra (one-pointed) (5) Niruddha (fully focused). The mind of a normal person is in Vikshipta state.
-Spiritual life is about coming face to face with our own mind. When we try to turn the mind away from the pulls of nature, the mind revolts.
-In the 35th verse, Lord Krishna says to Arjuna: “You are right that the mind is restless and difficult to control. Yet, it can be controlled through constant practice and through renunciation.”
-When we develop a sense of renunciation towards what is harmful to the mind, and we practice disciplines that feed the mind with positive food, then the mind becomes calm and quiet.
-We should slowly withdraw the mind from conflicting thought currents by directing it towards positive channels. The existing storehouse of negative samskaras has to be nullified with a new storehouse of positive samskaras. Positive samskaras are generated by reading of scriptures and through holy associations.
-Spiritual growth is achieved by constant practice and by one’s own self effort. When we are hungry, we have to eat to get rid of the hunger. Similarly, our own effort is crucial for progress in spiritual life. Through practice, one gets uncommon power of mind.
-36th verse: “Yoga is very hard to attain by someone whose mind is not in his control.”
-We should always keep in our mind a spiritual ideal. In the midst of our secular activities, we should recollect our spiritual ideal again and again.
-In the 37th verse, Arjuna asks: “Suppose a person is endowed with shraddha and is making an earnest effort to control his mind. Yet, his mind wanders about, he feels he has not progressed enough, and he fails to attain perfection. What happens to such a person?”
-If a spiritual seeker feels that he is not making progress, it actually shows that he is making progress. Without making progress, he would not feel such dis-satisfaction. At the same time, it means that he has not made enough progress.
-When a person starts his spiritual practices with shraddha - - it is like boarding a train that is bound to reach its destination.
-The person referred to in Arjuna’s question is an ārurukṣhoḥ - a spiritual seeker who is still evolving. He has not reached the Yoga-ārūḍha state, where he experiences identity with the Atman. He could also be a karma-yogi, who has not achieved contentment.
-38th verse: Arjuna continues his question: “Has he totally failed and fallen from both worlds – having neither attained anything in the secular world nor in the spiritual realm?”
-Per Shankaracharya, a spiritual seeker may find himself in a stage where he continues to earnestly pray, do karma-yoga, meditate - and yet does not feel inner contentment. At the same time, he sees others enjoying the world around him. This is a state that every sincere spiritual seeker has to go through.
-Shankaracharya also says that a seeker with shraddha, who has not yet attained the ultimate goal, may have a deviation from his spiritual ideal – this is called Yoga-bhrashta. His past samskaras may assert themselves as one of the following obstacles to deviate him from his spiritual path - Disease, mental laziness, doubt, lack of interest, sloth, clinging to sense pleasures, false perception, lack of concentration, and unsteadiness in concentration.
-There are many examples of seekers who led an intense spiritual life, then had Yoga-Bhrashta in their last life and died. In their new life, at some point, the old positive samskaras assert themselves and lead to a mysterious spiritual transformation in their life.
-Lord Krishna explains later in the 40th and 41st verses: “Even if you had a deviation, do not worry. You will not lose anything. Your spiritual samskaras are like a fixed deposit that no one can take away from you – it is yours forever. Even if you want a material life, you will be forced to continue your spiritual journey.”
-Time is only an imagination. Birth and death are a continuous process. Everyone is born again based on accumulated samskaras.
-Lord Krishna explains further in the 41st verse: “If a devotee has practiced spiritual disciplines in this life but has a deviation towards the end, he will be able to continue his spiritual journey by being born in a family where his parents are spiritually oriented, and where his unfulfilled desires can be fulfilled.”

-6th chapter: verses 32, 33, 34, 35
-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on November 27, 2020.
-32nd, 33rd, 34th and 35th verses are interrelated. 32nd verse concludes the important idea of the spiritual unity of the entire creation. 33rd and 34th verses present Arjuna’s question on whether the equanimity of mind can be achieved. The 35th verse contains Lord Krishna’s response to Arjuna’s question.
-32nd verse: “He who judges pleasure and pain everywhere by the same standard that he applies to himself, that Yogi is regarded as the highest.”
-The first stage of spiritual evolution is Atma-jnanam, where we realize that behind and beyond the body and mind, there is the Atman. At the second stage, we realize that this Atman is identical with Brahman. At the third stage, we realize that Brahman as God is present everywhere and in everything. At this highest level, one develops ekatvam (oneness) and samatvam (evenness).
