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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4 Jnana-Karmasannyasa Yoga 30
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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5 Sannyasa Yoga 20
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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6 Dhyaana Yoga 15
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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7 Jnana-Vijnana Yoga 16
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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8 Akshara Brahman Yoga 17
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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9 Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga 20
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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10 Vibhuti Yoga 22
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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11 Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga 10
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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12 Bhakti Yoga 16
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Lecture14.1
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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13 Kshetra-Kshetrajna vibhagah yoga 23
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*श्लोक ११*
कायेन मनसा बुद्ध्या केवलैरिन्द्रियैरपि ।
योगिन: कर्म कुर्वन्ति सङ्गं त्यक्त्वात्मशुद्धये ॥ ११॥
So these योगिन: i.e. these कर्म योगी-s, what do they do?
सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा |
सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा is spoken of here again, and again in verse 12, but in 12 it is specifically कर्मफलम् त्यक्त्वा (giving up).
So what do these योगी-s do?
योगिन: कर्म कुर्वन्ति – they perform कर्म |
How?
With their body/काया, their mind/मनसा, intellect/बुद्ध्या (these are in 3rd case Sanskrit).
And also with their sense of इन्द्रियै: अपि |
But that everyone does, so what is so special about this?
The difference is that they do सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा i.e. they give up the dependence, the obsession with results. In other words, they try to see different situations as प्रसाद |
And why are they doing all this song and dance, for what? Oh, for आत्मा शुद्धि: |
आत्मा is anyway नित्य बुध शुद्ध मुक्त स्वभाव | So आत्मा here is referring to the अंतःकरण/mind.
So, for आत्मा शुद्धि: means for अंतःकरण शुद्धि: |
Now, this अंतःकरण शुद्धि: project can seem like a lifetime project. That’s why we have to learn to be compassionate with ourselves. Because if you are in this for the long haul, then you will sooner or later beat yourself up. What, I can’t even get over this राग of chocolate, I tried so hard, I just cannot give this up. It’s okay, relax. You do what you can.
When we are looking at अंतःकरण शुद्धि:, we mean a relative freedom from our रागद्वेष |
Now if you’re going a little deeper into this, then अंतःकरण has three components together with the अहंकार, holding the functions of the अंतःकरण/mind/inner instrument.
So how can the अहंकार be शुद्ध ? शुद्ध meaning you are free from रागद्वेष-s related to your self concept~ This is how I should be perceived. This is how I must be treated. People will treat you the way that they can best treat you.
Everyone has an idea of ‘this is who I should be’. But the word ‘should’ has a very absolute quality to it. And that pressure that we create on ourselves by the word ‘should’ doesn’t allow us to breathe, doesn’t allow us to be.
Yes, ‘should’ was important in childhood for discipline and so on and so forth, but what does अहंकार शुद्धि: mean? Real शुद्धि: in that sense is only seeing that you don’t have an अहंकार | That अहंकार is understood as the आत्मा |
Until then, अहंकार stays surrendered. अहंकार is now a भक्त in relation. Always in connection with भगवान्, so ever purified.
When I see my connection with भगवान्, then I am not this suffering, isolated, alienated individual, at least one connection I have. Maybe I’m a little disconnected with other few people, in time it will come back, but at least with भगवान् I am connected. And all that is here is given to me- body, mind, senses, abilities are given, given, given. So then अहंकार stops bothering me, it’s functional- I can get things done, I do, whatever I need to do I do.
Then what about शुद्धि: of चित्तम् ? Because there are four functions of the अंतःकरण/inner instrument- चित्तम्/memory, बुद्धि:/intellect, and मन:/mind(desires, emotions, etc.). Can you have शुद्धि: in the desires and emotions? Well it’s all a part of the order- anger, frustration, rage, sadness, disgust, excitement, cheerfulness, etc. It’s all a part of the psychological order. There is some cause-effect relationship between all of it.
