1. Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4 Collection

Your whole life is nothing but the Mahābhārat War. The Mahābharāt should be read again and again to understand the intricacies of life, the complications of life, and the ability to handle life. The true story of this perfectly recorded epic is about two warring clans, Kauravas and Pānḍavas, closely related to one another. Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the blind king of Hastināpur and father of the 100 Kaurava brothers was the brother of Pānḍu, whose children were the five Pānḍava princes.

It is a tale of strife between cousins and ultimately between dhārmic and adhārmic, righteous and unrighteous civilizations.

Since Dhṛtarāṣṭra was blind, Pānḍu was made the king of Hastināpura. Pānḍu was cursed by a sage that he would die if he ever entered into a physical relationship with his wives.

He therefore had no children. Vyāsa says that all the five Pānḍava children were born to their mothers Kuntī and Mādri through the blessing of divine beings. Pānḍu handed over the kingdom and his children to his blind brother.

Kuntī, who is the embodiment of tapas, spiritual penance, had received a boon when she was still a young unmarried adolescent, that she could summon any divine power at will to father a child. Before she married, she tested her boon. The Sun god, Sūrya appeared before her. Karṇa was born to her as a result. In fear of social reprisals, she cast the newborn away in a river. Yudhiṣṭra, Bhīma and Arjuna were born to Kuntī after her marriage by invocation of her powers, and the twins Nakula and Sahadeva were born to Mādri, the second wife of Pānḍu.

Yudhiṣṭra was born to Kuntī as a result of her being blessed by Yama, the god of death, dharma and justice, Bhīma by Vāyu, the god of wind, and Arjuna by Indra, god of all the divine beings. Nakula and Sahadeva, the youngest Pānḍava twins, were born to Mādri, through the Divine Aśvini twins.

Dhṛtarāṣṭra had a hundred sons through his wife Gāndhārī. The eldest of these Kaurava princes was Duryodhana. Duryodhana felt no love for his five Pānḍava cousins. He made many unsuccessful attempts, along with his brother Duśśāsana, to kill the Pānḍava brothers. Kuntī's eldest son Karṇa, whom she had cast away at birth, was found and brought up by a chariot driver in the palace, and by a strange twist of fate, joined hands with Duryodhana.

Dhṛtarāṣṭra gave Yudhiṣṭra one half of the Kuru kingdom on his coming of age, since the Pānḍava prince was the rightful heir to the throne that his father Pānḍu had vacated.

Yudhiṣṭra ruled from his new capital Indraprastha, along with his brothers Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva.

Arjuna won the hand of princess Draupadī, daughter of the king of Pāñcāla, in a svayaṁvara, a marital contest in which princes fought for the hand of a fair damsel.

In fulfillment of their mother Kuntī's desire that the brothers share everything equally, Draupadī became the wife of all five Pānḍava brothers. Duryodhana persuaded Yudhiṣṭra to join a gambling session, where his cunning uncle Śakunī defeated the Pānḍava king.

Yudhiṣṭra lost all that he owned—his kingdom, his brothers, his wife and himself, to Duryodhana. Duśśāsana shamed Draupadī in public by trying to disrobe her. The Pānḍava brothers and Draupadī were forced to go into exile for fourteen years, with the condition that in the last year they should live incognito or ajyāta vāsa.

At the end of the fourteen years, the Pānḍava brothers tried to reclaim their kingdom. In this effort they were helped by Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the king of the Yādava clan, who is the eighth divine incarnation of Bhagavān Viṣṇu.

However, Duryodhana refused to yield even a needlepoint of land, and as a result, the Great War, the War of Mahābhārat ensued. In this war, various rulers of the entire nation that is modern Bharat aligned with one or the other of these two clans, the Kauravas or the Pānḍavas.

Kṛṣṇa offered to join with either of the two clans. He says, 'One of you may have Me unarmed. I will not take any part in the battle. The other may have my entire Yādava army.'

When the offer was first made to Duryodhana, he predictably chose the large and well-armed Yādava army, Nārāyaṇī Senā, in preference to the unarmed Kṛṣṇa.

Arjuna joyfully and gratefully chose his dearest friend, his life mentor and his Guru, Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, to be his unarmed charioteer!

This whole history is such a beautiful happening. Mahābhārat is actually your life! Every character in the Mahābhārat teaches so much! We don't need to go anywhere for our life success or fulfillment or for anything else that we may desire. We don't need to study any other book to learn the human psychology or the science of living and leaving. Whether we seek righteous living—dharma; or we want to learn to do business or administration, economy or abundance—artha; or we want to create the best rich lifestyle—kāma; or we want to be a leader and want the enriching life of being enlightened mokṣa, for all these purposes, we don't need anything other than the Mahābharāt!

Study each character. We will not find any more characters in our life than the characters described in the Mahābharāt!

Any character we see in our life is mapped to Mahābharāt's one character. They are either half or full representation of some character.

To know how to handle them and even handle yourself, just see how Śrī Kṛṣṇa handles them and handle them the same way. The Mahābharāt war is a representation of life as it was lived in that age.

Vyāsa, its author is an unbiased historian who recorded the whole history as it happened without trying to apply any makeup. People ask whether the Mahābharāt war happened at all!

If the Mahābharāt was a story and not history, Vyāsa should receive multiple Pulitzer prizes for his highly creative work! The Mahābharāt is the longest literary work in the whole world with hundred thousand Saṃskṛit verses—the longest poem ever written with such delicate harmony of unmatched poetic perfection. It is larger than the Greek epics. Vyāsa had no computer, no tape recorder with speech-to-text capabilities. He dictated and Bhagavān Ganeṣa wrote it down!

• Yudhiṣṭra is embodiment of Integrity the power of words, vāk śakti.
• Bhīma is embodiment of Authenticity the power of thoughts, mano śakti.

Arjuna is embodiment of Responsibility—the power of feeling, prema śakti.

• Sahadeva is embodiment of Enriching the power of living, ātma śakti.

• Nakula is embodiment of causing reality for others.

• Śakuni, the maternal uncle of Duryodhana embodies the pattern of self-hatred, which is cunningness personified.

• Droṇa represents all the best knowledge one imbibes and the teachers one encounters, who guide us but are unable to take us through to the ultimate flowering of enlightenment. It is difficult to give them up since one feels grateful to them. This is where the Enlightened Master, the incarnation steps in and guides us.

• Duryodhana, represents one's ego or root-pattern, the most difficult to conquer as it leads one to selfdestruction. One needs the full help of the Master here. It is subtle work and even the Master's help may not be obvious, since at this point, sometimes the ego makes us deny and disconnect from the Master as well.

• Karṇa is the repository of all good deeds and it is his good deeds that stand in the way of his own Enlightenment. Śrī Kṛṣṇa has to take the load of Karṇa's puṇya, his meritorious deeds, before he could be liberated. The Enlightened Master guides one to drop one's attachment to good deeds arising out of what are perceived to be charitable and compassionate intentions. He also shows us that the quest for and the experience of enlightenment is the ultimate act of compassion that one can offer to the world. Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa, the 8th most powerful purnāvatar of Ṃaha Viśnu, is the embodiment of pure celebration, boundless love, compassion, and completion.

Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa is the only incarnation demonstrating and expressing Ṣarva Ṃangalatva all the auspicious qualities and all dimensions of an avatar during His physical happening. The līla Bhagavan Ṣri Krsna is one of sheer innocence and simplicity, in a peace-loving, diplomatic, conflict-free way.

Karṇa is the repository of all good deeds and it is his good deeds that stand in the way of his own Enlightenment. Śrī Kṛṣṇa has to take the load of Karṇa's puṇya, his meritorious deeds, before he could be liberated. The Enlightened Master guides one to drop one's attachment to good deeds arising out of what are perceived to be charitable and compassionate intentions. He also shows us that the quest for and the experience of enlightenment is the ultimate Till now everyone blames Bhagavan Sri Krishna for this Kurukshetra war but that's the greatest sacrifice Bhagavan Sri Krishna did to save the planet Earth. If Kurukshetra was not conducted at that time under the controlled conditions and direct supervision of Bhagavan Sri Krishna, planet Earth would not have survived more than three years.

act of compassion that one can offer to the world. Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa, the 8th most powerful purnāvatar of Ṃaha Viśnu, is the embodiment of pure celebration, boundless love, compassion, and completion. Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa is the only incarnation demonstrating and expressing Ṣarva Ṃangalatva all the auspicious qualities a nd all dimensions of an avatar during His physical happening. The līla Bhagavan Ṣri Krsna is one of sheer innocence and The wide spread availability of the Astra shastras without Shastra, without the knowledge and vision, was posing a huge threat to the whole of humanity and planet Earth, and for life itself. The greatest achievement of Bhagavan Sri Krishna is destroying all the weapons in one controlled condition and saving planet earth, eliminating the nuclear weapons and the knowledge of these nuclear weapons to save humanity from total annihilation.

simplicity, in a peace-loving, diplomatic,

conflict-free way.

Bhagavad Gītā appears in the heart of Mahābhārat in Bhīṣma Parva, the sixth chapter of its eighteen chapters. Veda Vyāsa, the narrator, in glorifying the Gītā sings, 'the one who drinks the water of Ganges (the sacred river for Hindus) attains liberation, what to speak of the one who drinks the nectar of Gītā?

Gītā is the essential nectar of the Mahābhārat, bhāratamṛta sarvasvam as it is directly spoken by Nārāyaṇa, Bhagavān kṛṣṇa Himself.'

The armies assembled in the vast field of Kurukṣetra, now in the state of Haryana in modern day Bharat. All the kings and princes were related to one another, and were often on opposite sides. Facing the Kaurava army and his friends, relatives and teachers, Arjuna was overcome by remorse and guilt, and wanted to walk away from the battle out of total powerlessness unbecoming an invincible warrior among warriors.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa's dialogue with Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra out of His utmost concern and love for him and humanity is the content of Bhagavad Gītā. Of its seven hundred and forty-five (745) verses, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa sings the Gītā in six hundred and twenty (620) verses responding to Arjuna's fifty-seven (57) enquiries.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa persuades Arjuna to give-up his powerlessness unfitting an Ārya—the spiritually evolved one who understands human life and urges him to raise himself again as Parantapa—the conqueror of enemy, and take up arms and vanquish his enemies. They are already dead,' says Śrī Kṛṣṇa, 'All those who are facing you have been already killed by Me. Go ahead and do what you have to do. That is your responsibility. Do not worry about the outcome. Leave that to Me.'