-For a person who has reached this state of samatvam, every secular thing becomes spiritualized. His mind does not deviate from the state of samadhi.
-We can look at clothes made of the same thread from two perspectives. We can see them as different clothes, or we can see the same thread in these clothes. Similarly, for the spiritually evolved person, wherever his mind goes, he only connects with its spiritual dimension. He cannot consciously do harm to anyone.
-“yatra yatra mano yāti tatra tatra samādhayaha” (Drg-Drshya-Viveka 30)
-The statement “Brahma satyam, jagat mithya” is only at a philosophical level. At the highest advaitic level, which transcends all duality, one experiences “Brahma Satyam, jagat satyam”. The world, when perceived from a transcendental perspective, without names and forms, becomes non-distinct from Brahman.
-In the Bhagavad Purana, there is a dialogue between King Nimi and the Nava Yogis. In answer to the King’s question: “Who is an ideal devotee of God?”, one of the sages gives the following answer: “The one who sees in all beings the presence of God, and who sees the presence of all beings in God.“
-33rd verse: Arjuna says: “You have taught me this Yoga of ekatvam and samatvam. I do not see the possibility of it becoming a reality in my life because my mind is restless.”
-34th verse: Arjuna continues: “The mind is restless, turbulent and not yielding. It is difficult to control the mind like the wind.”
-Arjuna thought that running away from his duties and taking on the life of a mendicant was the right path for him. Lord Krishna eventually tells him that the life of renunciation is more intense, as it deals with inner warfare. Renunciation is about taking on bigger challenges and more difficult than facing external challenges.
-35th verse: Lord Krishna responds: “You are right that the mind is restless and difficult to control. Yet, it can be controlled through constant practice and through renunciation.”
-Vyasa classifies the human mind into five categories: (1) Kshipta (scattered) (2) Mudha (dull) (3) Vikshipta (partially focused) (4) Ekagra (one-pointed) (5) Niruddha (fully focused). Arjuna’s question reflects the state of his mind as Vikshipta.
-When we develop a sense of renunciation towards what is harmful to the mind, and we practice disciplines that feed the mind with positive food, then the mind becomes calm and quiet.
-From the Bhagavad Purana: “If horses are not under your control and running away, you don’t jump away from the horses. Instead, holding the reins steady and strong, you direct the horses in the proper direction. Similarly, one should control the rebellious mind, by controlling its negative thought currents.”
-The Bhagavad Purana says that one should slowly withdraw the mind from conflicting thought currents by directing it towards positive channels. The existing storehouse of negative samskaras has to be nullified with a new storehouse of positive samskaras. Positive samskaras are generated by reading of scriptures and through holy associations.
-According to Shankaracharya, the word Krishna means the one whose holy name helps remove the negativity from our mind. A farmer ploughs his field to remove undesirable vegetation. Similarly, Lord Krishna’s name purifies our mind and removes all undesirable elements.

-6th chapter: verses 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on November 20, 2020.
-28th verse: “Such a Yogi, free from all obstacles, experiences Atyantam Sukham – ultimate, infinite, spiritual bliss.”
-Atyantam Sukham is not the temporary absence of unhappiness. It is happiness itself. It is the feeling of permanently being settled in a state of contentment, even in the midst of obstacles and challenges.
-Antaraya means obstacles. Patanjali refers to the following obstacles, which cause the mind to wander - Disease, mental laziness, doubt, lack of interest, sloth, clinging to sense pleasures, false perception, lack of concentration, and unsteadiness in concentration.
-Spiritual life is about moving against our natural instinct, which is driven by the attraction of senses towards sense objects. In spiritual life, we turn the mind away from the pulls of nature. We turn it towards our true inner chamber, the Atman. In the process, we face obstacles.
-This Yogi, who experiences his unity with the transcendental reality in every moment and action, is Yoga-antaraya-varjitah – he has transcended all antarayas (obstacles) in his spiritual life. The Yogi gets the feeling of Atyantam Sukham, because these antarayas cannot distract his mind.
-29th verse: “Such a Yogi develops an equanimity of mind, an eye of evenness for all things, because he beholds the presence of Atman in all beings and he beholds the presence of all beings in his own Atman.”
