gita 1-12-summary-newton

Maximum Happiness to the Maximum Number of People for the Maximum Time

CHINMAYA MISSION BOSTON

The Holy Geeta – The Divine Song

Summary of Chapters 1-12

September 2015

Chapter 1 – What is a Gita?

• Song of spiritual knowledge – a dialogue between the Guru and Sishya

• Bhagavad Gita – is a dialogue between Shri Krishna and Arjuna in Mahabarata;

• Gita appears almost at the center of the 18 cantos of Mahabarata.

• Gita consists of 18 chapters and 700 verses – Chapters 25-42 of the sixth canto

• Written by Veda Vyasa

What is Gita?

• Bhagavad Gita is both Upansiad and Yoga-SastraGita as Upanisad – Expounds knowledge about absolute

truth and our essential oneness with it - also called Brahma Vidya

Gita as Yoga Sastra – Gives practical guidance on how to attain the Truth and live fulfilled lives Sastra has two meanings

o A scripture that teaches us what is good for uso A science that talks about a subject in its totality

Yoga means to unite with the higher – Each chapter of Gita is named a particular Yoga

Bhagawad Geeta – Divine Song

Tat Tvam Asi – That Thou Art

Chapters 1-6

1. Arjuna Grief2. Yoga of Knowledge3. Karma Yoga4. Ending Action in Knowledge5. True Renunciation6. Meditation

Chapters 7-12

7. Knowledge & Wisdom8. Imperishable Brahman9. Royal Secret10.Divine Glories11.Cosmic Form12.Devotion

Tvam-Thou

Tat-That

Asi-Art

Chapters 13-18

13. Field and its Knower14.Gunas15.Supreme Spirit16.Devine and Devilish17.Three-fold Faith18.Liberation

Chapter 1: Yoga of Arjuna Grief

Chapter 1: Yoga of Arjuna Grief

Arjuna is in a state of dejection, unable and unwilling to fight. Key concepts:• What are the causes of Arjuna's

state?• What is dharma? what is your

dharma?• What is ‘sin’?• What is the caste system• What is a righteous war?

Discussion: What is significance of Gita in today’s world?

Pandavas

OUTER BATTLE

Kauravas

Battlefield

Krishna - Charioteer

Arjuna - Devotee

Chariot

Reins

Horses

Contrast the outer battle of Kurukshetra with the inner battle of all of our lives.

Explain the symbolism of each item on the left.

Chapter 1 – Discussion: What is significance of Gita in today’s world?

Pandavas Forces of Righteousness

OUTER BATTLE INNER BATTLE

Kauravas Forces of Ignorance

Battlefield Everyday challenges

Krishna - Charioteer Wisdom of the Self

Arjuna - Devotee Ordinary man – the Ego

Chariot Human Body

Reins Intellect

Horses Senses

Key Messages of Chapter 1

Contrast between ‘external’ battle and ‘internal’ battle Physical & Mental reactions when you are under ‘stress’ Look from multiple angles – context determines action

Practical Tips: How to face a stressful or difficult situation

• Escape• Suffer• Change (yourself not your surroundings)

Turning excuses into resolutions

Chapter 2 - Yoga of Knowledge

Chapter 2 - Yoga of Knowledge

• Existence of a Reality beyond life and death & theory of reincarnation

– You have grieved for those that should not be grieved for; yet, you speak words of wisdom. The wise grieve neither for the living nor for the dead [11]

– Just as in this body the embodied (soul) passes into childhood, youth and old age, so also does he pass into another body; the firm man does not grieve at it [13]

• Nature of Reality– He is not born, nor does He ever die; after having been, He again ceases

not to be; Unborn, Eternal, Changeless and Ancient, He is not killed when the body is killed [20]

– This Self cannot be cut, nor burnt, nor moistened, nor dried up. It is eternal, all-pervading, stable, immovable and ancient [24]

• Synopsis of Geeta– Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga

Chapter 2 – Yoga of Knowledge

• What is Real and what is Unreal?o Real is NICE (No birth or death; Indesctructible and Imperishable;

Changeless and Eternal)

• Why Arjuna should not grieve?o Knowledge, Dharma, Worldly, Material, Practical perspectives

