http://seminary.bhaktivedantaacademy.com/classes/bhagavad-gita-thematic

Given in Bhaktivedanta Academy, Sridham Mayapur, November 2011-April 2012

The following are lecture notes briefly delineating its contents.

• Body is the field through which the conditioned soul interacts with the world.
• Just scientifically studying the material situation will keep us in ignorance.
• Being inquisitive is very important, but we have to know where to be inquisitive into.

• We receive a body according to how we desire to dominate the material nature.
• Our body is the actual field of action. External fields my seem important, but until embodied beings come there, nothing happens.
• The living entity tries to control the material nature for his own purpose, so he enjoys and suffers. But the Supreme Lord only enjoys.
• Sambandha-jnana means knowing cit, acit and Ishwara.
• It is not the action itself that binds the living entity, it is his attachment to that activity. Therefore, if one desires for Krishna, one is not bound.
• When we return to our eternal position, we recover it. It is not that we have been conditioned eternally, but since it is difficult to trace out when it started, it is called eternal.
• Everything that we appreciate in the material energy, is still the Lord, but since we do not acknowledge it, we get the results of dealing with the material energy. Love gets transformed into lust.
• 59:00 Technology is developed by demons. However, we may use it in Krishna's service.
• Rice with ghee.
• When we follow rules we do our part, but it is not just following rules that makes things perfect, we have to do it to please Krishna.
• 67:30 If we reject scriptural rules, it means we have supposedly gone 'beyond God.' Mayavadis just want to become God, so this is even worse.
• All principles of religion are there to bring us to surrender to the Supreme Lord.
• If we keep our body, our field, clean, there is much more chance that our mind and consciousness will also be clean.
• If cleanliness was not important, why would Srila Prabhupada introduce it among the mlecchas where uncleanliness is standard?
• Mlecchas only keep things clean if they look nice and are efficient, or to avoid getting sick, or for prestige.
• Devotees are concerned with purity for upliftment and being able to interact with God.
• Bhagavad-gita 4.7-8 are describing the mood of Sankarshana.
• There may be duskrtinas who are very pious, but unfortunately we would consider them better than impious devotees.