Authored by

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

śrībhagavānuvāca imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavānaham avyayaṁ I vivasvānmanave prāha manurikṣvākave'bravīt

Bhagavān says: 'I taught the sun god, Vivasvān, the imperishable science of yoga and Vivasvān taught Manu, the father of mankind and Manu in turn taught Ikṣvāku.'

Anything created out of the space of completion stands eternally.

evaṁ paraṁparāprāptamimaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ I sa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa

The supreme science was thus received through the chain of master-disciple succession and the saintly kings understood it in that way. In the course of time, the succession was broken and therefore the science as it was appears to have been lost.

If you want the ultimate experience, you have to go to a living enlightened Master.

sa evāyaṁ mayā te'dya yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ I bhakto 'si me sakhā ceti rahasyaṁ hyetaduttamam

That ancient science of Enlightenment, or entering into eternal bliss, is today taught by me to you because you are my devotee as well as my friend. You will certainly understand the supreme mystery of this science.

Logic can never lead you to Self-Realization. The qualification to receive the Truth is Devotion.

Kṛṣṇa is just thirty-two years old when He makes these statements! Physically His body is only thirty-two years old. But He says, 'I gave this imperishable knowledge to Sūrya, the Sun god—imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (4.1).'

With logic, you cannot understand this statement. With ordinary logic, which you use in your daily life, you cannot make any meaning out of this statement. The truth is not new. It is eternal; neither new nor old. Eternal means it is beyond time and space.

When you are in completion, anything you create stands for eternity. It is immortal and eternal. For a religion or any civilization to be alive, three things are important. First, the knowledge and the science of lifestyle, Upaniṣad — what is birth, what is death, why life, what is the purpose of life — the answer to all questions of living and leaving. Second, the buildings architecture and arts. And third, the language.

All these three are made out of the magnetic field of completion in sanātana- dharma. That is why these three things can never be destroyed, no matter how much anyone tries. The architectural wonders and monuments created out of completion, and the linguistic monument and wonder, Saṃskṛitaṁ born out of completion — these can never be destroyed.

Just like the wonders of the world, if you analyse the linguistic wonders of the world, Saṃskṛitaṁ, the devabhāśā— language of Divine, will be the first and only linguistic wonder of the world.

The word Saṃskrit means well done, refined, perfect. Anything created out of the space of completion stands forever, stands eternally. Completion is eternal, Nitya.

When a disciple is not in the space of completion, if he is not completely ready to listen, naturally the technique becomes a ritual.

Our Vedic Masters always transmitted and mirrored the truths through the oral tradition of disciple succession from the enlightened Master to the disciple. The disciple sits in Upaniṣad at the feet of the Master. Upaniṣad means sitting with the Master. Upaniṣad is nothing but — a Master who gets into a space and lets the disciples sit around and mirror his neuron activity in their brains. Upaniṣad is the best way to transmit the experiential expression of the great tattvas.

Understand: If you are not enlightened, you can easily get carried away by anything that you see! The truth or the spirit of anything can be easily lost. If you want to destroy any law, all you need to do is just follow it to the letter and miss the spirit. That is why time and again our Upaniṣads insist upon going to a living enlightened Master.

All our books are only manuals. Vedas are the only books that are courageous enough to declare that they cannot give you Enlightenment. If you want the ultimate experience, you have to go to a living enlightened Master.

This science of Upanishads is given to kingly saints, not to just any saint. Only they can preserve the science as it is. Be very clear, only an enlightened person who is a king or a king who is an enlightened person can know the totality of spirituality. Only a rich man who has enjoyed material wealth can understand the meaning and relevance of spirituality.

Only a king can enter into enlightenment, because he knows there is nothing in the outer space that can fulfill him. He has seen everything; all possible comforts, enjoyments and pleasures. If somebody who has not experienced depression of success enters spirituality, he will stand in front of God and beg, 'God give me this, give me that.'

He may be a religious person, but never a spiritual person. Only a person who trusts that God has the power and the intelligence, can enter spirituality, trusting implicitly that He knows when to give and what to give.

One cannot tell this ultimate truth to a person who is not ready. If it is shared it should become a source of inspiration that transforms your life. By sharing the spiritual experience, if it gives you the courage to take the same jump, if you also feel, 'I think I should also experience the same joy, the same bliss, I should not postpone it,' if it becomes an inspiration for you, then it is worth sharing.

Listen. There was a great Master in South Bharat. He sang a set of poems on Śiva. He did not even write, he just sang the verses. Close disciples who lived around him requested him to put it in writing so that it could be useful to society. He said, 'No, they are my intimate love letters to my Lord. It is my personal relationship. How can I publish it?' the Master says, 'If somebody comes and asks you about your personal life, you can't share it. Only if you become intimate with him, it is possible to open up.'

The Master says, 'It is my intimate relationship with God. How can I share that with the public?' Then one disciple, who considers himself intelligent asks, 'Why? When you can share it with us, why can't you share it with the world?'

Then, the Master says, 'By becoming a disciple, you have become a part of me. Only with a person who has become a part of me can I share these poems. Physically you may be another body, but mentally, you have fallen in tune with me. You have become like a womb, completely ready to receive the divine energy. This is the reason I share my experience with you.'

Unless you enter into a deep receptive mood, unless you become a simple, innocent being, you cannot receive the ultimate truth. The ultimate truth is beyond logic. Initially when you start to teach the truth, it always starts with logic. Words go logically. But after some time, you have to leave logic behind. Otherwise, you can't reach the Divine. You can't talk to God through

logic. If you want the divine relationship to happen, you need love. Here, only a person who understands, who has become a part of the Master can receive the Master's experiences. Unless you become part of the Master, it is very difficult to understand his message. Beyond Logic Lies Devotion. Here, the qualification to receive the truth is devotion. Great truths can never be expressed by logic, because logic is not sharp enough!

That is why Krishna says, 'Now I am telling you these secrets just because you are my devotee and friend, just because you are near and dear to me. The person who does not have a connection with Kṛṣṇa, cannot receive the message.

Now Kṛṣṇa enters deeper level truths where you need to come down from your head to your heart, where you need to sit with your whole being and listen to the truths. All you need to do is to sit with a complete open being in the space of listening, with a complete relaxed feeling. Let Krishna raise our inner space by His presence. Let Krishna be in our inner space and enlighten our consciousness.

Help the student understand that the ancient science of enlightenment can be received through devotion to an enlightened master. Help the student understand that the ancient science of enlightenment is beyond logic and can be received through devotion to an enlightened master.

• 1. Why was the science of yoga lost?
• 2. What is Upanishad ?
• 3. What is the difference between a religious person and a spiritual person?
• 4. Why is it necessary to give the ultimate truths only to the person who is devoted?
• 5. What locks the Maṇipūraka Chakra? What is the ultimate knowledge?What is the most important qualification to receive the highest truth?
• 6. Why is devotion to the master necessary?
• 7. What is meant by Listening?

Part 2: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4 Collection_English_part_2.md

1. paper

2. water colour, brush sketch pens

Draw a picture of the sun and the moon. Sun is radiating its own self-effulgent light energy while the moon is mirroring the light of the Sun.

The master is radiating pure consciousness and the disciples who sit at his feet in complete openness and relaxation also starts to mirror the master's neuron activity in his/her brain and thus experiences the ultimate truth. The supreme truth can be learnt only from an enlightened master.

• 1. Chart paper
• 2. Pictures or coloured paper for a collage

Make a picture collage on a chart paper of all the things that have withstood the test of time, for example: the Pyramids of Giza, Ajanta Ellora, sanskrit etc. Take color print out of pictures of these items and paste them on to the chart. Use color pens to add a title, captions, slogans, border etc.

Most things die down or disappear over time.Anything created out of the space of completion stands eternally.

The topic of debate or Vaakyartha Sadhas is "Is it beneficial to have Spiritual Knowledge ?" Ask children to choose to speak in favour of or against the topic. Ask them to jot down the points they wish to make during their argument on a piece of paper. All children should be offered an opportunity to express their opinions and their thoughts must be guided through questions by the moderator so that each child can reach a right conclusion.

The supreme science of Yoga must be received from an enlightened master.

Authored by

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

aparaṁ bhavato janma paraṁ janma vivasvataḥ I kathametad vijānīyāṁ tvamādau proktavāniti

Arjuna says: 'Oh Kṛṣṇa, you are younger to the sun god Vivasvān by birth. How am I to understand that in the beginning you instructed this science to him?'

Krishna is one example of when the divine descended and walked on planet earth in human form.

śrībhagavānuvāca bahuni me vyatītāni janmāni tava cārjuna I tānyahaṁ veda sarvāṇi na tvaṁ vettha parantapa

Bhagavān says: Many many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O Parantapa!

Divinity is able to take birth in human form.

ajo 'pi sannavyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san I prakṛtiṁ svāmadhiṣṭhāya saṁbhavāmyātmamāyayā

Although I am unborn, imperishable and the lord of all living entities by ruling my nature I reappear by my own māyā

Enlightened masters never die, they only leave the body, they are eternally alive and available to you. The Divine takes birth again and against to take us to enlightenment.

yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānirbhavati bhārata I abhyutthānam adharmasya tad ātmānaṁ sṛjāmyaham

Whenever positive consciousness declines when collective negativity rises, O Bhārat again and again, at these times, I happen Myself

Kṛṣṇa means that He happens on the planet Earth again and again in so many forms to guide and enrich the people.

