Summary:

Introduction: The body and mind are introduced as instruments with three powers: desire (icccha shakti), action (kriya shakti), and knowledge (jnana shakti). These powers enable us to navigate life, form desires, make decisions, and learn. The relationship between brain, mind, and consciousness is explored,

Discerning Between Ahamkara (Ego) and Consciousness (Atma): Understanding your true Self (atman) involves recognizing two aspects: the ever-changing ego (Ahamkara), or the relative observer/knower — and the unchanging Self (Atma). Your ego is like a roller coaster of emotions and identities, constantly shifting based on circumstances and experiences. In contrast, your true Self is always aware of whatever is happening. While your ego might feel proud one moment and insecure the next, while Atma observes these fluctuations.

Chapter 2, Verse 20: This verse emphasizes the eternal and unchanging nature of the Self (Atma). It contrasts the indestructible Atma with the transient body-mind complex (sharira). The Self is described as unborn, eternal, unchanging, and ever-new. Analogies such as water and waves, and a movie screen are used to illustrate relationship between Self and world. 

REVISION:

Introduction:

In Verse 18, we are introduced to the concept that the body (Śarīra) is the instrument through which we navigate life. It allows us to experience, desire, think, and act. The body and mind are sophisticated tools endowed with three powers: desire (Icchā Śakti), action (Kriyā Śakti), and knowledge (Jñāna Śakti).

The Powers of the Body and Mind

Desire (Icchā Śakti) refers to the ability to form desires, which is a powerful endowment. For example, you might have the desire to engage in learning or, alternatively, to avoid certain actions. 

Action (Kriyā Śakti) comes into play once desires are formed and decisions are made. Decisions can either enrich your life or add additional burdens. That will depend on…

Knowledge (Jñāna Śakti) is the power that allows the mind to discern and learn new things. It gives you the ability to question, think, and arrive at conclusions that can improve your understanding and life.

Example of AI and Learning

The mind’s Jnana Shakti can be expanded through tools like AI. With AI, you can engage in a dialogue tailored to your needs, helping you learn more efficiently. By customizing the learning process, you can digest complex subjects (such as biology or astronomy) more easily. 

The Body and Mind as Tools for Moksha

The same body and mind (sharira) that allow you to learn and engage with the world can also be used to attain moksha (liberation). 

Relationship Between Brain, Mind, and Consciousness

The mind is subtle matter, while the brain is gross matter. The mind can exist independently, waiting for the physical brain to develop fully to express itself through actions. However, the brain is necessary for the mind to convert thoughts/desires into actions, which in turn resolves the unresolved thoughts of the mind. 

Discerning Between Ahamkara (Ego) and Consciousness (Atma)

1. Ahamkāra or Sense-of-Who-I-Am is Mutable, Atma is Immutable

The Ahamkāra, or ego, is subject to constant change—one moment you may feel proud, and the next moment you may feel insecure or small. These fluctuations reflect Ego's state. In contrast, Atma is immutable. It remains the same, unchanging presence that is aware of your sense-of-who-and-what-you-are (ego in short) going from proud, to insecure, to happy, to sad. 

2. Ahamkāra is Personal, Atma is Universal

Ahamkāra is personal and unique to each individual. For instance, one person may identify as “intelligent” while another identifies as “emotionally sensitive.” These are attributes of Ahamkara. However, Atma is universal and identical in all beings. Atma is the awareful-existence in which the intelligent and emotionally sensitive mind exists.

3. Ahamkāra is an Object of Consciousness, Atma is Pure Consciousness

A critical difference is that Ahamkara can be objectified. For example, there is helpless knowing of thoughts like “I am sad” or “I am happy.” These are states of the ego that are known in presence of Atma. 

4. Ahamkara Totally Changes Throughout Waking, Dream, Sleep

In waking, you say “I am a CEO”. In dream, you say “I am a beggar”. So in dream, your “CEO-I” has ended, replaced by “Beggar-I”.  And in deep sleep, both the CEO-I and beggar-I are gone. Ego totally gone.

