May 3, 2026

Vivek ji was part of Pujya Swami Chinmayananda’s life, work, and teachings celebration in Cleveland yesterday. There was Hanuman Havana. Vivek ji is sharing three powerful reflections from this celebration.

1. Bhavan Krishna shares with Prince Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita’s Chapter three, about how this universe is a wheel. This wheel is moving, and there’s hubs, and there’s spokes, etc. Vivek ji felt like a wheel at this Hanuman Havana, people were serving with different kinds of tasks, and particularly the younger were working really hard. That was powerful.
2. Secondly, the only reason Sanatana Dharma is Sanatana is because of our Parampara. It is not because of our Mandirs, and it’s not because of our Ashrams. Vivek ji has been doing this for too long, too full time to feel otherwise. It is only because of our tradition of teachers, because we all need someone who is live to bring us to life. Bricks and mortar wouldn’t do. Everyone here who understand Pujya Swami Chinmayananda more, Sanatana Dharma is only Sanatana because of our tradition of teachers. So, first thought was about the wheel, the second is about sustainability.
3. The third powerful reflection is the connectivity of everyone who joins us on Sundays. There are seekers join in cars, from university, with kids, without kids but everyone comes together. In a world that’s becoming more separatist. Everyone wants to separate, but this is a great effort and expression of the opposite. This morning Paduka Pooja was completed it is everything is really providing us this sense of unity.

Vivek ji is sharing a story of left hand and right hand. In the Mahabharata, Karna is known to be Dana Veera. He is great when it comes to generosity. Once Karna was rubbing oil on his body and sitting in the Sun. There was a Bhikshu, one who needs food/funds, came to Karna. Because he was a Prince, his vessels are made up of jewels. When this Bhikshu came, Karna immediately gave that valuable vessel to this Bhikshu with his left hand. Bhikshu smiles says to Karna “In our culture we give with our right hand”. Karna responds by saying, “Please forgive me, but the reason I offered with my left is by the time I had to transfer it to my right, my mind could have changed”. The point of all of this is not to calculate. Vivek ji finds that we have this very calculated method like we invite only those who invited them for weddings etc. like it’s an exchange program. Vivek ji feels like in Sanatana Dharma often in our practice $100 is what I’m supposed to give. But it’s 2026, we still do not have the same house from 1950. How come your house is bigger, but our giving isn’t bigger? That’s what Vivek ji means by not calculating. One should give with their heart, not with their mind.

Vivek ji smiles inside when people say, “I love the do-on-grass. Or I love the impossible Whopper at Burger King”. Vivek ji shares this because we don’t love the do-on-grass or an impossible Whopper. Maybe we prefer that, but love? That is a very, very, very serious word and feeling, which is reserved only for the divine. What we are doing in Bhakti Time, this being week 30, is giving the right value to word so that we give the right value to what that word carries. Having the right value and following is really an expression of Dharma. In English, Dharma might be described as Righteousness. But we don’t use the word righteousness. Righteousness really is rightness. Suppose we pay too much for something that’s not a value, that’s Adharma. You can complain about that or sue for that. In Bhakti Time, we’re trying to really feel the only one who loves us in its fullest way, is our original parent. For us to offer the same reciprocity. Vivek ji will read really powerful right example, to help us to feel this from great book Mysticism of the Mahabharata by Swami Jyotthirmayananda. This is deep into the book, after people would pass away in the in Kurukshetra war were brought back to life for one day to really heal their wounds with each other. Rishi Vyasas was able to do this. “Sage Vyasa’s miracle also sheds new light upon normal human concepts concerning the pathetic nature of death. Because the human mind is limited, most people hold the concept that anyone who is alive is fortunate and anyone who is dead is miserable. It is due to ignorance alone that a person feels that someone who has died is alone and neglected, deprived of all of the pleasures and glories that exist in the mortal world. In the divine plan, which is an expression of the immense compassion and Omni potency of God, no one is ignored during life or after death. Everyone is being taken care of in the best way possible, whether in the physical body or without it.” When we come back to love, people around us can’t love us when we die and in our next life. Only Bhagavan can, to love Bhagavan.