-An ideal devotee may ready his holy books and go to the temple - but in his interactions with others, he sees all as children of the same God, whom he worships in his temple and whose instructions he reads in the holy book. Religion goes beyond the four walls of the temple – it reaches the hearts of everyone.
-In the Bhagavad Purana, there is a dialog between King Nimi and the Nava Yogis. In answer to the King’s question: “Who is an ideal devotee of God?”, one of the sages gives the following answer: “The one who sees in all beings the presence of God, and who sees the presence of all beings in God.“ The same answer is given in the Gita.
-30th verse: “One who sees God in all beings, and all beings in God – that person is never separated from God, and God is never separated from him. He is always in the company of God. “
-As we advance in spiritual life, our interpretation of the Divine Reality also changes. In the early stages, as we experience happiness and unhappiness, we attribute these opposites to God as well. The highest reach of spiritual evolution is when we realize the Divine Reality within our own hearts, and we experience its presence in everyone and everywhere. Then we live in the constant company of God.
-31st verse: “That Yogi, that spiritually illumined person, he is always established in this ideal of spiritual unity. He worships my presence everywhere. Whatever his mode of life, that devotee lives in me, and I live in him.”
-The favorite dwelling place of God is the pure heart of a devotee. Often, we do not allow him to stay there as we have other guests occupying the space such as: desires, anger, hatred, aversion, fear and doubt. When trying to enter, God withdraws, as he sees other guests occupying the space. If the heart is pure, God enters that residence.
-32nd verse: “He who judges pleasure and pain everywhere by the same standard that he applies to himself, that Yogi is regarded as the highest.”
-Whatever is desirable to us, we should assume is desirable to others also. We should treat others as we want to be treated by them. A spiritual seeker develops this attitude when he reaches the highest level of spiritual unity.
-The entire cosmic existence is one for a spiritual seeker who has reached this highest state. He feels compassion towards all beings and towards nature. To him, religion and spirituality transcend the barriers of culture and nationality.

-6th chapter: verses 23, 24, 25, 26, 27
-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on November 13, 2020.
-23rd verse: “The Yogi then reaches a state of severance from any feeling of incompleteness such as agony, pain and unhappiness. This is called duḥkha-sanyoga-viyogam”
-Every experience of happiness at the empirical level is only the temporary absence of unhappiness. We reach a state of permanent happiness with an evolved, steady and equanimous mind – when we look upon both happiness and unhappiness with a higher perspective, without attachment or aversion.
-So long as we look upon ourselves as the mind and body, we cannot have permanent happiness. When we identify ourselves as Atman, the transcendental reality, then we experience Brahmanandam – highest, permanent happiness.
-24th verse: “We should abandon all desires. Desires are born of sankalpa. This should be done by restraining our senses using the mind alone.”
-Sankalpa means brooding or thinking about worldly objects. Desires are created when we connect with worldly objects through the senses. The mind creates a false notion that we need them to be happy.
-Mind should be slowly lifted through healthy, sublime desires that are rooted in unselfishness - such as reading of scriptures, noble deeds, and holy association. This helps purify our samskaras and restrain the desire for worldly enjoyments.
-25th verse: “With the buddhi set in patience, with the mind linked to Atman, let the spiritual seeker try to attain to peace and quietude by degrees. He should not think of anything else.”
-Spiritual practices should be done with moderation to avoid delusions of the mind. Mind should be gradually liberated from the clutches of the senses. The senses should be liberated from the clutches of sense objects. The mind should be linked to Atman – it then becomes steady.
-26th verse: “When the restless mind wanders away, it should be brought back closer to Atman.”
-Mind is a continuous flow of thoughts. If the thought currents are conflicting, they manifest as restlessness and unsteadiness of the mind.
-Patanjali refers to the following obstacles, which cause the mind to wander - Disease, mental laziness, doubt, lack of interest, sloth, clinging to sense pleasures, false perception, lack of concentration, and unsteadiness in concentration.
-Atman is steadiness, bliss itself. Mind should be brought closer to Atman by feeding it with ideas that remind one of his true identity as Atman. Then the distractions of the mind slowly disappear and it becomes tranquil.
-27th verse: “Mind becomes calm like an ocean with all waves completely subsided. When the mind identifies itself with the Atman, supreme bliss comes to the Yogi. His mind becomes serene, all his passions are gone, and he becomes free from all disturbances.”
