November 16, 2025
A sign of evolution is expansion to serve more centers, more cities. That’s why Vivek ji started Stepping Stones serving middle schoolers and their families. One of the consistent messages in Stepping Stones is difference between thinking and reflecting. Thinking is where thoughts go outside of yourself like how others look or what others doing. Reflecting is thoughts going inside how do I feel, what is this year has been for me. One who reflects understand themselves or people around them or purpose more. Lot of us have been thinking about Bhakti but not reflecting. That’s why in Bhakti time there is an encouragement for thinking, for reflecting. The sign of understanding is that you feel more Bhagya/fortunate. Instead of wishing for others life imagine “I wish I was as fortunate, as fortunate as me.” lyrics from Perl Jam song Wishlist. The more fortunate one feels more, the more one feels close to the source, Bhagavan. Bhagya naturally comes from Bhagavan. Vivek ji hopes we are following this thought flow reflecting, understanding, fortunate which comes from our original parent.
Our last class was on Vitamin R3 read, write and reflect Vivek ji introduced the Navada Bhakti. We learnt about the Six Ss one of the contemporary systems, easier to remember. First S is Sit. To evolve the second S is Sing, then Seek, then Support, then Server, finally Surrender. Traditionally these Six Ss have come from Navada Bhakti, that is richer. Navada meansnine expressions or striations to hash this out to have more understanding. Its more demanding in our understanding. Japa is to ready ourselves for to learn about the Yuga Sadhana.
At the beginning of creation, there was integrity of creation. Suras and Asuras lived in different dimensions. Suras/selfless lived in Swarga/heaven, Asuras/selfish lived in Naraka/hell. In the second Yuga during Bhagavan Rama’s time there was atrophy, there was breaking apart in creation. Suras and Asuras lived in different countries, Suras in Bharat, Asuras in Lanka. There is continuation of atrophy during Bhagavan Krishna’s time. Suras and Asuras lived in the same family; Pandavas were Suras, Kauravas were Asuras. In the present time Selfless and Selfish live in the same personality. We feel so evolved, so devolved it is so hard to contemplate or to engage in Yaga/Pooja when there is such moodiness in personality. God is great to provide us lifeline in the form of Japa which can be performed in any mood. Japa means Janma Pathi which means protected from being born again. It protects you from being sad again. Japa is a way to prepare us for Navada Bhakti. Navada Bhakti is life transforming. Naturally one has to be open for this.
Theme: Theme of class eleven is Active Listening.
Science: When Vivek ji went to Vedanta course his family and friends questioned about that decision. They suggested instead, Vivek ji could have bought those books. Vedanta course provides a system. That which is a system or systematic is catalyst to become systemic. We tend to use systemic in a negative way systemic racism/sexism but it came from a system. System is not a problem it is where the system is going is a problem. Vedantic course provides a systematic experience so this becomes systemic. Sharing it in a visual way, it is a system that lays the foundation for whatever you are experiencing to become stronger and stronger and stronger. When you build a Sand Castle, first you build it with dry sand, then you support it with wet sand, then you support it with water packing it and then it gets stronger and stronger and stronger. Zooming it more. Pujya Swami Tejomayananda has just taught them, they did not get to spend any casual time with Swami Tejomayananda. Implication is “I am offering teaching to you; you should be actively listening”. Listening tends to be based on volume. Vivek ji pointed out that whole lot of us have become YouTube/podcast students. We do this in an ad-hoc way to a little bit about this and that without any system. Building Sand castle with dry sand could be blown away. Volume doesn’t mean quality. This is why Vivek ji has been sharing that the design of Life Gurukula is to be immersive. When you are immersed in an entity it doesn’t leave you. For example, anything you immerse in Condensed milk becomes amazing😊 Very first practice in Navada Bhakti is Sravana.
Sravana in Shrimad Bhagavatam is Sravana of Katha, technically story. If we are evolving from listening to active listening Katha should mean our story. It should go from a story or his story to it should feel like our story. When we studied Bhagavad Gita Vivek ji told us we should replace Arjuna, Partha etc., name with our name every time we see it. Bhagavad Gits is about us. According to Upanishads Sravana has a very specific purpose that Sravana should feel like this is the message we need in life. When we are in Satsang, we should feel like finally, this is what we needed in life. Rishi Valmiki ji felt like his life was like a dry leaf tossed around in the wind. Ramayana came into his life. When someone asked him “Why did you document Ramayana?” He said “I know what it feels like to have no purpose. Everything pushes you around. I don’t want people not to have a purpose.” We shifted from active to passive listening because we have too many opportunities like YouTube/podcast. Back in the day when they listened, they were grateful. Sign of active listening is the Katha, his story now feels like your story so, you will feel hopeful. If you feel more hopeful in Satsang that’s affective active listening. More Japa is needed to make one ready for Sravana.
