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

1:02

Brahma Yoga, Yoga of Imperishable

1:05

Brahman.

1:07

And so far, we have seen

1:09

in this chapter that Bhagavan

1:12

defined the reality in

1:15

the beginning.

1:16

He made the statement that

1:19

only Brahman exists as

1:22

the real reality and

1:24

all other realities are superimposed

1:27

on that reality. We have seen

1:29

the Akshara Brahma Paramama. That

1:31

Brahman is imperishable one. All

1:35

other things which I'm experiencing

1:37

are nothing but the

1:39

manifestations of the Brahman. The

1:43

world of things and beings which I see

1:45

outside is nothing but

1:47

the Prakriti, which is the manifestation

1:49

of the same Brahman. The world

1:51

of ideas and

1:53

awareness which I have is the knower.

1:57

The knower is also nothing but the Brahman.

2:00

And the experiencer in me

2:02

is the Adi Yajna, but none

2:04

other than the Brahman. So

2:07

the Brahman is in all

2:09

aspects of my

2:12

world, in my reality, in my

2:14

awareness. The government clarified

2:16

that. And Arjuna also asked,

2:19

how one can know you

2:22

in the time of the

2:24

departure? Prayana Kala. Departing

2:27

from what is something which

2:29

we had been discussing about?

2:32

The one departure we have determined

2:34

this day, when the soul is

2:37

departing from this body. In

2:39

other words, this body is disassociated

2:43

from the I-ness that I have right

2:45

now. My I-ness is very firm

2:48

right now that I am this body. I

2:50

am in a constant state of Samadhi that I

2:52

am this body, because there

2:55

is no doubt in my mind. I

2:57

never have to think about it. I have to think

2:59

about everything else, but

3:01

never think about who I am.

3:04

I am firmly identified with

3:06

this body. So that is one

3:08

identification. You

3:11

know, I depart from this identification. Another

3:13

I disassociate myself from this identification

3:16

is one departure, one type

3:19

of departure.

3:20

Then there is another identification

3:23

which I have is with my mind,

3:26

and the another one is with my intellect.

3:29

So this identification of the

3:31

mind and the intellect

3:33

is as strong as my

3:35

identification with this body. So

3:39

one can say, that is the Arjuna

3:41

asking question, what happens at

3:44

the time of this departure?

3:47

From the one identification

3:50

or the complete departure from all

3:53

the identifications which I have right

3:55

now. So we have been discussing

3:57

that process.

4:00

Bhagawan answered the question, Bhagawan

4:14

very succinctly and clearly

4:16

said that the time of departure,

4:19

whoever thinks about Me,

4:22

he will come to Me.

4:24

There is no doubt. Hear Me,

4:26

Bhagawan, when He uses first person

4:28

singular, He is referring to

4:30

the reality He explained, that only

4:33

Brahman exists,

4:35

that one reality is imperishable,

4:38

or the fundamental reality which is inexplicable,

4:41

because we cannot find any source. For

4:44

everything else in this world, I can

4:46

find a source, where it came from. Where

4:49

My body came from is very easy

4:51

to find. All the food

4:53

which I have eaten from My birth till

4:57

this morning breakfast, where

4:59

My mind came, where the source,

5:01

all the things I thought about and I experienced

5:04

in My intellect is nothing but the memory

5:07

of all the experiences that I have. So

5:09

we find the source for My

5:12

identification right now. But

5:14

where does this feeling I

5:16

come from

5:17

is not really easy

5:20

to understand. That's why it's

5:22

inexplicable. Bhagawan

5:25

said whoever

5:26

thinks about whatever in

5:29

the time of departure, that's

5:32

the state of existence that

5:34

person will get. It's

5:36

something similar to when I take

5:39

a journey from here to India

5:42

or here to New York and

5:44

I go to the airport. There are so many

5:46

destinations are there. There are so many flights,

5:48

so many gates, so many destinations

5:50

available.

5:52

But I had been preparing for one destination

5:55

which is important to me. I

5:57

had been planning for it. I had

5:59

been thinking. about it, I

6:01

prepared myself, I got

6:04

appropriate qualifications

6:07

in terms of passport, visa,

6:09

whatever is equal, identification,

6:11

even a driver's license if I am

6:14

travelling locally. But all that

6:16

I have prepared before the departure,

6:19

not at the time of departure. At the time of departure

6:21

I don't think about where I am going to go, what

6:24

I need, it is all

6:26

planned before. So

6:28

whatever you plan for, Bhagawan

6:32

said, that journey you shall take.

