Summary:

Lesson 172 connects Vedas with Bhagavad Gita, then summarizes Chapter 16.

Source: Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, SUMMARY.

Vedas:

Vedas has 3 sub-divisions (to address 3 universal problems): Karma (impure),  upāsana (restless),  jnana (ignorant).

1. Karma-kāṇḍa: For dealing with Impure mind. Acquired tendencies (vasanas). 
   • Disliked are questioned. EG: “Son come to spiritual event”. Why! 
   • Like/dislike governed life (per one's own fancies), pulls the individual down deeper into the world (BG15.2).
   • What is Karma-kanda section of Vedas about? Injunctions/do's-don't/attitudes. They negate ill-effects created by own injunctions.
     • EG: Fat patient is prescribed good-foods-ritual to negate his bad-foods-rituals.
2. Upāsana-kāṇḍa: To sit mentally near object of meditation. The chosen Idol is the ideal (virtues). The idol contains all qualities the aspirant aspires to. Like national flag contains nation's aspirations, values. 
   • Through extended focus, meditator borrows qualities like log borrows heat from fire.
3. Jñāna-kāṇḍa: Resolve ignorance (gives rise to impurities/restlessness).

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, SUMMARY:

• CH16 provides proper means of conduct for antahkarana-suddhi, for sake of:
  • Sculpting a self-knowledge friendly mind. Like any “means of knowledge” for any understanding, the aspirant needs some prior qualifications.
  • Convincing that the hard path of śreyaḥ (path which aligns you with scriptural conduct) – is better then the easy path of preyaḥ (path centered on “feel-good-now”).
  • Internalizing one’s existing self-knowledge.
  • Pointing out conduct that isn’t beneficial to your wellbeing. Krishna is pointing out because the mind is complex instrument, a product of accumulated impressions/habits, which end up covering the natural program.
    • Because of this covering, Krishna uses a 2-fold barometer called: daivī-sampat and āsurī-sampat. By contrasting both, our buddhi can quickly identify contaminations (āsurī-sampat), and restore order.
• According to CH16, Verse 1-3, we can restore order in our lives by refining 4 major areas:
  1. Person. Manuṣya.
     • Refining physical (physical activity), emotional (having your personal needs met) and intellectual (concentrated, disciplined mind) health.
     • Asthanga-Yoga (BG CH6) entirely dedicated for integration of 3.
  2. Doer. Kartā.
     • Reduction of impulsive and mechanical action. More deliberate words and actions.
       • How to become more deliberate? By training mind to include more variables then immediately obvious.
     • Replacing Unwise with wise actions. Which are wise actions? Actions which are beneficial to more, rather then less… and has least adverse impact. Unwisest action is when there’s only one beneficiary.
       • EG: In business, I learned to give refund even at slightest discontent of customer. Because that customer will be affected adversely, and will in turn affect those associated to him.
  3. Enjoyer. Bhokta.
     • Involves accommodating both pleasant & unpleasant experiences with an intelligent composure.
       • How to do this?
         • Agree in advance that you’ll remain poised no matter the experience.
         • Have a default method of perception to fall back on. EG:
           • (a) No matter what happens, it’s much more then THIS experience; it’s a learning opportunity.
           • (b) This experience is ishvara-prasada.
  4. Spiritual seeker. Mumukṣu.
     • Association with 3 factors: God (prayer), guru (learning from), scriptures (regular study). Means exclusive time for each out of your busy life.

Verse 1-3: Daivī-sampat: (Conduct for refining our body-mind instrument)

• Abhayam: Fearlnessness.
  • An objective mind.
    • Meaning an engaged intellect, seeing through the lens of the knowledge previously learned.
    • The objective person does not judge an illusion by its size, its seeming gravity, or anything that is related to the form it takes. It merely focuses on what it is, and knows that no illusion can be real.
  • Keeping mind’s eye on the highest purpose. That way, the big (scary) things, become small. Because your vision is much bigger then haphazard happenings.
• sattva-saṃśuddhiḥ: Mental Purity.
• Svādhyāyaḥ: Scriptural study.
• Dānam: Charity.
• Damaḥ: Sense-control deliberation.
• Yajñaḥ: Worship of God.
• Tapaḥ: Austerity.
• Ārjavam: Straightforwardness / Integrity.
• Ahiṃsā: Non-violence, kindness to all and absence of ill-will
• Satyam: Truthfullness.
• Tyāgaḥ: Renunciation.
• Śāntiḥ: Calmness and patience
• Apaiṣunam: Absence of slander (defamation).
• Dayā bhūteṣu: Kindness to all beings.
• Aloluptvam: Freedom from temptation.
• Mārdavam: Gentleness.
• Hrīḥ: Modesty.
• Acāpalam: Freedom from restlessness.
• Tejaḥ: Smartness.
• Kṣamā: Patience
• Dhṛtiḥ: Fortitude (mental strength, courage).
• Śaucam: Purity.
• Adrohaḥ: Absence of ill-will.
• Nātimānitā: Humility.

Verse 4-21: Āsurī-sampat: (Traits that ensure when the natural program is misinterpreted)

• Vanity (narcissism / self-glorification)
• Arrogance (self-importance)
• Anger
• Cruelty
• Ignorance (ceasing continued education)
• Impurity
• Absence of religious discipline
• Absence of truthfulness
• Absence of faith in God
• Endless desire of sense-pleasure
• Delusion (attaching meaning onto things without checking the facts)
• Attachment (transferring your dignity into an object)
• Greed (refusing to share / hoarding)
• Slander (speaking ill of others in such a way you’d feel embarrassed if they suddenly walked in and heard you).
• CONCLUSION:
  • Āsurī-sampat was subsumed in 3 fundamental traits (gateways to hell): Desire, anger and greed. Cause of āsurī-sampat is misguided or uneducated desire.

Verse 22-24: Validity of Scriptures

• Talked about importance of śāstra, being a valid means of knowledge against which we can contrast our conduct, and live a successful life.

Keywords:

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

Recorded 7 June, 2022