• How to achieve efficiency in action?o No regrets of the past, expectations of the future and anxieties in

the present

• How does a man of steady wisdom behave?o No desires – satisfied in the ‘Self’ by the ‘Self’

• How does a man get entangled with this world?o Ladder of fall – objects, attachment, desire, anger, delusion,

destruction of discrimination

Chapter 3 - Karma Yoga

Desire

ThoughtAction

Vasanas

Chapter 3 - Karma Yoga

Chapter 3 – Karma Yoga – Path of Action

• Always DO the RIGHT ACTION with the RIGHT ATTITUDE

• RIGHT ACTION Refrain from ‘prohibited’ actions (niseda) Perform ‘obligatory’ duties (nitya) and ‘occasional’ duties

(naimitikka) Reduce selfish actions (sakama) prompted by personal

desires Action is superior to inaction

• RIGHT ATTITUDE Work Is Worship – Spirit of Sacrifice or ‘Yagna’ Lead with PASSION – others will follow Give up the ‘Ego’ (e.g., child pushing the car, Namboodiri

running in a moving train) Strive for a ‘Higher Goal’ Act without

o Regrets for the pasto Expectations of the futureo Excitement in the present

Act without ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ Act as per your ‘Dharma’ - better to do our own duty

(dharma) imperfectly than another’s perfectly

Chapter 4 – Karma Jnana Sannyasa Yoga – Ending Action in Knowledge

• When and why does Bhagawan take an Avatar Whenever there is an increase in adharma To protect the righteous and destroy the wicked

• Four-fold Caste system Man kind is divided into four kinds people (Kshatriya,

Brahmana, Vysya, Shudra) based on theiro Temperament – Sattva, Rajas, and Tamaso Attitude to work

This was later mis-used to propagate division of classes by birth

• Realized one is one who sees Inaction in Action AND Action in Inaction

• Anyone can reach me by adopting the 12-fold ‘yagna’ or sacrifice spirit

Daiva - puja Brahma – self-inquiry Indriya – sense control Mano – mind control Atma Samyama - Self restraint Dravya - Wealth

Tapo - austerityYoga - AshtangaSwadyaya – Daily studyJnana - KnowledgePranayama – Five PranasNiyatahara - Diet

• Arjuna asks (5.1) Which is better (a) Renunciation of action or (b) Performance of action?

– Both lead to the highest bliss, but performance-of-action is better than renunciation-of-action (5.2)

• Yukta - integrated mind and intellect - having abandoned the fruits of action, attains eternal peace (5.12)

• Knowledge reveals supreme Brahman like the Sun (5.16)

• The one who has the following qualities reaches Brahman has his senses under control (5.25) - shutting out all external contacts (5.27)who sees no duality (5.25)intent on the welfare of all beings (5.25)free from desire, fear and anger (5.26, 5.28)who has controlled his senses, mind and intellect (5.26, 5.28)having liberation as his supreme goal(5.28)

Chapter 5 – Karma Sannyasa Yoga – Path of Renunciation of Action

Chapter 6 - Yoga of Meditation

• When a man is not attached to sense-objects or to actions, having renounced all thoughts, then he is said to have attained YOGA [4]

• Let the YOGI try constantly to keep the mind steady, remaining in solitude, alone, with the mind and body controlled, free from hope and greed [10]

• "As a lamp placed in a windless place does not flicker" --- is a simile used to describe the YOGI of controlled-mind, practising YOGA of the Self (or absorbed in the YOGA -of-the-Self) [19]

• The YOGI engaging the mind thus (in the practice of YOGA ) , freed from sins, easily enjoys the Infinite Bliss of ‘BRAHMAN –contact’ [28]

Chapter 7 - Yoga of Knowledge & Wisdom

• What is Prakriti?– Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, egoism – these are my

eightfold PRAKRITI (4)– This is the ‘lower’ PRAKRITI; different from it, know thou, O mighty-

armed, My ‘Higher’ PRAKRITI, the very Life-element, by which this world is upheld (5)

– Know that these (two PRAKRITIS), are the womb of all beings. So I am the source and dissolution of the whole Universe (6)