-The first step is to free the mind from the clutches of the senses. Then the mind becomes pure and slowly gets directed towards Atman. Then Avarana (veil that conceals our true identity) and Vikshepa (false projection) disappear.
-At such a stage, the mind is free from distractions caused by Rajo and Tamo guna. A jeevan mukta has such a mind – such a Yogi thinks that everything is Brahman.
-One can look at the ocean in two ways. One way is to look at it as disturbed with waves and currents. Another is to look upon the waves and currents as constituted by the same water that constitutes the ocean – they emerge, exist and dissolve in the ocean. The Yogi who looks upon everything as Brahman is like the person who sees the same water in waves, currents and ocean.

The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on November 6, 2020.
-6th chapter: verses 19, 20, 21, 22
-19th verse: “A lamp placed in a sheltered place does not flicker. Similarly, the mind of a Yogi who has reached the Niruddha state through concentration, is steady and does not waver.”
-Vyasa classifies the human mind into five categories: (1) Kshipta (scattered) (2) Mudha (dull) (3) Vikshipta (partially focused) (4) Ekagra (one-pointed) (5) Niruddha (fully focused). Most beginners are in the third stage, where the mind sways like a pendulum. Yoga helps our mind become steady and evolve towards Ekagra and Niruddha state.
-Mind goes after objects that senses are attracted to. When it does not get what it desires, it gets bitter and angry and slowly loses its balance. To prevent the mind from wavering, one should have a higher ideal, that keeps the mind and senses employed and directed towards a healthy channel.
-It is possible to steady the mind in the midst of daily duties. Anything that distracts the mind should be clubbed together as of lesser importance. While doing worldly duties, one should know that there is something beyond that is of primary significance.
-In Vedanta, for a thing to be real, it should satisfy two criteria (1) It should remain without change in the past, present and future – both time and space. (2) It should remain without change in waking, dream and deep sleep states. One should look upon all distractions as part of the changing phenomenon that constitutes the relative. He should keep his mind focused on the Absolute Reality. Then his mind will not waver.
-Kathopanishad compares human life to a journey on a chariot. Atman is the traveler on the chariot, body is the chariot, intellect is the driver, mind is the reins, senses are the horses and the sense objects represent the path. Just as horses should not dictate terms to the rider, so also, sense organs should not dictate the terms to the mind.
-20th verse: “When the mind is completely controlled by concentration, it attains tranquility and peace. Then the Yogi is able to see the Atman by the Atman and recognize his own true identity as the Atman. He attains complete contentment and does not look for anything else.”
-Such a Yogi transcends the realm of pain and pleasure. He is neither elated in a pleasant situation nor depressed in a painful situation. He realizes that both are harmful, and he keeps his mind steady in both situations.
-21st verse: “Such a Yogi experiences Atyantikam sukham – real infinite bliss. This experience of bliss goes beyond senses and normal faculties – it is perceived by the purified mind and intellect of the Yogi, a mind that has ceased to be mind and has merged with the Atman.”
-Normal mind is of a fleeting nature and experiences empirical happiness, which is only the temporary absence of unhappiness. Atyantikam sukham is transcendental bliss that goes beyond the cognition of the mind and the intellect, and which never becomes anything other than happiness. It is a feeling of inner fulfillment and enrichment that cannot be explained – it can only be experienced.
-Atyantikam sukham is the type of happiness that everyone is seeking. Unfortunately, without being aware of it, they only chase momentary happiness, which is the root of all painful experiences. Vedanta helps us reach this highest state of happiness with an evolved, steady and equanimous mind. Buddha, Christ and Sri Ramakrishna experienced Atyantikam sukham.
-This highest happiness is also called Brahmanandam, which is beyond the five sheaths and transcends them all. The five sheaths are: Anamaya Kosha, Pranamaya Kosha, Manomaya Kosha, Vijnanamaya Kosha and Anandamaya Kosha.
-22nd verse: “After attaining this spiritual concentration, the Yogi realizes that there is no other acquisition superior to that.”
-When we feel that there is nothing greater than what we have already acquired - that is the real foundation of real, lasting contentment. Then we won’t be moved by any kind of sorrowful experience.
-Lord Krishna says that any effort we put towards attaining this highest bliss remains ours across lives. A sincere, humble desire to pray or read a holy book creates a positive vritti that stays ours forever. We inherit it as a spiritual bank balance when we are born again, so we can start our journey where we left off.

