0:03

The

0:29

Bhagavad Gita is a book of mankind's

0:31

collected experience of, and answers to,

0:34

life's most basic questions. Who

0:36

I am? From where do I come? What

0:38

is my purpose and destiny? And most practically,

0:41

how do I find happiness? These

0:44

podcasts originate in the lectures of Neel

0:46

Bhatt, a disciple of Swami Chinmayananda.

0:49

They are presented here in 20 to 30 minute

0:51

segments, each covering three of the Gita's

0:53

701 verses. Welcome

0:56

to Gita Wisdom for Daily Living. We

0:58

have been discussing

0:59

Chapter 8, Akshara

1:01

Brahma Yoga, Yoga of Imperishable

1:04

Brahma. So the goal of this chapter

1:07

is to define the fundamental

1:09

reality. At

1:11

the core of my being, who I am,

1:14

is the fundamental question.

1:17

If I can find out who I am,

1:19

which cannot be reduced

1:22

down to something else. My

1:24

perception of my own identity

1:27

is threefold. My physical identity,

1:30

my mental identity, my

1:32

intellectual identity.

1:35

And when I put all this together, I create a perception

1:38

of a person that I am. But

1:41

all these personalities are

1:44

emergent personalities and not fundamental

1:47

personality that I am. That

1:50

we understand the core of our own question,

1:53

who I am. And this chapter

1:56

is defining it in a larger

1:59

context. the Supreme Reality

2:03

and therefore when Arjuna

2:05

requested Bhagawan to define

2:07

the six terms, the first

2:09

one is Brahman, the second

2:11

was Adhyatma and

2:14

Bhagawan responded by saying, Brahman

2:17

is imperishable when it

2:20

is experienced as a soul

2:23

of a being, a core of a being, it

2:25

is a dhyatma, so bhava, a

2:27

dhyatma, what you feel

2:29

as your own self is a dhyatma,

2:32

that a dhyatma is not different

2:34

than the Brahman, the imperishable

2:37

fundamental reality. So the goal

2:39

of this chapter is to define fundamental

2:42

reality

2:43

at the micro level and also

2:46

at the macro level

2:48

and then he says, Prayana

2:50

Kalecha Katham Dnieoshe

2:52

Nieta Atma Bhi.

2:55

And at the time of departure,

2:58

how the self-restrained people

3:01

can know you. So

3:04

he already clarified that only

3:06

self-restrained people will be able to

3:08

know, Arjuna said, I understand that part,

3:11

then not everyone will be able to

3:13

recognize the Supreme Reality,

3:17

but those who control over

3:19

their own self will be able to

3:21

recognize you, but how?

3:24

Bhagawan, I do not know how part.

3:27

So Bhagawan described all the six terms and

3:29

then he

3:31

answered the question how. So

3:33

at the time of departure, Prayana

3:36

Kale, Prayana is we

3:38

say in our Naku language,

3:40

if you are going from one place to another, that's a Prayana.

3:44

So the Prayana Kale is the time of departure

3:47

for the journey. So

3:50

even when we say Anta Kale, the

3:53

end time, it is only end

3:55

of this journey, this

3:58

life journey, when it ends we call it, death.

4:01

But the death is not the end of everything. It

4:04

basically is the departure time for

4:06

the next journey. At

4:08

that time, how one should recognize

4:11

yoga if he is self-restrained?

4:14

And Bhagawan actually answered that question

4:18

in verse 8.

4:25

Here

4:30

is the method.

4:32

How one can recognize that supreme

4:34

reality,

4:35

the fundamental reality that

4:38

you are? Bhagawan

4:40

said by Abhyasya Yogi Yukthi Na,

4:43

by constant meditating

4:46

upon that reality.

4:48

Chietasa na ajna gamina, the

4:51

mind not going in

4:54

other directions,

4:56

not thinking about anything else. So

4:58

if I want to know something, I have to focus on

5:00

that subject, on that entity

5:03

to figure out what it is. But

5:06

if my mind is running in all different directions,

5:08

obviously I won't be able to focus. So Bhagawan is qualified.

5:11

Chietasa na ajna gamina,

5:14

the mind not going anywhere

5:16

else,

5:17

Abhyasya Yogi Yukthi Na,

5:20

constant practice. constant

5:23

practice in inquiring

5:25

who I am. Paraman

5:28

puru sambh di bhir miyati

5:30

partha anu chinten, by constant

5:32

meditation, O Partha. That

5:35

supreme being is recognized.