The first part of Bhakti time was tuned into the word why? We invested 10 classes into why Bhakti hope being Yukthi evolves to Shraddha. Yukthi means Logic. Most of us are pretty rational. But that rational has to evolve to faith. Logic can only take us so far in life after that faith continues to help us to be happy, to keep smiling. That was what we tuned into in terms of Why Bhakti. The next wave of Bhakti time was how Bhakti, we invested 9 weeks into the Navada Bhakti, the nine expressions of Bhakti, three months into the Navada Bhakti. The hope being that we feel Bhakti is a way of life. People describe Sanatana Dharma as way of life. The word way, means you have to live this. Way of life really means way of living; this is what we try to orient ourselves towards. On Thursdays, starting in September, Vivek ji is going to begin teaching Hinduism 101, an entire 32-week course on Hinduism. Vivek ji often shares the action

statement of Sanatana Karma is Study and discipline. There’s many who study, but they actually don’t

follow what they’re studying, which means they don’t understand Sanatana Karma. The final wave of Bhakti time from Why to How, to Who. That Who is us. If we followed what Vivek ji has described so far as 22 weeks of why and how, then we should feel Who is me?  The who of Bhakti we have followed so far, we have invested in so far is the signs of Bhaktas.

The Kata or the personality associated with this is Ranthi Deva. Ranthi Deva wants to live in the hearts of people to absorb their sadness, that way they can feel who lives deeper in one’s heart, Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh. Vivek ji shares “I can’t even fathom having that prayer. I’m praying to take away other people’s sadness, but it can’t just float away. That means I have to take it upon myself”. Ranthi Deva is amazing.

The second part of “Who in Bhakti time” is the sincerity of Bhaktas, from signs to sincerity and the icon of this is Sri Vibhishana, born in the worst context, but he was sincere. We are not born in the worst context, so sincerity should be more natural for us.

Third S is the system of Bhaktas.  Vivek ji had shared about how to offer Pooja. It really is Vivek ji’s wish that everyone has their own altar and offers Pooja every day. We do Pooja to our teeth by brushing, Pooja to our muscles by working out. For us to have Pooja towards the one who gave us our teeth in our gym. Upasana is Sanskrit synonym that captures what Pooja is. Upasana means to “Sit Near”. Smoke that came out of Vivek ji’s hair when Vivek ji was washing hair today because Vivek ji was sitting near Havan smoke. Now imagine Vivek ji sat near the divine, Vivek ji will start to invoke the same.

The fourth part of Who, when it comes to Bhaktas is the Service. The icon is Sri Bharatha. Today, our teachers were holding Pujya Gurudeva’s Padukas on their heads. Sri Bharata was holding Sri Rama’s Padukas. The two signs that you’re actually serving are less deserver-ship and less doer-ship. Those in high school if they have a strong sense of deserver-ship, they compare.  Comparing falls into Competing. Competing falls into Jealousy. Jealousy falls into insecurity. Most of us feel we wish we could be less insecure. Sometimes we think it’s because my hair is not beautiful or I’m not married to the right person, but really insecurities because of that deserver-ship. Those who don’t have a strong sense of deserver-ship, they don’t compare.

In all of this, then we had a review of the who in terms of Bhakti time and then the sharing began. We’ve already had one guide share. Two more guides are going to share in the coming weeks.

Vivek ji really loves Bhakti time because anything that’s systematic just makes more sense. Matters that are non-systematic, they’re fun to listen to, but they don’t stay with us.