-6th chapter: verses 16, 17, 18
-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on October 30, 2020.
-16th verse: “Success in Yoga is not possible for him, who eats too much or doesn’t eat at all, nor for him, who sleeps too much or is awake too much.”
-Eating is used as a metaphor here for any kind of activity by the senses of action and perception, as they feed the mind. All such activities should be done with moderation. Extreme ascetic practices and extreme indulgence are both equally harmful.
-Some seekers may over-indulge themselves in spiritual activities thinking that they can reach the goal faster. Since we play with the mind in spiritual life, this should be done with moderation. There are remedies for over-exertion at physical level, but very few such remedies exist at mental level. For example, long hours of pranayama can cause asthma and delusions of grandeur.
-Some seekers are able to practice extreme asceticism successfully as they may have attained a high level of self-control from spiritual practices in previous life.
-According to Shankaracharya, the purpose of spiritual life is to transcend the physical level. With extreme asceticism, the body may become weak and drag the mind to physical level.
-Prayer or meditation should not be done in a way that makes one feel exhausted. Meditation should bring a feeling of inner bliss and contentment. If one has a sense of reverence towards what he is practicing, he will be able to sustain the practice without feeling the effort, and he will be able to overcome obstacles – both external and from his own mind.
-If one enforces spiritual practices on himself before being ready for it, it can create bitterness. For example, someone who is always fasting may start finding fault in others, even though the purpose of fasting is to get closer to God.
-Extreme asceticism can also manifest itself as a strong desire to let off the steam after the spiritual activity – for example, the desire to watch TV soon after meditation. This happens because of the desire to escape the strain or effort put into the spiritual activity.
-Spiritual disciplines involve a delicate process of purifying our samskaras and sublimating them. A beginner should make himself ready for spiritual practices by holy association and by reading spiritual literature. This gives the mind a new focus to concentrate upon.
-17th verse: “Yoga is the destroyer of all problems and miseries. It is attained by that person who is moderate and steadfast in eating, recreation, work, sleep and wakefulness.”
-Vyasa classifies the human mind into five categories: (1) Kshipta (scattered) (2) Mudha (dull) (3) Vikshipta (partially focused) (4) Ekagra (one-pointed) (5) Niruddha (fully focused). Most beginners are in the third stage, where the mind sways like a pendulum. If they over-exert, once the spiritual activity is over, their mind can sway in the extreme opposite direction. Hence, moderation is necessary.
-Moderation is also necessary at work. If work becomes the only supreme goal, then setbacks in life can shatter the mind. Laziness and extreme obsession to work – both should be avoided.
-One who practices moderation in all activities, for him Yoga becomes a path to spiritual discovery. He feels inner joy from his spiritual practices, A true devotee of God is in a state of perpetual contentment. Mystics and devotees, such as Prahlada, were in this state of contentment and free from strain, even when faced with problems.
-18th verse: “When a devotee is able to fully control his mind which rests in the Atman alone, when he becomes free from all desires, when he becomes established in the presence of the Lord in his own heart – then he is said to have attained Yoga.”
-Sri Ramakrishna attained this state of Yoga. He felt the presence of the Lord within him, he was focused completely on the Divine Reality, and all his emotions were spiritually sanctified.
-God’s presence is like a magnetic hill. When a boat passes near the magnetic hill, its nails and screws loosen. Similarly, God’s presence drives away lust, passion and anger.
-When one is established in Yoga, all of his emotions get purified by devotion. A cooked seed cannot germinate. Similarly, when emotions are purified and sublimated, they don’t do any harm.

-6th chapter: verses 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on October 16, 2020.
-10th verse: “A person who wants to be a Yogi should constantly practice concentration and develop a natural tendency to live in solitude.”
-A beginner should not force himself to be in solitude – he should develop the desire naturally by practicing spiritual disciplines. Once he is evolved, he can practice solitude even when he is in the midst of a crowd.
-Spiritual practice is one’s individual journey. The seeker should not discuss his experiences in public, as it can affect his inner progress.
-When spiritual practices are done with a sense of sanctity and sacredness, it has a positive effect on the mind. It becomes tranquil and focused. The seeker does not feel fatigue in his practice.