So whatever is there in the mind is either because of the present situation, or largely because of how I’m reacting to the past. So residue might be there, or whatever build up, I have not resolved certain issues maybe. So there is guilt about certain things, there might be anger about certain things, and so on.
Then the बुद्धि:, what is the शुद्धि:(purity) of the बुद्धि:? The बुद्धि: can be purified only by aligning oneself to functional reality at least. How will you take decisions if you don’t know if this is a mirage or what? If you’re going in the desert, this is a mirage? Yes, no, I don’t know? So you need some certainty. बुद्धि: is for decision making, whatever decision making. So you are open to facts. You are not afraid like the ostrich who buries the head in the sand. It doesn’t want to face reality. Reality is all around but no no, I don’t want to face it, I just escape. So how शुद्धि: will take place?
When we say अंतःकरण शुद्धि:, we have to dwell on what that is. That the अहंकार is free from रागद्वेष |
रागद्वेष have come from patterns, but they are all a part of the psychological order. If I resist the psychological order, I’m resisting myself, I’m resisting भगवान् | Is it helping me? No.
Then how can I purify the बुद्धि:? By aligning myself to reality. What is functional reality? It is ईश्वर विभूति(Glory) | Everywhere, all manifestations, everything. It’s all the glory of ईश्वर | So all the way then the अहंकार is not struggling-अहंकार anymore.
One may still be struggling with situations. Maybe I still need to acquire certain skills, maybe I’m upgrading my portfolio. But the अहंकार is so aligned to reality, is accepting of facts, is cheerful because of recognizing blessings all the way every day. Then अहंकार no longer is struggling. अहंकार is in harmony with what is.
We need to be in harmony with what is relatively speaking first, before you are able to appreciate the absolute reality, that is in and through all the व्यवहार |
So with whatever instruments that have been given, what do the कर्म योगी-s do? Yes, there are रागद्वेष-s.
But, they perform कर्म because they know that whatever be the outcome of the कर्म that I do, it’s not going to be enough for the unwept sorrow that is there in my heart.
What is this unwept sorrow? The sorrow of the human condition.
So I may have topical sorrow because of a situation, some event or something. So maybe that is also unwept. If it is unwept, then please cry, howl, scream, whatever you need to do you please do.
But this is the helplessness of being the human being. The limitation that despite everything it will all come to an end one day, whenever that is.
A child was writing his homework. The teacher said to write your five top wishes. The first wish the eight-year-old child writes is that I don’t want to die. Why? Because if I die, then with rebirth I may have some other mother and father, and I don’t want that, I want only this mom and dad.
So this 8-year-old is saying that I don’t want to die. Already the sense of limitation is being experienced. Of course generally the limitation is- Oh, you’re not allowing me to play, what is this? But here, I don’t want to die. I don’t want what I’m going through to come to an end.
This is the sorrow we all have.
Then the only way out is not to do positive thinking. The way out is to say- is it real? Is this human condition absolutely real? Or is it something that is a superimposition on the Truth. That’s all what the विचार is about.
So this कर्म योगी knows that whatever I do, I am not going to be satisfied. And this is a moment of great clarity. It is not a moment of resignation. It’s a moment of great clarity that whatever I do, I will never be fully satisfied with it. Because the nature of every कर्मफल limited. The nature of कर्म is limited. What will satisfy me is only that I see I am the infinite. Only the infinite can satisfy me, nothing else. And so we can really enjoy our lives because we don’t burden a limited कर्मफल with infinity.
So the फल, e.g. the apple is limited, it will last for so long, you enjoy, that’s it, over. Some more कर्मफल is there- mangoes are there, enjoy for this season, then it’s over.
So then what happens to such a person, this कर्म योगी?
*श्लोक १२*
युक्त: कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा शान्तिमाप्नोति नैष्ठिकीम् ।
अयुक्त: कामकारेण फले सक्तो निबध्यते ॥ १२॥
So this person who is together, who is a कर्म योगी,
कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा – The person is working for the कर्मफल knowing that for my emotional growth I need this right now, in this stage of my life. And I will learn to be okay with whatever comes. I have given my best to this situation. I’m not going to define myself by the outcome of the situation but at the same time I really want that promotion, or whatever it is.