Scripture: Bhagavatam meaning is the means that is the best to feel lighter and then light. Bha Ga Va Ta; Ta meaning means, Va means best, Ga means to feel, Bha initially means lighter. It is through becoming light hearted we finally feel light. It is through becoming more cheerful that we become content. Theme of 7th section in Bhagavatam is Uti, which means nature, one’s Vasanas. In 5th chapters Hiranya Kashyapu one of the worst personalities is asking his child Rishi Prahlada the best personalities “What have your teachers taught you in school”? Rishi Prahlada shares that a human being should be dedicated to nine indicators or expressions towards Bhakti in Verse 23 and half of Verse 24.
śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam
iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā
kriyeta bhagavaty addhā tan manye ’dhītam uttamam
śravaṇaṁ, active listening to Katha. Traditional Vedic weddings are three days long because there is such an invocation of divine into that partnership. During these weddings they would a Katha. So, they would get immersed into his story.
Theme is Active listening; Science is Active listening makes you more hopeful where you start to feel that this is the message I needed in life. Rishi Prahlada was born into worst family, but he is the best. This shows that you can be different despite your family name or blood type.
Story: Story is about Rishi Parikshita from Bhagavatam. Bhagavan Krishna protected Raja Parikshita while he was in the womb. Word Pariksha means one who is so reflective, inquisitive.
Raja Parikshita wearing the crown went for hunting in a forest for the first time killed many animals. He found that he had separated from his army. In the afternoon, he felt hungry and thirsty. He saw an ashram of sage and entered into it. Shamik rishi was in Samadhi. Raja Parikshita thought Rish is not welcoming him though he is king of the kingdom. He thought, sage is acting for not to welcome him.
A dead snake was lying near the sage. Out of anger, Raja Parikshita picked the dead snake and hanged around the neck of the sage. When Shamik’s son, Shringi come to ashram, he got furious to find a dead snake on his father’s neck. He removed the snake. He realized that it was Raja Parikshita had done this.
Raja Parikshita when he took his crown off after coming back to his Sabha, he became quiet and thoughtful as Kali expression of it is though-less-ness and business was living in his crown. He started to reflect “What did I just do? What happened to me? As someone who is protected by divine, now I am acting like an animal”? That’s what an animal would do, kick that snake over there. In his reflection he prayed for punishment, to be punished to never given to hopelessness like that. As soon Raja Parikshita has as if completed that prayer, that Rishi’s son came into the Sabha and said “I too acted with hopelessness, I too acted in an instinctive way. I have cursed you to live for only 168 hours”. This is not hypothetical; this is Rishi’s son who gave the curse; Rishi is someone who knows the future. This is not a casual statement; this is going to happen. Raja Parikshita started to cry, cried out of gratitude like all the seekers at Life Gurukula inauguration cried out of gratitude. Why tears of gratitude? Because that means Bhagavan is looking at him, looking after him that his prayer was answered. Raja Parikshita asked for punishment and instantly Rishi’s son gave him the curse to die in 168 hours. There was no why me, such emphasis of Stane, all is as all is. He felt so cared for by Bhagavan he felt only hope. When you feel so hopeful you become more independent. Last night after the Life Gurukula’s inauguration event Vivek ji was feeling so hopeful the tiredness meant nothing. Vivek ji was feeling restful then, was feeling so independent not needing anything. Raja Parikshita with so much left that gold crown, he left dependency because he knows that source of hope is inside. He went to nature. It was so powerful. He didn’t know Rishi Shuka would be there. Vivek ji can’t help but to connect to Life Gurukula. Vivek ji was teaching in Pittsburg in September of 2013. Vivek ji had this thought to go to Cleveland and teach too though Vivek ji didn’t know anyone back then, but now we have Life Gurukula here. Raja Parikshita just wandered into nature. Being caring person, he only had reflections about others. Those Rishis were attracted to him. The one who is so rare to come is Rishi Shuka, an icon of independence who never stayed any where no longer than milk a cow. Rishi Shuka started teaching. Rishi Shuka asks Raja Parikshita “Are you hungry?” But Raja Parikshita was not hungry. Further on, at the end of Shrimad Bhagavatam Rishi Shuka asks “Are you afraid of dying? If you are, I will stop death and continue to teach you until you are not afraid and then will bring death back.” It’s like Raja Parikshita has done so much of Japa so much little Katha came into his life. Vivek ji said its not volume based earlier it’s just one week. Raja Parikshita said “You don’t have to keep teaching me. I am fearless at this point.”
Discussion Subject: What is THE Upadesha, THE Sravana you would have given yourself ten years ago.
RAW: Continue to engage in Quieten the Mind Initiative