5:38

That supreme being in the first definition

5:40

of Bhagawan says that immutable, imperishable

5:43

brahmana,

5:44

same brahmana is functioning as

5:47

your own self, as a dihatma,

5:49

which you experience as I.

5:52

That I can be recognized by

5:54

constant practice, constant

5:57

focus on soul.

7:52

knowledge

8:00

which are the Daivam or the Agnus

8:03

world of experience, Bhagavan said you

8:05

should know that there is nothing but the Brahmana law.

8:08

Then only one fundamental reality

8:10

manifests through all these different manifestations

8:14

is the knower and the knower, the

8:16

world and you, Prakriti

8:18

and Purusha.

8:21

Bhagavan said if you now focus

8:23

on these eight qualities of

8:25

Kavim Puranam and Manosasitaram

8:29

and if you constantly meditate

8:31

on that, you should be

8:33

able to recognize

8:35

that Self. So the verse 10

8:39

says, Prayana Kalena

8:42

Manasa Achaalena Bhaktiya

8:44

Yukto Yoga Balena Chayeba

8:48

Bhuvormadev Pranamaveshy

8:50

Samyak Satam Param Purusam

8:53

Upai Kedirvyam

8:55

So you want to give the goal, what to think

8:57

about it

8:58

and now I am saying as you know

9:00

as Christian directly,

9:02

Prayana Kalena in the time of

9:04

departure. The most commentators

9:07

obviously have concluded this Prayana

9:10

Kalena, this time of departure is

9:12

departure of the

9:14

soul from this body is the time of death.

9:17

But even there we have recognized that

9:19

that is not the end for this

9:21

entity called Jiva.

9:23

It's a journey. We have

9:26

lived through this journey of this life and

9:28

now you take the next journey. At

9:32

that time, what should be my

9:34

goal? If the goal is to achieve

9:37

the knowledge of the Supreme Being and if

9:40

that's the last thought at the time

9:42

of the departure, then you will reach there.

9:45

If the goal is something else,

9:47

Bhagavan said,

9:48

then you will reach that destination. So

9:51

destination you have to decide in the

9:53

time of your departure. We

9:56

make this journey every night when

9:58

we go to sleep.

9:59

At that time, I'm literally ending

10:02

my day's journey

10:04

and going to the sleep and

10:07

I will be reborn again the next

10:09

morning in the same body.

10:12

I'm not afraid of this journey

10:15

because I know that I'll wake up in

10:17

the same body.

10:18

Where else I'll start? I'll start where I left off

10:20

today. The things which I have

10:23

planned, which I did not complete

10:25

today or I have planned for the next day. The

10:28

next day, my journey will start from

10:31

the thought which I gathered up

10:33

till now

10:34

and created my destination, what

10:36

I'm going to do.

10:37

As I said last time on Saturday night

10:39

when I go to bed, I think about the Krita

10:42

class on Sunday morning. And Sunday night

10:44

when I go to bed, I think about going

10:46

to my office on Monday morning.

10:48

So the goal is already determined

10:51

in the time of departure. So

10:54

if I go and say, Prayana Kali

10:56

Manasa Acheleena. At

10:59

the time of departure, your mind

11:01

should be fixed on where do you

11:03

want to go from here. If

11:05

I have not decided where I'm going to go, if

11:07

I sit in my car

11:09

and then start driving,

11:11

but I have not yet decided where I want to

11:13

go, it's a mess because

11:16

I may end up anywhere. I'll

11:18

be driving without any go. So

11:21

once at the time of departure, any

11:23

journey, you have to fix your goal first.

11:27

So I've heard Swami Nikhilanda saying that

11:30

your atma is not really

11:32

afraid of this death because it has

11:34

gone through many times this departures

11:37

before.

11:38

It departed from one state of existence,

11:41

it went into another state. Therefore,

11:43

you may be afraid of all the pains

11:46

you heard about, the difficulties

11:48

you heard about at the time of death.

11:50

But you're so not really afraid of death

11:53

because you know this has happened many times before. Just

11:55

as when I go to bed, every day, I

11:57

know I've done it many times before, I'm going to wake up

11:59

to it.

11:59

The same

12:02

way the Atma knows that

12:04

this journey is not the last

12:06

journey, I am departing for the next journey. And

12:09

therefore I have to be prepared, I should know where

12:11

I am going. The only experience

12:14

I don't have is of non-existence.

