March 17th 2026

Vivek ji shared about a podcast by Matt Finland and Eddie Vetter and their work on E B research. E B is a skin disease that one is born with, and those who have this, they’re described as butterfly kids. The reason is that their skin, is very fragile. The podcaster talked about how he was watching a plea that a group of kids who have this condition, were sharing, and their slogan was, instead of staring, come say “Hi”. What a large hearted approach from a group of kids who must have so many who stare at them, and instead of doing this, they were urging everyone to come say hi. To be able to have such large heartedness, one needs a whole lot of comprehension and dedication to this oneness. Typically, when one stares, it’s because they don’t comprehend what this person is going through. There is that sense of separation. But if one comprehends, one feels that connection, and they are more dedicated.

This is the effort of our Jnana course, using Manashodanam. Instead of staring at a butterfly kid or someone with special needs or someone who you think looks different and is named different, is acting different, we should find out what they are, and in doing so, there will be this experience of large heartedness, of oneness

Recap:

Verse 17: The broad message of verse 17 is Decision.

When it comes to us going through the motion/ drowning of samsara, we may have been born into This, but to stay in this and perhaps be reborn into this is our decision. Being decisive is an important teaching in self development. In Sanatana Dharma, we would call this Dharma, to make your own decisions and to be responsible. The messaging or the training before dharma is niyamas, which is “Do’s”, and preceding that is “Don’t”. If you’re one who depends on an entity telling you “don’t do this”, you will continue in samsara. Even if you’re someone who’s grown out of that, but now you’re operating at someone who’s sharing with you, or an entity that’s sharing with you. Niyamas, “Do this”, we’re not training our intellect to be decisive, to be responsible. One has to grow out of yamas and niyamas into Dharma, to take responsibility for their past, their present, their future.

Verse 18: In verse 18, the broad message is Solution.

To make a decision that one will follow the solution. Pujya Swami Tejomayananda references the past, history, scripture. There’s a great culture of referring to the past history, scripture, because it encourages humility and efficacy. Humility knowing that I’m not the original questioner, and I’m not the original teacher. There is a past history in Scripture and efficacy that it worked for them and therefore it will work for you. How do you know you’re really feeling verse 18? You feel less dejected and more hopeful.

Verses 19 to 22 comprise a special section of Manahshodhanam. It is a practical section.  Verses 19 to 22 has the same core teaching, of action. The solution can’t be theorized. Can’t be hypothesized. These have to be acted upon.  In these four verses, there are 14 specific different vices that are brought up, and 14 related virtues to start to dissolve these vices.

This Class:

Verse 19:

asamkalpāt jayet kāmam, krodham kāma vivarjanāt;

artha-anartha eekshayā lobham, bhayam tattwa- avamarshanāt

In this verse, we are going to take up the first three quarters for this class. In the first three quarters, the first three of 14 vices that are shared are most definitely not unique to all of us who are studying self development. These are Kāma, krodha, lobha. In verse 11, we studied that which steals our peace. In Srimad Bhagavd Gita’s, Chapter 16, verse, 21, Sri Krishna shares with Prince Arjuna, “Trividham, Nara kasya, Idam dwara”

Trividam=three,  narakasya= of hell, Idam= kama, krodha, lobha.

Sri Krishna is sharing that these vices are the entries, the gates to hell. For us as students of Self reflection, heaven is that which makes you feel closer to who you are, and hell is that which makes you feel farther from who you are. With this orientation and this structure, let us reflect on these vices, and more specifically, the virtues that Rishi Narada shares with Raja Yudhishthira in verse 18. Narada means “Naram dadati”, means the one who gives “Naram”(water or Knowledge). The implication is when one is being burned up by vasanas, by vices, the way to cool down is with the water of knowledge.  Avidya can be removed only with Knowledge. And this is being shared with Yudhishtira, one who is grounded.  It is shared with that Yudhishthira’s greatest strength, which others used as a leverage against him, was his honesty. So that itself is a tip for us. How do we become more centered in that which is disorienting? Be honest

First, quarter talks about Kama (desire). This is the second vice that causes us to suffer. The first vice is Avidya. It is when I forget that I am happiness, I desire happiness. But this desire, instead of being directed inwards, is directed outward. Rishi Narada shares with Raja Yudhishthira the way to fight this more expressed vice is asankalpa. Asankalpa is the way to experience Jaya, or victory. Sankalpa is a unique word in our culture. Guruji has described this as “not fancy”. Another word to describe this as “not imagining”. One way to describe Asanklpa is quietness. Sankalpa is having a thought, a thought whose texture is discontentment. Because I’m discontent, I have this intention and this imagination. So in order to deal with this discontentment, we need to practice quietness, quieten the thought, no need to take it so seriously.

Next vice is krodha or anger, and the virtue is Kama, Vivarjanat, to let go of fully the desire. Anger is built into desire.  So for almost all of us who have anger issues, we can quell that, but the long term strategy is to really work on our desire issues. Not having desire feels like in our day to day, it would be acceptance. We can practice acceptance by remembering that every entity has been custom designed by Bhagavan, by the Divine. If we don’t accept the divine, that would make us an atheist. But really, when we don’t accept instead, judging, or even more harshly expecting, then we are an atheist.

The original Vice from which so many other vices were born, is Avidya, forgetting that you are happiness, forgetting that your nature is peace. First child of this Avidya is desire. And the medicine to desire is Sattva, quietness, not taking thoughts so seriously. We have heard of the 3cs, concentrate, collaborate, but the most effective way to become someone who’s more focused, to become someone who’s more quiet, is watch your thoughts. You don’t need to own and act on your thoughts. Just watch them. That’s what Asankalpa means. So we have the original vice. Then you have the first vice. This this first vice then gives birth to two more vices, which is anger (Krodha), the way to fight this inner enemy, is acceptance. The parallel vice is lobha (greed) Rishi Narada is so cheerful and singing most of the time. So he would be the right role model. He doesn’t have desire, anger creed, and he’s sharing this with with Raja Yudhishthira, who has some of this. His message here is artha, anartha ekshaya.

Artha means external security. When we externalize security, it becomes anartha. When Duryodhana saw the way that the Pandavas lived, he thought about the way they lived more than they thought about the way they lived. Even though they had it, they actually didn’t care for it. Duryodhana didn’t have it, and all he did was care for it.

Eekshaya means to see this, to understand this, to feel this. Remembrance is the way to fight greed. What am I to remember? External security only makes me feel less internal security. The remembrance here is to remember your own experiences. Our life was much simpler when we weren’t so well off. We all know you need some external security, but not for the sense of inner security. There are 11 more specific vices that are shared like hypocrisy, heaviness, etc. We should do our best to char this out so that its in sight and in mind.