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.

• Ishvara-bhava means protection of the citizens.
• One who does not protect is not a kshatriya
• 04:30 Brahmacharis protecting women and grihasthas.
• Grihastha life not leading to ultimately engaging body, mind and words in the Lord's service is like being in the kitchen and just banging pots, but not cooking.

• 18:00 Whatever qualities we have, we engage in Krishna's service. We do not have to worry about things we do not have. If it's nice and clear, we engage that, if it's mixed, we engage that.
• 20:20 Which varna is the temple president?
• 38:00 "Street hustling"
• Brahmachari training means proper explanation of masculine-feminine principles
• When it comes to things, men are very good at understanding the masculine-feminine nature. But if it's conscious, they don't apply it. That's called stupid, that's why it says men attached to women are more stupid. I mean, you have man and woman, man is more intelligent, woman is less. But a man attached to woman is less intelligent than the woman. Why? Because he doesn't apply these [masculine-feminine] principles.
• [The authors of self-help books] see a lot, so they can help a lot. But it only really helps when you are able to understand that point that they are tring to make. And much of the time they can't express it. So when they say, "Yeah, you do like this," in their mind they are thinking of some principle, and so it works for them. But when they give an example and you are trying to use it, it doesn't work. Why? Because the principle has not been given. So either they can't express it or you can't find it. So that's the difficulty with self-help."
• Why does it say 'self-help'? Because you got to apply it, they are not going to apply it for you. They helped themselves when you paid for their book. That helped them. Now, you can read it, but until you apply it, you have to do it yourself. So it still comes back to self-realization.
• 80:45 snag - sensitive new age guy
• To do some other's duty means you don't understand yours. We will use the thing, "Oh, we are not this body," but the point is what are you going to do the work with? The body. So if you are not the body, why are you using it? The rules are connected to the body, and you say, "Oh, we are not this body, Prabhu. So we can do whatever we want." Yes, so, you as the soul do whatever you want. Leave the body out of it. The rules apply to the body, not to you, it's true. That's good. Good understanding. But the body is going to function according to those rules. You follow the rules, it works, you don't follow the rules - it won't work. So the thing that I don't need to follow them is illusion. So therefore it won't have a good result.