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām I dharmasaṁsthāpanārthāya saṁbhavāmi yuge-yuge

To protect the pious and to annihilate the wicked to re-establish righteousness I Myself appear, age after age

Krishna promises to happen again and again on planet Earth to protect the pious and restore righteousness.

'Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa are almost of the same age. Suddenly, Kṛṣṇa says He gave this science to the Sun god thousands of years ago! Moreover, Arjuna lived with Kṛṣṇa for a long time. He knows and has seen the human side of Kṛṣṇa, all of Kṛṣṇa's līlā (plays), all of Kṛṣṇa's moods. So now, it is very difficult for Arjuna to believe Kṛṣṇa's words.

This is what all disciples who live around Enlightened Masters undergo. They find it difficult to understand the Divine descending and walking on the planet Earth in human form. Arjuna struggles to understand. How can the Divine descend? Arjuna is shocked when Kṛṣṇa says, 'Thousands of years ago, I taught this science of Enlightenment to the Sun God, Vivaṣvān.'

He says, 'How can I understand? Please tell me.' He does not say, 'How can you say this?'' He is now ready to believe, but he wants a little explanation.

Whenever enlightened Masters descend on the planet Earth, they face this trouble, again and again. When Rāmakṛṣṇa declared that the same being who came as Rāma and Kṛṣṇa had now come down in the form of Rāmakṛṣṇa, he was called mad! People did not receive or respect him. But a few qualified people received his words and transformed their Lives.

"I always tell people, my best discourses are always given to small, close devotees. Because when you speak the truth to an intimate group, it will be straight. It will shake your whole being and transform your whole life. Those who are not yet ready cannot receive it. For a spiritual discourse, what matters is the quality of the people present."

This very Gītā is delivered to only one person. When Kṛṣṇa delivered Gītā, only one person listened to it. But today, millions and millions, not even millions, billions read and practice it. For a billion Hindus, this is the basic scripture. Only one person listened to Kṛṣṇa.

Today the whole world uses it. To express the truth, the quality of the person who listens is important, not the quantity of persons.

Bhagavān says, 'O Arjuna, many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them but you can't.' Then He says, 'Although I am unborn, imperishable and the Lord of all living entities, I reappear by my original māyā, by controlling my nature.'

All this while, Kṛṣṇa was only playing the role of ācārya (teacher,) intellectually enriching Arjuna of the truth and giving him knowledge. For the first time, He opens up. He declares the truth about His nature.

He shows the divinity of His nature. This is the point where Kṛṣṇa starts to speak the ultimate truth as it is.

Till then, He was a little shy to open up to Arjuna!

When a disciple is not ready, you can't open up, you can't tell the truth. Now, the disciple is ready. So Kṛṣṇa opens up. He says, although I am unborn and my transcendental body never deteriorates and although I am the Lord of all living entities, I still appear in every millennium in my original transcendental form. Three things we need to understand here.

First He says, 'I am unborn, ajopi. I never take birth. I am the ultimate Parabrahma. I am the ultimate energy.' I don't think anyone else has declared it so clearly. Here, Kṛṣṇa straightaway declares the truth. 'I am God, bhūtānām īsvaro'pi san,' He says.

That which never takes birth can never die; only that which takes birth can die.

Here Kṛṣṇa declares, I never take birth and I never die. I am the Lord of all living entities—

ajo'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro'pi san.

Q: 'Swamiji, can dead Masters teach us like Paramahamsa Yogananda, Mahavatar Babaji etc.? If I pray to them, can they show me the path?'

A: Dead masters are not dead as you think. When they are alive, their presence had a body. When they are dead, their presence has no body, that's all. Having a body or not having a body is in no way going to affect their presence. They are eternally alive and available to you. All you need to do is just turn towards them. When normal human beings die, the soul leaves the body. In the case of masters, they leave the body! The very wording is different. So having a body or not having a body is in no way connected to their presence. They are available to the planet always, to the whole of humanity.

It is very difficult to understand Masters. With integrity and authenticity, if you reach out, even if they don't have the body, you will be able to relate, connect, and talk to them. When you don't have integrity and authenticity, even with a living Master you will miss him. He says, 'I am the Lord of all the entities. But I still happen in every millennium in my original transcendental form; using my own māyā (Illusion).

Because of my māya, I assume the body and incarnate Myself, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā.' Kṛṣṇa means that He happens on the planet Earth again and again in so many forms to guide and enrich the people. Ordinary human beings are in the clutches of māyā or illusion due to which they take birth. But Kṛṣṇa has māyā itself under His control and takes birth due to His own wish! But again and again we miss Him. That is why we are here again and again! Again and again we miss them. That is why again and again He has to happen on planet Earth to lift us, to show us the way, to enrich us with Enlightenment.

Whenever there is a decline in individual consciousness, when-ever the collective unconsciousness increases, to establish the righteousness of the eternal consciousness, the science of eternal bliss, dharma saṁsthāpanārthāya, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium—sambhavāmi yuge yuge.

He keeps the generation of enlightened Masters open for the future, the possibility of enlightenment open for the future generations on planet Earth. He keeps the whole science open for the future. Only a courageous being like Kṛṣṇa can declare this truth; sambhavāmi yuge yuge.

Q: Swamiji, are there more Enlightened Masters on the planet?' A:

'Surely. There are hundreds of Enlightened Masters. Don't think I am the only one.' If you own any business, you would not give out the address of similar businesses in the city. Only if you are authentic, you can declare yes, there are so many other things available.

Q: 'Swamiji, if I take initiation from you, can I go to another master?'

'Not only can you go, I also encourage that you should go. Pluck flowers from all the beautiful gardens and make a beautiful bouquet for yourself!' The human ego is such that it needs to be beaten by more than one person for it to die! So go and learn the best things.

In science, the principle of entropy states that the energy level of every system, including the Universe, degrades with time. So it is with consciousness.

Over time individuals start losing their positive consciousness and collective negativity builds up. Of course, this does not imply that every single person becomes evil intentioned, but on an average, spirituality, awareness, righteousness and consciousness of individuals deteriorate at certain periods of time.

A whole nation can become collectively unconscious as Germany did under Hitler and Lankāpurī under Rāvaṇa. In history, over many thousands of years, each time such collective unconsciousness built up, there has been deliverance. It is as though there is a cycle of positivity and negativity, up and down, over time. Dharma, righteousness is restored eventually. This is Kṛṣṇa's promise.

Help the student understand that the presence of the divine godhead is the truth and divinity lands on human form in order to enrich us into enlightenment. Help the student understand that the presence of the divine godhead is the truth and his promise of deliverance to humanity is real.

• ❖ Are there more than one enlightened master on planet earth at a time?
• ❖ Is it alright to go to and learn from more than one enlightened master in life?
• ❖ For a spiritual discourse to be successful, what is more important: quality of the disciple or number of disciples.
• ❖ What is entropy in the spiritual energy of the Universe ?
• ❖ What is collective unconsciousness or negativity?
• ❖ What is Krishna's promise to humanity?

• 1. Paper
• 2. Pencil
• 3. Colour pens
• 4. Crayons
• 5. Printer
• 6. Chart paper

Ask each child to print pictures of all the enlightened masters they have heard of, read about or met in their life. The pictures should be pasted on a chart paper to make a collage. Under each master's picture, their name and lifespan (birth year - death year), place of samadhi/principle ashram must be mentioned.

Enlightened Masters, irrespective of whether they are in the body or not having a body, are eternally alive and available to all of us. With integrity and authenticity, if you reach out, even if they don't have the body, you will be able to relate, connect, and talk to them. When you don't have integrity and authenticity, even with a living Master you will miss him.

• 1. Paper
• 2. Pen or pencil

Write a 150 words essay about an enlightened master who is not in the body, who has inspired you the most. If the child is young, the acharya can help him/her words.

Whenever there is a decline in the spiritual awareness, culture and consciousness of individuals and communities, enlightened masters appear on planet earth to raise the level of consciousness on the planet. Krishna has promised that each time he will appear in human form and save humanity.

The divine godhead, can appear on planet earth and take permanent residence in a human body, and radiate pure consciousness, in order to save humanity and raise the collective consciousness.

The divine godhead, can appear on planet earth and take permanent residence in a human body, and radiate pure consciousness, in order to save humanity and raise the collective consciousness.

Krishna is one example of when the divine descended and walked on planet earth in human form. For a spiritual discourse, what matters is the quality of the people present.

Authored by

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

janma karma ca me divyamevaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ I tyaktvā dehaṁ punarjanma naiti māmeti so 'rjuna

One who knows or experiences My divine appearance and activities does not take birth again in this material world after leaving the body but attains Me, O Arjuna.

When Krishna declares that he is the Ultimate, he reminds us of our potential and inspires us to enter the same consciousness, to experience the same bliss.

vītarāgabhayakrodhā manmayā māmupāśritāḥ I bahavo jñānatapasā pūtā madbhāvamāgatāḥ ॥ ४-१०॥

Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, being filled with me and by taking refuge in me, many beings in the past have become sanctified by the knowledge of me and have realized me.

When Krishna declares that he is the Ultimate, he reminds us of our potential and inspires us to enter the same consciousness, to experience the same bliss.

ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁstathaiva bhajāmyaham I mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśah

I reward everyone, I show Myself to all people, according to the manner in which they surrender unto me, in the manner that they are devoted to me, O Pārtha!

kā�…kṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhiṁ yajanta iha devatāḥ I kṣipraṁ hi mānuṣe loke siddhirbhavati karmajā

Men in this world desire success from activities and therefore they worship the gods. Men get instant results from active work in this world.

Results of actions are instantaneous. However, prayers are granted after they are adjusted for appropriateness by divine wisdom.

Kṛṣṇa says, 'If you understand the truth of the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities, once you leave the body you will not take birth and death like ordinary humans do. If you understand My transcendental nature, you will also achieve the same transcendental nature.' 'If you understand that I don't take the body, you will not take the body either. If you understand I am liberated, you will realize that you are also liberated.'

When Kṛṣṇa says, 'I am the Ultimate,' He expresses the space of possibility. He reminds us of our potentiality. He enriches us to define ourselves with authenticity as He defines Himself. He inspires us to enter the same consciousness, to experience the same bliss.