So learn to hold paradoxes. This is very important. Because वेदान्त is presented in lots of paradoxes. Otherwise we get into categorical thinking. You can hold both, both of these seemingly apparently contradictory paradoxes. What is that?
I work, I want the result, and yet I am free from the result. I am not going to define myself by the result. It kind of seems seems contradictory, it’s not.
So you work towards the result/कर्मफल, but you know very well that you stop having a say the moment you drop the ball from your hand from six floors above. It’s no more in your hands. When the ball was in your hand, then whatever you wanted to do, then that’s fine. But let’s say you throw it with some force. It’s out of your hands literally and metaphorically. Then the laws of nature, gravity, etc. will take over. You have nothing to say, even if you want to say you can go on saying. It’s out of your hands. The laws of nature, the laws of gravity, the laws of कर्म, everything will shape it.
So that is कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा | कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा is NOT the ad nauseam repetition of~ work without expectations etc. No.
And by doing this कर्मफल त्यक्त्वा, there is so much relaxation, so much शान्ति |
शान्ति we translate as peace of mind, but here,
शान्तिम् आप्नोति नैष्ठिकीम् –
नैष्ठिकीम् is referring to a certain commitment that comes from a life of कर्म योग |
So the शान्ति can be relative. E.g. you went to a place, and there’s lots of greenery and there’s a nice stream and there’s beautiful sunlight. So you see it and you feel peaceful. Or you listen to some nice Japanese music- so nice, so peaceful. So, situational शान्ति, related to something.
The nature of the आत्मा is पर-शान्ति i.e. absolute शान्ति which can hold any conflict. So, not absence of conflict. आत्मा accommodates order, disorder, conflict, no-conflict.
Often the example that is given is that of the white-screen in the theater movie. The theater screen is there, and then different movies are screened on it. So different categories are there- romance, comedy, thriller, horror. So like that on the screen of your life i.e. the awareness that you are, different movies get screened. So there are certain phases- certain phases are very tragic, some are very funny, and then some are thrillers, all the time thrilling. It’s like a roller coaster ride. Though all this is going on, the screen is untouched.
Suppose there is a blazing forest fire in this movies. Then is the fire brigade called? Oh, we have to extinguish the fire. No. The screen always remains untouched.
So this is that शान्ति | That the one who is aware of all this drama, the one who is aware of how the कर्ता is moving around in the world, how the experiences are being experienced, all that whatever drama, whatever movies are being projected. That I am that पर-शान्ति, absolute शान्ति in which all this प्रकृति, the play of the गुण-s happens, and that’s fine.
So again, the कर्म योगी gains this शान्ति: because of the commitment to कर्म योग |
Not that- oh, this कर्म I like to do, so yes of course I offer it to ईश्वर; Other things- no that I don’t. So, not like that, not selective.
And then the first line of the श्लोक is contrasted with the second one which is-
if the person is अयुक्त: i.e. NOT a कर्म योगी, but a simple कर्मी,
then what is it that guides the person?
काम i.e. binding desire. So things have to be done in this way only. So when desire leads you like this, and especially binding desire, then what happens?
We are so obsessed with the outcome. We cannot sleep for nights- what’s going to happen, what’s going to happen, I hope it works out, I hope it works out etc.
So, सक्त: निबध्यते – that I am bound, I feel trapped, I feel stuck, because I am not getting the result that I want.
When something determines my mood, then I’m stuck. So we have to understand what this being bound means. That I am not able to do what needs to be done because I feel stuck because things didn’t happen in a particular way.
So on the other hand, the one who knows… And here भगवान् is not really talking so much about the one who knows the Truth, but just a commitment to a life of कर्म योग, working towards the goal of self discovery. Having some insights, one recognizes that I am like that screen that is untouched.