Bhagavad-Gita Seriatim #70
This course is part of Sastra-Caksus, Year 1 and consists of 91 lectures, available on:

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.

  • Krishna is the condensed form of Brahman.
  • Brahman is the common platform of interaction with Krishna.
  • Being bound by the modes is to be on the material platform.

  • The modes keep us away from pure devotional service. Only by devotional service can we transcend the modes. But this is not which came first chicken or egg. Pure devotional service is always accessible.
  • How much we are freed from the modes, that much we are situated in devotional service.
  • 04:15 STARTING CHAPTER 15
  • Now Supreme Lord is explained.
  • To find the Supreme Lord, one does not have to go anywhere in terms of space, it's a matter of consciousness
  • We must find that place from which no one returns. Relationship happens in some place. One must get to the transcendental platform, then we can find the Lord. Unless we deal with the platform of eternity, then we are very far away even though the Lord is very close.
  • We must have appropriate qualities, but we must also know how to surrender. As we develop appropriate qualities, we will be able to surrender more and more
  • 10:40 Sun, Moon, fire are more lasting, lightning lasts just a second.
    People remember sitting around campfire, not light bulb, unless they are moths.
  • Qualities are analyzed separately, because they are important for surrender, but if we focus on detachment or other qualities without surrendering to the Lord. We are looking for qualities being combined with surrender to the Lord.
    Detachment is only important as a tool to help one surrender, it's not a goal.
  • Devotees achieve Brahman, but they still maintain a human body.
  • 16:00 Arjuna asks clear one-sentence questions. Even in astrological science unclear question cannot be clearly answered.
  • The tree's leaves are the Vedas, they make everything in this world attractive. However, if we understand the Lord, sense objects are not a distraction.
  • 18:50 Ashvattham also means "that which will not exist tomorrow," both for the devotees and non-devotees. Non-devotees' situation will not exist tomorrow, but their material existence is eternal.
  • The tree of the material world is unlimited, because it is a reflection of Krishna's qualities that are unlimited. It is very slow to develop detachment by going through the whole tree, elevation through knowledge. But the whole tree can be cut down very quickly by devotional service.
  • The root of the tree is the forgetfulness of Krishna. One may move very slowly through all the branches and leaves, but if one goes directly to the root the whole tree can be cut down.
  • Impersonal Brahman is not actually the place from which no one returns. Jiva has to situate himself in place where sat-cit-ananda is working, then one can not come back.
  • Since the tree is only the reflection, by so-called advancement we drift away from reality.
  • 26:40 "Material world is how you perceive the Lord's energy. It's not specifically a location. Means, it becomes a location, by perceiving the Lord's energy that way you situate yourself, in other words, situation is by consciousness."
  • 35:00 Detachment and attachment, seeing ourselves as servant of Krishna in direct and indirect. Troubles in family life - because one wants to get something out of it (passion) and does not accept the actual nature of women and children, doesn't want to train them.
  • Seeing detachment and other qualities not in connection to the Lord is atheistic.
  • Duty and feeling - mind and intelligence should be balanced.
  • 57:00 False prestige can only be applied in false association.
  • Delusion - because there is a much greater field than our sphere of false prestige.
  • Material lust is not gonna run out or go away, just we should be done with it
  • Jivas connect themselves to various Krishna's qualities, and once they do it successfully, they feel the element of eternity and Lordship and become puffed up, but it's not theirs, it's the Lord's. Even each quality is unlimited in itself.
  • 69:20 By pride we think that everybody should deal with us in a certain way
  • 70:00 detachment is only dry for impersonalists. Drama is not dry, if it is well done.
  • Struggling to engage or not to engage the senses is a problem.
  • People deluded by strong material desires lose all power to understand and experience their own material existence. All suffering comes from not having knowledge, therefore preaching.
  • If the desires of the living entity and his senses don't match, he attains a body according to his desires in his next life
  • Digestion works if life airs are balanced. There is a balance in eating, recreation, work etc and this is defined by the Lord
  • 112:10 Verses 15.16-18 Tri-sloki Gita
  • Fallible means conditioned, infallible means seeing everything in relationship to Krishna.
  • Conditioned souls deal with Krishna, but do not see him. Internal potency deals with Krishna and sees Him.
  • All the preliminary processes have to be applied only if the devotee is not yet engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord.
Share:
Tags:
Comments
All comments.
Comments