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.

• Karma, jnana and yoga are dependent on favorable situations, but pure devotional service is not dependent on favorable situation. In any situation one can remember the Lord by chanting His holy name.
• We get distracted because we have faith that material things can make us happy. Material world is always a distraction, trouble from beginning to end, but if we focus on Krishna we will not be distracted.

• Karma and jnana also work only because of their connection to Krishna.
• On kevala-bhakti level, the activities of karma and jnana remain and form may not change, but the mentality changes to Krishna being the important thing.
• 18:45 Liberation for man and for woman.
• Upper stages of devotion can be practiced by everyone, but lower stages of karma and jnana depend upon individual conditioned nature.
• If one is constantly endeavoring to know Krishna, Krishna will reciprocate.
• Devotee who is not distracted by material things (karma and jnana) takes birth in Krishna's pastimes in Gokula.
• 27:50 Material world goes the way it does, no matter whether we are devotee or not, but if we connect things to Krishna, we do not get the reactions, the sufferings. There are problems in the heavenly planets, because the perception changes.
• Activities of dharma and sanatana-dharma are the same. But karma, jnana and yoga have developed to keep materialists busy.
• 33:00 If the yogi was always thinking of Krishna, would he have to sit around like a pretzel?
• Verses 8.14-8.16 Focus comes on pure devotional service
• Material world is a place of misery, but our happiness comes from connection to Krishna
• "Unmanifested state" = Vasudeva-sattva, Mahat. It is a transcendental state, but the jiva is not conscious
• Kanishtha is attached to the results, madhyama is not attached to results, but is comfortable in activity, uttama is fully focused on Krishna.
• 65:00 Every living entity is giving different taste to Krishna, even if they are doing the same activity.
• Example of martial arts class in Gurukula.
• Those who follow culture and accept authority are better situated socially and economically than those who don't.
• 78:00  Concept of equality has meaning on the level of the soul
• Without authority nothing works.
• 83:00 Why it is better to act according to our nature.