• What is Dharma and Adharma?– I am the sapidity in water, O son of Kunti, I am the light in the moon

and the sun; I am the syllable OM in all the VEDAS, sound in ether, and virility in men (8);

– I am the sweet fragrance in earth and the brilliance in fire, the life in all beings, and I am austerity in the austere (9)

– All actions, thoughts and ideas entertained by an individual which are not opposed to his essential Divine Nature constitute ‘dharma’ or righteous action

Chapter 8 – The Imperishable Brahman

• What is Brahman?– Brahman is Imperishable, the Supreme; His essential nature is called

Self Knowledge, the creative force that causes beings to spring into manifestation is called ‘work’ (3)

– Adhibhuta (or elements) constitutes My perishable nature, and the Indweller (or the essence) is the adhidaivata; I alone am the adhiyajna here, in this body, O best of the embodied (4)

• Who attains Brahman?– Whosoever meditates upon the Omniscient, the Ancient, the Ruler (of

the whole world), Minuter than the atom, the Supporter of all, of Form inconceivable, Effulgent like the Sun and Beyond the darkness (of ignorance)…

– … at the time of death, with all unshaken mind full of devotion, by the power of Yoga fixing the whole prana (breath) between the two eye-brows, he (the seeker) reaches the supreme resplendent ‘Purusa’ (9, 10)

Chapter 9 – The Royal Secret

1. They are in ME; I am not in them

2. Nor do beings exist (in reality) in ME

3. I am not tainted by the actions

4. To find our Self – we must lose our ‘self’ (Jnana Yagna or Knowledge sacrifice)

5. No matter how evil or hurtful you are – fix your mind on Him; serve him with devotion; and sacrifice all your actions unto him and He will take care of you

Chapter 10 – The Yoga of Divine Glories – Vibhuti Yoga

1. How can one perceive the infinite among the finite (17)

See the LORD in everything AND

See the LORD in everyone…

2. Whatever it is that is Glorious, Prosperous or Powerful in any being, know that to be a manifestation of a part of My Splendor (41)

3. I am the Self, O Gudakesa, seated in the hearts of all beings; I am the Beginning, The Middle and also the End of all beings (20)

Seeing the ‘One’ in the ‘Many’

Chapter 11 – The Yoga of Cosmic Form – Visvarupa Darsana Yoga

1. Now behold, O Gudakesha, in this Body, that the whole universe centers in One – including the moving and the unmoving – and whatever else you desire to see (7)

Collapsing of space and time. Lord is the ‘TENTH DIMENSION’ from

which emerges all alternative universes across all time and space.

2. Who comes to me? (55)• He who does actions for Me• Who looks upon Me as the Supreme• Who is devoted to Me• Who is free from attachment• Who bears enmity towards none

Seeing the ‘Many’ in the ‘One’

Chapter 12 – Yoga of Devotion

Fix your mind on Me

Only, place your

intellect in Me; then,

(thereafter) you shall,

no doubt, live in Me

alone (Verse 8)

If you are unable to fix

your mind steadily

upon Me, then by the

‘Yoga-of-constant-

practice’, seek to

reach Me, O

Dhananjaya (Verse 9)

If you are unable to

practice Abhyasa

Yoga, be you intent

on performing

actions for My sake;

doing so, you shall

attain perfection

If you are unable to do even this, then taking

refuge in Me, self-controlled, renounce the

fruits-of-all-actions (Verse 11)

KARMA YOGA – PRACTICAL TIPS

Act without

Regrets for the past

Expectations of the future

Excitement in the present

Give up the ‘Doership’ – act without the ‘EGO’

Give up the ‘Enjoyership’ – act without ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ to the

fruits of action

Strive for a ‘Higher Goal’

Lead with ‘passion’ – others will follow

BHAKTI YOGA – PRACTICAL TIPS

See the LORD in everything and everyone

Treat everyone equally (Don’t pre-judge)

Forget and forgive – hold no enmity towards anyone

Practice AHIMSA towards things and beings

Dedicate your actions to HIM

Accept whatever fruits of actions as an offering from HIM

(Eventually) Detach from everything and everyone and ATTACH

yourself to HIM

gita 1-12-summary-newton

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