Sep 23rd 2025
Vivekji started the class with a story of how a teacher gave a task to a student to fill a basket, which was already filled with soot and dirt, to fill with water. Despite repeated attempts when the student was unable to do the task, the teacher told the student that as long as there is dirt in the basket, it is not capable of being filled with anything. Once the basket is cleaned and made devoid of dirt, it can be used for many useful purposes.
Our mind is just like this basket. Our minds are so powerful and we are using it (most of the time) to get more comforts, get ahead in life and change others to suit our needs. When our mind is used to reflect on, and for helping others and ourselves be close to the divine. Sri Krishna emphasizes that our outer enemies and friends are determined by our own mind. The more our mind is an enemy to us, the more outer enemies we have. Same goes for friends. The vision of this course is to learn to use the mind for what it can do and not what we are used to do. Sw. Tejomayananda has compiled Manah Shodhanam (the core of the map given here is Shrimad Bhagavatam) as a map to purification of the mind.
Recap of class 1 and 2, verse 1: Insight
Quarter 1: The essence of this teaching is that You are the source of your joy!
Quarter 2: Others are the source of their joy. This source of joy is not different in each of us and this oneness we call “God”.
Class 2: Lost
Quarter 3: How is it that our source of joy gets lost? We have to know that we are the source of joy to benefit from it.
Quarter 4: This (not knowing) is because of impurities of our mind.
We had been given a framework on how to be deeper (=purer). The framework was naama (names)> rupa (form)>gunas (qualities)> Leela (purpose)>dhama (center/foundation)
Those who live for their family only, they are operating at the naama level. Those who live for family and community, they are operating at naama and rupa level. Those living for family, community and society, they are operating at naama, rupa and gunas level. Those who are living for family, community, society and humanity, they are operating at naama, rupa, gunas and leela level. Every human being has the same purpose of being happier. Those who are living for family, community, society, humanity and divinity, they are operating at Dhama level. Those unique disciples have reached the center, foundation. Its not just humans, its animals and plants and stones for them. We have to challenge our minds to stop operating at functional but operate instead at fundamental level.
Class 3, verse 2: Contradiction
jnānena tu tad ajnāne, nashte bhāti svayam hi saha
satyam etat tathā api iha, kashtam-ekam cha vartate.
Quarter 1: By knowledge only indeed can this ignorance be dissolved. The quality we develop when we know we are the source of joy, is Independence. When we know others are the source of their own joy too, we develop acceptance. One fundamentally accepts another without trying to change them. It is remembering that contradicts the forgetfulness.
Apraptasya praptavyam and praptasya praptavyam: What you don’t have you have to know and do it. Whereas if you already have, you just have to know and not act on it. That is the power of knowledge, you don’t have to act on it, just have to feel it.
Quarter 2: Once ignorance if dissolved, bhāti (light), independently that divinity emanates. When our ignorance is dissolved, the joy comes naturally. This light cannot be created which means it cannot be destroyed as well. It is Being!
As we grow, our source of joy keeps changing. The real source of joy is not created and therefore does not change.
Swamiji had once said the way a business person thinks about their business, if they direct it the same way towards the source of joy, they would be enlightened. We have so much potential and when you know you are the source of your own joy and it cannot be created, we redirect it towards that light.