Understand, when Enlightened Masters say 'I', they don't have any meaning behind that 'I'. Only divinity speaks. For you, the word 'God' is just a word with no solid meaning. But when you say 'I,' you attribute a solid meaning, a solid identity to it, which is supported by solid experience. You know it. You feel it. If somebody asks, 'Are you mad?' you shout at them and prove it! But when you say 'God', your understanding is not supported by any experience. With enlightened people, when they say 'God', it is based on solid experience and when they say 'I,' it has no Meaning.

He boldly declares, 'I am God.' What courage and energy behind His words! It can come only from a solid experience, a deep conscious experience.

Here, when Kṛṣṇa says, 'I,' there is just the Divine that is speaking. There is nobody inside. It is pure emptiness. Just the Divine, the pure Existence speaks through Him.

Let us see the secret of the birth and death of Kṛṣṇa, how we all go through the birth and death Cycle.

The Kaṭhopaniṣad says you will pass through a tunnel and see 'Anguṣṭha mātra puṛuṣa antarātma—meaning the thumb sized light, which is your soul when it leaves the body.

See, when you leave the body, the moment the physical body dies and relaxes, that very moment the soul leaves the body.

At that time,what you perceived as the highest pleasure in your life surfaces. If you thought eating was the highest pleasure in your life, naturally while leaving the body, you will think, 'I should take a body which will continuously help me to eat. You go through all the choices and you decide to take a pig' s body. Whatever you think is the greatest experience in your life, which-ever experience occupies your maximum inner space, you decide your next birth based on that desire.

Please listen, nobody else decides your birth. It is simply you who chooses. It is clearly the conscious decision of your soul.

This life is your decision, please be very clear about it. Including poverty, everything is your decision. Don't think poverty has been forced upon you. Even that is your decision. When we take birth, we take birth based on our fear and greed. On one side, greed pushes us.

'Let me become the son of a king, let me become the son of a rich man.' On the other side, our own fears say, 'No no, I can't take on so much responsibility.' Along with money comes the responsibility of protecting it.

When we take birth, we take birth based on our fear and greed. Most of the time, we only want the enjoyment; we don't want the responsibility. A person who is ready to take on the responsibility as well as the enjoyment will never be deprived.

Ordinary man takes birth based on fear and greed. That is why his whole life is driven by fear and greed. Enlightened Masters assume the body out of love and compassion.

Here Kṛṣṇa gives a technique to cut these kārmic bonds, to be complete and realize the reality. Actions that are complete and free from fear and anger do not create bonds, vītā-rāga bhaya krodhā. They lead us towards elevated consciousness. Fear and anger that arise out of greed pattern are two of the most provocative emotions, the root patterns that create incomplete action, and lead to bondage.

Kṛṣṇa offers a way to be in His space of completion. He says, 'Be drowned in Me, man-mayā mām upāśritaḥ; you will have no anger, no fear. All actions will thus be without bondage. In this manner, you can be purified and realize Me, pūtā mad- bhavām āgatāḥ (4.10).' He gives the assurance that having followed this path, many people in the past have achieved Realization.

Kṛṣṇa explains here why non-attachment is so difficult. It is in our nature to look for success in whatever we do. It is impossible to embark on an activity expecting it to fail. There is nothing wrong in looking for success at the end of an activity. What creates problems is the illogical attachment to that expectation of success. What Kṛṣṇa says here shows that our mindset, human nature, has not changed in over five thousand years. Even then they were looking for material success. They were looking for instant results. When they prayed to God they were praying to fulfill their expectations of material success.

He says you normally pray to God not as an expression of gratitude, but to seek unfulfilled material desires and all that you think will bring you happiness. All your actions, Kṛṣṇa says, are based on material success, and He says such activities bear instant results in this world, kṣipraṁ hi mānuṣe loke.

This does not mean whatever you pray for is instantly granted by the God you prayed to. God, fortunately, has far more wisdom than we have. God uses His buddhi, wisdom, to grant what He deems appropriate.

However, the result of your actions is instant. The karmaphala is immediate. When you think good thoughts, do good deeds, you feel good, you are in heaven. When you think evil, you act evil, you feel evil and you are in hell. That is all there is to karma. This is the cosmic cause-effect principle. You are what your intent is; you become what your intent is. Karma acts instantly, here and now.

Impress upon the children that our life, including both its blessings and curses, are our own choice. When we take the responsibility that comes along with our desires, our desire manifests.

Impress upon the children that the technique of completion must be practiced as a way of life.

• ❖ Explain the sequence of events between death and birth ?
• ❖ What is the main difference behind the reason for the birth of ordinary men from that of an enlightened master?

❖ Why is it important to take responsibility for our aspirations?

❖ What kind of actions create bondage?

• ❖ What are the common types of prayers people ask God?
• ❖ Why does god not answer certain prayers instantaneously or exactly as requested?
• ❖ Why are people most attached to get a successful result from their actions?
• ❖ What is the Karmic Cause and Effect principle?

1. Paper

2. pencil and color pencils

Draw your life-cycle from birth to death and rebirth. Depict the picture of you as a baby transforming into an adult then changing into an old person then becoming a dead body and then again taking rebirth as a baby. Put arrows between each stage of life to show life's natural progression. Now break the cycle of birth and death by striking off the arrow between death and rebirth; instead make a new arrow pointing towards a new choice of "Liberation". Uses your imagination to depict your Liberation You may show yourself transforming into air waves, thumb sized oval light, Krishna, a heart etc.

Life and death are cyclic events until the soul attains liberation.

Part 3: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4

Encourage and guide the children to enact an extempore street play for an audience showing the natural progression of life of a central character (boy/girl) from birth to old age and all problems associated with each stage of life i.e. depression, pear pressure, failures in various spheres of life, illness, death etc . And the coming of a Guru/spiritual master into his/her life leading to enlightenment, blissful life and ultimate liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Encourage Kids to use simple props like scarfs, moustaches, wigs, spectacles, bandages etc. to enhance the performance and the depiction of characters of the play.

The happening of an enlightened master is the greatest breakthrough and turning point in the life of the central character of the play.

Discuss why non-attachment to the results of our actions is so difficult. Why do we look for success in whatever we do?

Incarnation happens out of love and compassion. When Krishna declares that he is the Ultimate, he is reminding us of our potential and inspires us to attain his state.

Authored by

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

cāturvarṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇakarma vibhāgaśaḥ I tasya kartāram api māṁ viddhyakartāramavyayam

Depending upon the distribution of the three attributes or guṇas and action, I have created the four castes Yet, I am to be known as the non-doer, the unchangeable

The present day narrative about the evil caste system of ancient Bharat is a myth and a concocted lie. The truth is that the system of classification is based on the predominant guna (sattva, rajas, tamas) in a person and not dependent on his birth.

na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karmaphale spṛhā I iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti karmabhirna sa badhyate

I am not affected by any work; nor do I long for the outcome of such work One who understands this truth about me also does not get caught in the bondage of work

The desires we carry from a previous birth, have the innate energy and intelligence capable of fulfilling itself without acquiring karma.

evaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma pūrvairapi mumukṣubhiḥ I kuru karmaiva tasmāttvaṁ pūrvaiḥ pūrvataraṁ kṛtam

All the wise and liberated souls of ancient times have acted with this understanding and thus attained liberation Just as the ancients did, perform your duty with this understanding

Have no unfulfilled desires, no incompletion, and no attachments, you will have no karma.

kiṁ karma kimakarmeti kavayo'pyatra mohitāḥ I tat te karma pravakṣyāmi yaj jñātvā mokṣyase'śubhāt

What is action and what is inaction, even the wise are confused. Let me explain to you what action is, knowing which you shall be liberated from all ills

Work from your needs, not from your wants.

karmaṇo hyapi boddhavyaṁ boddhavyaṁ ca vikarmaṇaḥ I akarmaṇaśca boddhavyaṁ gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ

The complexities of action are very difficult to understand Understand fully the nature of proper action by understanding the nature of wrong action and inaction

Proper action can be understood by understanding what comprises inaction and wrong action.

karmaṇyakarma yaḥ paśyedakarmaṇi ca karma yaḥ I sa buddhimān manuṣyeṣu sa yuktaḥ kṛtsnakarmakṛt

He who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is wise and a yogi, Even if engaged in all activities

Your joy is no longer dependent on what society says or thinks about you, because you are complete in yourself.

yasya sarve samārambhāḥ kāmasa�…kalpavarjitāḥ I jñānāgnidagdhakarmāṇaṁ tam āhuḥ paṇḍitaṁ budhāḥ

He who is determined and devoid of all desires for sense gratification he is of perfect knowledge. The sages declare such a person wise whose actions are burnt by the fire of knowledge

In the process of Unclutching, you transcend both action and inaction, karmaṇi and akarmaṇi.

tyaktvā karmaphalāsa�…gaṁ nityatṛpto nirāśrayaḥ I karmaṇyabhipravṛtto'pi naiva kiñcitkaroti saḥ

Having given up all attachment to the results of his action, always satisfied and independent, the wise man does not act, though he is engaged in all kinds of action.

Be involved completely in the action yet be detached, independent and satisfied within.

Now we come to the controversial topic of the caste system. Kṛṣṇa says, 'I have created the four castes depending upon the distribution of the three guṇas or attributes.' Guṇa means 'attribute' or 'quality' that we are born with.

It is a reflection of the prārabdha karma, the vāsana, and the mindset with which we are born. There are three basic guṇas: satva or purity, rajas or activity and tamas or inactivity.

The varṇa system was four-fold. Brāhmaṇas were the scholars and priests, intellectually inclined. Kṣatriyas were the soldiers and kings, ambitious and physically strong. Vaiṣyas were the business community with strong commercial acumen. Śudras were the workers, physically able and skillful.

