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- Manu Samhita is the main dharma-shastra. There are about 20 different-dharma shastras, their details apply in different ages and situations.
- Varnashrama is rarely looked at as a complete social system.
- We think rules don't apply because we have lost understanding of them.
- Perverted reflection means that we put ourself in the center.
- By following dharma, lifestyle here is the same as in the spiritual world.
- The purpose of the rules is enhancing an aspect of relationship, but most take it as ritual.
- Tradition is how rules have been applied by great saintly persons - Manu smriti is about that.
- Knowledge has to begin with how it descended from the Lord.
- In Kali-yuga there are often times of distress, so comments of Yajnavalkya and especially Parashara are added for Kali yuga.
- Manu Samhita has 25 topics in 12 chapters (discourses).
- 18 titles of law.
- Topics may extend over several chapters - once we get used to it it becomes easier to read Vedic literatures.
- Svayambhu may refer to Krishna, Lord Brahma and Svayambhuva Manu. Manu is in charge of mankind.
CHAPTER 1 QUESTIONS OF THE SAGES
- Sages know Varnashrama, but they want to know rules in connection with the Supreme Lord. So Manu is actually on Daivi-varnashrama.
- Parts of Manu Samhita that don't apply are the rules that we chant Hare Krishna and don't care about.
- Even apara-vidyas are to be received in parampara and their connection to Vedanta must be maintained at all times.
- The idea of anuchana is to see all sciences and scriptures in relation to Vedanta.
- The students of Manu Samhita must be:
1) high-minded - one is in the mode of goodness, seeing good qualities in connection to the Lord;
2) elevated - one should be practicing it;
3) interested in the practice of religious life for the purpose of God-realization.
- There are people who are only interested in practice of religious life, or only in God-realization.
- One must be interested in how to apply religion transcendentally - then one can appreciate Manu Samhita.
- People only notice verses about fingers cut off - 2 out of 2,000.
- We are using the same translation of Manu Samhita that scholars used to discredit culture, to prove it, so no academics can complain.
- Pradhana is material energy in an undefined state.
- The Lord first establishes the field of activities for the living entities.
- The mind is real, but may have an unrealistic perception of the world.
- "The great one" = Mahat, material energy containing souls.
- The subtle body is actually all mind, which has divisions of mind, intelligence and ego.
- Mahabhutas are manifest from Sankarshana, senses - from Pradyumna.
- Sankhya is explained in 25 elements, or 9, or 16.
- Our identity is based on the senses and the mind.
- Body, sharira is the residence of the Supreme Lord.
- Mind comes from Aniruddha.
- Performing activities is Vasudeva.
- All shastras start with creation, because we have to know how everything connects to the Lord.
- In the beginning Lord assigned name, form and activities for every living entity.
- German girl riding on a Harley still manifests feminine nature.
- Impure nature is a problem, pure nature is never a problem.
- The three Vedas come from fire, wind and Sun.
- The way we see the world is through mind. Nakshatras are important, since they influence the mind.
- Time, Lord Brahma and Nakshatras are on the topmost level of goodness.
- The atomic particles are eternal, though the forms are perishable and change.
- Living entities spontaneously take to whatever activities are assigned according to their nature.
- Creation is always the same.
- Untruth spontaneously sticks to the tribal because it's important for them to not accept God and the Vedas.
- Human species accepts the Vedas and authority.
- We only change from tribal to human due to devotional service.
- People follow their day-to day concerns anyway, either in a scientific, or a non-scientific way.
- By analyzing the ingredients of the table one cannot understand the purpose of the table to keep shastra on.
- People who are successful usually use more intelligence, except for those who are very consistent in sentiment and become successful in that.
- Psychology is part of Ayurveda.
- Primary creation is done by the Lord. Secondary creation is what is done by Lord Brahma.
- Virat is the lotus from which Lord Brahma is born.
- In the primary creation there is the Lord and His internal potency. In the secondary creation there is material energy and us.
- Translators don't understand the Vedas, so sometimes they use obscure words.
- It's only through austerity that Lord Brahma creates.
- Through austerity even the bug is elevated to heavenly planets.
- By lack of austerity one is degraded.
- Lord Brahma created 9 Prajapatis who created other living entities.
- Some grandsons of Lord Brahma also became Prajapatis, so in total there are 21 Prajapatis.
- Apsaras are female gandharvas.
- Manes means forefathers, or pitris.
- Kinnaras are half-humans, half-animals.
- Living entities are born from womb, eggs, moisture and perspiration, and seeds, shoots, slips.
- Vanaspati - trees that bear only fruit.
- Vriksha - trees that bear both fruit and flowers.
- Plants possess internal consciousness and experience pleasure and pain.
- Creation starts with Lord Vishnu and ends with plants.
- Primary creation - sarga, secondary - visarga.