12:17

Anytime the thought of non-existence

12:19

comes,

12:20

that's where I get really worried. So

12:23

many of these Swamis

12:26

and Sadhus have said that even

12:28

the meditator who is really meditating

12:31

on

12:32

the Supreme Self, when the

12:34

last moment comes to give up

12:36

the ego, that the most frightening

12:38

moment because the ego has

12:41

no

12:42

experience of not existing. The

12:44

jiva has only experience

12:46

of existence. But

12:49

if a goal is to achieve the Supreme

12:51

Self, then mind should be

12:53

completely fixed on that. So that discrimination,

12:56

what are you trying to get out of this journey?

13:00

So

13:04

these three requisites Bhagawan

13:06

has given here. When you take

13:08

a journey, then you should have one discrimination.

13:11

There is no other thought, but

13:13

you are going to go there. And

13:14

this is what you are going to achieve in this journey. It's

13:17

like an Olympian.

13:19

Whatever the sport or whatever the activity

13:21

he or she is

13:23

taking up, at that point

13:25

a skater or a diver,

13:28

he or she cannot have

13:30

any other thought but about that activity

13:32

alone. The next thing I am going to do is this.

13:35

Any performer will know this,

13:37

that if you focus on something else, they will

13:40

lose your words, your lyrics. Manasa

13:42

Acheleana fixing their mind on

13:45

the go.

13:47

Bhaktiya Yukta. You

13:49

know, endowed with devotion. And devotion

13:51

we have learned before is

13:54

nothing but identification.

13:57

The identification with my

13:59

goal

13:59

if it is so strong. If

14:02

I love my destination, I want

14:05

to love Hawaii and I love going to

14:07

Hawaii. What's my love Bhakti

14:09

for that Hawaii? So if I

14:11

want to achieve that supreme reality,

14:13

the supreme self, I should have love

14:16

for that supreme self.

14:18

It cannot be that I love everything else and

14:20

maybe

14:21

if I have time I'll think about supreme self.

14:23

Bhakti a yukta. Yoga

14:26

Balena Chihebu and this is discipline.

14:28

Yoga Balena with all the

14:30

constant practice that I have done so far.

14:32

I have prepared myself

14:34

for this journey.

14:36

I'm ending this journey and

14:39

starting a new journey. This

14:42

is a crucial time of departure from

14:44

this day to the next day. At

14:47

that time I should have gathered

14:50

all the capabilities that I need

14:52

for the journey.

14:54

I should have bought the ticket, I should have visa,

14:56

my passport is in order, all

14:59

of that. If I miss one of them, I

15:01

will not be able to take the flight.

15:04

So Yoga Balena

15:06

gathered all the capabilities

15:09

for that journey with

15:12

love for the destination Bhakti

15:15

and Manasa and single thought I am

15:18

right now taking this journey.

15:21

I cannot go and do something else.

15:24

I have to wait for the flight call, go

15:26

through the security, go through immigration.

15:29

At that time I can't go and do

15:31

something else. Braho ho madhye

15:34

pranam aves chasamyak

15:37

sattam param puru samupayi devyam

15:41

Now this can be taken very literally

15:43

that yogis who have achieved

15:46

that state of single-pointedness

15:51

and achieved that yogic powers.

15:54

At the time of death,

15:56

they can gather a whatever

15:58

vital energy left in the

15:59

the body and focus between

16:03

the two eyebrows. And

16:05

then if he departs from this day, he

16:07

will achieve the destination of Satam

16:10

Parampurusam Upayati Divyam.

16:12

He becomes one with that

16:15

splendid Purusha, the

16:17

Supreme Self. Swamiji

16:20

explains that this is also a concentration

16:23

of a meditator. He has gathered

16:26

this strength by constant meditation.

16:30

That mind is not wavering anywhere.

16:33

And he is a love for

16:35

that goal, the destination

16:37

that I want to achieve the goal, which has no

16:39

limitations.

16:41

I have this journey with all my limitations.

16:44

My next destination is to

16:46

achieve limitless-ness.

16:50

And if I am convinced and I

16:52

am convicted about my goal, if

16:54

I gather all my energy, all my

16:57

thoughts

16:57

towards that goal and

17:00

make that leap in dissolving

17:03

the ego, the limitedness

17:06

that I am identifying with, which

17:08

I have understood it is not me. The body

17:11

is in Upadhi, the mind is

17:13

in Upadhi, intellectual in Upadhi,

17:15

the Supreme Position. I

17:17

want to know my own Self. And such a person

17:19

achieved that. Yat aksalam

17:22

veda vido vadanti. That

17:24

imperishable which Veda

17:28

knowers speak about. Visanti

17:30

yat yata yaha vita raga ha.