Based on their guṇas, their skill sets and not birth, the children in ancient Gurukul were trained into their vocations, their varṇa or caste. Over time, this system was manipulated. Those who believed that they had a better varṇa, caste, decided to make it a hereditary right. Earlier, the son of a brāhmaṇa could not to be a priest, if he was unsuitable or the son of a kṣatriya to be a warrior if he was inadequate. Kṛṣṇa states very clearly that only the one who transcends these three guṇas can reach His state, can reach the higher levels of consciousness. To reach Kṛṣṇa one has to be a triguṇa rahita, beyond the three guṇas. Then, one becomes a non-doer, a no-caste, no-attribute person.

When a desire is fulfilled, it no longer creates ripples in the mind. Desires that get fulfilled are the basic needs one is born with, which are the result of the carry- over vāsanā, the prārabdha karma. We acquire all other desires by comparing ourselves with others. These are wants, not needs. Existence has no way of fulfilling such wants.

When one works out of basic need, he acquires no karma. These possessions born out of our wants can never be fulfilled or enjoyed. Once acquired, we seek the next acquisition. The cycle goes on.

Being 'Unclutched' is the state where you are free and liberated. Let me expand on the word 'Unclutching.' If you observe your mind keenly, you will see that you are constantly connecting all your thoughts and creating links in your mind.

You connect all painful memories, create a pain shaft and conclude, 'My life is suffering, my life is pain.' Now when you start believing your whole life is suffering, you have created a pain shaft and you are waiting only for painful incidents in your life so that you can elongate that shaft.

Whatever you believe is what you create within you and outside you. You will see that manifesting in your life over and over again.

That is why vedic ṛṣis, sages, say that you create what you want. By seeing, you create. You will wait unconsciously for painful incidents to strengthen that belief, that life judgment.

Second thing, whenever you add the painful incidents unconsciously, you will be elongating that shaft, even though you may want to consciously end the pain by breaking it.

If you believe your whole life is a shaft of joyful experiences, which we do very rarely, constantly you are in fear about whether the joy will continue. If you believe life is a shaft of painful incidents, you do two things:

• 1. Unconsciously you gather more and more incidents and strengthen your faith about how your life is painful, and consciously you try to break the pain shaft!
• 2. If you believe life is a chain of joyful incidents, unconsciously you will be in fear that it will end, and consciously you will try to prolong it.

These are two big dramas we are continuously enacting with ourselves. You forget that you can neither break the shaft nor elongate it because the shaft itself does not exist! The shaft itself is your own imagination.

When you believe that your mind is logical, you have created the first 'original sin' for yourself. Understand, by your very nature you are unclutched. Every moment you are renouncing the thoughts by your very nature. A new thought can appear only when the old thought has been renounced. But even after renouncing them you try to pick up the thoughts from the dustbin and try to create a shaft with them.

Kṛṣṇa says to understand what action is, you need to understand what inaction is. When you unclutch, you are seemingly in inaction or akarma. However, the removal of the various shafts of pain, pleasure, fantasies etc., releases so much energy within you that you are now actively passive. You are at the height of potential energy, ready to release that energy for whatever purpose you decide in that moment. If instead, you are actively daydreaming, caught in pain and pleasures shafts, then you are seemingly active and busy, but totally useless. In fact, you are counterproductively busy, pushing yourself deeper into more suffering.

When we are blissful and complete within ourselves, we would never see anything disturbing outside. That is what Kṛṣṇa says here: Be involved completely in the action yet be detached, independent and satisfied within. Then you can function spontaneously, flowing in tune with Existence. Life then becomes a celebration. Every single thing you do is an act of joy and an expression of the loving energy in you. Your joy is no longer dependent on what society says or thinks about you, because you are complete in yourself.

Make the Child understand that unfulfilled desires, incompletions, and attachments, lead to karma. Our desires should be based out of our needs and not our wants. If we practice completion and immerse ourselves in Krishna Consciousness, we will be liberated. Help the child understand that it is important to rest in the present moment, in the space of completion, in the state of nomind. In this state you can be completely involved in action yet detached.

• ❖ What is the commonly told narrative about the Hindu caste system?
• ❖ What is the basis of the caste system prescribed by Krishna?
• ❖ What happens to the desires that are unfulfilled at the time of death?
• ❖ What happens to the desires we acquire in the present lifetime?
• ❖ Are our thoughts connected?
• ❖ Are our thoughts logical?
• ❖ What is the pitfall in connecting thoughts and creating a memory shaft?
• ❖ What is daydreaming?
• ❖ When we day-dream are we caught in imaginary pain and pleasures shafts?
• ❖ What is the state of no-mind?

• 1. Paper
• 2. Colour pens
• 3. Crayons

Draws a picture of a person belonging to any one varna. Example you can draw a picture of a Kshatriya. Then write down all the qualities you expect to see in a Kshatriya.

The Varana system of classification is based on the predominant guna (sattva, rajas, tamas) in a person.

• 1. Paper
• 2. Pen or pencil

Ask each child to write down their own qualities on a paper. Ask the children to imagine that they have formed a country on a remote island. Now the children need to take on the responsibility of running the country. The country will need soldiers to be protected from enemies, it will need artisans and traders to sell consumer goods in the domestic market and to export to other countries, it will need farmers to grow food for feeding the nation, it will also need teachers and priests to run schools and temples to serve the people.

Ask the children to showcase how the caste system worked in ancient Bharat by dividing themselves into groups based on their best qualities so that all responsibilities can be performed with the highest quality. Each varna/group shall give a presentation introducing their members and describing how their work is essential to the national well being.

Varna system of classification was based on the gunas of each individual, with the aim of creating highest quality professionals who were naturally best suited for each responsibility.

Topic of debate is "the merits and de-merits of a caste system based on gunas versus having a caste system based on birth."

The Varana system of classification prescribed in the Bhagavad Gita is not based on birth of a person. Varna system was intended to be an economic system to achieve national excellence.

-BH BO A O G K A IV V , V A OL D UM G E V ITA

Authored by

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

nirāśī ryatacittātmā tyaktasarvaparigrahaḥ I śārīraṁ kevalaṁ karma kurvannāpnoti kilbiṣam

The person who acts without desire for the result; with his consciousness controlling the mind, giving up all sense of ownership over his possessions and body and only working, incurs no sin.

When you understand that you are unique and Existence has equipped you with all that you need to fulfill all your desires, you will actually be able to live life in completion and work sincerely for the sake of enriching.

yadṛcchālābhasantuṣṭo dvandvātī to vimatsaraḥ I samaḥ siddhāvasiddhau ca kṛtvāpi na nibadhyate

He who is satisfied with profit which comes of its own accord and who has gone beyond duality, who is free from envy, who is in equanimity both in success and failure, such a person though doing action, is never affected.

Only the person who realizes the purposelessness of life can have the strength to enrich himself and others, only he can go beyond duality and surpass envy, only he can be satisfied in any action with whatever profit comes from that action of its own accord.

gatasa�…gasya muktasya jñānāvasthitacetasaḥ I yajñāyācarataḥ karma samagraṁ pravilī yate

The work of a liberated man who is unattached to the modes of material nature and who is fully centered in the ultimate knowledge, who works totally for the sake of sacrifice, merges entirely into the knowledge.

One who works for the sake of enriching sacrifice, merges into the knowledge. Live life in completion and work sincerely for the sake of enriching.

brahmārpaṇaṁ brahmahavir brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam I brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ brahmakarmasamādhinā

The offering, the offered butter to the supreme in the fire of the supreme is offered by the supreme. Certainly, The supreme can be reached by him who is absorbed completely in action.

The ultimate knowledge can be reached only by surrendering to completion, to the four tattvas of integrity, authenticity, responsibility and enriching.

daivamevāpare yajñaṁ yoginaḥ paryupāsate I brahmāgnāvapare yajñaṁ yajñenaivopajuhvati

Some yogis worship the gods by offering various sacrifices to them, While others worship by offering sacrifices in the fire of the supreme.

The being which has surrendered to the four tattvas is brahmaṇyam bahuputratām—the favorite inheritor of the Cosmos.

Real knowledge comes with experience, not through words. The space you carry, the attitude, the intention, and the thoughts behind the action actually decide the energy behind the action. The collective declarations to bless the world— lokāsamastā sukhinobhavantu, let the whole world be prosperous, can change your entire inner space. That is the power of completion!

I tell you, all the so-called natural calamities are nothing but the effects of global negative thoughts born out of collective incompletions. Your space, your thoughts and energy directly affect your body, your cell structure, your decisions, your capacity to fulfill your decisions and outer world incidents, even accidents. You create a pattern that creates and attracts similar incidents to you.

If you can complete with your greed and fear patterns, which is what we have normally, and create the space of bliss or ānanda, then your energy flow will start brimming and your thoughts will be authentic, your words will be integrated and you will be more in the space of completion.

When you do this, you have every power to control outer world incidents because you and existence have a very deep connection at the energy level. When you are blissful, when the space you carry is not one of worry, fear and greed but one that is in the present, always complete and joyful, you will automatically attract all good things to yourself.

Your inner space is connected to the universe. All our minds are not individually separated pieces of the universe. They are all one and the same. Not only interlinked, our minds directly affect each other. This is what is called 'collective consciousness.' Though each one is independent in his consciousness, when one is conscious of one's true nature, one feels that one is part of the whole Universe.

Each one's thoughts straightaway affect the others around. Not only are those staying around you touched by your thoughts, everyone who is living on the planet is touched by your thoughts.

Once you become aware and realize that you are a part of the collective consciousness, that you don't have an individual identity; you realize that you do not have a separate ego. You think you own your individual identity.

In Existence, there is no such thing as a separate individual identity. Once you know this truth, you go beyond pain, suffering, depression and diseases. As long as you are individually conscious, you will be continuously suffering.

You think you are different from Existence. When you are in tune and become a part of the collective consciousness, Nature is your friend and it will protect you. As long as you think you are an individual consciousness different from Nature, it will protest.

