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.

• There are 2 knowers of the field of the body - the soul and the Supersoul. The soul knows his own body, the Supersoul knows all the bodies.
• The soul is beyond the body. The Supersoul is beyond the beyond.
• The basis of pure devotional service is connecting the soul with the Supersoul with the consideration of soul's conditioned nature as secondary.

• 13th chapter gets into technicalities. If we actually understand the material nature, we also understand our own position.
• The material nature is actually reflecting the activities of the internal potency. Krishna is interacting with His internal potency, and the material nature is reflecting that.
• Material energy is eternal, but it is constantly changing.
• In the spiritual world things are eternal, but also eternally expanding, so there is always something new.
• The material nature is also in one sense unlimited and there is always something new, but the problem is, the living entity misses the mood and sees it separately from the Lord and wants to enjoy that variety himself. The living entity makes the mistake that through material nature he is creating things, but actually it's just reflected from the Lord's interaction with His internal potency.
• 22:30  Abrahamic religions and personal liberation
• They mostly want to go to heaven, and God does not have to be a part of it
• The only purpose of material energy is getting us back to Godhead. With this scope anything can be used, including religions who give some appreciation of God.
• All can be used, but we choose to use the higher manifestations, which are closer to Krishna's culture in the spiritual world
• We can explain Vedanta philosophy to the crackhead, if needed, but unless necessary we would not get into that.
• We should not ask useless questions.
• Residents of the spiritual world don't speculate.
• Many people are austere - like modern girls, but still they don't want to give up the concept of controlling and enjoying
• 41:00 Why in spouses' relationship one is trying to control the other?
• But even if consciousness is changed, still male-female fight
• If the wife can control the husband, it means he cares, it means she will be secure.
• Without any variety, any unknown we would be bored. Radharani eternally creates variety.
• Mayavadis simply take one word and make a whole philosophy out of it
• In the interaction between us and rasagulla, rasagulla is actually the enjoyer and we are the enjoyed
• 74:30 "Sei annamrita pao" vs khao
• We are simply taking part in assisting in the interactions of Krishna and His energy
• Krishna and spiritual master are pleased if we are appreciating prasadam qualities - it's service to Him.
• Inexpensive cooking doesn't mean bad taste.
• 81:00 What is tradition - that is what works really well
• 83:20 The development of technology only creates a field in which relationship could be expressed
• The basis of lack of appreciating tradition is authority issues - if authorities tell you have to do this, but they can't explain why.
• 91:00 Cooking in the whole movement used to be consistent, based on the principles of Bengali cooking taught by Srila Prabhupada, but at some point it fell apart
• Tradition is not a specific form, it's a specific result, but the traditional forms are the most efficient ways to get the specific result
• 95:00 Why not wear dhoti? Some people say it's the consciousness that matters. How is it that pants improve consciousness? It's just what they want to wear.
• People may only take more books from someone in pants because they feel comfortable. If someone is comfortable in dhoti, people will take books, because they are just looking for someone who is happy.
• "Krishna is Madana-mohana, He is attractiveness personified. So now, to be attractive He goes out for, let's say He goes out for a night. And He has got thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of women are out there, and they are really eager to be there with Him. So now, He does that which will enhance, because He is saying here, He has expanded the field of activities, it's Him. So now, if the field of activities that would be the most attractive to women would be a pair of pants, don't you think He'd be wearing them? Do the women have any problem that Krishna wears a dhoti and chaddar, you've ever heard anyone complain, "Oh, wouldn't Krishna look so much more cool in a Versace suit or something?" They're perfectly fine."