Hari Om! Here is list of all The Reflection Adventures of the Week for Drg Drishya Viveka Class. Please share your reflections, experiences and thoughts via comments below.
- RAW for Week 1: People Watch
For this week, watch people physically (eg: while going for a walk outside) in a safe way. - RAW for Week 2: Engage in right thinking
For this week, every time you think you are caught up in the roopa (i.e. article, beings, circumstances), hit your self in the head. - RAW for Week 3: Shotgun Clause
As you go through experiences this week, decide if the articles, beings and circumstances are the source of awareness or you are but it can’t be both. - RAW for Week 4: Use less electricity
For this week, use as little electricity as possible and use a flashlight instead but do so in a safe way. - RAW for Week 5: Renting your body
Feel/have the bhava that you are renting your body. - RAW for Week 6:
Before you go to sleep, wear a necklace that you are not wearing right now or substitute with a string. Wear it for the whole week and try to forget that you are wearing that necklace. - RAW for Week 7:
Every day this week, identify how you are engaged in superimposition. - RAW for Week 8: No RAW
- RAW for Week 9: Using the Word “My”
Every time you use the word “My”, either verbally or in writing, you have to sleep a minute early or wake up a minute early. - RAW for Week 10:
Contemplate on the entire mantra “Asato ma sadgamaya..”Hint: think about Tat Atma or superimposition. - RAW for Week 11:
For approximately 1% (~15mins) of the 1440 minutes we have each day engage in vichara. Every morning for 7.5 mins and every evening for 7.5 mins engage in Drg Drshya Vichara. - RAW for Week 12: Dreaming am I
Ask your self and answer for your self “Dreaming am I” throughout this week. - RAW for Week 13: Ready to Let Go
Reflect on “Are you ready to let go?” - RAW for Week 14: Donate to Charity
Every day that you don’t become more Sattvic or that you cannot label as Sattvic this week, donate $21 to charity. - RAW for Week 15: Practice for each verse
Identify a practice for every verse of the text that we have completed (16 total). Example: do minor things right away for verse 16. - RAW for Week 16: Practice Laziness
Consciously practice being lazy and reflect on it. - RAW for Week 17: I accept my Prarabdha
For everything that happens to you this week, say out loud “I accept my Prarabdha or fate.” - RAW for Week 18: Visualization
Whatever you eat or drink this week, visualize that you are eating or drinking yourself. - RAW for Week 19:
Be contemplative during Healing with Hanuman. - RAW for Week 20:
Register for CM Portland workshop on Integrating Gita
- RAW for Week 21:
Register for the High Five challenge: https://www.chinmayaniagara.com/initiatives/high-five-challenge/ and Study for the Pariksha which will happen for the next 3 weeks.
- RAW for Week 22:
Review the class notes posted for November and December 2020.
- RAW for Week 23:
Go back to DDV Verse 4 and for all negative thoughts that are provided, identify what are the substitute thoughts.
- RAW for Week 24:
Every day when you practice contemplation, contemplate on verse 25 of DDV and when you finish keep thinking about verse 24. Begin with Verse 25 and end with Verse 24.
- RAW for Week 25:
Light a lamp and contemplate with that lamp every time you contemplate this week.
- RAW for Week 26:
For the next 2 weeks, everything you do, back it with the feeling that you are contemplating. Feel that the only verb you are engaged in is Samadhi.
- RAW for Week 27:
For this week, whenever you feel shaken, stare at a blank screen
- RAW for Week 28:
Create your own Karma Shruti. Share your plan of implementation to make this text real in your life.
- RAW for Week 29:
Which of the 30 verses that we have covered so far, is your verse, and Why?
RAW for Week 29: Which of the 30 verses that we have covered so far, is your verse, Why?
RAW for week 29
This was a difficult RAW as I struggled to name one verse as my favorite one. As I read Guruji’s summary of one verse and decided that would be my favorite, the next one was even more profound in its language and meaning. The first few verses on the Truth and the next few on the Lie, made me not even want to know about the Why (Maya). Reading about the Why (Maya) almost makes me wonder if I will get further trapped into believing it. A philospher once said, Don’t establish Maya by analyzing it, just transcend it. I just wanted to rush to the How (can we realize the Truth)?
Therefore, I think I have 2 favorite verses:
Verse 1: Acharya Shankara lays it out straight to the student how the Seer, the witness is different from all the objects, the seen including the mind. In the next few paragraphs, Guruji beautifully in great detail teases this apart to explain the step by step logic of Acharya Shankara.
