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.

• 'We have to understand: people being happy in the world in general, that's advertisement, that's marketing [Laughter]. In reality then everybody is miserable. They get their moments, but still we are talking moments, not even minutes or hours.'
• The mirror is only reflecting reality, but still there is some mechanics how the mirror works. Similarly the activities of the three modes are only reflecting the activities of samvit, sandhini and hladini.

• 05:30 Cultivating a particular mode - we can desire something we are not in, but usually the adjustment is very slow.
• Mechanics of the modes, and what we do with them is not connected. Even with lower ingredients we can make something nice.
• A devotee may be situated in the material world, but his consciousness is situated in the spiritual world.
• Demons in Vrindavan are in the spiritual world, but their consciousness is in the material world.
• We are here, we work with things that are here, but our consciousness should be that it's for Krishna.
• We do not actually want the glass on which things are reflected, but we want what's reflected.
• Whatever experience we gain from material energy, it's only because Krishna Himself is empowering it, but we think it's different.
• Present experience is only enjoyed if we don't notice it, as soon as we do, it moves in the future or in the past.
• 23:30 Conditioning means: when the elephant is small it's tied by rope that it can't break. When it grows up, it could easily break the rope, but because it's conditioned it doesn't.
• Happiness simply means removing pain. Satisfaction means, we are comfortable in a situation because of connecting it to Krishna
• Interacting with material energy isn't illusion, the reflection exists. What doesn't exist is our idea of being the enjoyer.
• Material concept is created by consciousness, but material energy is always there.
• If we see the Lord in material energy, He is actually present, but otherwise just His potencies are there
• Krishna and His internal potency are eternal. Material nature is also eternal, but the different reflected manifestations are temporary.
• 'That there is going to be an obstacle, that's just normal. Otherwise, what's the meaning of getting something done? Getting something done means, there is a difference between where you are situated and what you want. So right there that there is a difference, that's already an obstacle. So that principle of bridging the gap, that's an obstacle. But the point is is, why would you bridge that gap? Because of relationship. So if there is no relationship, it's a problem. If there is relationship, it's not a problem.'
• When there is a relationship with the Lord and His devotees, obstacles aren't a difficulty anymore
• By all philosophy we are trying to convince ourselves that actual relationships exist and we can become happy by them
• Detailed discussion on the terms of Taoism, how they correspond to Krishna and His potencies.
• 56:30 Mayavadi concept of 'jumping into sewer for pastime.'
• If we have faith, we can be an instrument of God's will presenting and making things happen.
• Faith based on knowledge can't be disturbed.
• Scientists, philosophers etc like the situations of the mode of goodness, though they themselves may be in ignorance. They are bound to repeated birth and death and thus suffer.
• Knowledge given in last six chapters is more technically advanced, but it is still subservient to that given in middle 6 chapters.
• Western culture - "that would be nice"
• Formerly the advancement of civilization was measured according to the advancement in the mode of goodness
• Many times devotee marriages fall apart because they give up culture that they practiced before taking to Krishna consciousness
• Too much passion is not a problem, if it is properly engaged in Krishna's service, because then it will be purified. Ignorance is a problem.
• In the spiritual world we are not worried about the technical workings of sandhini, samvit, hladini, because it would reduce the taste of the rasa
• Technique is used to disentangle us from the material.