Summary:
Session 10 starts with giving practical example applying Spiritual sadhana to purify Mind, by driving to work (through Karma Yoga). Followed by 2 paths all humans are confronted with each day.
Then we discuss why problem of Ignorance of one's nature is due to lack of Knowledge, not lack of right Ritual. (Although rituals aid in cleansing the Mind which is required for understanding Upanishadic knowledge.)
TOPICS COVERED:
1) Converting mundane activity (EG: car driving) into a Spiritual practice – through Karma Yoga.
What does “yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam” mean (BG 2.50)? Skill in action.
Skill in action has 2 parts: (1) Intention; deliberate-action (2) Taking into account how deliberate-action is affecting others.
Why would you want to be mindful how your actions are influencing others? Because it snaps your Mind out of its “Unconscious competence” (auto-pilot mechanical) mode, or even lower, the impulsive mode.
Furthermore, “thinking about others” promotes the highest trait a human can express: Compassion (reaching out, if it's in your capacity, to help someone in pain).
Add to that, mindfulness trains Intellect to become highly alert. Improves its discriminating and thinking power.
EXERCISE: Where else could you demonstrate “skill in action“?
How about not talking loudly on phone in public. Or turning down music volume. Or smiling first vs. expecting another to smile first. Or not walking so fast in public (which gives away a Rājasic-cluttered mind.)
Worth Noting: Every person is a role model in society. Easy to talk “changing the world”. It starts by living as an example for others to subconsciously notice, without vocally expressing it. People learn by observation.
2) Two paths all humans are making each day.
Explains self-contradicting behavior.
The basic knowledge of what is noble and ignoble is known to all. In spite of such knowledge one chooses the vicious path, which is detrimental to one's well being.
The Rishis analyzed the reason for such conduct and discovered that there are two distinct and separate paths in life, namely (1) Path of the Pleasant (preyaḥ), (2) Path of the Good (śreyaḥ).
Human beings face the problem of choosing one of the two paths at every single moment of their lives.
The “Path of the Pleasant”, pleases, fascinates and entices an individual to take to it.
On the other hand, the “Path of the Good”, which is based on sound religious tenets, is resisted by an individual.
The former caters to one's own sense gratification and provides one with immediate pleasures but subsequently results in disappointment and sorrow.
In contrast, the latter is detestable in the beginning but later on leads one to permanent happiness and a sense of fulfillment.
3) How to FAIL in life:
Vedas point out purpose of life in 4 stages. Starting from lowest to highest: (1) Kāma (2) Artha (3) Dharma (4) Mokṣa
Wise people (dharmic) are innumerable. But devoid of stage 4 (mokṣa) – essentially still ignorant of one's eternal Nature and consequently results in rebirth no differently than one in pursuit of Kāma, Artha.
The danger is getting stuck in a “Dharmic” wise life. Then mistaking and feeling like one is living “the highest purpose”.
Meaning: One must INCLUDE Self-Knowledge (brahmavidyā) amidst a Dharmic life.
4) Two kinds of Intellects.
1. tīkṣna-buddhi:
Gross intellect. Used to resolve worldly matters
Example of using tīkṣna-buddhi: Stacking bricks, solving impossibly complex math equations, brain surgery, quantum physics, rocket-science, mowing the grass.
This gross intellect is incapable of appreciating the Subtle/invisible. Hence it discards Religion and OBJECTIFIES Consciousness as if it's another Object to be dissected, studied and analyzed. Common amongst some neuro-scientists, and material reductionists.
2. sūkṣma-buddhi:
Subtle intellect. Used to discriminate Satya/Mithyā (Real/Unreal). Intellect used for Subjective investigation. Inwards.
This is the intellect needed for mokṣa. How to develop it? By listening to the Upaniṣadic declarations whose sole purpose is to get you to think and question Reality.
5) Why Arjuna didn't get or missed the true meaning and depth of “I am the Whole” (sarvam brahmaḥ)? And solution Kṛṣṇa gave thereafter…
It's emotional attachments to things, situations, God, people… that's preventing one from seeing WHAT-IS. This is why Karma Yoga exists, to extinguish those emotional attachments.
Another reason is because Arjuna believes “I AM the doer“. This is experience for all ignorant Jīva‘s. Believing action outputted by your body-mind-intellect belongs to YOU and is done/enjoyed by YOU. In reality, it's done by the body-mind.