Verse 23: Achayra Shankara explains Savikalpa samadhi using internal and external aids all the while gently implying that these techniques point at our forgetfullness of the Blissful witness that is lighting all our attempts to remember who we are. This witness is watching as we glide from meditation with effort to where it becomes effortless and we stop becoming and just Be!
Hari Om!
which verse is yours why?
I have enjoyed the whole text by the way ( wave ) of teaching by vivekji which brings the subtle so close us by his his own simple tactile way .Ii really felt blessed to listen to him and very thankful for this opportunity/ grace
verse 1 : since its the base which takes us from article to spirit( from many to one) . its like rhyming line for whole text to strip the difference. its my morning slogan:))
verse 4 – he talks about different thoughts and its nature. he also bring the importance asking us to see the source of thoughts in contemplation as well ( he talked twice ) and vivekji substitute thought made me to think this verse thrice ( 3 plays a significant role in sanatana dharma ) . sometimes i do make thoughts real and that leads to my sorrow / confusion and it deepens my vasana . i want to stop it by remembering this verse
verse 7: without president there is no vice president & rest of cabinets .i love the sanskrit word tadatmyat. super imposition . its reminds be of doer ship / desever ship ( push me to no 4 even more ( sevants of servants ) always ,( bhagavan, guru, parents and me )
verse 13 :its talk about how maya changes our identity and make relative as absolute . with guru’s grace we can make that impossible to possible . this verse gives me hope that all is possible with his grace . ( i can able to overcome my likes/ dislikes, feeling of any negativity and my projection of happiness on beings )
Verse 20: Valedictory message : focus on guna ( not on names/ forms )and sattva / sat . keeps reminding me to look at my own strength & strength of others .
verse 21: see the same in different species as well . our essence is one and same . its make the connection with birds , plants and article more deeper
verse 25 : inside out / contemplate on heard and take it outside..( controlled – uncontrolled) i love these sanskrit verse and the words asanga ( associate with nobility), sca( compassionate for giving) Svaprabha ( don’t postpone happiness) Varjitah ( free from ill thoughts) these words helps me to practice what i have learned and helps me to be contributor by observing my / other thoughts and to be cheerful
verse 26: sleepless sleep is the final rest . its a reminder to put my efforts constantly to be / effortless
verse 31 : palasruti – without proper understanding , i can’t reflect . Thanks vivekji for your wonderful insight which helps to take this wherever i go i go . will keep working to make my mind more purer to have a still intellect to feel this text
sorry for too many verse. All these verse lingers in my heart ever ( leaving / living in this Ashram and helps me to smile even more :)))
all words came out because of Vivekji teaching .
Create your own Karma Shruti. Share your plan of implementation to make this text real in your life.
RAW for Week 28: Create your own Karma Shruti. Share your plan of implementation to make this text real in your life.
Hari Om
I have tried attaching photos (my karma shruti plan )But I am not able to view it . Hope my attachment is uploaded
Thanks
I will visit this wonderful writers again to strengthen my knowledge . Thanks to bhargavi and Sharmila for all your contributions🙏🏾
whenever you are shaken, look at the blank screen
when i observed the time i have shaken, its because of my negative thoughts and coming out of my own expectations , whenever i am feeling separate from my spirit and going down into the layer of ego , i do feel shaken and looking at the blank screen says my nature is pure / free of this negative thoughts .
i am not the thoughts. Its relative and its changing . this raw helps me quickly bounce back to my nature / happiness .
Week 26: For the next 2 weeks, everything you do, back it with the feeling that you are contemplating. Feel that the only verb you are engaged in is Samadhi.
Thanks to all the classes and swamiji’s RADs and RAWs, anything and everything i used to give more importance doesn’t seem to bother much now. Much gratitude for the same.
everything you do back it up with feeling of contemplating
I was completely absorbed with few of my activities like my work , cooking, cleaning , listening to Satsang, good music, writing, reading by remembering the cause of me and the cause of the activity that i am engaged in . I was enjoying what i was doing because i remembered him/original source .some days my days are filled with too many responsibilities, in that case i am not able to bring that bhava because contemplation requires slowing down and patience to enjoy each bit of experience in that activity and i forget the purpose of why i am engaging in that action. I was lost in doing .
RAW for Week 25:
Light a lamp and contemplate with that lamp every time you contemplate this week.