5. Ahamkara is Influenced by Drugs / Food / Health

Why do some people take drugs? To increase their sense of I. Before drugs, my “I am (ego)” is not so confident. After drugs or alcohol, my “I am (ego)” is now creative, free and spontaneous. 

However before drugs, in presence of Self (Atma), there is an insecure “I am (ego)”. After drugs, in presence of Self (Atma), there is a confident “I am (ego)”. 

So there is an unchanging presence throughout your states-of-mind. 

For simplicity, states-of-mind is identical to ego.  So if you have a hard time distinguishing between Self and Ego, then replace the word “ego” with “state-of-mind“.

So Self (Atma) is the unchanging knower in reference to the states-of-mind (ego).

6. Ahamkara is Dependent, Atma is Independent

The Ego depends on external inputs—such as validation, success, or failure—to define itself. Ego's identity is shaped by circumstances. Atma, by contrast, is self-existent (svayam-prakāśa).

Someone's validation doesn't cause you to exist MORE. Fact is you exist. Atma is the self-revealing light that illumines the Ahamkara (states-of-mind).

7. Ahamkara can be Inflated/Deflated, Atma Illumines Those Conditions

Ahamkāra feels superiority/inferiority. While in presence of Self, there is recognition of your sense-of-I feeling inferior in proximity of another, or superior.  Awareness illumines jiva-hood (ego) sometimes feeling deflated, sometimes uplifted.

BHAGAVAD GITA, CHAPTER 2, VERSE 20

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचित्
न अयम् भूत्वा अभविता वा न भूयः ।
अजः नित्यः शाश्वतः अयम् पुराणः
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥ २-२०॥
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācit
na ayam bhūtvā abhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ ।
ajaḥ nityaḥ śāśvataḥ ayam purāṇaḥ
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre ॥ 2-20॥

This (self) is never born; nor does it die. It is not that, having been, it ceases to exist again. It is unborn, eternal, undergoes no change whatsoever, and is ever new. When the body is destroyed, the self is not destroyed.

• Body-Mind is Subject to Destruction/Change:
  • Śarīra (in verse) refers to your body-mind. It disintegrates. And your nature is not destroyed when body is.
    • EG: Wave has birth date. While it’s alive, has a given form. Water no birth date. Before wave came, water was there equally. Water as-though assumes form of wave.
    • What is birth of wave? As-though change of water. Water hasn’t become different from H2O while obtaining as wave.
    • Body undergoes 6 changes (fetus, birth, growth, maturity, decline, death). While mind undergoes countless changes.
• Atma is Not Subject to Any Kind of Change at Any Time:
  1. na jayate mriyate: Atma doesn’t come and go. Atma is sat (Existence) which is of nature of cit (Consciousness), and has no boundaries/limitations/form (Anantam); just as space seems to be divided, but is not divided. There’s one Existence-awareness that enables you to see the changing world (mithya). Why is world mithya? Because any form is forms-with-forms, ultimately reducing to concept, and concept collapses into sat-cit.
  2. Nitya: Atma is also not subject to time (eternal). How to understand this? Let’s analyze time. What time is it? 12pm. 1 hour is 60 minutes (so 60 minutes comes together and we call it 1 hour). 1 minute is composed of 60 seconds. 30 days we call 1 month. So we keep on building units of time. So time is divisions after divisions. And all units of time require Existence on which they are superimposed. 
  3. Śāśvata: Atma doesn’t undergo any change. Meaning Awareness that was shining on your 5-year-old mind is the exact same Awareness shining on this adult-mind.
     • EG: Light is projected in an orderly way onto a white screen. You cry and smile with the characters. While character is being shot, is screen shot? No. Without screen, drama can’t exist, and remains free from everything. You are like white-screen on which all thoughts exist.
  4. Purāna: Ever new. Remains always as itself.
• NEXT VERSE: Arjuna is reminded his duty…

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

Recorded 29 Sept, 2024