First Time Teaching In Sydney, Australia:
NOTE: This program has been properly restarted here.
Summary:
Arjuna (Spiritual Seeker) is in crises; doesn't know what to do. He asks Kṛṣṇa (Self/Isvara) for help. Krisna responds. The Bhagavad Gita is all that Krisna says to him. It's a text that addresses the eternal “human problem”; Ignorance of your true nature.
Also covered are 4 stages every seeker needs to know before diving into the “spiritual world” seeking answers.
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(Recordings starting July 2017 in Sydney Australia. See ongoing classes you can attend here. Available in Sydney/Melbourne.)
Detailed Notes:
This course consists of 3 parts:
- Emotion Management (Karma Yoga). Karma Yoga is way to prepare to UNDERSTAND who you are. And for this, we first need to get our emotions under control. This addresses the Jiva (the false self who you believe yourself to be; the body/mind). Bhagavad Gita chapters 2-6.
- Knowledge: Knowing who you really are. Self-Love. Includes advanced teachings from Panchadasi by Swami Vidyaranya. About Maya/Isvara.
- Love. Including Bhakti Yoga (Devotion). From Bhagavad Gita and Narada Bhakti Sutras.
Authenticity of Bhagavad Gītā text we'll be using during this program:
Statements are taken from Swami Dayananda Bhagavad Gita Home Study Course (presenting Shankara's commentaries on meaning of the Gita statements, in light of Upanishads non-dual knowledge).
Dayananda is a Sanskrit and Vedanta teacher who conducted 3 year residential Vedanta courses. He is translator of original Gīta in Sanskrit.
We know it’s a legitimate text because many people’s life’s are transformed by it if it’s taught properly.
Summary:
What is the Self (which wise one's speak of)? Am I THAT? How to “realize” it? What does it mean to say “There is ONLY Self – when there's clearly differences in things”? What do Enlightened one's know which the Ignorant (normal worldly person) don't?
Krisna begins teaching Arjuna what is Self / Consciousness. And importance of Dispassion towards one's duty on Earth.
Summary:
(NOTE: Audio is poor in this recording.)
How to live a life that paves way for Liberation, by following your unique purpose.
Kṛṣna provides Arjuna knowledge of the Self. But he doesn't get it. Therefore Kṛṣna teaches him about Karma Yoga, a way of life that produces happiness and success… paving way for eventual Enlightenment.
Summary:
Brief intro to 3 Gunas (Tamas, Rajas, Sattva). How to Master Your Mind through Karma Yoga. Intro to Isvara (God, Maya, Illusion). About Free Will.
Learn how to manage your mind and life by managing 3 main forces that make up Creation (Tamas, Rajas, Sattva).
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Summary:
1) 2 Lifestyles that lead to Liberation (Enlightenment / Self-Realization & Actualization). When you sum up thousands of books, it all comes down to these two.
2) Karma Yoga – The ultimate way to live on earth which produces no wasted effort or time.
3) Neo-Advaita: Critical analysis of modern teachers who're teaching partial knowledge – and basically wasting most seekers time.
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Summary:
1) Renunciation of Action VS. Karma Yoga
2) Location of Objects exercise: Seeing Objects as Consciousness. This demonstration is bases of non-duality. Seeing everything as YOU (Consciousness/Awareness)
3) What does it mean to be free from Doer? (Meaning the false personality “I” has been disidentified with, and one lives in total surrender to God.)
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Vedanta Test:
1) What is a Vasana?
2) Give one difference between Satya/Mithya?
3) Why is Karma Yoga prescribed?
4) To whom is Karma Yoga prescribed?
5) What does “Taking stand in Awareness” mean?
6) What Guna needs to be dominant for Self-Knowledge to work?
7) Why is Enlightenment not a “one-off”?
8) Name 2 components which a dream consists of?
9) Having desires is fine, as long as ____.
10) Define mokṣa?
11) There's only 2 possibilities upon which attention can be placed on. What are they?
Summary:
Self (Consciousness) has no power to do. It needs power of Maya to do action. But Self doesn't cause Maya. Hence Self is not a doer, both directly nor indirectly. And since YOU are the Self, you can not ever be a doer. Therefore Maya is the doer. When one believes “I am doing”, this is Ignorance (samsara).
Other topics:
- Why do we say “shanti” 3x?
- Do I have free will?
- Metaphor of dreamer (Self) and dream (created by power of Maya – but you didn't cause the dream)
- What is Maya? It's a power. What kind of power?
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Summary:
Maya is something other then the REAL (Self/Satya), and something other then the UNREAL (Not-Self/Mithya). How can this be when there is ONLY Self/Brahman? This contradicting conundrum is thoroughly investigated and solved through several metaphors.
Other topics:
- What are attributes of a Self-Realized person?
- Why you actually DO NEED something to worship.
- Story of the “Desire Crazy Genie”
- Why you need to continue sadhana, despite Self-Realization.
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Summary:
Īṣvara only graces those who DEMONSTRATE and ASK for Self-Knowledge. This is possible through timeless sādhanā of Karma Yoga and Self-Inquiry (jnana yoga). They are both means to mokṣa (freedom).
Therefore we'll review what is Karma Yoga and what are the benefits. Including mechanics of Isvara (God).
Other topics:
- What are the 3 characteristics of Īṣvara (Maya)?
- What does it mean to “Surrender to God”?
- What Renunciation is NOT.
- 1st and 2nd stages of Renunciation.
Summary:
Means to Enlightenment and Happiness is DISCOUNTING the obvious experience – and ACKNOWLEDGING the ever-present not-so-obvious TRUTH of Self. We'll discuss how to do this with an analogy.
Other topics:
- Why our sorrow/unhappiness continues and how to end it naturally.
- Self-Realization (Knowing “I am Self” without doubt) is different from Self-Actualization (fruit of Knowledge; permanent happiness).
- How to get rid of fear?
- Why you can't afford to do actions that cause stress.
- 3 types of Dharma (Samanya, Vishesha, Svad)
- Your Ultimate/Highest Dharma is _____.
Download visual mind map of this session.