The fifth and final part of the who is a Bhakta is on the Security of Bhaktas. The science behind this is Mumukshutva, the deepest and factual deepest need of ours is the need for a oneness. The factual most intense need of ours is the need for oneness and until we feel that oneness, there will always be the trace of insecurity. But for the one who’s flowed through the why and how and now they are the who, that Mumukshutva feels like Moksha. Then the scripture that supported this Vivek ji referenced Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9 verse 27. Vivek ji going to refer to one more verse now.

kāyena vācā manasendriyairvā buddhyātmanā vā prakṛteḥ swabhavāt

karomi yadyat sakalaṃ parasmai nārāyaṇāyeti samarpayāmi

nārāyaṇāyeti samarpayāmi

Vivek ji is giving English translation. “Whatever actions I perform with my body, speech, mind, or senses with my intellect, or ego, or by my inherent nature, whatever they may be, I offer them all to the Supreme Narayana”.  In Kata, last week Vivek ji taught us about Sharada Devi, Sri Ramakrishna’s spouse. Her vision was on oneness, which means all of her verbs follow oneness. Please try to remember that sequence. If one’s vision is on oneness, then all of one’s verbs will follow oneness whether cooking or cleaning or walking or talking.

With this summary now that Vivek ji has offered, about the why, the how, and the who. The who once again is the five S’s

1. Number one, Signs.
2. Number two, Sincerity.
3. Number three, System.
4. Number four, Service.
5. Number five is Security. Bhakti can provide the security that we need.

Discussion Subject: Share what security feels like for you.

Seekers shared to have a quiet mind security. It’s not about your Parastiti, which means context, but your Manostiti, which is your content. Another seeker shared it’s smiling for no reason. My heart is so full. I can’t help but smile then.

Vivek ji’s reflection is the way to feel security is to incorporate God which was last weeks RAW. The way Sharada Devi did, she really incorporated the God that every verb is tied to God. So how can there be any insecurity? Pujya Swami Tejomayananda shared, don’t tell God how big your problems are, tell your problems, how big your God is. That’s just totally different narrative. And for Vivek ji, most personally, security feels like you’ve been saved. Without Advaita Vedanta and the related trust triangle, undoubtedly Vivek ji would be alive. And undoubtedly there would be some pleasure, possession, position in Vivek ji’s life, but there most definitely would not be peace. Vivek ji knows that for a fact. And Vivek ji thinks we do too, for us. So, security feels like being saved.

Vivek ji was offering of Dakshana to all of us. Sundays are lovely. And Sundays with Bhakti time is even more lovely. A special offering of Dakshana to those in Fairfield, to those in Cleveland, to those in Niagara, because you get the whole center involved. That really is one of the responsibilities that Raja Pritu shares not just to follow dharma but to facilitate dharma.

Praveen is our course cooperator. Praveen joins us from Kochi.

Vivek ji offered Dakshina to Yatin. Yatin’s shared “Thank you so much. I appreciate the words. I don’t I don’t feel it enough because I feel I’m not doing enough. Even the times that I’m able to be consistent in class, there’s always elements of more Satsang that I could be in, more reflection, more contemplation. So really feeling appreciated by Vivek ji, but certainly I’ll leave with knowing that there’s so much more that I can do, we can do as a say works, as Bhakti time seekers, as a community. So much more than we can do as a community. So grateful that everyone is participating, grateful for all the questions and queries and notes and thank yous that we receive. But so much more that we can do. So that’s the thought in my mind, humbled by everyone who’s always sharing kind words. And thank you for that”.

Vivek ji is sharing “The word that’s been really has been affecting me this morning for my own Swadhyaya is guilt. Guilt is a useless emotion unless it causes you to become better. And so, your feeling of we can do more, I totally concur, and I often feel guilty that I’m not doing enough for what I’ve received in my life. So, thank you for sharing that”.

Vivek ji is offering prayers to Bhagavati Gita Gayatri, to Pujya Swami Chinmayananda to continue to grace us with their guidance so that we are clear in our understanding of Why Bhakti, How Bhakti and for us to be the Who when it comes to Bhakti. They are coming to us in the form of guides.