-When a beginner sits for meditation, his mind may be agitated. This happens because all previous impressions (vrittis) stored in his chittam come to the surface. These vrittis should be restrained by creating counter vrittis through spiritual practices such as karma yoga, prayers, reading of scriptures and holy association. When we meditate, these positive tendencies will also come to surface and nullify the negative ones.
-11th verse: “The seeker should sit on a firm seat in a clean place. The seat should neither be too high nor too low. The seat should be made by placing Kusha grass on the ground, then spreading a tiger/deer skin over it and then spreading a clean/soft cloth on top.”
-Meditation is a universal spiritual practice. Where you sit and what you sit on – these are relative and subject to changes according to time, culture, geography, and availability of materials.
-12th verse: “Seated on that seat, he should subdue wavering of the mind and senses, he should make his mind one-pointed, and he should practice Yoga for the purification of the mind.”
-The mind is made one-pointed by stopping the inner and outer wavering of the mind. One should control inner wavering by developing good samskaras. Prayers and holy association help develop these good samskaras. Over time, the good tendencies become dominant and turn the mind into a friend. External wavering may manifest as fatigue. This can be overcome with inner concentration and by developing positive samskaras.
-13th verse: “During meditation one should sit firmly on his seat with his body, neck and head in a straight line. His eyes should neither be completely closed nor completely open – they should be “as if” gazing at the tip of the nose.”
-During meditation, firmness and steadiness of the body should be a pleasant, natural and effortless experience. This prevents the body from dragging the mind towards itself.
-A beginner will experience darkness within, if eyes are completely closed. If eyes are open, they drag the mind to the external world.
-These instructions are important for a beginner. For one who is highly evolved, these instructions are not very relevant – he can turn his mind towards God irrespective of where he is.
-14th verse: “With a serene heart, free from fear, with his mind controlled, living a chaste life – he should be focused on Atman, as his goal is to realize the Atman within.”
-Vows, disciplines, self-restraint, and purity of life are emphasized for both mendicants and householders.
-A beginner should practice meditation with his body and mind alert, avoiding any form of laziness. When he becomes advanced, he will experience naturally tranquility within. The effort involved in the early stages will be gone. At the advanced stage, he experiences total freedom from fear. He has nothing to fear, as he identifies with the Atman.

- 6th chapter: verses 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on October 9, 2020.
- 6th verse: “The positive aspect of mind, that is linked to Buddhi and Atman – that mind is our friend. The uncontrolled mind, that is away from spiritual values, acts as if it is our own worst enemy.”
- Mind is our friend when it instinctively guides us on the spiritual path and gives us warning signals when undesirable thoughts emerge. Such a mind has conquered the lower self, is restrained and is linked to the higher self.
- The mind which has moved us away from our natural tendency to do what is good for us, is under the power of the lower self, and creates stumbling blocks when we want to implement a change for the good – such a mind is our enemy.
- If we cannot direct the mind to spiritual values, we should direct it to other higher values such as music, culture and philosophy. This keeps the mind properly employed and away from harmful channels.
- 7th verse: “A person who has reached the stage of Yoga-ārūḍha is self-controlled, is constantly focused on the Atman, and is established in inner peace and poise. For him heat/cold, pain/pleasure, honor/dishonor are the same.”
- A Yoga-ārūḍha has renounced his ego, desires, and all his sankalpas. He has given up all kinds of identification with actions and their results.
- We cannot suddenly decide to have equanimity of mind. It is developed gradually by focusing on a higher transcendental ideal. If we guard ourselves from being over-joyed in pleasant situations, then we can prevent ourselves from being grief-stricken in painful situations.
- A Yoga-ārūḍha experiences Prashanta – absolute peace and inner tranquility – because his mind is identified with Paramatma. His Antahkarana becomes calm and quiet because of mergence with Paramatma. His mind functions as God/Guru, sitting within and guiding him.
- The external characteristics of a Yoga-ārūḍha are: (1) he is self-restrained (2) he is contented (3) his presence gives contentment to those around him.
- 8th verse: “Such a Yoga-ārūḍha is free from desires and attachment to sense objects, is equanimous in his outlook, and experiences tremendous feeling of contentment. Not only has he understood the truth but also, he has realized the truth. He is unmoved and undisturbed, because his senses are in control. To him - a lump of earth, a stone, and gold are of equal value.”
- Sri Ramakrishna had this equanimous outlook – to him gold and mud were the same. King Janaka remained poised when someone reported to him that his city was burning. They both identified their real “I” as Atman.