Even at the physical level, you are not an individual. Your body and the body of the sun are directly connected. Any small change in the body of the sun can make changes in your body. Any small change in your body can change the body of the moon. Even if you are not able to relate to this logically, it is true. Even in the mental layer, you are not alone. Any thought put in anyone else's head comes and touches you and any thought created in your mind goes and touches someone else.

At the spiritual level, the moment you understand you are deeply connected to the whole Universe, not only do you start experiencing bliss, but you also start really living in the space of oneness and opening many dimensions of your being. If you disappear into the collective consciousness, you will experience so many dimensions, so many possibilities, you cannot imagine it!

A pure mind is God itself and not something separate from it. The Essence of Life is 'Enriching'. There is no purpose to life, except to live in completion and to enrich others and yourself with completion.

The purpose of life is to enrich life with completion.

Life has no purpose but it has a meaning. Living incompletion and enriching others with completion is the meaning of life. All the time, we are taught that life has a goal, a purpose, and we run behind various goals hoping to achieve satisfaction in life. But life has no goal; the very life, the very path itself is the goal.

When you realize this, you relax into the space of completion, you expand in your ability to infuse the great spiritual truths, enriching yourself and others with them, and you are unaffected by success or failure, although doing actions.'

Make the children understand that Living in completion and enriching others with completion is the purpose of life.

Restate the understanding from the lesson, that you are unique and Existence has equipped you with all that you need to fulfill all your desires and achieve completion.

• ❖ What is collective consciousness?
• ❖ How is an individual connected to the Universe?
• ❖ What is the purpose of life?
• ❖ What is the goal of Life?
• ❖ What is the root cause of jealousy or envy?
• ❖ What are the four tattvas?
• ❖ Explain what each of the four tattvas mean?
• ❖ Can the ultimate truths be reached through intelligence?
• ❖ Can the ultimate completion be attained through wealth?

1. Paper 2. Color pens

Calligraphy is the art of writing letters by hand in a beautiful way. Take a paper and write any one of your favorite verse from the Bhagavad Geeta in Sanskrit with its translation in English using Calligraphy.

We must expand in our ability to infuse the great spiritual truths in ourselves and others.

Write down all the seven layers of human existence. Write down examples of how human beings are connected with the universe at each level. How does considering oneself separate from existence adversely affect each layer.

If you think you are separate at the physical layer, you will invite disease. If you think you are separate at the mental layer, you breed violence. If you think you are separate at the soul level, you get spiritually stunted. At the spiritual level, the moment you understand you are deeply connected to the whole Universe, not only do you start experiencing bliss, but you also start really living in the space of oneness and opening many dimensions of your being.

Part 4: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4 Collection_English_part_4.md

Discuss the question "What is the higher achievement - Wealth, or Intelligence or Completion?

Living incompletion and enriching others with completion is the meaning of life. When we relax into the space of completion, we expand in our ability to infuse the great spiritual truths, enriching yourself and others with them, and we are unaffected by success or failure of our actions.

Authored by

śrotrādī nīndriyāṇyanye saṁyamāgniṣu juhvati | śabdādī nviṣayānanya indriyāgniṣu juhvati ||

Some sacrifice the hearing process and other senses in the fire of equanimity and others offer as sacrifice the objects of the senses, such as sound in the fire of the sacrifice.

'Sacrifice', it is not just the act of giving, but the attitude of giving.

sarvāṇīndriyakarmāṇi prāṇakarmāṇi cāpare I ātmasaṁyamayogāgnau juhvati jñānadī pite

One who is interested in knowledge offers all the actions due to the senses, including the action of taking in the life breath into the fire of Yoga and is engaged in the yoga of the equanimity of the mind.

The very act of enriching, the welcoming attitude is what is important.

dravyayajñāstapoyajñā yogayajñāstathāpare I svādhyāyajñānayajñāśca yatayaḥ saṁśitavratāḥ

There is the sacrifice of material wealth, sacrifice through penance, sacrifice through yoga and other sacrifices while there is sacrifice through self-study and through strict vows.

Sacrifice is a divine quality

In all these verses, Kṛṣṇa talks about various types of sacrifices. 'Sacrifice', it is not just the act of giving, but the attitude of giving. Otherwise, you may do everything, following all rituals according to the scriptures, but you will miss out on the real intent for which the act had to be done.

A beautiful story from the Bhāgavatam, the ancient Hindu epic: Once, Kṛṣṇa was playing with his friends. After playing, his friends were tired and they asked Kṛṣṇa for food. Kṛṣṇa replied, 'Go to the nearby hall where the learned brāhmaṇas (priests) are performing a great ritual to attain heaven. Tell them that you have been sent by Me and request them to give you some cooked rice.'

The brāhmaṇas were all caught up in the rituals and sacrifices, not knowing the intent of the sacrifice. The very divine energy for which the sacrifice was being made was asking for an offering, but the brāhmaṇas could not realise that and did not give the boys any food. Kṛṣṇa's friends returned disappointed.

Kṛṣṇa, on hearing about the foolish brāhmaṇas, just laughed and said, 'Now, go to the innocent wives of these brāhmaṇas and ask them the same thing. The friends now went to the wives told them,

The ladies, on hearing that they had been given such a wonderful opportunity to enrich by serving, gathered all the food from their houses and rushed to feed Kṛṣṇa and his friends.

The very act of enriching, the welcoming attitude is what is important. A beautiful verse in the Mahābharat that says, 'A guest comes with all the gods. If the guest is honored, so are the gods; if he goes away disappointed, the gods are disappointed too.'

That is why in Saṃskṛit, we say, 'atithi devo bhava', the guest is God. 'Tithi' means date and prefix ' a' negates it. Therefore, one who arrives unexpectedly without a prior appointment is atithi or guest. When somebody comes unexpectedly also, serving him is the real welcoming attitude. The word used for ritual giving in Saṃskṛit is 'dāna', which means sharing, imparting.

Impress upon the child that more than the act or ritual of giving, the welcoming attitude with which you give is important.

• ❖ What kind of attitude is important to have when making a donation or ritualistic fire sacrifice?
• ❖ How should an unexpected guest be treated?

• 1. Color paper
• 2. Color pens

Make an invitation card inviting your friend to come to your home to attend a satsang/meditation program you are hosting. In the alternative, you may make a public flier inviting people to a public satsang / spirituality program.

Through your card put in every effort to make guests feel welcome.

Having a welcoming attitude towards your guests is a must.

• 1. Some of your favorite organic sattvik food and drinks

You can split the group in 2 or 3 and ask each group to plan a meal for the others whom they will receive as guests. Ask them to contemplate and imbibe the attitude of giving along with the act of giving. At the end, ask the guests to share how their experience was.

Receiving a guest is receiving God.

Lets Think, Pair and Share. The group is allotted the task of planning a half day spirituality seminar for 20 visually impaired persons at a conference hall at a near-by hotel. Children are asked to think about all the infrastructure and arrangements they would like to put in place to ensure that the event is hospitable, and meets any special needs of the intended audience. Pair up your students. Give each pair of students enough time so they can reach a set of ideas, and permit the kids to share their conclusion in their voice with the rest of the Group. The moderator to list down all viable ideas shared by the group and read them out at the end of the session, as a conclusion reached.

For a sacrifice to be successful, what matters more than the ritualistic steps followed to make the offer, is the attitude with which the offer is made.

Authored by

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

apāne juhvati prāṇaṁ prāṇe 'pānaṁ tathāpare I prāṇāpānagatī ruddhvā prāṇāyāmaparāyaṇāḥ

There are others who sacrifice the life energy in the form of incoming breath and outgoing breath, thus checking the movement of the incoming and outgoing breaths and controlling the breath.

The Prāṇāyāma, practice of breath control in yoga, is an offering to God.

apare niyatāhārāḥ prāṇānprāṇeṣu juhvati I sarve'pyete yajñavido yajñakṣapitakalmaṣāḥ II

There are others who sacrifice through controlled eating and offering the outgoing breath, life energy. All these people know the meaning of sacrifice and are purified of sin or karma.

Spiritual fasting is a sacrifice.

yajñaśiṣṭāmṛtabhujo yānti brahma sanātanam I nāyaṁ loko'styayajñasya kuto'nyaḥ kurusattama

Having tasted the nectar of the results of such sacrifices, they go to the supreme eternal consciousness. This world is not for those who have not sacrificed. How can the other be, Arjuna?

Those who have sacrificed attain supreme eternal consciousness.

evaṁ bahuvidhā yajñā vitatā brahmaṇo mukhe I karmajānviddhi tānsarvānevaṁ jñātvā vimokṣyase

Thus, there are many kinds of sacrifices born of work mentioned in the Vedas. Thus, knowing these, one will be liberated.

There are many forms of sacrifice involving a combination of material, physical, mental and spiritual sacrifices.

The true meaning of sacrifice lies in the spirit with which it is done. When you give away something you cannot afford to give, it is a true enriching sacrifice. When you give away something you can afford to give, then it is not a true enriching sacrifice.

Kṛṣṇa mentions many forms of sacrifice here. He talks of sacrifices of material wealth, yoga and penance—a combination of material, physical, mental and spiritual sacrifices. When a person does these at some cost and pain to himself, they would be genuine sacrifices. Otherwise they would merely be meaningless rituals.

However, even that which is given away by someone who can afford what he is giving, if done with good intentions of enriching, would result in gains to that person.

His very intention to enrich will alter his mindset and liberate him.

When one sacrifices whatever is dear and whatever is difficult to give away, he enters a completely different plane of sacrifice, one that liberates the person.

Such a person enters a plane of true non-attachment, leading to liberation.

Encourage the class to reach an understanding that Sacrifice is a blessing. It leads to immense spiritual expansion within the person making the sacrifice.

• 1. What are the different types of sacrifices?
• 2. What is true sacrifice?
• 3. What is more important: the quantity or value of the sacrifice, or the intention to enrich with which the sacrifice is made? Justify your answer.

Observe the following sketch titled "A Mother's Sacrifice".

And discuss your feelings about it. Identify at least one way you feel the artist got the idea of sacrifice right, or one way you feel they got it wrong.

True Sacrifice is accompanied by the self-less intention to enrich another.