6:34

So there is no real doubt about it. If you

6:36

plan for the final destination

6:39

of liberating yourself from

6:42

all these embodiments, see

6:44

this is Muran Muktva Kalevaram,

6:46

Kalevaram is embodiment,

6:49

this identification that I have.

6:52

Whatever identification I drop,

6:55

Bhagawan said, therefore

6:56

keep the highest goal in mind all

6:59

the time.

7:00

Tasmat Sarvesu Kale Su Maamana

7:03

Smara. Therefore,

7:06

if your destination, if your

7:08

goal is to find the unlimited

7:10

happiness, which we have talked about, the

7:13

only goal

7:15

we have in our

7:18

lives is to achieve

7:20

that unbroken happiness. Liberation

7:24

from all my limitations, Bhagawan

7:26

said, if you keep that in mind all

7:29

the time,

7:31

then you shall achieve that goal. But

7:34

if your other goals and

7:36

then put efforts for those goals,

7:38

then we will achieve those goals.

7:41

It is that simple.

7:43

So Bhagawan then gives

7:45

us the instructions.

7:49

So in last verse, verse 11, what is the destination which

7:51

you are seeking?

7:56

Unknowingly.

8:00

Unknowingly, I'm seeking unbroken happiness.

8:04

Even though my experience in my

8:06

life tells me

8:08

that there is no permanent

8:10

happiness. I get happy with something,

8:13

but that doesn't last forever.

8:15

If I get a lottery, I will

8:18

be elated. But

8:20

looking at the history of all the people who won

8:22

lottery, they are not the happiest people

8:24

on this planet because

8:26

their joy also lasted only for

8:28

a limited period of time. Then

8:31

they moved on to doing what they were doing before

8:33

and probably wasted

8:36

that jackpot. So Bhagavan

8:38

said, therefore, you should prepare

8:40

yourself for the final destination.

8:43

Understand what your destination is and

8:46

then prepare for it. So

8:48

Bhagavan said, I will tell you where can

8:50

you find that unlimited,

8:53

unbroken happiness? All

9:04

these people,

9:06

the people who know Vedas

9:08

and they talk about that state and

9:12

the people who have freed

9:14

themselves from all the attachments, they

9:18

enter that state. And

9:21

yet the Chanto Brahmacharya Charantan

9:23

with that desire, people

9:25

live life of moderation in Brahmacharya.

9:28

He said, I'll tell you that destination.

9:31

All these wise people in the past

9:34

have figured out where the destination

9:37

is, where there is a complete

9:39

freedom. There is no

9:42

limitation at that state

9:45

of existence. But I will tell you

9:47

how to get there. So

9:49

then he said, yoga

10:00

dharana. He laid out

10:03

the conditions, laid

10:06

out the preparation, laid

10:08

out what is required to reach

10:11

that destination. So

10:13

first is Sarvadvara nisam yam yam,

10:16

closing all the gates.

10:19

No impressions coming from outside

10:21

and

10:22

no thoughts going out of

10:24

the world of objects. So Swami

10:26

explains here that here is

10:29

the technique of meditation

10:32

which we have learned through

10:34

many many books from Patanthali,

10:37

Yoga Sutra, from all

10:39

the Vedas and Upani Sats. And

10:43

it says that you have to shut Sampatthi.

10:46

To achieve that liberation you have

10:48

to have six types of

10:51

qualification. Samadama,

10:54

Uparamath, Tithiksa, Samadha,

10:57

Mummukshatram. All those sixfold

11:01

qualifications which are described

11:04

in our scriptures.

11:06

The first one is Dhamma. Dhamma is

11:09

a physical control. Sarvadvara

11:12

nisam yam yam.

11:13

Controlling all the senses is

11:15

the Dhamma. Manohrudhe

11:17

nirudhyajah and

11:21

resting mind in the heart

11:24

which is at the core of your being,

11:26

resting mind in

11:28

the intellect. Senses are not

11:30

functioning. The mind has really nothing to do.

11:33

That mind which has nothing to do, you have

11:35

to focus on the intellect

11:37

with all the knowledge that are gained

11:40

in the ideas which I have determined are

11:43

true. The destination

11:45

that I have determined is the real destination.

11:48

We want to rest your mind there. Murthni

11:51

adhaya atmanihi pranam

11:54

asthitha yogadhara na.

11:56

Interesting your prana

11:59

in the head concentrate

12:03

on that destination. This seems really

12:06

impossible for me

12:08

to do at the time of death.

12:10

At the time of death,

12:12

it is not possible for me to think

12:14

about my senses, think about my mind,

12:17

think about my pranas.