- 9th verse: “A Yoga-ārūḍha looks upon people with a higher spiritual perspective. He looks with equal regard upon a well-wisher, a friend, an enemy, one neutral to him, one who does not take any side, one who acts against him, a relative, a righteous person, and an unrighteous person.”
- This verse represents different attitudes of human nature. Mind changes its attitude depending on who we interact with. A Yoga-ārūḍha is equipoised in all such situations. He attains this state by feeding his mind with great spiritual ideas and lifting his mind to higher levels of consciousness.
- There are two ways we can look upon the world. If we look at it through the lens of the world, we experience plurality and won’t have peace of mind. If we look upon it through the lens of God, then we can practice equilibrium of mind, and the world won’t disturb us.
- 10th verse: “A person who wants to be Yogi should constantly practice concentration and develop a natural tendency to live in solitude.”
- Solitude is natural for the spiritually evolved, but dangerous for those who are not ready. Out of solitude comes the strength to work in public. In solitude, we accumulate spiritual wealth that we can distribute to people. A beginner should not force himself to be in solitude – he should develop the desire naturally by practicing spiritual practices such as karma-yoga.

-6th chapter: verses 3, 4, 5
-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on October 2, 2020.
-3rd verse: “For ārurukṣhoḥ - a spiritual seeker who is still evolving - duties become the path that will take him to a stage that transcends duties. For Yoga-ārūḍha - the sage who has attained the highest state of Yoga - inaction becomes natural; he withdraws himself from worldly pursuits and bondages.”
-4th verse: “When a seeker has given up all sankalpas, and he has absolutely no attachment to sense objects or to actions, then he reaches the highest state of Yoga.”
-When we identify ourselves as the doer or enjoyer of our actions, we walk into a trap and worry about the consequences of our actions. This worry can manifest itself as anxiety, negativity, complaints and concerns – it is called Sankalpa.
-Work will naturally produce a result – sometimes favorable and sometimes not favorable. Sankalpa does not affect the outcome – it is unnecessary, and just a play of the mind.
-A Yoga-ārūḍha, has renounced his ego, desires, and all his sankalpas. He has given up all kinds of identification with actions and their results. The three characteristics of a Yoga-ārūḍha are: (1) he is not attached to sense objects (2) he has no interest in external activities and (3) he is free from all sankalpas.
-To reach the stage of Yoga-ārūḍha, one has to first start his spiritual journey as ārurukṣhoḥ. At this stage, the mind will present obstacles due to past negative samskaras. To counter this, one should increase the storage of positive samskaras.
-Mind tends to look in the external world, what it has already stored within itself. When the storehouse of positive samskaras is increased, mind will seek spiritual objects and holy company. This helps one progress from ārurukṣhoḥ to Yoga-ārūḍha.
-5th verse: “A seeker should lift himself through his own self and never let it weaken himself. When mind, senses and ego are conquered, he will be able to raise himself to the highest spiritual state – his mind is then his friend. On the other hand, his mind will act as an enemy, if it is guided by the senses.”
-Shankaracharya uses examples from the animal kingdom to explain how one reaches destruction when guided by the senses - Deer (sense of hearing), Elephant (sense of touch). Moth (sense of seeing), Fish (sense of taste), Bee (sense of smell). Each of these creatures reaches death as they are guided by one of their senses. What to speak of humans who have five senses active all the time.
-A real Yogi focuses his mind exclusively on the task at hand. His senses are perfectly under control. His mind is in perfect harmony with Buddhi, which is linked to Atman.
-When a seeker practices self-restraint by withdrawing from external objects, there is a risk of him becoming careless and inactive. To prevent this, he should provide a counter focus by increasing his spiritual practices such as practicing karma-yoga, offering prayers, reading spiritual literature, and associating with holy company. Then his self-restraint becomes effective.
-Saints and mystics, such as Swami Vivekananda, demonstrated great self-effort and self-confidence to raise themselves in their spiritual life. They were very humble, but behind their humility was great Atma-balam – the inner strength of Atman.
-Lord Krishna mentions strong determination as one of the essential characteristics of a true devotee. The other two characteristics are that such a devotee is fully content and has full control over his senses.
-A strong will is essential to help us raise ourselves and to face obstacles from the external world and from our own mind. Once we make our own effort to lift ourselves, God also comes to assist us. We then become graceworthy.