Hence we prescribe Karma Yoga where Jīva continues doing SAME actions, but with a different attitude, whereby each action contributes to exhausting the notion of “I AM the doer”. All your actions are going to alter of Ishvara.
Only way to mokṣa is to FIRST purify the Mind. How? By prescribing Karma Yoga which exhausts unhelpful and irrational likes-dislikes, which simply don't allow the mind to think in light of the scriptures, but default back to it's old conditioned thinking.
6) Karma Yoga purpose: Surrender the “doer” (ego) to alter of Īṣvara.
7) Ignorance of one's nature is due to lack of Knowledge, not lack of right Ritual.
No ritual can produce Enlightenment. Because every ritual, action is LIMITED. So how can limited action produce UNLIMITED RESULT (which is nature of Self).
Meaning: Nothing one can do to produce Enlightenment. But at the same time, you CAN and MUST do something, else nothing changes. How to resolve this contradiction?
As far as doing is concerned, it requires sitting down and listening and thinking about what's being said. Because the words of Vedanta help remove false notions that “I am bound to this body-mind instrument”. This isn't an action such as meditation, or asana, or pilgrimage. The “doing” is far as sitting down and letting the words of Vedanta clear up your understanding.
What does Ignorance mean? Opinions, beliefs that one has about 3 aspects:
(1) Jīva: What is nature of this body-mind? Am I it, or there is more to it?
(2) Jagat: Physical world – matter – objects.
(3) Īśvara: All-knowledge, All-power which ultimately resolves into Consciousness.
8) Snake-Rope example to introduce students to topic of Superimposition (adhyāsa) – for preparation in following session how to remove superimposition of not-self.
Download sheet used in class here.
Two kinds of superimposition:
1. Īśvara-sṛṣṭi:
Mirage of water (creation of Māyā) on desert (Consciousness, Self, or substratum called adhiṣtāna).
Mirage doesn't end for the Enlightened one. It's just known to be Unreal.
Mirage of water on desert is seen by father (Enlightened) just like it's seen by son (ignorant).
Only difference is: To father, the STATUS of mirage is known to be Unreal. Hence Enlightened one (jñāni) isn't motivated to participate in world (mirage). While saṃsāri son is chasing ever-changing mirages.
2. Jīva-sṛṣṭi:
This is when you project some idea/assumption onto Ishvara-srsti (the empirical world). It's your idea alone, nobody else's.
EG: Duryodhana projecting his own envy-jealousy onto the Pāṇḍavas. This is Jīva‘s own projection, called: jīva-sṛṣṭi.
Keywords: adhistana, adhisthana, ishvara, isvara-srsti, jiva-srsti, jnani, kama, mithya, moksha, patanjali, preyah, samsara, samsari, sarvam bramaḥ, shakti, sreyah, srshti, sukshma, suksma, sutras, tikshna, tiksna, vasana, viksepa-sakti, vikshepa
—
Download visual mind map of this session. Book on superimposition used in class.
3 July 2018
Wow Your Karma Yoga explanation is so good. I have never heard of it put this way. It makes so much sense. I am working my way through your fantastic, very informative videos. I went back to watch the first 10 again. I picked up so much more the second time listening to them. Thankyou very much. I would love to come to you class but could not commit to weekly attendance due to distance to be travelled so these videos help me to be there.
Indeed, I too find most value in 2nd/3rd listening of videos.
1st Watching: Seed planted.
2nd Watching: Soil Watered.
3rd: Organic Fertilizer added.
Is it the case that a person has to have good karma to be able to follow their swadharma, assuming they know what it is? Your question re: “Would I be doing this if I wasn’t being paid for it?” is saying that we would want to follow our swadharma for the love of it, i.e. for the intrinsic reward and not for any extrinsic reward like money or status.
It seems that only a minority of people have the opportunity to do this, and those who can are very “fortunate”. For example, many who want to be actors or artists have to work, say, waiting on tables or driving taxis to make a living and may only rarely, or perhaps never, make a living from the work they love and in which they have a talent. Many people are working in “jobs”, not in what they feel to be a vocation, out of economic necessity. Where does this leave the necessity of following one’s swadharma?
Svadharma has 2 definitions:
1) Responding appropriately to immediate demands of the situation you find yourself in. This is ongoing. And situation based.