Reflection – Shubham Karoti Kalyanam chanting with lighting a lamp make me look at the light only. What else to think if there is only light in front of you and you are focusing on that continuously. This is not today or this week, this happens to me everyday morning and evening when we light the lamp and chant Shubham Karoti Kalyanam and gives me a feel of thoughtlessness or oneness. This process gives me some contemplation time and this week it helped me again as I wanted to practice this RAW to see if I can feel any different and be thoughtless.
Light a lamp and contemplate along with that
when there is no wind , the light is steady and bright. I compare the no wind as the grace and guidance of Guru
and Bhagavan to keep my intellect strong and steady like that light .This steadiness removes my wrong identification. The glimpse of joy which we /i experience is strengthening my true nature helps me observe the changes in the uncontrolled environment and to embrace all my experiences and keeps me little more balanced.
To feel the joy / light in us all the time we have to move to thoughtless state where is no more observing . by deepening the faith and constantly remembering him and the inspiration from Guru will lead me to be
I will put my continuous and consistent effort to feel that light in me ( effortless)
Week 25: Light a lamp and contemplate with that lamp every time you contemplate this week
Reflection- shared as a small verse-
The eons I have spent
with the disease of ignorance.
When the cure (knowledge) came,
I saw the Light.
It’s flame-
unperturbed, serene,
unshaken by the winds of change;
unblinking through the rains of pain.
In my quietude, I say:
Let Your light shine through me.
In the stillness, I feel
I am a reflection of You.
In the silence beyond thoughts and words,
there is the realm of the unstained white.
I hear You.
You smile and say-
” you are that original Light!”
Week 25: Light a lamp and contemplate with that lamp every time you contemplate this week
The rays from the lamp in darkness were radiating all around. But on close observation, longer rays were coming towards me and it looked like it was giving me a message: “Look deeper into yourself”.
Several seconds of observing silence gives hours of energy to be calm and spread calm around me. Wish this can be extended for a longer time…
RAW for Week 24:
Every day when you practice contemplation, contemplate verse 25 of DDV and when you finish keep thinking about verse 24. Begin with Verse 25 and end with Verse 24.
Reflection-
“The evolution from chasing to seeking is Vichara. Drg Drshya Viveka is a text that encourages us to engage in Vichara — to not take for granted, to not ignore, and to not be ignorant. The expression of Vichara is ‘Yaanti’, which means to repair/rehabilitate/return.”
These lines that I had gotten from detailed notes of Sharmila Ji as I reviewed the notes due to missed class. This moved me and encouraged me to reflect more on this and to go back on verse 24 and hold onto it.
My whole life seems like a game of chasing. I have always been chasing what I ‘perceived I did not have. Erroneously I thought that what I was chasing will complete me. It was a never-ending game like me running at the same spot and not getting anywhere. I was exhausted by this game. After all, it’s a losing game. I never won.
Only with reflection came the realization that there is nothing to chase. The silence, the stillness is all within me. Bhagavan has already given me all I need for my evolution. There is nothing more. Slowly I am trying to internalize this. There is no winning or losing. just Being.
This reflection helps me slowly transform the anatma vasana to Atma vasana.
Contemplate on verse 25 and finish with 24
This raw have helped me to tune in myself with my nature / filling up my tank with love and positivity . when we are tuned its easy to interact and deals with the situation of the day. We do always find coming back home is quicker than driving to a new place even though the distant is same. like that this Raw have helped me to come to my nature quickly/ bouncing back is quick .The words sva praksha / oneness is giving have helped to keep my smile on and share the same with others and asanga have helped me to raise myself from my own pullbacks.
After clarity from swamiji, I feel like editing my RAW. How may i be able to do this? Please advise.
Thanks.
RAW for Week 23:
Go back to DDV Verse 4 and for all negative thoughts that are provided, identify what are the substitute thoughts.
1.Kama – following this desire thought until it teaches me that after i get that, will i stop at that or want more of it, or something else! This leads to disinterest in that thing and i walk away from it.
2. Sankalpa – using it make the resolution in positive ways like focusing on studying for 15 minutes, not eating junk for 2 days, not watching tv in the mornings etc and setting up parameters.
3. Sandeha – Feeling the Bhagawan in my heart helps me get away from doubtful thoughts- that He is there and all will be well
4. Shraddha, Ashraddha, Dhriti and Itara – Focusing on the nature of my thought and pulling it towards this Pillar of light rather than pushing it towards the body.
8. Hri – With Bhagawan in me, slowly trying hard to do the right things, saying no to indulgence.
9. Dhi – learning more about myself
10. Bhi- Keeping the firm thought of Scriptures understood thus far and Bhagawan and praying for inner strength.