Summary:

Lesson 109 gives definitions of technical words revealing nature of Brahman (formless consciousness). Sessions is specifically about jnana-yoga.

Source: Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 12, Verse 3, 4.

Summary:

• Title of CH12 is Bhakti-Yoga (Topic of Devotion).
  • What is devotion?
    • Mayi Āveśya Manaḥ (12.2):
      • Mind focused on/in Me. Not 99%, but every inhale/exhale is a reminder of purpose of being born.
      • EG: Water’s dharma is to remain horizontal. Any disturbance, causes water to seek it’s level.
      • Proportion to which we are NOT seeking level of dharma, is proportion of likes/dislikes overshadowing. Thus mind wonders/hankers in worldly affairs.
        • How to manage likes/dislikes? Take time to look into the nature of the object/experience. Realize whatever happiness it gives you, is not in object, but comes from yourself.
          • And to know the nature of self (atma), is to discover the inexhaustible source of fulfillment.
    • Parayā Śraddhayā (12.2):
      • Unflinching faith in authority of śruti pramāṇam, ācāryaḥ, your capacity to succeed.
      • Story of Ganesha was seen in last session.
• In CH12, Arjuna asks which is most superior (efficient/effective) for attaining the ultimate goal: saguna or nirguna bhakti.
  • Saguna-bhakti: Mind / senses hold onto Īśvara with form/qualities, using methods as: Remembrance, meditation, service, rituals.
    • All methods produce punya-karma, which makes Bhagavan’s orders obligated to pull the devotee out of ocean of samsara. (12.7).
      • EG 1: In Bhāgavatam, Krishna responded to Rukmiṇi’s frantic call, to save her from marrying cruel Śiśupāla. He came by Himself, taking her away just in time.
      • EG 2: Gajendra (elephant king) was caught in jaws of crocodile (attachment). He prayed for help to be pulled out of the river (of samsara). When Lord appeared, Gajendra asked to be released from grip of māyā. This is shining example of a  jijñāsu / niṣkāma-bhakta (both mean: one lives for sake of knowing God, despite attending to house hold duties)
  • Nirguṇa-bhakti: Relates to infinite Īśvara as one’s own Self, while honouring relative limitations.
• Krishna answered, there’s no choice between the two paths. Must go through them both in grading.
  • EG: School prepares/qualifies mind for university.
• In Verse 3-5, Krishna starts with the highest sadhana; Jnana-Yoga.
  • It involves:
    • Śravaṇam: gaining knowledge in a systematic fashion through pramāṇa of śāstra/ācāryaḥ.
    • Mananam: Converting knowledge to conviction (aparokṣa-jñānam), by addressing each thought lacking 100% confidence. Cultivates unshakable confidence in the knowledge.
    • Nididhyāsanam: Continuing to address relative self, so that jñānam shines in all it’s glory.
      • Polishing the mirror reflecting the light of ātmā (consciousness).
• Since jnana-yoga is also a bhakti worship, it too involves offering something. Offering what? Your ignorance into fire of self-knowledge.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 12, Verse 3 & 4 (Combined):

ye tu akṣaram anirdeśyam avyaktam paryupāsate ।
sarvatragam acintyam ca kūṭastham acalam dhruvam || 12. 3

sanniyamya indriya-grāmam sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ ।
te prāpnuvanti mām eva sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ ॥ 12.4

^{(VERSE 4)} Having restrained the sense organs, being even-minded towards all, and being interested in the welfare of all beings — ^{(VERSE 3)} some (devotees) meditate upon the imperishable (Brahman) which is indefinable, unmanifest, all-pervading, incomprehensible, immutable, immovable, and eternal. They attain Me alone.