EG: I’m trimming grass front of the house. You’re walking by with shorts. It’s my svadharma (most appropriate action) to stop the trimmer so particles don’t hurt you.
2) Turning your whole life into a platform for expressing your unique talents.
EG: If one’s talent is to extract the real story out of people’s minds (through one’s sweet communication skills), then considers journalism for a smaller company. And if they discover company is pushing them to distort the information for sake of TV ratings, then find another company.
===
Many people are working in “jobs”, not in what they feel to be a vocation, out of economic necessity. Where does this leave the necessity of following one’s swadharma?
===
In such scenario, following svadharma is highly unlikely.
Because most are attached to comfort of world security, and will protect it even if it doesn’t bring joy and actually causes damage to society.
Why is this the case?
Because the order of 4 stages of life are violated. 4 stages in proper order are:
1) Dharma: Before putting any action into the field, we must FIRST must know what actions are right/wrong. EG: Don’t cheat/hurt others.
2) Artha: Ensuring we create world security/wealth for ourselves… under guidelines of #1 above. EG: Don’t earn by cheating others.
3) Kāma: Now we can ENJOY what we ETHICALLY earned. (Enjoying what I earned by stealing/cheating, is shallow enjoyment at best).
4) Mokṣa: Realizing 1-3 only brings temporary fulfillment. So we purse permanent fulfillment; liberation.
So what is solution to pursue svadharma if not doing already? Ask, “What am I talented in? What do I find easy, which others find boring or hard? Where do I have patience, where others don’t?”.
One HAS TO start making small changes, small actions, small decision to move in alignment with their talents. Otherwise, no amount of lecturing/motivation will work. Mind remains in constant agitation when it’s made to do activity NOT in line with it’s talents.
How to know one is working for money in line with svadharma? Overtime doesn’t feel like work, but utter joy one can’t get enough of!
What if getting out of job situation is completely out of the question? Then change attitude towards work. “I’m not working for money or my family or myself. I’m working for God alone”. > Karma Yoga.
Thank you for that comprehensive response, André.
Hi Andre.
I have many questions from the first ten videos , but after our conversation the other day you encouraged me to start asking instead of waiting for second or third time through.
In The Tao Te Ching Lao Thy states that “ the true Tao can’t be spoken” .
The closest definition may be something like ‘ The Tao Is The Flow Of What Is’.
Could we say that the sacred scripture of The Upanishads seeks to ‘ speak The Tao’?
Also, when you read Yogananda, Ramana Maharishi and other great yogis, they seem to say, ( this might be my incorrect understanding or ignorance) that the end purpose of all meditation practice is to achieve a state of permanent samadhi.
( Nirvakalpa Samadhi- Sahara Savikalpa Samadhi- Dharmamegha Samadhi which is liberation of the Jivanmukta ).
Is self knowledge the link between Sahara Savikalpa Samahdi and Ddharmamegha Samadhi?
Is Dharmamegha Samadhi synonymous with Moksha?
Or is Self knowledge still missing?
I ask this not as an intellectual exercise, but because I have been practising Kriya Yoga- Raja Yoga in an effort to ‘ pass through ‘ the various levels of Samadhi in search of enlightenment.
( haven’t got very far after many years of effort).
Is this a valid path to Moksha, or should it be abandoned?
I would greatly appreciate your guidance.
========================
In The Tao Te Ching Lao Thy states that “ the true Tao can’t be spoken” .
The closest definition may be something like ‘ The Tao Is The Flow Of What Is’.
Could we say that the sacred scripture of The Upanishads seeks to ‘ speak The Tao’?
========================
“The true Tao can’t be spoken”, to rephrase this:
Can the physical eye see itself?
No.
It’s only because the eye can’t see itself, that it can see everything else.
In other words….
“The eye can’t be seen”, but the eye can know itself by the mere fact, there is sight.
“The ear can’t be heard”, but the ear can know itself by the mere fact, there is sound.
Then what about “The true Tao can’t be spoken”? What does that mean?
It means “The true Tao” is THAT which never changes.
The moment one speaks of “the true Tao”, there is beginning of that sentance and end of that sentence. Meaning “the true Tao” has been limited to time-space.
What is “the true Tao” referring to in reference to Vedānta? Consciousness.