We must never back down when life presents us with our very own opportunity to sacrifice to enrich another.

Identify an unsung hero from your life, who sacrificed for you. Write a 100 word character sketch about your real life hero and their sacrifice for you.

Sacrifice is an elevated human quality. It leads to liberation.

We must hold gratitude in our hearts for all those unsung heroes of ordinary life, who have sacrificed for us.

Topic of discussion is "What is supreme sacrifice?"

Sacrifices made with the intention to enrich others alters our mindset, we enter a plane of non-attachment, leading to our liberation.

Authored by

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

śreyān-dravya-mayād yajñāj jñāna-yajñaḥ parantapa I sarvaṁ karmā'khilaṁ pārtha jñāne parisamāpyate

O Parantapa (conqueror of foes), the sacrifice of wisdom is superior to the sacrifice of material wealth. After all, all activities totally end in wisdom.

The Master knows the best way in which you can grow. He creates the moulds for each of you according to your needs and abilities. Trust him, drop your solid ego and become fluid so you can fill in the spaces he creates for you.

tadviddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā I upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninastattvadarśinaḥ

Understand these truths by approaching a spiritual Master, by asking him your questions, by offering service. The enlightened person can initiate the wisdom unto you because he has seen the truth

A Master is one who has experienced the truth and who can simply transfer his experience of truth to you.

yajjñātvā na punar moham evaṁ yāsyasi pāṇḍava I yena bhūtāny aśeṣeṇa drakṣyasy ātmanyatho mayi

O Pāṇḍava, knowing this you will never suffer from desire or illusion, you will know that all living beings are in the supreme, in Me.

When you realize the truth that you too are one with the Universe, there is nothing more to desire; nothing to be attached to.

api cedasi pāpebhyaḥ sarvebhyaḥ pāpakṛttamaḥ I sarvaṁ jñānaplavenaiva vṛjinaṁ santariṣyasi

Even if you are the most sinful of all sinners, you will certainly cross completely the ocean of miseries through the boat of knowledge.

When you have the true knowledge, it will propel you to do actions that are a means to reach the Ultimate.

We spoke about the history of Brahma and Viṣṇu trying to reach Śiva's crown. Viṣṇu was able to accept that he failed and completed with Śiva, whereas Brahma could not. A person of knowledge becomes arrogant and refuses to acknowledge the limitations of knowledge.

Sacrificing knowledge is far more difficult than sacrificing wealth. For a scholar to admit that he does not know is to commit suicide. He is losing his identity. Kṛṣṇa advises the seeker to sacrifice one's knowledge and one's intellect at His feet, at the feet of the Master, to experience the ultimate Truth.

Beautifully He says, 'tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (4.34).' A Master is one who has experienced the truth and who can simply transfer his experience of truth to you. He communes with you. A teacher, on the other hand, is one who imparts knowledge through communication.

It is easy to do the first step, which is to follow the Master in his physical form because Masters are so attractive by nature and they do not expect anything in return. The next level is to follow the dharma, teachings of the Master. This is slightly more difficult because you have to not only listen to his teachings but you also have to do something; you have to live his teachings, practice them.

Though it is only for your own growth, your laziness (tamas) causes you to not do this. The final level is where you infuse your life with the truth that life is for others.

When you surrender to the Master, you surrender to his mission, sanga and to his teachings, dharma as well. When you surrender at the physical level, you surrender your comforts to the Master like desires for luxury, wealth, food or sleep to imbibe and spread his teachings and mission. I cannot call it sacrifice because you will feel from your very being that this is what you really want to do. When you take up the responsibility of the mission, you will realize that what seemed to you as a load is actually a blissful experience.

How can the mission of the Master give anything other than pure bliss? The moment you surrender to the Master and his mission and you stand up taking responsibility, you will find that the divine energy simply flows through you and you just flow effortlessly and express yourself most gracefully and powerfully. All you need to do is to be stable and available, and the divine energy will make you able!

On the mental level, you surrender your intellect, your mental pursuits, your incompletions to serve the Master and the mission. You become like a liquid, flowing into the shapes and moulds created by the Master.

The Master knows the best way in which you can grow. He creates the moulds for each of you according to your needs and abilities. Trust him, drop your solid ego and become fluid so you can fill in the spaces he creates for you.

At the being level, when your very being surrenders to the Master, your being clearly recognizes the call of the Master. You become a part of the Master. You no longer carry any separate identity. This process of transformation automatically happens when you surrender to the Master, his teachings and his mission. The water is converted into formless steam. Like steam, you now explode in all directions. There are no limitations because all limitations exist only in the mind. You now transcend the mind and express your peak potential.

The Master tirelessly and compassionately pushes you in different ways so you can also experience and be in the same state of eternal bliss as he is. The only emotion that a Master knows is love. I always tell people, 'When I show compassion to you, I cheat you. When I fire you, I teach you. Either way, you grow.' The Vedas also clearly declare that a living Master is needed. You may have access to all the books, the recorded teachings of all the great masters. But, you have only the words; where is the body language?

For example, yoga as it is taught now has been reduced to just a form of physical exercise. But physical health is just one of its benefits. Yoga as taught by Patañjali is a means to enlightenment. But the body language of Patañjali no longer exists; only his words exist. You need a living Master who is in the same consciousness as Patañjali, to transmit the essence and experience of the words.

It is very difficult to relate with a living Master. You see, it is very easy to relate with dead masters. You can project all your imaginations about God on him. When Kṛṣṇa promises that He descends again and again—sambhavāmi yuge yuge what He means is the Kṛṣṇa energy will descend. People think Kṛṣṇa will come down in the same form with the yellow clothes, the flute and the two peacock feathers.

Again and again, Kṛṣṇa happens on planet Earth, but our incompletions are so cunning, they manage in making us miss Him in any form. We miss all the living Masters. It is easy to fool yourself, escaping from a living Master and just worshipping a Master who has left the body. You escape all the possibilities of transformation.

You can just say, 'Amayaṁ anahaṁkāraṁ arāgaṁ amadaṁ tathā...' 'I offer my non-attachment to you', 'I offer my ego to you.' You can say that to an idol and that idol will be just standing. But, if you tell me that, I will simply catch your neck and say,

With the living Master, he will be constantly working on you, to cut your ego and to show you your true Self. But the ego is afraid to die at the Master's hands, so you try to escape. Just being open to his energy can get rid of the biggest cancer in you, your ego.

When you realize the truth that you too are one with the Universe, there is nothing more to desire; nothing to be attached to. There is no longer any differentiation between who you are and what the Universe is.

Māyā, the illusion of that separation, disappears. That is why the Master is called Guru, one who leads you from 'gu', which is darkness, to 'ru', that is light; one who leads you from ignorance to bliss. A Master does not differentiate between good and bad. He doesn't care if what you do is considered meritorious by society or sinful.

Here, Kṛṣṇa says beautifully, 'Even if you are the most sinful of all sinners sarve-bhyaḥ pāpa-krt-tamaḥ, you will certainly completely cross the ocean of miseries with the boat of knowledge—

At the spiritual level, the concept of sin does not exist. It is a creation of manmade institutions, of societal and political organizations to control others through fear. When you have the true knowledge, the intelligence of why you are doing what you are doing, the very knowledge will make the action divine, the act will no longer be just a ritual but a means to reach the Ultimate. Automatically, you will cross the ocean of miseries because misery itself is a result of ignorance of your true self. When 'spirit' is added to a 'ritual', it becomes 'spi-rituality'.

Help the group understand that engaging with a living master is necessary for personal transformation to give up ego and attachments.

Guru takes one from darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge.

• ❖ What is more difficult to give up: ego or wealth? And Why?

• ❖ What is more difficult to have: a living master or a master who has left the body?

• ❖ Why is a living master needed?

• ❖ What is the benefit of surrendering to the master: at the physical, mental and being level?

• ❖ What is the literal meaning of the word "Guru"?

• ❖ What is sin?

• ❖ What is the ultimate knowledge?

• ❖ How does true knowledge liberate from miseries?

• 1. paper
• 2. glue
• 3. scissors

Draw a rectangular frame on the paper. Take a photo cut-out of you and your Guru and paste it within the rectangular frame. Colour the background to your liking.

Follow the Master in his physical form. When you surrender to the Master at the physical level, you surrender your comforts to the Master, to imbibe and spread his teachings and mission.

• 1. paper
• 2. Pen or Pencil

Write a few ideas on how a disciple can intellectually contribute to his/her Master's mission.

On the mental level, you surrender your intellect, your mental pursuits, your incompletions to serve the Master and the mission.

Today's topic of discussion is "There are no limitations on human potential, because all limitations exist only in the mind."

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM is nitya-dhyāna-ānanda, consists of Nithya, the Master in the body, dhyāna, his teaching and message of meditation and ānanda, his mission of bringing forth the fountain of bliss that is lying latent in you. The Master creates growth opportunities for each of you according to your needs and abilities. Trust him, drop your solid ego and become fluid so you can fill in the spaces he creates for you.

Authored by

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

yathaidhāṁsi samiddho'gnir bhasmasātkurute'rjuna I jñānāgniḥ sarvakarmāṇi bhasmasātkurute tathā

Just as a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of wisdom burn to ashes all actions, all your karma.

It is only when you drop the mind that all your actions arise out of intuition, from the super conscious state, the state of truth.

na hi jñānena sadṛśaṁ pavitramiha vidyate I tatsvayaṁ yogasaṁsiddhah kālenātmani vindati

Truly, in this world, there is nothing as pure as wisdom. One who has matured to know this enjoys in himself in due course of time.

The one established in authenticity is enriched with knowledge.

śraddhāvāllabhate jñānaṁ tatparaḥ saṁyatendriyaḥ I jñānaṁ labdhvā parāṁ śāntimacireṇādhigacchati

A person with śraddhā (courageous faith) achieves wisdom and has control over the senses. Achieving wisdom, without delay, he attains supreme peace.

