May 4, 2023 Class Notes by Bhamin Chhatrapati

Recap 

1. Read Inspiring
2. Delete ‘But’ 
3. Chant Yours (formerly Samarpayam)
4. Guide Gratitude
5. Speak Positively
6. Review Disturbances
7. Review Quietude
8. Smile Mirror
9. Prepare Experience
10. Set Altar
11. Allow Speak
12. Sleep Early
13. Study Happiness
14. Visualize Guide
15. Invoke Pages
16. Write Notes
17. Walk Freely
18. Sit Still
19. Eat Alone 
20. Ask Wise
21. Label Less
22. Return Dedication
23. Help Bodies
24. Prostate Openly 
25. Ignore Snacks
26. Plan Meals/ Surf Agenda
27. Naturalize Food
28. Dissect Negativity
29. Remember change 
30. Say No
31. Flip coin
32. Give percentages
33. Date Mind
34. Talk God
35. Leave light
36. Record Dream

Introduction

A quote from a Georgia senator on gun violence  “As a pastor I am praying for those who are affected by the tragedy. Thoughts and prayers are not enough if you do nothing. It is a mockery of prayer… We pray by taking action” What a lovely and accurate reflection. For us, we know that these are the final 2 weeks of our class. To say you are living by invoking and evoking joy yet, not practicing joy/sadhanas is similar to the mockery of prayer. It is the same trivialization of faith. In other words, you say you are living for joy but not practicing joy. It is a sign of hypocrisy. This is why our course is designed towards practice. If you practice, it becomes practical and if you don’t then it’s not practical. For 9 years we have been exploring reflective practices. Even after 9 years of exploration, we are not used to reflective practices.

In the Bhagavad Gita it is said manasyan sahsru– among thousands, one is trying to be better and amongst 1000 who are better, one becomes the best. One who is trying to be joyous is one in a million. Being joyous is subjective so it has to be lived. This is why we need a role model like Acharya Shankara. Acharya Shankara’s writings are so broad and deep that it is connected to all. It was written for everyone’s evolution from most evolved to the least. His final writing is Sadhana Panchakam. It is like collecting all the writings in one. It is like an analysis of best practices.

Review
The message of the final 3 verses in Sadhana Panchakam are as follows:

Verse 3 focuses on one’s potential to be independently joyous. 

Verse 4 focuses on one’s path to being independently joyous

Verse 5 leads to Independence or Perfection. 

Verse 5, Practice 35: purnatma susamiksyatam
See the multiverse as divine. The purer you live, the quieter your mind. If the lifestyle is towards purification, then the mind will be quieter. Once the mind is quiet, you will see and feel the thread/cord tying the whole multiverse together in oneness. We are all pearls of a necklace and Divinity is the cord. If one finds the teaching challenging, then live for purification. The practice we established is to ‘leave light’, meaning every article, being, circumstance must feel lighter when we leave them.

Verse 5, Practice 36: jagadidam tadbadhitam drsyatam
Know that the multiverse can only bind you and make you feel small if you live in a shallow way; if you identify with body, mind, intellect and ego. If one lives in a deep way (the way of Spirit/Infinity) then the world is Bliss. Hence, it is about one’s own narrative. The practice is ‘record dreams’. Have a journal and write down details about your dreams. And when we have a hard day, we must read that dream journal and we’ll see how wild the mind is. Recording dreams will help one establish what is relative. And if there is a relative, there is going to be an Absolute. 

Discourse

Verse 5 Practice 37 prakkarma pravilapyatam
Prak means before or prior; karma means actions; vilapyatam means to dismantle or dissolve; pravilapyatam means to do it completely. This translates to: conquer the effects of deeds in earlier lives by right action in the present.
 

Absolute perspective: What Acharya Shankara is bringing out is the orientation of sancita karma. Sam means well and cit means collected. That’s why the word Nachiketa, one who collected nothing, is awesome. If you are collecting, then you become very result-oriented. The implication is that for every action there is a fruit or a result. Some of the results or fruit come in this lifetime and others come in another lifetime.

Relative perspective: You have to learn to be independently joyous otherwise you will be born again and again. Everything that happens for you is for your learning. Soyou have to be careful with what you say and what you do. You must become stronger in the present so when a negative result comes upon you from past years then you are affected less. When one visits the and goes to the shallow end of the beach, they are not affected much by the waves. If one goes deeper, then one must plant their feet deeper to deal with the bigger waves. Similarly, to plant the feet deeper, one must make themselves stronger so they are not affected that much from prior actions.

Tactile perspective: Our practice is ‘Learn Past”
Learn from the past to make your present deeper and better. If you don’t learn from the past, then you will always regret the past. There is no evolution if you don’t learn. Your present will look exactly like the past. One is born again and again. 

Verse 5 Practice 38: citibalannapyuttaraih slisyatam
Citibalann is right thinking; apyuttaraih slisyatam is with this right thinking, whatever comes in the future one is not to be affected by it. In other words. through wisdom become detached from future actions. Acharya Shanakra is taking us to present action known as agami karma.

Absolute Perspective: Sancita karma is actions that have been collected and whose results are manifesting in the present. Agami karma is present actions for which the future result will come; with every action there are fruits. 

Relative perspective : How do we go from future to present? Immerse yourself in the present action. One must find meaning in their actions;  if you love what you do then it doesn’t matter what comes from it. If you don’t love what you do then you don’t know who you are. Bhagavan Krishna is so clear that when you act in the present, the actions are in your control. The results. on the other hand, are out of your control. So be bigger than results and not depend on them.  

Tactile perspective: Renounce Meaninglessness

In other words, renounce anything you do that is meaningless. If you don’t, then the meaningless action will grow. One more insight on agami karma is similar to what is shared in Tattva Bodha – enlightened ones are free from the results of their actions. The reason for that is results only come where there is the presence of ego. So, where do the results of their action go? The punya (fruitful results) of one who is Enlightened go to those beings who respect, love and revere the one who is Enlightened. Any previous paapa of the Enlightened one goes to those who disrespect, hate or are cruel to the one who is enlightened. An awesome application would be to feel everyone who you interact with as they are enlightened or be around someone who is enlightened

Discussion subject: How does your life change knowing about sancita and agami karma and why?

Vivekji’s perspective: To be more responsible and feel we are not victims. What is happening right now is fruits from the past and being more responsible now for the future.

RAW
Learn Past

Renounce Meaninglessness