Summary:

The talk explores the nature of human existence, emphasizing the interplay between our physical, subtle, and causal bodies. It discusses how we assume various roles in life but often lose our true identity in them. How to have equanimity, the importance of empathy, and the distinction between the doer and the true self. The talk delves into the idea of Svadharma (personal duty) and the nature of Atma (self) as ever-present awareness. It addresses the challenges of self-realization, the concept of Moksha (liberation) as removing ignorance rather than gaining something new, and the continuity of the Jiva (individual being) across lifetimes. Importance of Ishwara's grace is achieved through personal effort, and the need for continued assimilation (nididhyasana) of self-knowledge even after initial realization. Talk stresses the difficulty yet simplicity of recognizing oneself as awareness, due to deep-rooted conditioning (samskara/vasana).

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

1. The human instrument: We come into this world with an “instrument” – our physical body and subtle body. This instrument ages, decays, and goes through different situations. The subtle body enables us to see, hear, taste, experience, and think.
2. Human emotions: Even wise people have human hearts meant to experience empathy. Emotions are not outside of wisdom – feeling into others' pains and joys is part of being human.
3. Equanimity: Scriptures don't mean wise people are indifferent, but rather they have equanimity due to understanding the nature of the human instrument.
4. Roles and identity: We assume different roles (father, worker, teacher etc.) but can lose ourselves in those roles. Wisdom is recognizing there is an “I” separate from these roles.
5. The doer and enjoyer: We often place our identity in the “doer” of actions, leading to cycles of doing and enjoying/suffering.
6. Three bodies: The physical body, subtle body, and causal body. The causal body contains impressions (samskaras) that shape our personality and future experiences.
7. Swadharma: Defined as one's personal duty or “what is to be done” based on one's values and relationships.
8. Nature of the Self (Atma): The Self is not an object to be experienced in the future, but the ever-present awareness in which all experiences occur.
9. Moksha (liberation): Not gaining something new, but removing the ignorance that obscures our true nature as awareness.
10. Difficulty of self-knowledge: Despite its simplicity, recognizing oneself as awareness is often challenging due to deep-rooted conditioning.
11. Ishwara's grace: The effort we put in to help ourselves recognize our true nature, not something randomly delivered.
12. Continuity of the Jiva: The causal body continues across lifetimes, carrying impressions and tendencies.
13. Assimilation of knowledge: Even after gaining self-knowledge, one needs to continue immersing in the teaching to remove lingering notions of being limited.

BHAGAVAD GITA, CHAPTER 2, VERSE 14:

मात्रा-स्पर्शाः तु कौन्तेय शीत-उष्ण-सुख-दुःख-दाः ।
आगम अपायिनः अनित्याः । भारत तान् तितिक्षस्व ॥ २-१४॥
mātrā-sparśāḥ tu kaunteya śīta-uṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ ।
āgama apāyinaḥ anityāḥ । bhārata tān titikṣasva ॥ 2-14॥

Kaunteya (Arjuna)! The contacts of the sense organs with the sensory world that give rise to cold and heat, pleasure and pain, which have the nature of coming and going, are not constant. Endure them, Bhārata (Arjuna)!

• Objects come in contact with senses. Then they give two things: śita uṣṇa (stands for physical discomfort: cold and heat), and sukha-duhkha (stands for mental discomforts). Nobody can totally avoid discomfort at level of body and mind.
• When physical/mental challenges come (meaning life throws colors at you), what is your attitude? Titiksha. Capacity to look at a situation with a certain composure. Retain your thoughtfulness while challenged. How?
  • By recognizing each hardship or situation is an opportunity for growth. And growth helps refine your mind to capture the final reality (Atma). The more we leave unresolved pressures unattended, the more mind is occupied with useless narratives. 
  • Acknowledge that most important lessons in your life actually came from times of pain and challenge.
  • Pain is inevitable on earth, as nothing remains the same.
  • WHERE IS YOUR SELF-WORTH PLACED IN? Get clear the roles you play and all the worth attached on those roles, is not your (atma's) worth. Ask yourself, “Where is my self-worth placed in?”. If you're brutally honest, you may find putting self-worth in one or more of the roles played. For example, when the role is no longer needed, I feel I am not worthy anymore. This is an indicator I (atma) has lost perspective and entangled myself in the roles, and the worth attached to them, which have now became My worth. It's analogous to the actor forgetting her or his honor by getting taken for ride by the role of the beggar being played on the stage. Now we have two entities caught up in the drama, when in fact only the beggar was supposed to be participating in the drama.
• NEXT VERSE: Helps you understand relationship between you (the invariable presence) and the variable world of pain and pleasure…

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Course was based on Neema Majmudar's Bhagavad Gita & Swami Dayananda (Arsha Vidya) home study course.

Recorded 25 Aug, 2024