========================
Also, when you read Yogananda, Ramana Maharishi and other great yogis, they seem to say, ( this might be my incorrect understanding or ignorance) that the end purpose of all meditation practice is to achieve a state of permanent samadhi.
( Nirvakalpa Samadhi- Sahara Savikalpa Samadhi- Dharmamegha Samadhi which is liberation of the Jivanmukta ).
========================
Firstly we can’t mix Yogananda and R.Mahaṛṣi.
Yogānanda is from world of Patanjali Yoga Sūtras. The world of yoga sees samādhi as the ultimate aim of spirituality. Especially nirvikalpa. Vedanta easily breaks down this false conclusion, because any experience that begins in time can not be limitless.
In other words, any kind of samādhi contradicts who you are (ātmā: limitless). How can a limitless truth be confined to time? Any experience like samādhi begins in time.
R.Mahaṛṣi is from Advaita Vedanta (although closer to Neo-Advaita, rather then traditional). Although his works confuses many people because his language had to appeal to different spiritual seekers, most who came from Yoga world (thinking samādhi was the ultimate end).
So he had to use their lingo for them to understand. Thus RM said things like: Abiding in one’s natural consciousness, “I am”, is samādhi. And “In samādhi there is only the feeling I-am and no thoughts”.
Remember, R.M was not a Vedanta teacher. His focus was never to explain in painful detail (as we do in traditional Vedanta) the various terms, but rather his activity was mainly soothing troubled minds who came to him with preconceived notions of reality.
Although you will see his advanced works like “Upadesha Saram” which spiritual seekers find too advanced, yet this very work doesn’t speak of things like samādhi and “no thoughts” and “I am feeling”.
In summary: The ultimate purpose of meditation is **NOT** samādhi, but to purify the mind, so it’s ready to receive self-knowledge. That’s it. A distrubed mind won’t think of questions like “What is the nature of reality?”. But rather it’ll think “How can I experience bliss? What’s for dinner! I’m fat. Neighbour is too loud. Etc”.
Savikalpa samādhi: Subject “I” is left, without burden of objects.
Nirvikalpa samādhi: Subject “I” and objects are at One, and that One, I AM.
In both cases, they are time-bound experiences and useless chasing becuase it comes and goes.
Even R.Mahaṛṣi in later life advised strongly to NOT pursue nirvikalpa-samādhi, because it’s fleeting in nature. It took him years to realize that. Yet in traditional Vedanta, this is common knowledge.
========================
Is self knowledge the link between Sahara Savikalpa Samahdi and Ddharmamegha Samadhi?
Is Dharmamegha Samadhi synonymous with Moksha?
Or is Self knowledge still missing?
========================
Dharmamegha samādhi is equated to mokṣa. Although we never use that term. Stick with mokṣa.
It’s very important to stick to words of tradition, else so many words are brough it. EG: Tao, Dharmamegha, nirvāna, etc.
Sahaja samādhi refers to a discriminatory mind that’s able to clearly discern satya/mithyā. Such a mind naturally transitions into Dharmamegha samādhi.
In reference to both Dharmamegha AND Sahaja, the word “samādhi” does not refer to some experience. Rather refers to understanding of reality.
For example, Mark Luther king is in equality-samādhi. Hitler is in racist-samādhi.
So it’s not like they’re in some “state”. But rather refers to understanding of reality.
========================
I ask this not as an intellectual exercise, but because I have been practicing Kriya Yoga- Raja Yoga in an effort to ‘ pass through ‘ the various levels of Samadhi in search of enlightenment.
========================
Again, what’s the purpose of any type of rāja-yoga (meditation)?
To purify the mind. That’s it.
It can’t give enlightenment (mokṣa) because the problem is ignorance.
And what is opposed to ignorance (not-knowing)? Knowledge!
However any type of yoga is ACTION.
For example, if your car breaks down, how can one fix the problem if one doesn’t have knowledge of the CAUSE? Impossible.
If don’t know how to cook, only way to remove ignorance of cooking is by gaining knowledge of cooking.
If don’t know what is wrong with one’s body, we go to doctor to gain knowledge about the condition. Once known, we can treat the condition.
Thank you so much Andre.
Your answers are so clear, concise and simple, yet I have to think deeply about them to truly ‘ get’ them.
I will ponder.