http://seminary.bhaktivedantaacademy.com/classes/bhagavad-gita-seriatim/

Given in Bhaktivedanta Academy, Sridham Mayapur, September 2010-April 2011

The following are lecture notes briefly delineating its contents.

• Inescapable duty means, it's something we have to do and we are going to always work it out. We are not avoiding duties, but not claiming the result - sannyasa. Sannyasi is the devotional mentality. Jnani's identity in nicely following religious activities is that they are so detached and properly behaved, so they are not actually detached from the result.

• Devotees engage senses in the Lord's service, but they don't dwell on sense objects.
• Yogi's look at the senses from the point of view of the mind, devotees - from intelligence
• Intelligence is the common point in karma and yoga
• Yoga in the first 6 stages are karma, only at dhyana it goes beyond karma.
• Real inaction is acting for Krishna.
• The more we make the connection, the more we see how karma, jnana and meditation is one thing, how they all meet in devotional service. Whatever is in the other processes, is included in bhakti to a greater degree, and more.
• Inescapable duty - sambandha, without expectation of results - prayojana. By defining sambandha and prayojana nicely, proper abhideya naturally follows.
• Even the nicest materialistic person does things for himself. Thus one develops pride, that comes from false ego, from ignorance, so there is a defect in the field, sambandha. Since prayojana expands from sambandha, prayojana will also be wrong in this case, so that means sooner or later there will be a wrong abhideya.
• Even yogis have to perform nishkama karma, until they get to the advanced stage.
• Para-vidya - transcendental knowledge, apara-vidya - Vedic knowledge connected to Krishna (but Upanishads call that also avidya, because Upanishads are meant for sannyasis), avidya - mundane knowledge
• Knowledge and sannyasa go together. One who does his duties, but renounces the results, is an actual sannyasi.
• The important point of jnana is the sannyasa element - performing duties with knowledge, we know that the result is not for ourselves - naishkarmya.
• The karma is only useful when that knowledge is there. We can get to meditation if we perform activities, the activities are only elevating if we have knowledge. So if we have knowledge, we will perform activities that bring us to the absorption in the Lord. This is the purpose of studying Gita.
• Knowledge is the central point, but the knowledge is static unless it is applied through activities. Proper activities with proper knowledge lead to devotion. Using the knowledge to please Krishna becomes bhakti. Real knowledge is bhakti, real activities are bhakti, real meditation is bhakti.
• Through jnana and karma combined, yogi elevates himself to meditation.
• Follower of the Vedic culture is better situated than a non-follower, because he already has the lifestyle necessary to practice devotion, he just needs to change the philosophy.
• Activities with proper knowledge increase both the knowledge and detachment, then one can actually attain success from jnana.
• 45:00 Discussion on how Dhruva Maharaja attained the Lord's mercy
• Administration has to be based on dharma, not artha
• 75:00 The attractive glitter of the material world will not be a problem, if seeing that we remember that is attractiveness come from Krishna
• 81:00 nothing is as quick and efficient as direct devotional activities, but we use the indirect processes to connect things that we are distracted by, as a part of "never forget"
• Brahmachari, vanaprastha, sannyasi are mostly only concerned with direct devotional activities. Grihastha - direct and indirect.
• We should always think of Krishna, either directly in the advanced stage, or by connecting our activities, in a less advanced stage
• 87:30 Overlaps and contradictions are most intense as the meeting points of male and female principles. Taste is there in the dynamic relationship. Planning and anticipating is an experience, but actually doing it is a greater experience.
• When sambandha and prayojana are combined practically, the experience from that is greater than the attraction.
• 92:00 Association with sadhu severs our attractions to material, through the use of intelligence. If the attractions are severed, attachments dry up. Sadhu does not directly attack our attachments, because it does not involve the use of intelligence. Attraction turns into attachment when it crosses over the intelligence; people then turn back to use intelligence just to get things done, not to analyze why they are doing it.
• No one likes when attachments are attacked. Better to nail down attractions. Attractions are connected to the identity, to the field.
• But the preacher should make a logical connection between the two - attraction and attachment, intellectual and emotional platform.