When you have the knowledge and the courage of authenticity to follow and live the teachings, then you can achieve the ultimate knowledge, the knowledge of enlightenment.

When I tell people to declare completion and drop their mind, they look at me as if I am a mad man. They ask me, 'How can we drop the mind? It is only when you drop the mind, drop your self-doubts, it is only when you stop connecting your thoughts to form a shaft, that you really start 'seeing'. Your ego stops interfering with the truth of what you see.

It stops filtering and adding tones to what your senses experience. Your baggage of embedded memories, your saṁskāras, dissolve, and the new 'you' is born. All your actions then arise out of intuition, from the super conscious state, the state of truth, where no mind can exist. Śraddha Enriches you with Knowledge.

In the next verse, Kṛṣṇa uses the word 'śraddha' again. What a beautiful verse, 'śraddhāvān labhate jñānaṁ—the one established in authenticity is enriched with knowledge.' Actually, śraddha means faith plus the courage of authenticity to live to your highest possibility; the courage to be established in the peak of your capability. Understand, continuously committing with words that express your maximum peak capacity, as per your understanding and as per others' understanding is what is referred to as śraddha, authenticity.

Authenticity means stretching, stretching, and stretching. Go on stretching, that is Life! Go on stretching without fear, and without giving up on yourself. Do anything to honor and fulfill your words. Stretch yourself. Let all the powers inside you be unleashed!

Kṛṣṇa declares the power of authenticity here, 'śraddhāvān labhate jñānaṁ (4.39).' Only the authentic one is enriched with knowledge. When you have the knowledge and the courage of authenticity to follow and live the teachings, then you can achieve the ultimate knowledge, the knowledge of enlightenment. Many people do not have the courage of authenticity to see their research through. The eastern vedic sages did so much inner world research.

Millions of them have stretched themselves fearlessly doing full-time research for thousands of years, using their bodies and minds as laboratories. Why? Just to enrich others! This knowledge of the inner world is the result of their authenticity, their space of possibility to do courageous experiments and studies just for enriching others. They were true inner scientists, true śraddhavān who had not only the curiosity, 'the great why' and the perseverance to know, but also the courage of authenticity to follow, live and express their findings.

Look at Patañjali, the father of yoga—He boldly declares that all that he says in the Yoga Sutras is completely open to experimentation and verification. He says, 'You are free to try this, and if you find anything more to be added or edited, you are free to do so.' He has presented his research report. He invites you to try out these in your life and if you learn something more from that, his work is open to editing. That is the beauty of our system; it is a living system open to being updated.

Of all religious and spiritual doctrines, it is only the scriptures of the sanātanadharma, the eternal path of righteousness, as the Hindu philosophy is called, that allow themselves to be updated. The Vedas and the Upaniṣads, which we believe are the voices of

Nature, are not rules and regulations. They are truths to be understood and followed only in awareness. There are no punishments if one does not follow them, nor is one condemned as a sinner if one doesn't follow them.

This is the greatness and pristine beauty of sanātana-dharma, the eternal path of living. We are the most powerful, most sophisticated, most intelligent, most cutting-edge presentation of the Truth left with the possibility to evolve more and more, open for the possibility of being updated! Nothing was sacred just because it was uttered. All that we follow blindly today as traditions came through societal interpretation.

It is for us to sift through these truths with conscious awareness. Once tested, proven, accepted and intranalysed, we need to have the courage of authenticity to practice these truths. Mere knowledge is insufficient. That is what śraddha is about.

With śraddha, faith combined with courage of authenticity, you make the effort to constantly stretch and align yourself to the peak capability of what you feel as you, what you project as you, and what others' perceive as you. This dawns the ultimate knowledge in you.

With authenticity you conquer your senses, and direct your mind towards the truth, instead of your mind and senses leading you wherever they wish to. The state of fear can be born in you only when you are inauthentic. Only a man in authenticity, living authenticity, is a liberated one enriched with the ultimate knowledge, śraddhāvān labhate jñānaṁ

Impress upon the students that we need to have the courage of authenticity to practice these truths of sanatana dharma.

• ❖ What is śraddha ?
• ❖ What is authenticity? What are the benefits of living in authenticity?
• ❖ Scriptures of which religion are open to experimentation, verification and updation?

• 1. ice cream sticks
• 2. glue,
• 3. scale,
• 4. pencil
• 5. scissors
• 6. sand paper
• 7. acrylic paint,
• 8. brush

Make an airplane / glider with the ice cream sticks and glue.

Encourage the kids to express their peak creative potential by making a glider that can actually fly. Go on stretching your capacity to create, that is Life!

'Once, a blind man went to a doctor to see if he had any hope of getting back his eyesight. The doctor checked him and said, 'Yes, I can do a surgery and you can get back your eyesight. Then, you can drop your stick and start walking.' The man replied, 'Doctor, I understand I will get back my eyesight, but how can I walk without the stick?' The blind man could not understand that he can walk without a stick! He does not even know what it means to be able to see. The doctor has to do the surgery to give him back his eyesight, then automatically he will drop the stick. Now substitute the "stick" for the "human mind" and "blindness" with "ignorance". What is your take-away from the story?

You will see that the hesitation to drop the mind is because of ignorance. When true knowledge dawns on us, the ignorance melts away and automatically the mind is dropped.

It is only when you drop the mind that all your actions arise out of intuition, from the super conscious state, the state of truth.

Topic of discussion is "What is the no-mind state?"

With śraddha, faith combined with courage of authenticity, you make the effort to constantly stretch and align yourself to your peak capability and this dawns the ultimate knowledge in you.

Authored by

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

ajñaś cāśraddadhānaś ca saṁśayātmā vinaśyati I nāyaṁ loko 'sti na paro na sukhaṁ saṁśayātmanaḥ

Those who have no wisdom and faith, who always have doubts, are destroyed. There is no happiness in this world or the next.

Give up self doubt with knowledge and authenticity.

yoga-sannyasta-karmāṇaṁ jñānasaṁchinna-saṁśayam I ātmavantaṁ na karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhañanjaya

O Dhanañjaya (winner of riches), one who has renounced the fruits of his actions, whose doubts are destroyed, who is well-situated in the Self, is not bound by his actions.

tasmād ajñāna saṁbhūtaṁ hṛtsthaṁ jñānāsinātmanaḥ I chittvainaṁ saṁśayaṁ yogam ātiṣṭhottiṣṭha bhārata

O descendant of Bhārata, therefore, stand up, be situated in yoga. Armed with the sword of knowledge; cut the doubt born of ignorance that exists in your heart.

Completing Self-doubt in any field is Education. In the next few verses, Kṛṣṇa says that there is no happiness for those who always have self-doubts and who have no knowledge and authenticity. He uses the word 'always.' He does not say that from the beginning itself you should not have any doubts. Having doubts is natural; as long as you have the mind, you will have doubts. But you can go beyond it by completing with your self-doubts. Kṛṣṇa warns, 'The one without the wisdom and without authenticity, who always has doubts, is destroyed.

When you convince others with your strong outer image, and your inner image starts questioning you; your inner image questioning you is self-doubt. That is where the self-doubt starts. In any field if you carry self- doubt, you will continue to be powerless. In any field if you complete with your self-doubt, you are educated.

If you complete with self-doubt in any field, suddenly that non-mechanical part of the brain will immediately be awakened. A deep passive waiting without knowing what is going to happen is passive surrender. Just allow the Master to do the surgery and give you back your true Self, and automatically you will drop what you are not.

Kṛṣṇa refers to the stages in the Master-disciple relationship. The first level is purely intellectual, doubt-based. 'Doubt-based' refers to the negative self-doubts, which are purely intellectual.

The next step is intelligence; from intellect to intelligence. Then, if you continue to start looking in, first from intellect to intelligence, then from intelligence to intelligence with emotion, like 60% intelligence, 40% emotion, that is the time you will feel like a friend Towards the Master. After that, it becomes 60% emotion and 40% intelligence. That is the time you will feel like the Master is like an elder, like a father or mother or lord or teacher. You feel respectful towards him. And then, the relationship becomes pure emotion. You will feel a deep connection like a mother and son.

Then, after that, it is neither emotion nor intellect nor intelligence. It is a beinglevel relationship. It is the deep connection of a beloved, the madhura bhāva. And suddenly, you will see, he is not even the beloved, he is beyond the beloved. You start experiencing the mahā bhāva, what is called the Guru-disciple experience, experiencing yourself as the Master. That is what is called —'Tat Tvam Asi.'

Tat Tvam Asi means That art thou. It means you are the Master.

Encourage each child to look within and realize the formless energy of the master.

Understand that completing with self doubt, self hatred and self denial is education.

• 1. What are the various stages of the Guru-Disciple relationship?
• 2. What is Sakha Bhava, Matru Bhava, Madhur Bhava and Maha Bhava?
• 3. What are self-doubts, selfhatred and self-denial?

• 1. Toothpicks & grapes
• 2. Glue & paper
• 3. Pencil & scissors
• 4. Paper cutters

Create toothpick art. Encourage younger kids in the group to make simple geometric constructions using the materials. An example is shown. Older kids should be encouraged to make more elaborate sculptures eg. boxes, pencil holders, hut, tower, bridge etc.

Drop self doubt! You can do anything you apply yourself to do. In any field if you carry self-doubt, you will continue to be powerless. In any field if you complete with your self-doubt, you are educated.

Part 6: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4 Collection_English_part_6.md

• 1. One Blindfold
• 2. One empty bottle with marbles /stones inside.

Make a human circle. One blindfolded person stands in the middle of the circle. Others pass the bottle around as fast as possible but as quietly as possible. The blindfolded person has to guess who has the bottle. Don't empty the bottle of the stones/marbles and don't speak during the game.

Let us learn to be passive and give our complete attention to every small sound. A deep passive waiting without knowing what is going to happen is passive surrender.

Discuss your understanding of the verse "Tvam Asi" meaning "That art thou".

It is necessary to complete with self doubt. A passive surrender and waiting attitude is necessary to allow the master-disciple relationship to flourish and go from strength to strength.