12:20

So it must be something other

12:22

than that living the physical

12:24

body. As you say, this embodiment

12:27

is of three types. We have three

12:29

types of bodies, Thula Sarira,

12:32

Sukshma Sarira and

12:34

the causal body. So gross,

12:37

subtle and causal. All these three

12:39

bodies when I leave at

12:41

that prana kalay, only

12:44

I can reach the final destination.

12:47

So Bhagawan said, Om Ithi Ek

12:50

Aksaram Brahma Vyaharan Mam

12:52

Anus Maran.

12:53

One who is now prepared,

12:56

he has stopped all

12:58

the perceptions and sensations

13:00

coming from outside, he has

13:03

focused himself into

13:06

that one goal,

13:09

one destination that

13:11

I want to achieve

13:12

and that destination is

13:14

Om Ithi Ek Aksaram

13:17

Brahma. That's my destination.

13:20

That Brahma is my destination.

13:23

But I need something to

13:26

hold on to, to

13:28

take this journey. So typically

13:31

in our normal day to day puja,

13:33

we have Murthy

13:35

or any kind of a image

13:37

of God.

13:39

But those images can be distracting

13:42

in that level of meditation

13:45

when I want to

13:47

cross beyond this identification

13:50

with the body, mind and internet.

13:52

Therefore Bhagawan said,

13:54

Om Ithi Ek Aksaram Brahma Vyaharan

13:57

uttering that sound symbol

13:59

of God. God. All

14:01

of our Vedas and

14:03

Upanishads

14:05

have identified Om as

14:07

the sound symbol of God.

14:10

Because in the olden days the speech,

14:13

the only way the knowledge was transferred.

14:16

So the sound which identifies,

14:20

signifies the all-pervading

14:23

entity who wants to be should be focusing

14:26

on.

14:26

They say uttering that one

14:29

syllable Om.

14:30

There are many many Upanishads

14:32

that are devoted to Om, but

14:34

particularly Mandukya Upanishads. If the

14:36

briefest Upanishad is only 12 verses,

14:39

then it basically

14:41

describes Om. So

14:43

the Om

14:44

is sound symbol

14:46

accepted by all Vedas

14:48

and all Upanishads,

14:50

as Bhagawan said, I will tell you yet

14:52

Aksaram Veda Vido Vadanti. I'll

14:54

tell you that one syllable Om

14:57

which represent imperishable

15:00

nature of this reality. So

15:03

Aksara

15:04

means imperishable,

15:06

Aksara also means a letter. So

15:09

in our vernacular language, the

15:11

letter is also called Aksara. The

15:14

letter is the one syllable Om uttering

15:17

which, Ya prayati tejan

15:19

deha, one who departs

15:23

from the identification with

15:25

this body. As we have discussed, this

15:28

body can be the physical body,

15:30

the subtle body

15:32

or the causal body. That

15:34

which causes me to

15:37

take birth again and again. Ya

15:39

prayati tejan sa yadhi paramam

15:41

gadhi. He achieves the final destination

15:44

of liberating from all

15:47

limitations. Om

15:49

stands for the supreme reality,

15:52

what was,

15:53

what is

15:55

and what shall be.

15:57

Straight from Ye

15:59

only 12 verses all devoted

16:02

to defining all.

16:04

So,

16:05

not only defines

16:07

at the macro level

16:09

past, present and future, but also

16:11

at micro level my past, my

16:14

present and my future, it

16:16

represents the three states in

16:18

which I exist. My

16:21

dream, deep sleep and

16:23

waking. The state which

16:25

is permanent is none

16:28

of these three, but beyond

16:30

these three

16:31

which is called turya in

16:34

Mando Kya Upanishad, the fourth state.

16:37

And therefore, it is not the uttering

16:40

of the Aum, but the silence

16:42

between these two utterings

16:45

signifies the imperishable

16:47

nature

16:48

and transcendental nature of

16:51

I, the Supreme Self.

16:54

I as my own being

16:56

at this individual level, but

16:59

one already discussed Adhyatma, the same

17:01

reality

17:03

functioning through you, conditioned by

17:05

you is called Adhyatma, your

17:07

swabhava, your nature. At

17:10

the Supreme level is called Paramatma.

17:18

While

17:24

discussing all this, it seems so

17:27

difficult that we

17:29

will never reach there. It

17:31

is like if first grade student

17:34

who had been telling his

17:36

parents, I want to be a doctor, and

17:38

then when he goes to first grade and starts learning

17:41

and then somebody explains to him

17:44

what you have to do to become a doctor

17:46

and he says, this looks very unachievable.