• Krishna says, the others (nirguna-bhakta’s) follow jnana-yoga, contemplating on nirguna-brahman, by process of shravana, manana, nididhyasana.
• Then Krishna describes Brahman using technical words..
  • Avyakta:
    • Not perceptible to any of the 5 sense organs, nor the mind.
    • EG:
      • GROSS: Our 5 senses individually perceive: sound, sight, taste, touch, smell.
      • SUBTLE: And mind perceives memories, pain, pleasure, emotions (closeness, injustice), thoughts, intuition.
      • Both cases are perceptible (pin-point-able). Not so with Avyakta. Can’t be turned into an individual object of knowledge.
  • Acintayam:
    • Brahman can’t be conceived by thought, because it can’t be made into an object within the mind.
    • Rather Brahman (I AM) is the content of every thought. Just as Gold is the content of every ornament.
      • In the same way, in the presence of I AM, the mind can conceive thoughts.
    • If it can’t be thought of, then how am I supposed to know Brahman?
      • As self-evident existence (I AM, the one who is never not present to my life).
        • Meaning your existence alone needs NO proof. While every other object needs to become evident to you, for it’s existence to be proven.
        • Suppose you do need proof that you exist? Then to whom will the proof be offered? Who can be more authority of your existence then yourself.
      • This means, Brahman is not an object to be thought-of, but understood as the very Subject (who is being mistaken for something else).
    • SUMMARY: Even though Brahman (Consciousness) can’t be conceived by thought, only thought (opposed to ignorance) has power to reveal Brahman. Thus we have śravaṇam (listening to words which produce ignorance-opposing thoughts).
      • Brahman can’t remove ignorance, else it would’ve done it by now, since it’s eternal.
  • Anirdeśyam:
    • Not directly describable by words because Brahman is the very nature of all experiences and objects, including “I” right now.
      • Then how do the scriptures reveal, since they are words? By implied meaning.
        • EG: You need to make more space in the garage. Can you put this suncream on my back?
        • EG 2: tat tvam asi: You are That.
          • Direct: I am “That” which is being talked about.
          • Implied: I am “That” because of which I’m capable of listening now.
    • What does this mean in reference to “I” (wishing to know myself as Final Reality)?
      • It means, because Brahman is everything (in past, present and future), the “I” in stage of ignorance, HAS to be the same “I” in stage of moksha.
        • Therefore the very “I” that is obtaining now, HAS to be owned up to as Final Reality.
        • If don’t understand this, then will try to experience higher states (thinking they are more Brahman-worthy).
  • Akṣaram:
    • Never undergoes any changes in quality/quantity.
  • Acalam:
    • Brahman doesn’t move because it is already all-pervading/everywhere. Only a limited form needs to move from place A to place B.
  • Sarvatrāgam:
    • Like Space, Final Reality is all-pervading. Obtains everywhere.
      • OBJECTION: If Brahman is everywhere all-the-time, then how do we explains the presence of objects which come-and-go? Mithya.
    • Notice how this is different from Lord we invoke through puja, prayer, meditation… subject to arrival-departure.
  • Kūtastham: (Nirvikaram)
    • 2 Meanings:
      • Free from modifications.
        • EG: All objects go through 6 fold-modification process:
          • Existence, birth, growth, change, decay, death.
        • Logical flaw of Final Reality being subject to change:
          • If Brahman changed from Birth to Growth, then what would accommodate Growth?
      • Anvil used by blacksmith.
        • Anvil is support onto which blacksmith strikes hot iron and sculpts it. Anvil underneath supports all the powerful strikes, remaining changeless.
        • In same way, for any change to take place… there must be a changeless substratum.
          • EG 1: Person observes own body-mind/family/world going through changes. Something must survive all changes to confidently say “Things are changing”.
          • EG 2: Suppose employer says morning employees are different from evening employees. Only possible because the SAME employer remained. If employer was different, then couldn’t make that observation.
        • Hence, the changeless illuminating witness is compared to kūṭastha.
• SUMMARY SO FAR: Brahman is Imperceptible, inconceivable, indescribable. Because only within time, one can say perceptible, conceivable, describable (now it’s here, now it’s not).
• QUESTION: Then how can one meditate upon an Imperceptible, inconceivable, indescribable Reality?
  • Krishna states, one needs a prepared mind.
  • What is a prepared mind? Answered in Verse 4…

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 12, Verse 4:

• QUALIFICATION 1: sanniyamya indriya-grāmam (dama)
  • Discipline of what information enters the 5 senses. And discipline the 5 organs of action.
  • Because 5 senses contribute to noise-ness of mind.
• QUALIFICATION 2: sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ (śama)
  • Mastery over emotions and patterns of thinking.
    • EG: Cultivating positive values, simple life, equanimity towards all beings.
  • Maintain composure in all situations.
  • Don’t get too carried away with pleasant/unpleasant news. Because leaves trails.
• QUALIFICATION 3: sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ
  • Committed to well being of all creatures. Interest in advertising harmony in your environment. Mind becomes sensitive to others difficulties/pleasures.
  • Reason for prayer “sarve-bhavantu sukinaḥ”.
  • Result: Expands/refines the mind.
• What is benefit of having 3 qualifications, which pave way for jnana-yoga? te prāpnuvanti mām eva, such devotees surely attain Me (moksha).

Keywords: bhagavatam, jijnasu, jnanam, kutashta, maya, nirguna, nishkama-bhakta, niskama-bhakta, pramana, sama, sastra, shama, shastra, shishupala, shradda, shraddha, shruti, sisupala, sravana, sruti

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Credit for help in Bhagavad Gita teaching given to Swami Dayananda (Arsha Vidya), Paramarthananda & Chinmaya Mission.

Recorded 19 Jan, 2021