17:34

And those freed from attachment

17:37

enter into these states.

17:40

Yat ichanto brahmacharya mchandanti.

17:43

Desiring which people

17:46

practice brahmacharya. Tatte

17:48

padam sangahina pravaksi. That

17:51

state, that state which is

17:53

described by the

17:55

Norse of Veda is an imperishable

17:57

state.

17:59

People who have practiced

18:02

Karma Yoga have become free of attachments.

18:05

They enter that state in

18:07

designing which people live

18:09

the life of moderation. Brahmacharim

18:12

vishanti. That state

18:14

I will explain in brief.

18:17

Now this verse is taken directly

18:19

from Kathopani's son.

18:20

Kathopani's son, it says

18:23

Sarveveda yatpadam

18:26

amananti

18:27

tapansi sarvani chayad

18:29

vadanti

18:31

yadichanto brahmacharya amchanti

18:34

tatte padam sangrahena bravimi

18:37

om iti e tat So

18:40

to make the meter complete, vavan

18:43

vedya se tatte padam sangrahena

18:45

pravakshi I will tell you that for them. So

18:48

that state which

18:51

is Accepted by all

18:53

the knowers of the truth. That

18:55

state I'll explain to you by one side.

18:58

And now comes the technique

19:01

in next two verses. We will take

19:03

only first verse. Sarvadvana

19:05

nisam yam yam

19:07

mano ruddhi niruddhi chah

19:10

murdni adhayatmanah

19:14

pranam asthita yogadhara

19:16

nam Sarvadvana

19:19

nisam yam yam by controlling

19:22

all the egress and ingress

19:25

for all the perceptions.

19:27

We have this five apertures of five senses.

19:30

The five senses create

19:33

the five entry points

19:35

for all the world of objects

19:38

to create sensation. And the same

19:40

senses

19:41

also go out

19:43

to explore the world of objects.

19:46

First of all, this senses should be controlled.

19:49

So your mind is not running out to the world

19:51

of objects. Manah ruddhi

19:53

niruddhi chah. Again, these ideas

19:55

come from katopanisath.

19:57

First roll all your senses into your

19:59

mind. the mind should

20:01

control all the senses that they are not going

20:03

out anywhere, no new senses and is created,

20:06

no new perception is created.

20:08

And

20:10

then Manohruti Nirodjaya Chah.

20:12

And then rest the mind

20:15

in the heart. The heart is your

20:17

intellect. The heart of the

20:19

mind is intellect.

20:21

The core of mind

20:24

is intellect.

20:25

Resting that mind in the intellect,

20:27

the intellect which has learned through

20:30

is discrimination that

20:32

I am not this limited being. I

20:34

am that's limitless being.

20:37

Is a Dhyatma.

20:39

Resting mind into that

20:41

intellect, Murthni, Adhaya,

20:44

Atmanaha, Pranam, Aastitaha,

20:46

Yogadharana.

20:48

And resting all

20:50

the pranas in the head.

20:53

Now the five pranas we have discussed before.

20:56

Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana,

20:58

Samana. Prana is the respiratory

21:01

system,

21:02

Apana is the evacuation

21:05

and rejection system, Vyana

21:07

is circulation and

21:09

Udana is

21:12

rejecting and Samana

21:15

is the assimilation. So

21:17

all this vital energy rest

21:20

in your mind, in your head. Yogadharana,

21:23

then connect yourself

21:25

with that Supreme Self.

21:29

The next verse is connected. Omitiyekakseram

21:32

brahma

21:33

vyaharan mam anusmaran yah

21:35

prayati fijan deyham saayati

21:37

paramam gadeen.

21:39

And then uttering that one syllable Om

21:42

who

21:42

leave this body, he will

21:44

achieve my own state.

21:47

My own state of limitlessness.

21:51

If you find this podcast helpful,

21:54

please support it by donating

21:57

any amount by going to

21:59

the episode. website at

22:02

neilbut.podbean.com

22:08

or at chinmayarichmond.org.

22:13

Thank you. Om

22:16

Sarve Bhavan to

22:19

Sukina Sarve

22:21

Santu Niramaya

22:24

Sarve Bhadrani

22:27

Vaish missed and

22:39

van

22:44

urine

22:50

group honey