17:50

But then somebody tells you, you take one step

17:52

at a time and constantly think

17:54

about what you want to become and

17:56

you shall become that person

17:58

continuously and slowly. Slowly, march

18:01

towards your journey, you will

18:03

achieve your destination. Ananya

18:06

Chaita ha, not thinking about

18:08

anything else, but the destination,

18:11

that goal. Satatam,

18:13

constantly, Yomams

18:16

Marathi Nithya Saha, one

18:18

who remembers that goal,

18:20

constantly, Nithya Saha,

18:23

all the time. So Nithya Saha is

18:25

defined as daily, but

18:27

it is throughout your lifetime.

18:31

If you have that goal, from

18:33

the beginning of your understanding what you want

18:35

to achieve, till you

18:38

achieve that goal and never leave that goal,

18:41

Tasyaham Sulabhapa Patha for

18:43

such a person, for such a seeker,

18:46

it's very easy for him to achieve

18:48

me, for her to achieve me.

18:51

Nithya, for Nithya

18:53

Yuktasi Yogi Naha, the

18:56

one who has prepared himself by

18:59

this daily practice, keeping

19:01

that as a back of his mind that this is

19:04

the goal of my life, for

19:06

him Bhagawan said it is easy.

19:08

Mam Upetya Poonar Janma,

19:11

Dukh Alayam Asasvatam,

19:14

Nga Apna Vadim Mahat Manaha,

19:18

Sansidim Para Mam Gatha.

19:22

Bhagawan said the reward of that

19:24

is, you do not have

19:26

to come back to Mam Upetya having

19:28

reached that state of my

19:31

being, the

19:33

state of the Supreme Being,

19:35

the state of that imperishable nature.

19:38

As we have discussed, the fundamental

19:41

nature of reality is imperishable.

19:44

Fundamental nature of my own

19:46

self is imperishable.

19:48

But right now I am not focused on my

19:50

imperishableness, I am focused

19:52

on everything that perishes in my life.

19:55

I am worried about my body, I am worried

19:57

about my mind, my intellect, and what is it?

20:00

worried about what I have achieved, what I

20:02

have accumulated. If

20:04

I can focus on the

20:06

imperisableness of myself,

20:10

Bhagawan said,

20:12

mam upetya, having reached

20:14

that state, punar janmaha

20:18

na apnoanti. He does not

20:20

have to come back to suffer

20:23

through this life

20:25

again. Punar janmaha is taking

20:28

a state of limitedness. So

20:31

if I have identified her goal,

20:34

and if I don't have any other smaller

20:36

goals, enjoying that state,

20:39

but then I want to come back and have something

20:41

else to do,

20:42

then I will have to go through the pains

20:45

of that level of achievement

20:48

and then all the

20:49

trials and tribulations which come with it. So,

20:52

punar janmaha dukkhaalayam asaswadam.

20:55

Anything that is impermanent

20:58

has sorrows and failures attached

21:00

to it, Bhagawan said. So therefore that janmaha,

21:03

if you take birth as something or

21:05

someone,

21:06

there will always be sorrows and

21:09

unhappiness. But if you don't

21:11

identify as something as

21:14

I, and just I as I, I

21:17

as myself,

21:18

then there is no sorrows or unhappiness.

21:22

Na apnoanti mahatmana

21:24

sansidhim paramam gatah. Those

21:27

mahatma, those great souls

21:29

who figured out the final goal and

21:32

worked towards that daily,

21:36

all the time, all throughout, keeping

21:39

that in the back of their mind that this

21:41

is the goal of my life, then did everything

21:44

like other people. They did everything

21:46

the life requires you to do,

21:48

but the goal was fixed

21:50

and for them, once they achieve

21:53

this state,

21:54

they don't have to then go back to

21:57

those pitiful achievements which

21:59

they were. engaged in before. Once

22:02

I have achieved that degree and

22:04

got the certification as being

22:07

a doctor, you don't go back to high school

22:09

again. You don't go back to primary

22:12

school again.

22:13

It's only when I get confused then I

22:16

do something which is not appropriate.

22:19

So Bhagawan gives a clear indication

22:21

that if you keep this as your goal,

22:24

it is not too difficult to achieve. It

22:26

is available to all. It's an equal opportunity

22:29

situation. Everyone can achieve

22:31

this. We'll stop

22:33

right here. If you find this

22:35

podcast helpful,

22:37

please support it by donating

22:40

any amount by going to

22:42

the episode's website

22:44

at neilbhatt.podbean.com

22:51

or at ChinmayaRichmond.org

22:56

Thank you. Shanti

23:26

Hari Om

23:32

Sri Guru Vyodhana Maha

23:36

Hari Om